Make sure that you and your fellow travellers are adequately covered for emergency medical care, repatriation etc. Medical services are extremely expensive so read the limitations carefully before choosing a policy. Annual travel insurance can be better value than buying policies on a single-trip basis, particularly if you travel more than once a year. Most travel policies also cover loss of baggage, the consequences of delayed or missed departures and so on. Check whether your chosen mode of transport to the airport is covered. Some policies cover only journeys made by public transport.

In recent years worthwhile travel insurance policies have become more difficult to find. The small print, often buried in 20 pages of terms and conditions, may exclude all "pre-existing medical conditions". In some cases this is taken to extremes and policies are deemed void if the policyholder has consulted a doctor or undergone any medical investigation in a specified number of preceding years. Other policies are deemed void if the policyholder is taking prescription medicine, or has done so in a certain number of preceding years. These restrictions are most likely to be applied in the event of large claims - the times when the policyholders most needs good cover.

Equipment carried by travel photographers may be damaged or lost at any time so insurance for photographic equipment is always advisable. Cameras may be dropped in the water, have drinks spilled on them, or be stolen in street scams or from hotel rooms. Despite experience, accidents still happen and there is always a new trick. The cost of adequate cover for valuable equipment can be substantial, but may be most reasonable when arranged as part of a domestic policy. Items of equipment purchased in foreign countries can be added to the policy by sending home a copy of the receipts and serial numbers.

Public liability insurance is increasingly worthwhile in the modern litigeous world. It covers accidental damage inflicted on others, and the consequential third-party claims. A final insurance consideration is that of your empty home. Think about domestic security for the period of your absence and check your home insurance to see how long you can be away without needing additional cover.