Guide to Travel Insurance in Europe
Travel insurance offers peace-of-mind protection for your European travel.
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Written byDaria Kelly Uhlig
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Licensed Realtor with 10+ years in personal finance content
Contributor to Nasdaq and USA Today
Daria is a licensed Realtor and resort property manager specializing in personal finance, real estate, and insurance topics. In her spare time, she practices photography.
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Edited bySara Getman
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Sara Getman is an Associate Editor at Insurify and has been with the company since 2022. Prior to joining Insurify, Sara completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Simmons University in Boston. At Simmons, she was the Editor-in-Chief for Sidelines Magazine (a literary and art publication), and wrote creative non-fiction.
Outside of work, Sara is an avid reader, and loves rock climbing, yoga, and crocheting.
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Table of contents
Planning a European vacation can be expensive, and it’s important to protect your investment. Comprehensive travel insurance covers many emergencies you might encounter before or during your trip.
Additionally, medical care is expensive for Americans traveling in Europe. Your health insurance won’t cover your medical care abroad, but travel medical insurance will, so the U.S. government strongly recommends having it. Plus, it’s a Schengen visa requirement.
Here’s what you need to know about travel insurance, including what it covers, how much it costs, and why you might need it when traveling in Europe.
Quick Facts
Travel insurance usually costs 4% to 8% of your trip price, with factors like your age, destination, and add-ons affecting the final premium.
Even comprehensive plans have some exclusions, such as pre-existing conditions and injuries from adventure sports.
You can buy travel insurance through a travel website, a company you find on your own, or with the help of an insurance broker or insurance comparison site.
What travel insurance covers in Europe
Travel insurance covers mishaps that occur before and during your European travel, up to your coverage limits. You can buy travel health insurance or comprehensive insurance with additional coverages. Both types are important to consider, as your health insurance won’t cover medical care you receive in Europe, and you’ll have to wait for reimbursement for mishaps covered by your credit card’s travel benefits.
Depending on the plan you purchase, travel insurance might include:[1] [2]
Emergency medical coverage: This pays your medical expenses if you experience a medical emergency.
Trip cancellation/trip interruption: Trip interruption and cancellation coverage pays unreimbursed expenses if you have to delay, cut short, or cancel your trip.
Baggage protection: Baggage protection reimburses your lost, stolen, or delayed baggage.
Emergency evacuation and repatriation costs: This coverage pays for emergency medical evacuation or, in the event of a death, for the repatriation of remains.
Insurance for rental cars: This insurance covers collision damage to your rental car.
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What travel insurance won’t cover in Europe
Even comprehensive travel insurance has policy exclusions. They depend on your plan but often include:[3]
Pre-existing conditions: Unless you have a waiver, which usually requires you to buy your plan within a certain number of days after your first travel payment, pre-existing conditions aren’t covered.
Fear of travel: Canceling your trip because of a fear of flying or fear of contracting an illness won’t be covered, unless you have cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage.
Expected events: Expected events, like a hurricane forecast before you book your trip, won’t be covered if the airline cancels your flight due to the hurricane unless you purchase an adventure travel plan or add-on.
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Schengen Visa Insurance for Travel to Europe
How much does travel insurance for Europe cost?
Travel insurance usually costs between 4% and 8% of the cost of your trip. Many factors can affect how much you pay. For example, many insurers consider your home state, the destination, your age, the length of stay, and the cost of the trip.
Add-ons such as medical waivers and CFAR insurance expand your coverage for an additional charge.
To give you an idea of how much you might pay for family travel insurance, we requested quotes from four travel insurers for two different family traveler profiles: a 35-year-old couple taking a $5,500 weeklong trip to Italy, and a family of four — including two children younger than 13 — traveling to Spain for one week at a cost of $8,000. Here’s how rates vary.
Insurance Company  | 35-Year-Old Couple | Family of Four |
|---|---|---|
| AIG Travel Guard | $359 | $285 |
| Allianz Global Assistance | $354 | $250 |
| Travelex | $196 | $254 |
| Battleface | $179 | $270 |
How to buy travel insurance for Europe
You have several options for purchasing travel insurance. Travel booking sites frequently offer it when you book your travel, or you can buy it directly from an insurer. You can also go through a broker or through the credit card you use to book your trip, if it has that benefit. But the easiest way might be to use a comparison site, in which you request quotes from several travel insurance companies at once.
Here’s how to buy your travel insurance:
Decide what coverage to purchase
Decide if you want health insurance, if you need any specialty coverages, and if you’re interested in add-ons.
Get your paperwork together
Gather your travel information, including each destination, the ages and travel costs for each person in your party, your travel dates, and the date of your first payment.
Request price quotes
Request quotes from at least three companies to compare prices and offerings.
Choose your plan
Select the plan that offers the best coverage for your needs at the lowest price, and purchase it from the company’s website or through your broker.
Tips for traveling in Europe
Good preparation is the key to successful and stress-free travel. Here are some helpful tips for first-time visitors to Europe:
Make sure your passport will be valid for at least six months from the time you enter a European country. If you’ll enter the U.K. or the Republic of Ireland, you’ll also need an electronic travel authorization.
Beginning in 2026, you’ll need an ETIAS authorization for short visits within the Schengen area. Research specific entry and exit requirements for the counties you’ll be visiting. Also check travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.
Copy your travel documents and store them safely, where someone you trust can access them if necessary.
If you’ll rent a car in Europe, apply for an international driving permit and call your auto insurer to find out what kind of coverage you’ll need.
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How to file a travel insurance claim
If a covered mishap affects your travel, you’ll file a claim for reimbursement. Although the exact procedure varies by insurer, you’ll generally follow the same basic steps:
Gather your information. The insurance company will ask for documents such as receipts, bank and credit card statements, medical records, and reservation and cancellation confirmations to support the claim.
Scan the documents. Digital copies are easy to store and retrieve if you need to resend them.
File the claim. Head to the insurer’s website to fill out a claim form and upload the documentation, or follow any alternative instructions the insurer provides.
Watch for a response. Check on the claim in case the insurance company needs more information, and wait for your claim to be approved.
Get your payment. Note how the insurance company will pay your claim — by postal mail or direct deposit, for example — and watch out for the payment.
Contact the insurer by phone if you have questions about your claim or need help submitting it.
Travel insurance Europe FAQs
Traveling to Europe can be a daunting experience, but travel insurance can add some reassurance. Here’s more information on insuring your trip to Europe.
Do you really need travel insurance?
Travel insurance is usually only mandatory if you’re planning an extended stay and need a Schengen visa. But at the very least, consider emergency medical coverage, as your health insurance won’t cover medical services you receive in Europe.
If your trip to Europe is in three weeks, is it too late to get travel insurance?
No. You can book right up to the last minute or even after you’ve left. But your benefits might be limited if you wait too long after you make your first trip payment. Read through the policy details to make sure you’re getting the coverage you expect.
What should you look for in travel insurance for a European trip?
Look for policy features like coverage for your whole party and no exclusions that might leave you with unreimbursed expenses.
If someone you’re traveling with has a pre-existing condition, for example, you’ll want insurance that’ll waive the exclusion. If you’ll engage in risky activities, you’ll want coverage for that, too. Finally, check out medical coverage, as U.S. health insurers don’t cover treatment abroad.
Do Americans need health insurance in Europe?
Only if they’ll stay for 90 days or longer, in which case a Schengen visa is required. Health insurance is a requirement for the Schengen visa. But the U.S. government recommends that all U.S. travelers purchase it.
Does Medicare cover you if you travel to Europe?
No. Medicare only covers treatment you receive in the U.S. You’ll need travel medical insurance to cover emergency healthcare needs overseas.
Sources
- Naic.org. "Should You Get Travel Insurance? What You Should Know About Protecting Your Trips."
- U.S. Department of State. "Travel Insurance."
- Allianz. "Benefits/Coverage."
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Daria Kelly Uhlig
Daria Uhlig is a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating personal finance content. Her work appears on USA Today, Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, GOBankingRates and AOL. As a licensed Realtor and resort property manager, she specializes in real estate topics, including landlord, homeowners and renters insurance. In her spare time, Daria can be found photographing people and places on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Daria has been a contributor at Insurify since October 2022.
Sara Getman is an Associate Editor at Insurify and has been with the company since 2022. Prior to joining Insurify, Sara completed her undergraduate degree in English Literature at Simmons University in Boston. At Simmons, she was the Editor-in-Chief for Sidelines Magazine (a literary and art publication), and wrote creative non-fiction.
Outside of work, Sara is an avid reader, and loves rock climbing, yoga, and crocheting.
