The number of holidaymakers taking a package holiday this summer is set to top ten million. And, with the current strength of sterling there has never been a better time to take an overseas holiday.

Booking a holiday with a tour operator means you must have adequate insurance cover, but for the millions of us who organise our own holidays every year, we often do so without sometimes considering the need to take out insurance. Either way, there are a whole host of providers now at our disposal for seeking holiday insurance protection - including travel agents, tour operators, brokers and direct insurance companies.

Failure to safeguard your hard-earned holiday savings is certainly short sighted when the process of securing travel insurance is so simple, fast and cheap.

Yet those making their holiday booking with a tour operator often don't bother to shop around to get cheaper premiums than those inclusive insurance packages offered by travel companies.

Travel policies generally offer the same risks and limits in what you can claim for baggage, medical expenses and cancellation. But premiums can vary sharply.

In fact, holiday cover from a broker or when purchased directly from an insurance company can often cost between 20 and 30 per cent less than insuring via your tour operator or travel agent.

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Unfortunately, however, 18 months after the monopolies and Mergers Commission outlawed the practice of linking holiday discounts with the compulsory purchasing of travel insurance, some travel companies are continuing to push holidaymakers into buying expensive travel insurance.

During the past year, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has investigated allegations that tour companies and travel agents are still charging up to five times as much as independent insurers for similar policies. Big travel names such as Going Places, Lunn Poly and Thomas Cook have been identified.

The OFT stresses that tourists shouldn't be bullied on travel cover. The two most common practices of tough tactics used by travel agents refusing to confirm a booking unless evidence of alternative insurance is produced and claiming other firms' insurance terms are inadequate, so forcing holidaymakers to purchase theirs.

Perry Wilson, Director of Insure & Go, a low cost travel insurance provider that offers its products and services over the internet and by phone, said that his advice to travellers would be:

· Make sure that you know what type of cover you require

· Shop around for competitive quotes

· When your policy arrives read the small print carefully - if it not what you expected, you will be able to return it and get a full refund

· Take a copy of your insurance policy on holiday with you, for reference.

Websites are increasingly popular first stop for travellers as more companies sell their products and services over the net. Perry continued: "the net is a great way to buy travel insurance. It gives you the advantage of being able to buy on-line 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and presents you with all the policy information you need on-line to make easier policy and price comparisons."

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Insure & Go's internet site offers single, multiple-trip, annual and backpacker policies all on-line. In a matter of minutes, you can search for the policy you need and pay on line. All the paperwork can then be printed off on your home computer.

So, if you are off for sunnier climes over the next few weeks and have yet to buy your travel insurance, make sure that you are not pushed into buying a travel insurance policy before shopping around!