“But I have a GHIC card — isn’t that enough?” It’s the most common travel insurance question from UK travellers, and the answer matters: what travel insurance you need for Europe from the UK is more than people think, because the GHIC only covers part of the picture. A GHIC gets you state-provided emergency healthcare; it doesn’t get you home, cover your belongings, or help when the airline strands you. Proper travel insurance is the difference between an incident and a catastrophe.

I’ve claimed on travel insurance twice — once for a cancelled flight cascade, once for a medical issue — and both times it paid for itself a hundred times over. Here’s what you actually need.

What Travel Insurance You Need for Europe: The Non-Negotiable Core

1. Medical cover (£5-10 million minimum)

This is the big one. A GHIC (see our guide to getting a GHIC card) covers state healthcare at the same cost as locals — but “the same cost as locals” isn’t always free, it doesn’t cover private hospitals (which is where ambulances often take tourists), and it definitely doesn’t cover medical repatriation — the air ambulance home, which can cost £25,000-50,000. Your insurance must include:

• Emergency medical expenses: £5m minimum for Europe (£10m+ for worldwide).
• Medical repatriation to the UK.
• Cover for your pre-existing conditions — declared, not assumed. Undeclared conditions void claims related to them.

2. Cancellation and curtailment

Covers prepaid, non-refundable costs if you must cancel (illness, bereavement, jury service) or cut a trip short. Insure for the total prepaid value of your trip — £3,000-5,000 cover suits most European holidays. Booked a £4,000 trip with £1,500 cancellation cover? You’re underinsured.

3. Baggage and belongings

Typically £1,500-2,500 total, with single-item limits (£250-500). Enough for most travellers; if you’re carrying expensive cameras or laptops, check single-item limits and consider gadget-specific cover. Photograph valuables before travelling — it smooths claims enormously.

4. Travel disruption

Missed departures, delayed flights, scheduled airline failure — the unglamorous stuff that actually happens. Look for: missed departure cover (£500-1,000), travel delay benefit (a fixed payout per 12 hours delayed), and scheduled airline failure (if your airline collapses). Know that this complements — not replaces — your UK261 flight cancellation rights.

What Most People Get Wrong

“My bank account includes travel insurance”

Packaged bank account insurance (Monzo Premium, Nationwide FlexPlus, etc.) can be excellent — or inadequate. Check: the medical limit, whether pre-existing conditions are covered (often they’re excluded unless declared and accepted), age limits, trip duration limits (often 31 days max — a problem for long trips), and whether winter sports or activities are included. “Free” insurance you’ve never read is not insurance.

“I’m healthy, I don’t need medical cover”

Healthy 30-year-olds break legs skiing, get appendicitis in Spain, and need emergency dental work in Greece. Medical cover isn’t about your health — it’s about randomness. The MoneySavingExpert travel insurance guide hammers this point with real claim examples, and it’s worth reading before you decide you’re invincible.

“I’ll buy it at the airport / the week before”

Buy travel insurance when you book the trip, not before you fly. Cancellation cover only protects bookings made after the policy starts. Book flights in January for August, buy insurance in January — if you break your leg in March, you’re covered. Buy it in July and you’re not.

“The EHIC/GHIC covers everything medical”

It doesn’t: no repatriation, no private care, no mountain rescue (relevant for skiers and hikers — rescue costs can be thousands), and some state systems charge co-payments. GHIC + insurance is the correct combination, not either/or.

Activities: The Fine Print That Matters

Standard policies cover standard holidays. Beyond that, check:

• Winter sports: skiing and snowboarding almost always need an add-on — including off-piste (with a guide) and, crucially, mountain rescue.
• Water sports: sailing, scuba (to certain depths), jet skis — often excluded or limited without add-ons.
• “Hazardous activities”: insurers define this broadly — quad biking, horse riding, even some cycling events. If your holiday involves anything adventurous, declare it.
• Alcohol exclusions: most policies exclude claims where alcohol was a factor. You don’t need to be teetotal — but “fell off a balcony after 8 pints” isn’t claimable.

How to Buy Well (and Cheaply)

1. Compare properly: use a comparison site, but compare cover levels, not just price. The cheapest policy with £1m medical cover and 47 exclusions is worse than a £15 dearer one with £10m and clear terms.
2. Annual vs single-trip: 3+ European trips a year usually makes annual multi-trip cheaper. Check the per-trip day limit (31, 45 or 60 days typically).
3. Declare pre-existing conditions honestly: use a specialist medical travel insurer if mainstream ones load heavily or decline. Non-disclosure voids the medical section — the most important part.
4. Read the exclusions: boring, essential. The top claim rejections are all exclusions people didn’t read.
5. Family and couples: joint policies are usually cheaper than separate ones; check the definition of “family” covers your setup.

Making a Claim (Without the Headache)

Claiming is where good insurance proves its worth — and where poor preparation causes rejections. The protocol: call your insurer’s emergency line first for anything medical or major (the number is on your policy documents — save it in your phone before travelling). They’ll direct you to approved facilities and guarantee payments, which matters enormously — hospitals in some countries won’t treat without a payment guarantee. For smaller claims (delayed bags, minor medical costs): keep every receipt, get written evidence (airline delay confirmations, police reports for theft, medical reports), photograph everything, and file promptly — most policies have claim deadlines. Be honest and thorough on the form; insurers reject for inconsistencies, not for claiming. And if a claim is unfairly rejected, complain formally to the insurer, then escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service — it’s free, and it overturns a significant proportion of rejections.

The Practical Takeaway

What travel insurance you need for Europe from the UK: £5m+ medical cover including repatriation, cancellation cover matching your trip cost, baggage and disruption cover — bought when you book, with pre-existing conditions declared and activities covered. Carry your GHIC too, but never instead of insurance. It costs £20-50 for a typical European trip — the cheapest peace of mind in travel. Don’t fly without it.