Make sure your Easter getaway is insured

With Easter just around the corner many Brits will be planning their spring getaway; research from the UK's leading comparison site, moneysupermarket.com, reveals nearly two-thirds of Brits (62 per cent) would not take out travel insurance when going on holiday.

The survey further reveals one in twelve British holiday-makers (eight per cent) never take out travel insurance. One in 20 (5 per cent) would not cover themselves for a European break, and almost half of those asked (48 per cent) would not insure themselves for a holiday in the UK - this could be particularly harmful with the recent changes for British travellers to the Channel Islands. From April 1, travellers now need to pay for any medical treatment if they fall ill or are injured.

According to moneysupermarket.com, insurance for a couple on a four-day break in Guernsey is available from as little as £7 from TopDog. For a family of four, spending a week long Easter break in Guernsey, insurance is available from £10 with Insurewithease.

Maxine Baker, travel insurance manager at comparison site moneysupermarket.com said: "I'm shocked at the amount of Brits willing to travel uninsured. Our research reveals a worrying trend that could lead to horror stories of huge medical bills or worse. We are all looking to cut down our outgoings at the moment, but forgoing travel insurance could be a costly false economy and certainly not something I would recommend as a way to save money.

The poll reveals younger holiday-makers appear the worst culprits for travelling insurance-free; over half of Brits under thirty would travel uninsured in the UK - compared with 38 per cent of the over-70's, a much more cautious generation.

Maxine Baker continued: "While the pound is weak, travelling to Europe or the US may be a luxury people would rather avoid during a recession and holidaying closer to home could seem a more attractive option. But with changes to medical treatment for British holidaymakers in the Channel Islands coming into force at the beginning of April, travellers who assume they are already covered could be left to foot unexpected medical bills. Travel insurance is crucial and by taking out adequate protection you and your family can travel with the peace of mind that the cover is in place if you need it."

moneysupermarket.com's top tips for travel insurance:

Ensure you are covered for the entire duration of your trip; its often wise to start a policy before you depart so you are covered for any cancellation

Check the policy covers belongings such as an ipod, mobile phone and any other items of value

Shop around for the best policy with the right level of cover to suit the nature of the trip, you may find an annual policy is cheaper if you take more than two holidays a year especially if one of those holidays is long haul, whereas a single trip policy could prove a bargain if you make one short trip to Europe

Make sure the levels of cover are adequate, where possible we advise they match our recommended levels of cover

Check your destination is covered by your policy - the small print will list the destinations

Some activities will not be covered by a insurance policy - if you intend to do something specific, i.e. water jet skiing, check whether its covered and if not speak to your insurer to see if it can be added

Also, travel insurance policies probably won't cover competitive or professional sports / activities; a specialist policy may be necessary

If you are taking specialist equipment on holiday it is also worth checking the small print, and then calling your insurer if you need to add it.

moneysupermarket.com recommends at least the following level of cover:

£2 million for medical expenses
£1 million personal liability
£3,000 cancellation - or enough to cover the cost of your holiday
£1,500 for baggage
£250 for cash