Caitríona Redmond: These are your rights when holidaying and the hidden costs to avoid
From renting a car to travel insurance, as consumers we need to be aware of our rights and protections for holidays.
We have reached the final week of the primary school term and there are eight or nine weeks ahead of glorious school free days for most children, with some families taking time off to travel abroad or holiday in Ireland.
From renting a car to travel insurance, as consumers we need to be aware of our rights and protections for holidays.
Formerly known as the E111, the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) entitles carriers to free or reduced cost public healthcare in EU or EEA states.
Even if you hold health insurance or travel insurance this is an essential piece of admin to get sorted before travelling or studying abroad.
It’s easy to set up and apply online if you have a medical card or drugs payment scheme card but you can also apply by post or in person.
The card will be posted to you within 10 working days of applying which is remarkably efficient.
With that little card in your possession, seeking health assistance in another country should be a breeze but only if you present yourself at a public hospital or clinic.
Some resorts have a range of walk-in private clinics in prominent locations to attract tourists, so check before you sign up for treatment that could leave you with an unexpected bill.
There’s a common misconception that travel insurance is an essential requirement only for those who leave the country. Nothing could be further from the truth.
While I don’t intend to leave Ireland this Summer, I still have a decent family travel insurance policy in place.
This gives me the extra reassurance that if anything happens to me or my belongings, no matter if I’m in Ireland or further afield, the protection is there.
When buying this essential protection, bear in mind that the excess is the amount you’ll be expected to pay before your insurance policy kicks in. A higher excess means a lower premium, but it could mean a painful bill in the future if your plans go awry.
Speaking of insurance, renting a car is a simple matter, but the additional costs can be far more complicated.
You might want to consider paying an additional rental excess insurance in Ireland, rather than getting caught for larger charges.
This excess can be as much as €30 per day on certain size cars, but you can protect yourself by paying a smaller premium to a company such as Cover4Rentals.
Regardless of insurance status, I recommend setting your phone camera to HD and recording a short walkaround video of whatever vehicle you decide to rent. That video will serve as evidence of any existing damage on collection.
I rented a car on a recent trip to the UK. I didn’t notice a windscreen defect on the sunny day I collected the vehicle, but it became obvious on the second, more cloudy day.
After a moment of panic, I checked the video and discovered that the windscreen defect was there the day I collected it and breathed easier until the return time. Needless to say, I wasn’t charged.
Make sure you are clear what you are paying for. I’m aware of several people who have been caught out by website impersonation fraud after using booking.com (for example) to reserve a hotel room.
The card payment or reservation is made without issue, but after the booking the holidaymaker is contacted by email requesting an additional payment or confirmation.
The email looks to be from the genuine hotel that was originally booked. If in doubt, contact the hotel by telephone to query your booking and whether there are any additional charges outstanding.
Nothing worse than arriving and finding out your booking doesn’t exist, or you have paid over the odds for your accommodation.
If you’ve booked a package holiday and aren’t happy, contact your travel agent while still on resort to complain. This way, the agent will have a log of any issues that you have experienced and will try to fix them.
These problems can range from the quality of accommodation or transfers. Once home, put your complaint in writing and wait for the travel agent to respond. If you’re not happy with their response, you can then proceed to the Small Claims Court for compensation.
No matter where you travel, you can register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade online before leaving Ireland with your destination and travel plans.
This information allows them to contact you and help if something happens in your area. This may be a natural disaster or civil unrest, but also if you have an emergency overseas.
It’s not mandatory, but I really recommend registering in advance of travel, along with keeping a virtual essential document folder online in case you lose your passport or other travel documents.
Above all else, travel safely and enjoy the summer holidays, whatever they may bring!
Take it from somebody who discovered what had once been a banana in the bottom of a schoolbag in September.
Set a reminder in your phone or mark the calendar to check every single schoolbag and lunchbox on the last day of school.
Your children have been educated for the past school year, but you really don’t want them cultivating a brand new organism in abandoned containers over the holiday.
Whether it’s the warmer temperatures or all-day grazing that the school holidays bring, my kids seem to grow like weeds every Summer.
Hold off on those shoes and new uniforms for now and take a day in late August to sort everything out. Nothing worse than buying clothes that may not even fit come September.
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