Money Matters: Do you need insurance for a hen or stag weekend?

“Travel insurance isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when arranging a stag or hen weekend, but having the right level of cover can be invaluable if things don’t go as planned,” says Kelly Whittington, speciality claims director at Aviva.

“Our research shows that many stag and hen guests simply don’t think about taking out cover. People often think they don’t need it for a short break – or that the unexpected won’t happen to them. But sadly we see that things can and do go wrong from time to time.

“In the event of a lost passport, a medical expense overseas, or an illness that means you need to cancel your trip, travel insurance can be an important lifeline,” Whittington adds. “There are also a few things people should consider when travelling as part of a group, to make sure they have the right cover for their needs.”

Here are some “need to knows” from Aviva about insurance if you’re travelling with a stag or hen group this summer…

If someone else has booked the trip, am I covered if it gets cancelled?

“If you’ve got your own insurance then you’ll be covered for the cost of your flights, hotels and excursions in the event of a cancellation, according to policy terms – as long as they’re all booked in your name. However, you won’t automatically be covered for any bookings made by someone else,” Whittington explains. “So, if the best man or woman has booked the flights, accommodation and excursions, but the trip has to be cancelled, then only the person (or people) named on their policy would be refunded.”

However, there are ways around this. Whittington says: “If you have your own insurance, your insurer should cover things booked for you, as long as there’s evidence they’ve been booked on your behalf. The best piece of evidence is a payment from you to whoever made the booking – so it’s best to do this electronically, rather than handing over cash.

“A group policy may be a simpler way to make sure that everyone is insured and could be cheaper than individual policies,” she adds. “However, normally an insurer would still only pay costs that each insured person has paid for their own personal travel and accommodation costs. So each traveller would still need to evidence that they have paid or are liable to pay for their costs.”

Another alternative could be for everyone on the trip to take out their own insurance and book their accommodation and flights separately to one another, Whittington adds.

Will drinking alcohol invalidate my insurance?

With stag and hen dos often featuring alcohol at some point, it’s worth being aware of where you stand when it comes to insurance.

“If you have a couple of drinks on holiday, it’s unlikely to affect your travel cover. However, if you drink or use drugs to an extent that means your judgement is impaired, causing you to take actions you would not usually take, this could have serious ramifications,” says Whittington. “So, if you suffer an injury while you’re under the influence, you could risk not being covered.”

Am I covered for water sports and leisure activities?

This is something you’ll need to check with your policy. “If your stag or hen do involves activities such as scuba diving or paragliding, then make sure your insurance covers them,” Whittington suggests. “Some leisure activities are likely to be covered as standard, but others will require specialist insurance – so check for any exclusions or optional add-ons when you take out cover.”