Travel Insurance: Which Ones You Really Need

Do I need travel health insurance?

International health insurance is the one travel insurance everyone truly needs. Your statutory health insurance either does not pay at all abroad or covers only a fraction of the actual costs.

Outside Europe it gets really expensive: a hospital stay in the USA can easily cost 10,000 to 50,000 euros. A medical repatriation to your home country costs 20,000 to 80,000 euros – and statutory insurance never covers this.

The good news: international health insurance costs only 8 to 25 euros per person as an annual policy. When signing up, look out for:

Medically necessary repatriation must be included
No excess (many good tariffs have 0 euros)
Validity per trip: at least 42 days
Emergency dental treatment should be covered
For pre-existing conditions: choose a tariff covering acute deterioration

Tip: Consumer organisations regularly test international health insurance. Winners often cost under 10 euros/year and offer excellent coverage.

When is trip cancellation insurance worth it?

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses your cancellation costs if you cannot take a booked trip for certain reasons. Typical covered reasons include: serious illness, accident, pregnancy, job loss or death of a close relative.

Particularly worthwhile for:

Trips with high upfront costs (from approx. 1,000 euros per person)
Early-bird deals with long lead times
Trips with children (higher risk of illness)
Older travellers or those with known pre-existing conditions
Group trips where one cancellation affects the entire plan

Costs typically run at 3 to 5 per cent of the trip price. Important: the insurance must be taken out within 14 to 30 days of booking.

What does trip interruption insurance cover?

While cancellation insurance applies before departure, trip interruption insurance protects you during the trip. If you must end your holiday early – due to illness, accident or a bereavement at home – it reimburses unused travel services.

In practice, trip interruption insurance is often offered as a bundle together with cancellation insurance. The surcharge is small (usually only 0.5 to 1 per cent of the trip price).

Is luggage insurance worth it?

Travel luggage insurance is one of the most frequently sold yet least useful travel insurances. In practice:

The burden of proof is extremely high – you need purchase receipts for everything
Current value is reimbursed, not replacement value
Valuables like laptops, cameras, jewellery are often excluded
For lost airline luggage, the airline is liable anyway (up to approx. 1,400 euros)
Excess of 50 to 200 euros is common

Tip: Skip luggage insurance. Instead, keep valuables in your carry-on and check whether your home contents insurance includes external cover.

Does my personal liability insurance cover me on holiday?

Not a travel insurance in the strict sense, but absolutely essential: your personal liability insurance should also apply abroad.

The good news: most liability insurance policies apply worldwide and cover stays abroad for up to a year. Still, check your policy before travelling, particularly for:

Renting holiday apartments (rental property damage often requires an add-on)
Water sports or other high-risk activities
Long-term trips exceeding 6 weeks
Use of rental cars or e-scooters abroad

If you do not yet have liability insurance: get it! Good tariffs cost 40 to 80 euros per year and protect you against potentially ruinous compensation claims.

Is travel insurance already included with my credit card?

Many premium credit cards (Gold, Platinum, Infinite) already include travel insurance.

What to watch out for:

Activation requirement: Often the trip must be paid with the credit card
Restrictions: Maximum trip duration often only 30–45 days, limited cover amounts
Excess: Frequently 100–250 euros per claim
Family cover: Travelling partners/children only included with more expensive cards
Cancellation terms: Cover ends immediately if you switch cards

Our advice: read the fine print carefully. Credit card insurance can be a good supplement but should not replace dedicated international health insurance.

Is an annual policy cheaper than single-trip cover?

The rule of thumb is simple: from two trips per year, an annual policy is worthwhile.

Insurance type	Single policy	Annual policy
International health	8–15 euros/trip	8–25 euros/year
Trip cancellation	3–5% of price	80–200 euros/year
Bundle	from approx. 30 euros/trip	from approx. 100 euros/year

Tip: For international health insurance the annual policy is almost always the better choice.

Which travel insurance do families and solo travellers need?

Families and solo travellers have fundamentally different insurance needs.

For solo travellers:

International health insurance (annual, approx. 10 euros)
Trip cancellation only for expensive trips
Check liability – done

For families with children:

Family international health insurance (15–40 euros/year for the whole family)
Trip cancellation strongly recommended – children fall ill more often
Trip interruption as a bundle makes sense – one sick child often means everyone goes home
Family tariffs are almost always cheaper than individual contracts

Important for families: ensure children are covered until at least age 18 in the family tariff.

How do I find the best travel insurance deal?

The insurance market is confusing. Here are proven strategies:

Independent consumer tests: The most reliable source for insurance comparisons
Use comparison portals critically: They do not show all providers
Go direct to the insurer: Often cheaper tariffs than via portals
Do not buy at the airport: Policies offered there are almost always overpriced
Do not add on at the travel agency: You usually pay more than necessary there too

When comparing, look not only at price but especially at: cover limit (at least 300,000 euros), excess (0 euros with good tariffs), validity per trip and cancellation terms.

Which insurance do I need for long trips of 6 weeks or more?

Standard travel insurance typically covers trips up to 42–56 days. Anyone travelling longer needs special long-term tariffs:

Long-term international health insurance: 30–150 euros per month depending on age and destination
Pre-existing conditions: Must often be declared, can lead to exclusion
Home visits: Some tariffs allow interim visits to your home country
Repatriation: Particularly important for long-term travel to remote regions

Tip for digital nomads: providers like SafetyWing or World Nomads specialise in this target group and offer flexible monthly tariffs.

Do I need extra insurance for a rental car?

Anyone renting a car on holiday faces an insurance jungle. The rental company's basic insurance (CDW/LDW) often has an excess of 500 to 2,500 euros.

The cheaper alternative:

Excess waiver insurance: From approx. 30–60 euros/year
Check credit card insurance: some premium cards cover rental car excess
Accept CDW/LDW from the rental company but do not book add-ons at the counter
Photograph everything before collection – including scratches and dents

Which insurance policies should I check before every trip?

For every trip, you need travel health insurance with repatriation (from €8 per year) and private liability insurance with overseas coverage. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance is worthwhile for trips costing around €1,000; travel baggage and travel accident insurance are usually unnecessary.

To wrap up – the summary:

Essential (for every trip):

International health insurance with repatriation – from 8 euros/year
Personal liability insurance with overseas cover – from 40 euros/year

Recommended (for expensive or longer trips):

Trip cancellation + interruption (bundle) – for trips from 1,000 euros
Rental car excess insurance – if you rent cars frequently

Usually unnecessary:

Travel luggage insurance – poor value for money
Travel accident insurance – personal accident insurance applies worldwide anyway
Add-on insurance at airports or rental counters – always overpriced

Tip: Sort out your insurance right after booking – not just a week before departure.