How many people travel without insurance?

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I have an annual policy so I'm insured without really thinking about it.

I have lots of weekends away with a group of friends, almost always in Europe.

I have realised only about half take insurance for these trips, with the others believing it's not needed for these short trips, they'll take the hit on any cancellation/ lost luggage and rely on GHIC for anything medical that can't wait until they get home.

I don't love this as I fear it will be me trying to get their bodies repatriated!

I was talking to a colleague who is very well travelled and she agreed it's not necessary for European travel...

Travel insurance is essential, regardless of where you go. If you don’t get it, you’re an idiot.

I'd never travel outside the UK without it. I always got it anyway but I saw how absolutely essential it is first hand when my best friend's mum sadly died abroad very suddenly and unexpectedly and they had to have her body repatriated. It was difficult enough with travel insurance, can't even begin to imagine what a nightmare it would have been without it.

Agreed! I have an annual policy but always also double check it if I’m going somewhere or doing something that’s not just a few days in Europe (eg went to Zambia and Zimbabwe for my 40th last year/skiing etc) to ensure I’m properly covered. Personally I think it should be mandatory.

I agree with @IDontLikePinaColadas travel insurance should be mandatory. It seems quite common for people to go abroad without thinking of the consequences.
If you consider insurance too expensive then a foreign holiday is also too expensive.

I will admit I’ve occasionally done it by mistake on a European trip, but it’s noticeable that I’ve never made that mistake going to the US. Speaking as someone working in the NHS and watching people come over here for a holiday and have a stroke or a complex leg break, I would never take the risk. I work for an NHS team and I think Brits perhaps have very little concept of what healthcare costs because we don’t have to. If you enjoy spending every penny your entire family doesn’t have on family staying longer to help you out/a medical flight just to get home/basic but time critical rehab, consultant reviews of new medication, then fill your boots.

I read a horrific story about a British woman who went on holiday to Turkey and had a terrible accident. She did have travel insurance but her insurer wouldn't cover her because she had done a very risky activity- she'd had a ride on one of those parachute like things up in the air that is pulled by a speedboat - you see them at the beach on holiday resorts.

So always get travel insurance AND get the right sort (or avoid doing risky things that are not covered by your policy).

The woman's family started a crowdfunder because she owed the hospital tens of
Thousands of pounds.

I always have it as an annual policy that’s included with dhs business banking account.
I didn’t used to have it though and did weekends away in Europe but this was back when we were part of the EH and I had an EHIC card if that’s what they were called.

EH?! EU!

We still have EHICs, they're now called GHICs but they work in exactly the same way ...

I have an annual policy but always worry it will be invalidated because I've forgotten to declare something ...

We still have the same reciprocal agreement despite Brexit.

I don't know anyone who travels without a travel insurance policy, but I know quite a few who have ignorantly failed to declare quite a few GP appointments and medical issues which would undoubtedly result in the insurers refusing to pay out if there was an issue.

She needed to have added sport activities on it..
People just don't think.

Yes. I think it is an easy mistake to make, though. I expect she made a spur of the moment decision to go in this ride.

I always have travel insurance outside the UK, and currently have a thread running about how awkward its been to arrange insurance cover for a weekend in Spain whilst awaiting a scan for kidney stones. All sorted now, but I would not have been happy to get on a plane otherwise.

A friend of mine's husband suffered a stroke in Croatia, spent 2 weeks in a Croatian stroke unit and was then flown back to Gatwick escorted by two specialist nurses. Thankfully they were insured!

And 'cruise cover' is also important. Not sure why you're more likely to get ill or spend more on treatment if you're on a cruise, or maybe its in case you need to be airlifted to the mainland?

We always have it, but I have to say the occasional times we have claimed on it were like getting blood from a stone. I think on one of them we just gave up in the end.

It's a thing you do for the big problems, but other than that it can be more trouble than it's worth to claim.

We don't get it for Europe but do for anywhere further away, never used it in 30 years of travel and now regularly do 7 trips away a year. I don't trust insurance very highly tbh as IME insurers will try to find any loop hole to get out of paying out. It's certainly what i've found with car and house insurance anyway.

I'd never go without it - and I check for risky activity coverage too, if we're likely to do anything that needs it (ballooning, kayaking etc.) My luggage is cheap, the holiday itself I could cover out of savings, but health and repatriation is another matter entirely.

Agreed, but according to ABTA 25% of people don't have travel insurance when they go abroad. People often assume that GHIC will cover them (if in Europe) but fail to realise that if they think the NHS is bad, they haven't seen lots of European healthcare. It only provides necessary, and state-provided healthcare on the same basis as local residents receive. That is sometimes a wild ride away from the NHS. Ambulances (including air ambulances) are not free in many countries. In Greek hospitals nursing care is an "extra".for most nursing services - Greeks either provide it within the family or pay for it. Assuming they are safe from costs is foolish.

https://www.abta.com/news/one-four-holidaymakers-put-themselves-risk-travelling-abroad-without-insurance

Bloody annoys me when I see Go fund me pages for people who have fallen ill abroad and been charged huge prices for medical bills. Yearly travel insurance is really not that much! Why expect others to foot the bill for their stupidity. I have absolutely no sympathy for twats who do this. If you can’t afford travel insurance then don’t go on holiday!

Cruise ships (the larger ones) have great medical facilities on board but it's all private and I've seen someone airlifted off, then the family and luggage presumably have to be got off and found new accommodation for as well then flights home from a different place. I wouldn't go without cover either but I couldn't swear I didn't for every single eg day trip to France when I was younger. I remember doing one of those paragliding things in Greece about 30 years ago and can't say insurance was on my mind, I don't think there was as much awareness of it all as there is now.

It's definitely an essential for me too! My daughter and I were meant to go to Barbados at Christmas in 2022 and she got Covid four days before we were due to fly. Those were the times when you had to get a PCR test to beforehand, but thankfully because I had insurance I was able to get the money back for the whole holiday and booked another holiday for the following Christmas!

I think sometimes older people don't think its worth it - my Mum had to be nagged to get it as it was expensive due to her health and only agreed when I explained what it could mean for us.
When DD took her first solo holiday she didn't think she needed it bcause she "wasn't taking anything valuable" but once we explained (and paid for it) shee saw what it was necessary.
For me if you can't afford the Insurance you can't afford the holiday

Do you have to be repatriated if you die ? I’d be ok being cremated and scattered wherever o ended up

It’s not exactly expensive!