Don’t let a dream holiday become a nightmare: Why the right travel insurance matters

For many of us, booking a holiday is one of the most exciting parts of the year. Flights, accommodation, excursions and restaurants are often planned in detail - but travel insurance can sometimes be treated as an afterthought.

As a lawyer specialising in international serious injury claims, I've seen first-hand how quickly a long-awaited trip can become deeply concerning when someone suffers a serious injury or illness abroad. Families are often dealing not only with shock and worry, but also unfamiliar healthcare systems, language barriers, unexpected bills, difficulty getting home, and uncertainty about what support is available. 

That's why appropriate travel insurance isn't simply an optional extra - it can be the safety net that helps protect you and your loved ones when something goes wrong overseas.

Why travel insurance matters

Without appropriate insurance, travellers could be liable for emergency expenses, including medical treatment, which may cost thousands of pounds. Examples of potential costs when injured abroad on the Gov.uk website, include £25,000+ for a broken leg in Spain requiring hospital treatment and possible repatriation, £80,000+ following a quad bike accident in Greece requiring surgery and repatriation, and £150,000+ for a stomach bug or infection treated in hospital in the USA with possible repatriation. 

Growing demand for destinations such as Cape Verde underlines why travel insurance should be treated as an essential part of holiday planning. The rise in direct routes, the popularity of all-inclusive resorts and the appeal of smart luxury holidays mean more British holidaymakers are travelling to destinations where medical care, repatriation and emergency support may be very different from what they are used to in the UK. 

It's also important to remember that a UK Global Health Insurance Card or UK European Health Insurance Card isn't a substitute for travel insurance. These cards can help with access to state-provided healthcare abroad but may not cover all health costs and never cover repatriation costs. 

When might you need to use travel insurance abroad?

While some may associate travel insurance with lost luggage or cancelled flights, it can be far more important than that.

You may need to rely on your policy if you:

• Suffer a road traffic collision abroad;
• Become seriously ill, including from food poisoning or infection;
• Are injured during an excursion, sporting activity, cruise, flight or transfer;
• Need hospital treatment, surgery or medication overseas;
• Require an air ambulance or medically assisted repatriation;
• Need a family member to travel out to support you;
• Have to extend your stay because you're not fit to fly;
• Need to cut short your holiday and return home early;
• Lose essential medication or medical equipment;
• Need help navigating emergency arrangements in another country.

What to consider when taking out travel insurance

When choosing travel insurance, it's important not to focus on price alone. The cheapest policy may not provide the protection you need.

Before you travel, I would encourage holidaymakers to:

1. Buy cover as soon as you book
   This can be important if you later need to cancel your trip for an insured reason.
2. Declare all pre-existing medical conditions
   Failing to disclose relevant medical history may lead to a claim being refused. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises travellers to ensure cover includes existing physical or mental health conditions, including those currently under investigation.
3. Check the medical expenses limit
   Some guidance states that a good policy should provide medical expenses cover for emergency medical and surgical treatment while away, suggesting £1 million or more for Europe and £2 million or more for the USA.
4. Make sure repatriation is included
   This is crucial. Getting someone home safely after a serious injury or illness can be extremely expensive and logistically difficult.
5. Check activity exclusions
   If you're planning skiing, water sports, quad biking, hiking, diving, cycling, organised excursions or other higher-risk activities, check they are covered. A policy may not cover planned holiday activities such as water sports or quad biking unless appropriate cover is in place.
6. Check cancellation, curtailment and delay cover
   Make sure the limits are sufficient for the value of your holiday and that you understand when cancellation or curtailment will actually apply.
7. Look at baggage, valuables and single-item limits
   A policy may have an overall baggage limit but much lower limits for individual items such as phones, jewellery, cameras or medical equipment.
8. Check the excess
   Some policies have different excesses for different types of claim.
9. Check FCDO travel advice
   Travelling against FCDO advice may invalidate your insurance. The FCDO advises checking travel advice and signing up to alerts for your destination.
10. Take your policy details with you
    Keep your policy number and emergency assistance number accessible. The FCDO specifically recommends taking these details and sharing them with others in case they need to contact the insurer on your behalf. 

Specialist legal advice can make a difference

Travel insurance is an important layer of protection, but it doesn't replace specialist legal advice where an injury or illness abroad may have been caused by the fault of another party.

If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury abroad, it's sensible to seek advice from lawyers experienced in international serious injury claims as soon as possible. Different rules, time limits and legal systems may apply depending on where the incident happened and how the holiday was booked.

At Irwin Mitchell, our International Serious Injury lawyers help people who have suffered injury or illness abroad, including those affected by road traffic collisions, mass illness outbreaks, accidents at sea or in the air, skiing and sports injuries, slips, trips and falls, criminal assaults and terrorist incidents. 

Our role isn't just to pursue compensation but help people understand their rights, access support and rehabilitation where appropriate, and navigate what can often be a very difficult recovery journey.

Travel insurance may not be the most exciting part of planning a holiday, but it can be one of the most important. Taking time to choose the right cover before you travel can make an enormous difference if the unexpected happens.

Find out more at our dedicated holiday accidents and illness claims section.