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In addition to the travel insurance included in your home insurance, you can get additional cover while travelling, for example via a credit card. This includes cancellation cover and compensation if your luggage is delayed. Get into the habit of checking your credit card insurance for future trips.

When travelling abroad, financial protection is provided by the home insurance's travel insurance. If you are travelling for more than 45 days, or for special activities, you can take out a travel supplement. But remember that there are always times when travel insurance is not valid (see example here).

If the trip is paid for with a credit card, additional travel insurance is also included. Some banks include this financial protection even if the trip is paid for with their debit card or payment through the bank. Prepare for your trip by checking the main terms and conditions, among other things.

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Period of validity of the insurance

The travel insurance included with a credit card can provide financial protection for different lengths of time depending on the type of ticket purchased. For example, the insurance may be valid for 35 days for a single ticket but 90 days for a return ticket. The longer period may also apply if two one-way tickets are purchased at the same time and thus operate in the same way as return tickets.

Buying a one-way ticket and then buying the return ticket at a later date may therefore shorten the time for which the insurance can provide compensation.

Cancellation insurance covers amounts and persons

All so-called travel credit cards (see example here) has cancellation cover. This cover can reimburse the cost of travelling if you, or another insured person, are taken off sick following an accident or illness.

However, it is a mistake to check the amount of cancellation cover per person and assume that if several people travel together, the cost of all tickets will be reimbursed. This is because there is always an upper limit both per person and per card/company. For example, it may be SEK 15 000 per person, but no more than SEK 45 000 per card.

If the travelling party consists of non-household members, it should also be checked whether or not they are also covered by the card's cancellation protection. This is where the cards differ slightly from each other.

If children over 18 years of age live at home and are travelling with you, the age limit for travel insurance should also be checked. For example, a limit of 20 or 22 years is common for children living at home.

Cancellation protection via card or travel company

Paying for your trip abroad with a credit card is an easy, and free, way to get additional travel insurance with cancellation cover. Many people choose this option instead of paying extra for the cancellation cover available, for a fee, from travel companies. However, it is important to recognise that there are different levels of financial protection on offer.

For example, with Vings cancellation and rebooking protection (see conditions here) can be rebooked up to 30 days before departure for any reason. Cancellation cover is also included in the event of illness, accident or termination. This cover also entitles the insured to compensation in the event of cancellation of a trip due to burglary or fire in their own home close to departure.

Cancellation cover by travel companies can therefore provide compensation on more occasions and may offer more flexible rebooking options. Of course, whether it is worth the extra cost depends on the traveller's needs.

Bring pre-purchase information & contact details

The pre-purchase information is a presentation of the different insurance components that make up the card's travel insurance. A presentation with a much "simpler" text than the legal text of the contract.

By reading the pre-purchase information before travelling, travellers can become aware of when compensation is available. Too many people fail to apply for reimbursement because they did not realise they could get it after specific situations during their trip.

Also pack the pre-purchase information and contact details of the card insurance company. Remember that it is not the credit card company that should be contacted, but the insurance company with which the card company has a relationship.

Use insurance abroad and save money

Credit card travel insurance not only provides extra financial protection but can also be used to save money while travelling abroad. Many credit cards include "excess cover on car hire". If you want to rent a car abroad, you don't have to opt for the often expensive "excess reduction" supplement from the car hire company. Instead, in the event of a claim, a high excess is payable, which the credit card insurance can cover.

Get compensation for unused events or winter sports

Are you planning a ski trip to the Alps or a football trip to Barcelona? By choosing a card with "winter sports insurance" or "event insurance", you can get extra financial protection for the additional costs of these events. This is because the costs of tickets, lift passes, rental equipment and the like are not included in ordinary travel insurance.

If these tickets and events are a major part of the cost of travelling, it may even be a good idea to take out a credit card that has a suitable insurance solution based on this point alone.