If you’re planning a holiday this year, there’s a common mistake you’ll want to avoid. As the summer season arrives, despite the UK’s unpredictable weather, it’s widely advised to purchase travel insurance – with many having faced significant financial losses by not securing it in time or at all.

MoneySuperMarket advises that the earlier you buy travel insurance, the better. They suggest securing your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday to safeguard against any unforeseen events, from personal injuries to your travel company going bankrupt, which could force you to make changes to your plans. They emphasise: “It’s best to buy travel cover on the day you book your holiday.”

Even if you book your trip well in advance, financial experts advise obtaining travel insurance immediately to protect yourself before departure and while enjoying your vacation. They say: “Travel insurance isn’t solely for use while overseas. It also offers protection against potential problems that may arise before your journey begins.

“It can cover cancellations due to a variety of unforeseen circumstances such as illness, accidents, death in the family, redundancy, bankruptcy of a travel provider, and even pregnancy-related issues. This pre-departure coverage is an important aspect of your travel insurance policy and without it you may be missing out on valuable financial support.”

It’s important for travellers to remember that travel insurance may not provide coverage if something happens while they are traveling to, or are in, a destination that is against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The gov.uk website states: “Travel insurance companies sometimes refer to our travel advice in their policies. For example, your policy may not provide cover if you travel to a country where the FCDO advise against ‘all but essential travel’ or ‘all travel’. Some travel insurance policies may allow you to make a claim if you cancel a journey because of a change in our travel advice.”

As well as travel insurance, many tourists are not aware of a little-known card that gets you free or discounted medical care on holiday.

The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) allows people going abroad to get necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA), and some other countries, on the same basis as a resident of that country. This will either be free, or it might require a payment equivalent to that which a local resident would pay.

You can apply for a card through the NHS website here. The health service cautions that you need to stay clear of unofficial websites as some may charge you a fee to apply. However it needs to be noted that the NHS warns that the UK GHIC does not substitute for travel insurance. It is recommended to obtain private travel and medical insurance throughout your trip.