Your departure date is approaching, your reservations are complete, and your suitcases are ready. Now, to leave with confidence, you are probably asking yourself the question:
is it a good idea to travel without insurance?
Having an accident, losing your luggage, getting sick, or even being repatriated, anything can happen while travelling! Travel insurance and its guarantees are intended to protect the traveller at the time of his departure and throughout his trip. It provides coverage tailored to the length of stay and the destination and protects the traveller if needed. Above all, travel insurance allows you to enjoy your vacation in peace.
Why take out travel insurance?
If I cancel my trip ...
Broken leg, an invitation to a resit exam, death of a close family member, or even redundancy ... all these unforeseen events can push you to cancel your trip at the last minute. And, without travel cancellation insurance, you will have to pay for part or all of your stay. To avoid this and deal with this kind of situation, you can take out cancellation insurance before your departure.
In general, cancellation insurance reimburses the costs incurred for your trip, less the amount already reimbursed by the trip organizer (airline, travel booking site, travel agency, etc.), and sometimes a deductible.
Cancellation insurance is often inexpensive (the amount is a small percentage of the cost of your trip). Don't hesitate to subscribe, especially if the price of your trip is high.
If I lose my luggage or it is stolen ...
Some unexpected events may also take place during your trip. Fortunately, this does not happen every day, but, for example, the airline company can lose your luggage at the airport… So remember to cover your personal effects so as not to regret it and buy back your belongings at actual costs.
Namely, compensation in the event of theft or loss of baggage may be capped by your insurance. Find out about the limit and check the coverages before purchasing your travel insurance. It is essential to specify that all the guarantees are not the same according to the contracts.
If I fall ill or have a minor accident ...
A cold or the flu? You won't die from it, but it can ruin your trip, especially if the situation gets worse. This is also the case for minor accidents that can occur once there. When self-medication is no longer enough, you have to resolve to consult a doctor and put your hand in the wallet to treat yourself properly. Between the consultation with the doctor and the passage to the pharmacy, the bill can quickly climb.
If you are travelling in Europe and you have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), it is possible - but not always - to obtain a refund. Note that this reimbursement will be following the Social Security reimbursement scale of your country of origin.
Outside the European Union, it is also possible that all care remains at your expense. Without insurance, expect to pay for all of your care out of pocket. Indeed, medicine in the world has disparate costs.
Here are some examples of the prices of a consultation with a general practitioner around the world:
- between 100 and 150 dollars in the United States
- between 80 and 100 Australian dollars in Australia
- 5,000 yen (around 38 euros) in Japan
The cost of consultation of this type is still limited and will not break the bank but can be covered by good travel insurance. This will allow you to spend your travel budget on items other than your medical expenses!
If I have a severe illness or accident and have to be hospitalized and repatriated ...
If you have to be hospitalized, travel insurance will cover you and prevent you from breaking in medical bills. You should know that even in countries with a lower standard of living than that of your country of origin (as in South-East Asia), access to quality care can be costly. You will often pay a higher price than in Europe! In North American countries, the bill can go up, especially if you have to have surgery or stay in the hospital for several days. In the United States, a simple ankle sprain can cost you several thousand dollars!
Here are some examples of prices for an emergency room or several days of hospitalization in different countries:
- Canada: Ski accident on Mont Tremblant € 5,500
- Thailand: Monkey bite in Kho Phi Phi Ley 200 €
- New Zealand: Hospitalization following an accident in Auckland € 9,200
- Indonesia: 6 days of hospitalization in Jakarta for suspected dengue fever € 2,000
- Australia: Motorcycle accident in Perth with multiple fractures € 130,000
Regarding repatriation insurance ensures you to be brought back to your country of origin if necessary. Without travel insurance, you or your loved ones will have to pay for your repatriation whatever the reason: accident, illness, or death. In the event of medical repatriation, prices can quickly soar: an economy class flight has taken overnight, or repatriation in a medical plane can cost you up to € 30,000!
If I cause damage and I engage my "private life" civil liability
When you take out travel insurance, it is mainly to cover medical costs abroad. We often forget an essential guarantee: "private life" civil liability. It is the one that covers you if you cause bodily harm and property damage to others unintentionally. In several cases, your civil liability may be engaged, for example:
You are in Canada on a bicycle, there are people on the road, and you accidentally collide with another cyclist. He falls with his phone in his hand, gets injured, and breaks his phone.
You cause material and bodily damage: your civil liability is engaged, and you must reimburse him for expenses; this is when your "private life" civil liability insurance comes into play.
My bank card as travel insurance?
Many travellers think that their credit card covers them abroad, regardless of the country or the situation they face. Please note, we advise you to check the conditions of your contract. If, like many people, you don't want to read the short lines, call your bank directly.
Suppose you purchased your trip with a credit card, Which might automatically include travel insurance. However, in most cases, this "free" travel insurance is much less effective than the travel insurance offered by specialists, and the guarantees are often limited (find out more about travel insurance for your bank card ).
Before taking out travel insurance, we advise you to note the guarantees included in the insurance to which you have already taken out voluntarily or automatically, whether it is your bank or another. This will avoid duplicates and adjust your travel insurance according to your needs.
Travelling with insurance is sometimes compulsory!
In Europe and beyond its borders, some countries require, among other things, valid travel insurance for the visa application, as well as a valid passport to obtain the right to enter their territory. If you are going to Cuba, China, Algeria, or Russia, take precautions because travel insurance is compulsory.
For students going abroad, the host country may also require travel insurance. For people who go abroad under the Working Holiday Program, travel insurance is generally compulsory, for example, WHV Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, etc.
Travelling without insurance: "At your own risk."
Specific adventures encountered during your trip can cost you (very) dear; of course, we keep our fingers crossed that nothing happens to you, but you never know ... In case of unforeseen circumstances, travel insurance gives you the chance of not getting into debt. So, of course, initially, it represents an investment in your travel budget, but it can also represent a natural source of savings and effective service.
When it is not compulsory, you are free not to take out travel insurance. However, we strongly recommend it. As the saying goes, if you travel without insurance, it is "at your own risk"!
For travellers who want to benefit from the advantageous guarantees of their travel insurance without inflating the bill of their vacation,
we have thought of you!
We offer a travel insurance that meets your needs. Our Globe Partner contract, for example, covers (for real!) Your medical and hospital costs abroad. It includes a Civil Liability "private life" and repatriation guarantee. What can take out the contract for a period of up to 12 months, all for one of the best value for money on the market? Want to go on vacation quiet!
What should carefully consider the choice of whether or not to take out travel insurance? If you are still in doubt, we hope this article will help you make the right decision. Of course, you don't always have to take out travel insurance, but as they say ... it doesn't only happen to others!
So is travel insurance a good idea or a bad idea?
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