Do I need insurance for a UK self-catering holiday?

Yes.

I could leave it there and make this the shortest blog post ever but it is worth expanding a little.

Wherever you go on holiday, be it abroad or within the UK, you should take out travel insurance. Why? Read on to find out.

Illness/injury

Don't assume that you will be refunded if you have to cancel a stay due to illness or injury. You should always check the cancellation policy of the property you're travelling to - most will refund a proportion of the cost depending on how close to the date of travel you cancel.

However if you cancel last-minute and the property owner isn't able to resell the dates you may be liable for the full cost. While we always try to be sympathetic when guests have to cancel it's not always affordable for us to provide a full refund.

If you have taken out insurance you can claim the cost of your stay back and neither you nor the holiday home owner will be out of pocket.

Travel delays/cancellations

If you are travelling by public transport and your train or bus is delayed or cancelled you may miss out on the first day or two of your holiday. The holiday home owner isn't obliged to refund you in this instance. While they may offer to rebook dates as a goodwill gesture you can't rely on this.

It's worth bearing in mind that insurance can also cover the cost of the delayed or cancelled travel if you can't get a refund from the operator.

Personal possessions

Possessions such as mobile phones, jewellery, handbags etc may be included in your home insurance but policies differ so it's work checking exactly what you're covered for. Some high value items may require extra insurance away from the home.

As with all insurance policies you need to check the small print carefully. Ensure the policy you buy covers all the aspects you need and is valid for the right period. If you have more than one holiday per year a multi-policy usually works out better value than buying separately for each break.

And no matter where you're travelling to always make sure you're insured.

Lock Cottage is a self-catering holiday home sleeping 6, situated in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. Check availability, find out more about the cottage and book your stay here.