Times when travel insurance has paid off for you

Had my face stitched in USA after I fainted, also paid most of a claim for my son's ear infection in Spain. Mine is a high now due.to health issues but I always pay it, I don't bother with life insurance at home or things like extended warranties so it offsets

My dd had an accident by the side of the pool and needed stitches in a very deep wound and required general anaesthetic. We paid over 3k on our cc for this and the insurance company paid out minus excess and in line with currency conversion no issues at all! Thank god for it!

They claimed it back but had to find a five figure sum instantly... took months to get it back. He would probably be dead if they hadn't. They didn't get any of the interest back which was very high. They then missed payments on other things. None of that was covered, just the initial sum.

Booked to go to Bali. Unexpected pregnancy, due date was same date as flight out of Heathrow. Excellent work travel insurance repaid the full price of flight and hotel

travel insurance was valid all year round. This pay out was like 6 months+ before the travel. So yes definitely have insurance from the date you book the trip!!!

When my son broke his humerus clean in two 4 days before our trip - insurance paid out in full. (Hence it worth taking the travel insurance as soon as the trip is booked!)

and when my daughter who has a multitude of problems had issues with her heart in Florida last year at Disney, one phone call to the (expensive but ultimately worth it!) insurance company and everything was taken care of from ambulance to the A&E the transfer to the specialist hospital and the taxi back to the hotel on discharge. Would have been royally screwed without it!
my daughters travel insurance costs the equivalent of another holiday but having the problems she does we have a life is too short attitude so are always on holidays and trips and have obviously needed to use it so it’s been worth it’s weight in gold quite literally for us!!

Thankfully, we have never had to claim, but I still wouldn’t be without it. I’ve had cancer, so my premium is pretty high. Still wouldn’t consider travelling without insurance.

I know someone WITHOUT holiday insurance and had to airlifted off a mountain. £80k.

My DD had a stay in a French hospital. Total bill was huge, tests, X-rays, ambulance, oxygen, drugs, bed for me, food, consultants, interpreter, thank god she could fly home.

I Had a serious accident 5 days before our holiday, so wasn’t able to go. They paid the full amount of holiday back to us

About 20 years ago, my sister and I had booked a trip to Amsterdam by train (from Germany). For some reason, I bought the insurance packet that was offered in case we had to cancel the trip.
Three days before we were meant to leave, my granddad was admitted to hospital and eventually died the day before our trip. Insurance paid everything back bar an admin fee of €10 per person, which was fair.

My boss fell ill while in California before Covid hit, he was hospitalised and needed an operation. Without the really good travel insurance we all had through work, he would have had to pay well in excess of US$ 100K.

The one time travel insurance let me down was when I caught Covid just before a trip and couldn't go. They insisted on a PCR test which in 2023 was not that easy to come by. In the end, I paid a little extra and rebooked on BA for another time.

My aunt and uncle went on a 'once in a lifetime' trip to New Zealand to celebtrate their retirements. Whilst there my uncle had a massive stroke and spent 5 weeks in hospital in NZ before being flown home to the UK privately. Their travel insurance covered everything - all hospital bills, hotels/meals for my aunt, transport home, drugs, laundry, the extra costs they incurred because they couldn't return their hire car in time etc.

I heard a horror story about someone falling very ill on a flight which resulted in the plane being diverted and landing thousands of miles away from it's destiation. All the people who are 'inconvenienced' by the flight diversion can claim costs from the person who was ill - that could be 400 people! Good travel insurance should cover those sorts of costs too.

Well thankfully no medical emergencies so mine are minor compared to others.

I was trapped on holiday in Switzerland in the volcanic dust cloud in 2010 and my travel insurance paid for us to get a train to Paris, 3 days in Paris then a train back home via Brussels.

Our bags went awol on the way to a holiday. We had NOTHING with us, and were dressed for UK weather rather than for 28 degree sun. The standard (Easyjet) compensation didn't go far. My insurance paid for us (me and 4 kids) to get clothing, toiletries and contact lenses etc.

Never had to use it but used to work in an insurance office where I saw the bills the travel insurance paid. Unless you’re rich enough to consider hiring a private jet with special medical staff, don’t risk travel without it, the figures can quite quickly become astronomical.

I would never travel without it and cannot understand all these people who choose to and then they start a gofundme! I can understand them starting a gofundme if the insurance won’t pay out but to start one simply because they couldn’t be bothered paying a bit more for travel insurance.

Im a nurse and like another has posted I have seen people repatriated back from abroad following a serious unexpected heart attack or stroke whilst abroad. The insurance sorted everything which could have been a lot more distressing and costly for the family.

I had a 500 euro note blow away when I opened my wallet. Also our luggage was lost changing planes coming home one time. My suitcase was lost going to the Seychelles and it paid out. Numerous cameras dropped over board and a car break in on a villa holiday. Ten days in hospital in Sri Lanka. Oh and I left a hire car parked in a beach in Parga and the tide came in and took it, car insurance paid for that one.

I had a bad accident in NYC that they covered completely. Also had an expensive camera dropped into the sea replaced. Husband had a minor stroke and was advised not to travel they refunded the total cost . Would never leave home without it .

Robbed at Gare Du Nord many years ago and I got enough to replace goods from the insurance.

Thank you that's really useful to know.

The HSBC cover we have with our bank account was amazing - when we claimed, we filled out the form late one night and the money was in our account next morning. It was for thousands of pounds of extra accommodation and repatriation costs due to transport failure.

My mum broke her leg on holiday around 30 years ago and her insurance paid for her hospital stay, including an operation to pin her leg, flights home, and transfers to and from the airport.

We were on a trip round India and our train was delayed by 13 hours and our insurers paid for us to have a hotel car drive us 5 hours to our destination so we didn’t miss our planned and paid for safaris. They’ve also paid out for a docs appt and tests for DD when she had a viral infection an extra hotel night following a flight cancellation and missed connection and a Covid cancellation. I also had to make a claim when someone on a scout trip that I ran dislocated his shoulder in an adventurous activity

DH was taken dangerously ill in USA. He was in hospital for 3 weeks and in ICU for 9 days. We had a bit of a fight with them but the insurance company paid over £250000 including my hotel bill.

DH broke his foot on our honeymoon.

The hospital wouldn't treat without proof of insurance and a credit card.... there was another tourist in the waiting area having to get money sent from the UK with blood pouring from a head wound.

Peace of mind is priceless!

DH hurt his back on the day before we went home, and he needed to see a doctor for heavy-duty painkillers to get through transfers and a long flight from the Dominican Republic. Insurance paid directly.
We lost a dive computer in the sea, in Kenya, insurance repaid us for the hire of one for the rest of the holiday and replaced it when we got home.