Travel Insurance For Europe – All You Need To Know

When planning an overseas trip – be that a relaxing beach holiday or bustling city break – travel insurance is a must.  

It offers a vital safety net should you need to get medical treatment whilst abroad, if you lose your luggage, or have to cancel your holiday due to an emergency.

In short, travel insurance provides peace of mind that you are protected and won’t be left out of pocket.

Europe-only or worldwide cover?

When choosing a policy, one of the decisions you need to make is whether to go for ‘Europe-only’ or ‘worldwide’ cover.

If you’re not planning on travelling too far afield, you may be tempted by a European policy, as these can be cheaper. Here we take a closer look. 

What is Europe-only travel insurance?

This type of policy only offers cover for travel within Europe. With a Europe-only policy, it’s especially important to check the T&Cs to ensure the country you’re travelling to is included, as the definition of what constitutes a ‘European country’ can vary from one insurer to the next.

While policies will cover all countries in the European Union (EU), some policies may extend the boundaries to include Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Turkey – and some may even cover Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia as well. 

If you’re not sure, check your policy before you travel, or speak to the insurer to clarify this. This will help avoid any nasty surprises.

What is worldwide cover?

The alternative to ‘Europe-only’ travel insurance is ‘worldwide’ insurance, which covers all destinations, and ‘worldwide excluding the US, Canada and the Caribbean’ cover, which excludes trips to North America.

Excluding North America can bring down the premium as medical and liability costs are particularly high in that part of the world.

Remember that, if you journey to a country where the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office has advised against travel, you risk invalidating your travel insurance.

Pros of Europe-only cover

• Typically cheaper than worldwide cover 
• Some insurers will cover certain ‘non-European’ destinations, such as Morocco and Egypt

Cons of Europe-only cover

• More limited than a worldwide policy 
• Requires you to think in advance whether you are going to be travelling outside of Europe
• If your plans change, you’ll need to spend time and money arranging another policy

What cover should a Europe-only policy include?

Given that medical treatment in Europe can be very costly, a high level of medical cover is crucial. 

As a guide, you should look for a policy offering to pay out around £2 million of medical expenses in Europe (check if this includes repatriation – the cost of getting you home if you get injured or ill). 

Further to this, the policy should also offer £3,000 for cancellation and delays, £1,500 for baggage and personal belongings, and £1million personal liability (to cover you should you injure another person and they sue you for damage).

Coronavirus check

While some insurance firms will offer cover for claims for medical expenses relating to Covid-19 as standard, you need to check this. The same applies to cancellation cover. Some insurers will offer compensation if you need to cancel your trip due to the virus, but not all will. 

Make sure you read the T&Cs carefully, and again if you’re in any doubt, speak to your insurer. 

Find out more about travel insurance for Covid-19 related risks.

Can I still choose between ‘single trip’ or ‘annual multi-trip’ cover?

When buying a Europe travel policy, you still get the option of either buying ‘single trip’ or ‘annual ‘multi-trip’ cover.

With a single trip policy, you are covered for one trip, up to a certain length (typically up to 30 days – though it can be longer). If you plan on travelling to Europe just once in a year, this option is likely to be the cheapest. 

If, however, you plan on going to Europe at least twice in a year, it’s probably more cost-effective to purchase multi-trip cover. Typically, this will be more expensive, but means you are covered for multiple trips to Europe over a 12-month period. 

The advantage of this is you don’t have to worry about buying travel cover again for the whole year (unless you decide to take a trip beyond Europe).

Can I upgrade Europe-only cover?

If you buy annual multi-trip travel insurance for Europe only, but then decide to plan a holiday further afield, you may be able to speak to your existing insurer and pay an additional sum to upgrade your cover. 

If this isn’t possible, you may need to start from scratch and buy a whole new policy.

With this in mind, before opting for Europe-only cover, you need to be confident you’re not going to want to travel further afield at some later stage in the year. 

What type of cover for a ski trip to Europe?

If you are planning a ski holiday to a resort in Europe, a standard Europe-only travel policy may not offer sufficient cover. In some cases, it may be possible to get ‘winter sports cover’ added to your existing policy. If not, you may want to consider a specialist ‘ski insurance’ or ‘winter sports insurance’ policy.

Given that claims for ski accidents can be eye-wateringly expensive, you need to check your policy offers adequate cover for activity-related injury and medical costs – and also repatriation. 

In addition to comprehensive medical cover, other benefits which can be useful to have include compensation for accidental damage, loss or theft of ski equipment, cover for lost or stolen ski passes, and cover for piste closure. 

When should I buy cover?

If you’re looking to purchase Europe-only cover – or any type of travel policy for that matter – you should do so as soon as you book your holiday.

That way, you are covered for cancellation (including unexpected events, such as redundancy or death of a family member) before you embark on your trip.

How do I find the best Europe-only travel insurance?

To find the best policy for your needs, you’ll need to compare quotes carefully – looking at both levels of cover offered, and the cost.

Tips to cut the cost of European travel cover:

• Opting for a lower level of cover. This could bring the cost down but remember scrimping on cover too much could prove a false economy
• Opting for a higher voluntary excess. This is the first part you have to pay in the event of a claim. While it can reduce the cost, always be sure you can afford the higher amount
• Opting for a ‘couples’ or ‘family’ policy. In some cases, this can be cheaper than buying individual policies

Pre-existing medical conditions

When buying any type of travel insurance, you must be completely honest during the application process and declare any pre-existing medical conditions. You do not need to declare if you’re pregnant as pregnancy is not considered a medical condition.

Withholding any information could render your policy invalid, and mean any claim you make gets rejected.

What about EHICs and GHICs?

In January 2021, following the UK’s Brexit deal, the Government announced the launch of the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), to replace the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

The new cards offer broadly the same cover as their predecessors – access to medical treatment at the level that locals get.

Note, though, that the cover does not extend to countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) but outside the EU. This includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein. 

No substitute for travel insurance

Equally, while an EHIC or GHIC is helpful to have, it should never be viewed as a substitute for travel insurance.  Neither card covers you for cancellation or lost luggage – or, more importantly, repatriation.

Cards will also not cover you if you are taken to a private hospital (as opposed to the local equivalent of an NHS hospital).

To ensure you have full protection while you are abroad, the best approach is to pack either an EHIC or GHIC in your suitcase, as well as a comprehensive travel insurance policy.