I am thinking about dispensing with travel insurance when travelling to Europe this year. Instead I would rely on my household “all risks” contents policy and my European Health Insurance Card (Ehic). What catches might there be?
GF, West Yorks
Relying on a raft of provisions that might be available, whether or not there is travel insurance, could expose you to unacceptable risks.
Of course there are travel insurance exclusions, such as those concerning pre-existing medical conditions of the policyholder, close associates or relatives in the event of a cancellation claim. However, the cover does usually pick up big items of expenditure such as repatriation.
You might benefit from paying for at least some of the trip with a credit card. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes the organisation that provided the card “jointly and severally liable” for transactions between £100 and £30,000 made with its credit card where there has been misrepresentation or breach of contract.
There are caveats though, which should be checked out.
Atol protection is there for when the travel company collapses or for holidaymakers who find themselves stranded abroad. Check if your holiday is covered via the Civil Aviation Authority website (caa.co.uk).
The “all risks” section, if you have one, on a household contents policy might apply if something is lost or stolen abroad.
For more on the Ehic, go to nhs.uk and find Ehic via the A to Z facility. Check your destination country, as locations differ in what is available. A few don’t accept the card.
“Entitlement” tells you what free care a national in the visited country can expect. This is for UK residents and by no means everything will be covered – mountain rescue in ski resorts, for example, or repatriation. It’s possible that people on cruises are not covered.
A single-trip travel policy for Europe strikes me as a sensible safety net.
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