Holiday home Brits will be taking a risk this half term

This half term thousands of Brits will be heading abroad for a last chance to top up their tan before Christmas. However, new research from Gocompare.com reveals that a large percentage of travellers to second homes, either their own or a friend or family member's, have a shocking disregard for travel insurance.

Holiday makers staying in their or a friend or family member's holiday home are nine times more likely to travel without insurance than someone on a package holiday. Over 1 in 4 (28.8 per cent) people holidaying in a second home do not take out any travel insurance compared to 1 in 33 (3.2 per cent) travellers on a package holiday. Around 1 in 9 (12.8 per cent) independent travellers, booking their own flights and accommodation, also ignore the benefits of travel cover.

Respondents who said they wouldn't be taking travel cover answered that travel insurance was unnecessary or that they would rather spend the money on something else.

Lee Griffin, business development director of Gocompare.com, said: "A worrying number of British holidaymakers are going abroad without travel insurance and the group putting themselves most at risk are those travelling to holiday homes. Staying in a home away from home may make you feel more safe and secure than if you were staying in a hotel but you are still just as prone to illness, accident, theft or travel delays as someone on a package holiday. No matter where you go or how you travel, insurance should be on your holiday shopping list."

The research also revealed just how many Brits have had disruptions to their travel plans or mishaps whilst on holiday.

Three out of five people (60 per cent) have been significantly delayed on an outward or return flight.

Nearly 1 in 5 people (19 per cent) have needed medical treatment due to illness or injury.

Over 19 per cent have had a camera, satnav, mobile phone or watch lost or stolen or had an item of baggage lost on an outward or return flight.

Nearly 1 in 20 people (4.6%) have been assaulted by another holidaymaker or local resident whilst on holiday.

And nearly 1 in 50 people (1.8%) responding to the survey have had to be medically evacuated home after an accident or severe illness abroad.

A travel insurance comparison using Gocompare.com found that a policy which includes £7.5 million of medical cover for a family of four travelling within Europe during half term week, could cost as little as £16.26. A worldwide policy for the same family with £10 million of medical cover could cost as little as £39.98.

Lee Griffin continued: "Things can and do go wrong on holiday and a surprisingly high number of British holidaymakers have encountered circumstances where they'd have probably made a claim on their travel insurance policy. Medical expenses can run to thousands of pounds in some countries, tens of thousands if you need to be repatriated home for treatment. If you have an accident or fall ill and you're not insured, you could end up in the ludicrous position of having to sell your holiday home to settle your medical bill. For the sake of saving a few pounds on your holiday costs, is it really worth the risk?"