With the possibilty of more bad weather to come, and the coldest winter since the 80s, our little island is suffering under all this snow. If you're about to go away and worrying about the weather disrupting your journey, now more than ever you need to make sure you've got comprehensive travel insurance.

So what should you be looking for in a good policy?

What should be covered

The holiday - a good policy will cover the cost of you cancelling or cutting short your holiday due to unforseen circumstances like a home emergency, or extreme weather conditions - so always read the small print! You should also think about getting SAFI - scheduled airline failure cover in case your airline goes bust - a more common problem these days. This is rarely included in conventional policies (unless you're travelling as part of a package booked through an ATOL bonded tour operator). You can get it separately from as little as £5 per person from ProtectMyHoliday.

Medical expenses - in case of a medical emergency or accident while you're away. According to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office this should be at least £1 million for Europe and at least £2 million for the rest of the world.

Personal belongings - to cover the loss or damage of anything you take with you.

Personal liability - cover if someone makes a claim against you for an injury or damage to their possessions.

Other things to look out for

It's worth checking the conditions of carriage of whichever airline you're flying with - that will tell you what they'll do in the event of a delay or cancellation, so you know what's expected of them beforehand. If you think you're entitled to compensation but haven't received any from the airline, get in touch with the Air Transport Users Council. Bear in mind that if your flights were part of a holiday package, you'll need to contact the tour operator rather than the airline.