Europe has something for everyone; from scenic countrysides and ancient, historical settings to modern metros and quaint villages. In fact, Australians like Europe so much that around 1,712,000 of us travelled over there in 2019.1
Before you jet off to the other side of the world for your dream getaway, here are a couple of things you should know about travel insurance for Europe.
All travellers – whether you’re visiting Europe for business or pleasure – should consider travel insurance. You just never know when things might go wrong; perhaps the airline cancels your flights, operators delay your tour or thieves steal your luggage. You can plan your trip as well as you can, but you can’t account for everything.
For example, 39,790 Australian passports were reported stolen or lost in 2019, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).2 Meanwhile, 8,141 emergency travel documents were issued in that year alone.
Such events are difficult to foresee, but easy to prepare for with travel insurance.
Your coverage needs will vary depending on the type of trip you plan to take. That said, travel insurance can cover:
Make sure you thoroughly read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for all inclusions, exclusions, terms and conditions of any policy you’re considering purchasing.
Travel insurance can’t cover you for every little thing that could go wrong on your trip around Europe, which is why it’s important to find out what’s actually included and excluded in your policy. Your policy’s PDS will have these details, as they may differ between policies and insurers.
Here’s a list of some common travel insurance exclusions you might find in your policy:
If you’re travelling to multiple European countries, you’ll need to check each one’s entry requirements, as they can differ between countries. For example, tourists visiting the United Kingdom for less than six months usually don’t need a visa,5 whereas most visitors to Russia are required to have one.6 Europe is also home to the Schengen area, which again has different visa requirements.7
In some countries, like Bulgaria, cash is still the predominant method of payment.8 In others, such as Portugal, foreign credit cards may not be accepted in small shops and rural areas.9 It’s probably a good idea to always keep some cash on you, as well as your card, just in case.
If you’re determined to see the sights, then walking may be the way to go. Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes, as you’ll be walking a lot and over all sorts of surfaces, both even and uneven! In addition, check a few maps out so that you don’t walk into an unsavoury area.
Europe is, of course, an exceptionally popular tourist destination. If there’s a certain museum, tour, attraction or anything else you desperately want to see or do on your trip, you should consider booking it before you even leave Australia. You don’t want to risk travelling all that way and miss out altogether!
Are you planning a European trip and want some specific information about the country you’re visiting? We’ve got you covered. We have several pages about European hotspots for your reading pleasure. These include:
Heading to Europe soon and haven’t sorted your travel insurance? You can do that right here and now with our simple travel insurance comparison service. Simply enter in some details about your travel plans and our service will find you a selection of travel insurance policies within minutes.
You can also look through our guide to travel insurance by destination if you’d like to learn more about travel insurance for a specific country on your itinerary.
