Cancellation Insurance - What Is It and Where Do I Buy It?

[artnbarb]

As I was reading thru the contract for Brook Cottage ( http://www.campdencottages.co.uk/cottage/BrookCottageinChippingCampden ) I noticed this:

4. Cancellation by the Hirer

The Hirer, or any member of the party, may cancel the booking at any time. However, no refund will be made for any monies paid unless the Company is able to rebook the whole or part of the period of the cancelled holiday. It may not be possible to rebook the period at the full cost of the original booking but the Company will refund the value of this re-booking less reasonable costs incurred.It is strongly recommended that the Hirer takes out cancellation insurance.

So - what exactly is cancellation insurance, where do I get it, and do policies differ? Is this something I need to have before I sign the contract?

 

[Pauline]

They mean travel insurance. This is very popular in England. We never had this in the US but I have it here because it was inexpensive. If I book a holiday and have to cancel because of illness, the insurance refunds me for what I have paid. Vacation rental owners would not refund anything you have paid if you have to cancel.

 

[artnbarb]

So - where do you buy it? Are some policies better than others? And, most importantly, how much does this cost? Our philosophy is that we're going unless one of us strokes or croaks......

 

[Kathy]

It looks like their policy is that they would return most of what you've paid (less any expenses on their end) if they are able to get another booking. That's basically our policy for our rental too and so far, we've been able to re-book for our few cancellations. You'll just have to decide if you want to take the risk.

Personally I would assume the risk myself for a one-week rental. You will be spending much more on your airfare... did you get travel insurance for that? But for a bigger investment like an all-inclusive tour or river cruise, I would strongly consider insurance.

In the USA www.insuremytrip.com is a great resource to learn about travel insurance, compare policies, and purchase it. Their website (or customer service reps) can probably answer your questions much better than any of us here can. Maybe there is something similar in the UK.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks - I've never bought any sort of trip insurance before, and I plan to be in the Cotswold cottage next summer come hell or high water, so I think I'll just take my chances!