When planning their holidays, most Brits spend a great deal of time trawling the web for bargain flights and package holiday deals, yet many fail to put the same energy into shopping around for their holiday cover.

UK holidaymakers waste an estimated £235 million on travel insurance every year by buying overpriced policies through travel agents or tour operators when they could get much cheaper policies elsewhere.

Travel insurance from tour operators such as Lunn Poly, Thomas Cook and First Choice can cost up to three times more than similar cover from other providers. As 60% of travellers buy their insurance from a travel agent, UK holidaymakers pay as much as £100 a head for travel cover, which is £3.5bn a year, far more than they need to.