Who would set off on a beach holiday without sunscreen, drive a car without a seatbelt, or let their toddler play in the water unsupervised? Safety plays a crucial role in our thinking. And yet many travellers still book their holidays without sufficient insurance. Out of ignorance…
The most important points summarised
- Travel with peace of mind: Without adequate travel insurance, problems shortly before or during your trip can quickly become expensive.
- Be careful with credit cards that include travel protection: They often provide only basic, limited cover. Or the benefits are tied to strict conditions. Always pay attention to the small print.
- Limited benefits of the e‑card: Even within the EU, you are not always fully protected in case of illness or an accident. The e‑card is not accepted everywhere.
- Comprehensive cover thanks to separate travel insurance: Choose travel insurance that suits your personal needs. Then you will be fully protected.
A problem rarely comes alone
For weeks, the F. family had been planning their holiday until they finally settled on an all-inclusive club in Turkey: a parents’ room, a children’s room for the two little ones connected by a door, 14 days including flights — all for EUR 5,847. The anticipation for the family trip grows and grows … until the rude awakening: Two days before departure, five-year-old Carina doubles over with severe stomach pain. The paediatrician diagnoses acute appendicitis. The little girl must be hospitalised and undergo surgery. She fortunately recovers quickly, as do her parents from the shock. But the family holiday is ruined.
The initial confidence of father Thomas that the cancellation costs would be reimbursed quickly turns into a bitter realisation: He had confidently refused travel insurance – pointing instead to his credit card with included travel protection. But now it turns out that he had paid for the trip by bank transfer and cannot provide the required proof that the travel was paid for with the credit card. What a frustration: The dream holiday is gone, the family is disappointed, and nearly EUR 6,000 poorer.
Does the credit card’s travel protection cover the trip?
The biggest risks while travelling are illness and accidents. But who likes to think about the worst when preparing for “the best time of the year”? Credit cards offer various types of insurance coverage. But keep in mind that you often have to read a lot of small print before you find out what exactly is covered. Some risks are included in principle but tied to specific conditions — as in the F. family’s case. Cancellation or illness during the trip is often covered only if the trip was paid for with the credit card or if certain transactions were made with the card within a fixed timeframe before the trip.
Often, credit cards with included travel protection offer only basic cover. So you may not be fully protected. Therefore: Always check the terms and conditions! For example, it may be that the card covers only the costs of a “medically necessary repatriation” — one ordered by a doctor — and not those of a “medically acceptable repatriation”, where medical reasons do not prevent repatriation and the insured person explicitly prefers treatment in familiar surroundings and close to family.
The duration of cover can also be shorter with credit-card travel protection and may apply only to a limited number of days. It is therefore quite possible that the cover does not apply for the entire trip. The destination also matters: Travel‑insurance benefits via credit cards often apply only within the EU. What exactly you need to pay attention to in credit cards with travel insurance can be found in our guide.
A stroke of luck in misfortune?
Strictly speaking, the F. family still had some luck: Had little Carina fallen ill while on holiday, the financial damage without appropriate travel insurance would have been much greater. Not every credit card automatically includes international health insurance. And even if it does, you must clarify whether only the cardholder is covered or also travelling family members. One day in hospital can quickly cost EUR 1,000 or more. Surgery can cost up to EUR 100,000. If her condition had worsened, a repatriation by air ambulance may have been required — costing up to EUR 150,000.
In this case, the family never even got to start their trip and suffered a comparatively small financial loss. With suitable separate travel insurance, they would have been reimbursed the cancellation costs and could have booked a new holiday. Without this travel protection, they must bear the costs themselves.
The overrated e‑card abroad
Many travellers overestimate the usefulness of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is located on the back of the e‑card. Contrary to popular belief, it does not provide sufficient protection when travelling within the EU. In many tourist regions, medical services are provided by private clinics. This means that the EHIC is not accepted. Ensure you are treated in a clinic or hospital that belongs to the public health system. Otherwise, you will be treated as a private patient and your health insurance will not cover the costs. On cruise ships, billing is always private.
And: The EHIC does not apply in every European country — not in Andorra, the Channel Islands, the Faroe Islands, the Isle of Man, Monaco, San Marino, Svalbard, or Vatican City.
Before travelling, also ensure that all data fields on the back of your e‑card are correctly filled in. If fields are missing or incorrect, the e‑card is not valid proof of entitlement! In such cases, shortly before departure you must request a “Provisional Replacement Certificate for the EHIC” (PEB) — also called a “holiday health certificate”.
Since Carina and her family had planned to travel to Turkey, the e‑card would have been useless. For trips to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tunisia and Turkey, you need the “holiday health certificate”, which must be requested prior to departure. However, its scope is limited and does not cover all costs, and its practical use in emergencies is complicated.
Another disadvantage: Even within the EU, the family would have had to advance the cost of treatment and claim reimbursement later. The e‑card only covers the rate of Austrian public healthcare. You must therefore always obtain an itemised invoice from the hospital and keep receipts for medication. A repatriation by air ambulance is not covered by the e‑card.
As Dieter Holzweber, spokesperson of the Main Association of Social Insurance Funds, explains: “Doctors know that they can earn particularly well from sick tourists. You cannot expect that a private fee abroad corresponds to the tariff of an Austrian public doctor.” Find out in our guide which benefits the e‑card actually covers abroad.
Your travel insurance for all situations
Compared to a seriously ill child abroad, the reimbursement of unused hotel nights or missed flights may seem secondary at first. But many travellers do not realise that such incidents can cause financial damage of several thousand euros. Other situations can also become costly without insurance: cancellation and luggage damage, search or rescue after an accident, or outpatient and inpatient treatment abroad. Those who arrange comprehensive travel insurance in advance protect themselves from these risks — and benefit from a single policy with comprehensive protection and a 24‑hour emergency hotline offering worldwide assistance.
Separate travel insurance provides comprehensive cover tailored to travellers’ needs, far beyond what credit cards offer. The CompleteCover offered by European Travel Insurance covers all the big and small catastrophes one hopes never to encounter before or during a trip. The insurance includes cancellation and interruption cover, reimbursement of additional accommodation and meal costs in case of delays, and compensation for lost or damaged luggage. In the event of accidents, rescue at sea or in the mountains, it covers organisation and costs for rescue, treatment, and repatriation. Travel liability insurance is also included, as well as support in cases of detention or threatened detention. A 24‑hour emergency hotline provides immediate assistance worldwide.
Because travelling without insurance is like going on a beach holiday without sunscreen: An unnecessary risk you’re better off avoiding.