Travel

Common holiday items you might forget to insure

people wheeling suitcases at airport

Alice Piper

Posted July 18, 2022

Often the contents of your suitcase can be more expensive than the holiday itself – are your items covered should something unexpected happen while you’re away?

If one thing is true about Victorians, we love a holiday - whether that’s a road trip to regional Victoria, a trip interstate, or a flight overseas. Victorians also like to go away and enjoy some activities while still being connected, which can mean packing the car or suitcase with valuable gear like mobile phones, laptops, bikes, and golf clubs, along for the ride too.

But have you ever stopped to consider the replacement value of all these items? After all, your wardrobe could be worth more than you think, so if you’re taking that new pair of expensive shoes, a formal outfit, precious jewellery, or even just a whole lot of t-shirts and shorts, it can easily add up to be thousands of dollars alone, not to mention your luggage.

When considering your to-do list before going away, it’s worth checking that you have insurance protection in place for your valuable items when you leave the home.

When you take out Contents Insurance, you may have the option of adding cover for portable items to your policy, which can safeguard you from financial loss in the event of something unexpected such as fire, storm, loss, theft, or accidental damage when you’re out of the home anywhere in Australia, as well as the rest of the world (although cover limits are capped).

So, if domestic or international travel is on your radar anytime soon, here are a few portable holiday items you could add to your insurance policy, in addition to other household items you might forget to insure.

Portable items to consider insuring before you go on holiday

Luggage

Let’s start with a simple, yet often forgotten item – luggage and bags. With popular brands selling suitcases for more than $400, a missing or stolen suitcase can put a significant dent to the wallet should it need replacing, even without considering its contents.

Bikes

Bike ownership has spiked in recent year with cycling levels up 69 per cent nationwide compared to pre-Covid, however bike theft has trended upwards too.

If you’re taking bikes on holiday for yourself or your family members, vigilance is key everywhere you go, but especially in public areas like parks, residential streets, and other highly populated areas.

Bikes can go missing even if you follow best practice in locking your bike. Adding portable items cover for bikes can give you peace of mind when you're on holiday.

 

two kids riding bikes along path

Make sure you're covered for damage or theft of your bicycles while on holiday. Image: Getty

Surfboards

There aren’t many things more quintessentially Australian than packing up the car and heading on a road trip down the coast with surfboards strapped to the roof.

When some surfboards retail above $1,000, imagine the pocket burn should your surfboard be stolen or damaged while on holiday – so you might want to make sure your prized piece of fibreglass is covered before you head off.

Golf clubs

Along with cycling, golf is enjoying a post-pandemic spike in popularity – which also means a lot of people have invested hard-earned money into new golf clubs.

While clubs can vary significantly in cost, it’s not unusual for a full set to be worth upwards of $3,000-4,000. As a consequence, it might be a good idea to insure your golf clubs for when you’re travelling to a course around the country and not only when they’re inside your home not being used.

Laptops, mobile phones, and smart watches

When it comes to holidays, mobile phones, smart watches and laptops items are vital for staying in touch, as well as entertainment like watching a film and storing holiday photos and videos.

Many smart watches can cost more than $500, mobile phones more than $1,000 and laptops even more, so consider adding portable items cover for these valuable and essential goods. 

 

girl hitting tennis ball with racquet

Tennis racquets can cost as much as $250 or more, so ensure they're protected while away. Image: Getty

Tennis racquets

Tennis is a fantastic holiday activity, but the cost of the racquets can add up quickly. With some tennis racquets costing in excess of $250, a family of four people can easily take around $1,000 worth of tennis racquets on holiday.

This makes the replacement cost of lost or stolen tennis racquets quite significant, so consider insuring these sporting items before you pack them in your suitcase or car.

Jewellery

Jewellery items, such as engagement rings, family heirlooms, and watches, can not only cost thousands of dollars, but also hold significant sentimental value to the owner.

It makes sense then to consider adding portable items cover to these items - after all, unexpected things can happen to your precious items both inside and outside of the home, and especially when on holiday.

Clothing and shoes

Australians spend an average of $2,000-3,000 a year on clothing, making our wardrobes one of our most expensive household items. And when we go on holiday, we’re unlikely to take those daggy old tracksuit pants we lounge around at home in, but rather those nice shoes you save for a special occasion, or that special dress for a fancy dinner.

This means the clothes, shoes and accessories you take on holiday could be worth thousands, so it may be worth updating your contents insurance policy to protect these items when you're away.  

Find out how RACV Contents Insurance can protect your belongings on holiday.
Discover more →

 

The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.