Travel insurance is a contract that protects you financially against the unexpected, whether that strikes before or during a trip: unplanned medical costs, emergency repatriation, trip cancellation, lost baggage. It fills the gaps left by French state health cover, which provides virtually no protection outside the European Union, and by bank card benefits, which are often inadequate when set against the real cost of medical care abroad.
What travel insurance actually covers
Medical costs and hospitalisation
Credit: Atr-72 aircraft at Pakse airport Laos by shankar s., CC BY 2.0, via Openverse.
This is the core benefit. A GP visit, a fracture, an appendicitis: healthcare abroad is billed at local market rates, with no national solidarity to cushion the blow. An appendicitis in the United States costs between $20,000 and $40,000; a week in hospital in Japan can exceed 5,000 euros. Depending on your policy, cover limits range from 100,000 euros to over one million euros: the level of protection you choose should reflect your destination.
Medical repatriation
If your condition requires it, you can be transferred to a better-equipped facility or flown back to France. A medical repatriation involves a medically equipped aircraft, qualified medical staff and complex logistical coordination, with costs that can easily reach tens of thousands of euros. Travel insurance covers these costs under the terms of your policy: no other arrangement, bank card included, does this automatically.
To understand exactly what happens on the day this benefit is triggered, read our article travel insurance: what really changes the day you actually need it.
Cancellation and trip interruption
Cancellation cover reimburses non-refundable costs (flights, prepaid hotels) if you cannot travel for a reason covered by your policy: sudden illness, accident or the death of a close family member, for example. Trip interruption cover applies if the event occurs during your stay. The eligible reasons vary by policy: a dedicated travel insurance contract typically recognises 15 to 20, compared with 5 to 8 for a bank card.
Baggage and personal liability abroad
Baggage cover compensates for the loss, theft or damage of your personal belongings, including electronic equipment and essential medication. Personal liability cover protects you if you accidentally cause damage to a third party during your trip. These two benefits complement the core medical cover to give travellers well-rounded protection.
Get my travel insuranceWhy your bank card and state health cover are not enough
State health cover: effective at home, limited abroad
French state health cover applies partially within European Union countries through the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), available on request from your health insurance fund. Outside the EU, it provides no cover at all. Even within Europe, the EHIC only reimburses the portion covered by the local healthcare system, which can leave a significant shortfall depending on the country visited.
For a deeper look at this, read our article on the differences between travel insurance and health insurance.
Bank card benefits: useful, but limited
Visa Premier and Mastercard Gold cards do include genuine travel benefits, but they come with several practical limitations:
- Duration: cover is limited to 90 days per trip for premium cards, depending on the policy. A long stay or round-the-world trip often exceeds this threshold.
- Medical caps: a Visa Premier covers medical expenses up to 155,000 euros per insured person. This may still fall short against the cost of a lengthy hospital stay in the United States or Asia.
- Cancellation: the cap is generally 5,000 euros per insured person per year for premium cards, with a limited number of eligible reasons.
- Activation condition: the trip must generally have been paid for in full or in part with the card in question.
If you are planning a stay of several months, read our guide on how to get insured for a round-the-world trip.
When travel insurance is compulsory
To obtain a Schengen visa, medical insurance covering at least 30,000 euros in medical costs is required, valid across the entire Schengen Area. Other countries impose their own entry requirements, sometimes more stringent. Before each trip, check the current requirements with the embassy or consulate of your destination.
How to choose the right policy
The right level of cover depends on your destination, the length of your stay and the activities you have planned. A few things to look out for, depending on your policy:
- The medical expense cap: aim for at least 150,000 euros for high-cost destinations (United States, Canada, Japan, Australia), and more if possible.
- The excess: some policies apply an excess per claim; others cover from the first euro spent.
- Exclusions: specific sports activities, pre-existing conditions and risks related to alcohol or drugs are often excluded. Read the general conditions carefully before taking out a policy.
- 24/7 assistance: an emergency helpline reachable at any time is essential for organising a repatriation or hospitalisation under the best possible conditions.
To make sure you are not travelling with blind spots in your cover, the article travelling freely: what people forget about travel insurance covers the most common pitfalls.
FAQ
Is travel insurance really compulsory?
It is compulsory for obtaining a Schengen visa, with a minimum medical cover of 30,000 euros. For other destinations, it is not legally required for French nationals, unless the country concerned has specific entry requirements. It remains essential outside the European Union, where French state health cover does not apply.
Is my bank card enough to travel abroad?
That depends on your card, your destination and the length of your stay. Premium cards (Visa Premier, Mastercard Gold) offer real but limited benefits: up to 90 days of cover depending on the policy, restricted cancellation caps and activation subject to the trip having been paid for with the card. For a long stay, a distant destination or high-risk activities, a dedicated policy is the better option.
What is medical repatriation and why does it matter?
Medical repatriation means being brought back to France under medically appropriate conditions if your health requires it. It involves a medically equipped aircraft and qualified medical staff, at a cost that can reach tens of thousands of euros. Without travel insurance, these costs are yours to bear entirely.
Does travel insurance cover flight delays and cancellations?
Not directly. Travel insurance covers the cancellation of your trip for reasons listed in the policy (illness, accident, the death of a close family member…). Delays or cancellations decided by the airline fall under European Regulation EC 261/2004 and the carrier’s liability, not your travel insurance.
Can you take out travel insurance at the last minute?
Yes. Most travel insurance policies, including those offered by Yupwego, can be taken out online in a matter of minutes, even the day before departure. For cancellation cover, check whether your policy includes a waiting period in its terms and conditions.
