Holidays abroad: how to be well insured?

Verified 01 August 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

During your holidays abroad, you may be confronted with unforeseen events (accident, theft of luggage,...). The purchase of an insurance and/or assistance contract helps to protect you against these circumstances. The insurance contract allows you to be compensated both in case of cancelation of your trip as well as problems occurring during your trip. A legal assistance and protection contract allows to benefit from a service (legal assistance, medical, repatriation).

Before the trip

Your trip may be canceled due to illness, accident, death of a loved one, modification of your leave at the initiative of your employer...

A guarantee travel cancelation can be purchased from the travel agency. But it can be included in your payment card or subscribed to your usual insurer (example: as an option of your home risk contract).

An insurance contract (car, house...) or a bank card can integrate assistance services. An assistance contract may also include insurance guarantees.

Before taking out an insurance or assistance contract:

  • Check the guarantees you already have to avoid adding them up
  • Assess your needs based on your personal situation

Before going abroad:

  • Make sure your destination is on the list of countries covered by your assistance and insurance guarantees
  • Check the exclusions in your contract

FYI  

the closer you are to the departure date, the lower the amount refunded.

Find out if the accommodation you are renting abroad is insured.

Your multi-risk housing contract may include a warranty resort civil liability. This guarantee covers your liability when you are a tenant or occupant of a accommodation (excluding a hotel) during the duration of your stay.

Example :

If you cause damage to the water, you damage the household appliance in the dwelling.

Third-party liability insurance is usually built into your home insurance contract.

This warranty covers any damage you may cause to others during your trip and outside of the rented accommodation.

Example :

You break an item at a store, you accidentally hurt a passerby by by pushing it.

If you use your car, car insurance purchased in France includes obligatory one liability insurance. This insurance is intended to cover compensation for damage you have caused to others.

If you are using a rented vehicle, it is normally the renter's insurance that must repair the damage. Often, the insurance of renters provides deductibles (relatively high) in the event of an accident which will remain at your expense.

Examples of support services related to car insurance include:

  • Dispatch of a driver to repatriate the vehicle if it is impossible to drive it
  • Towing and/or repatriation of the vehicle in case of breakdown or accident
  • Accommodation costs during repair

During

In case of damage, loss or theft of your luggage, you can benefit from the following guarantees.

  • Holiday guarantee: it can be included in the multi-risk housing contracts of office or optional. It can guarantee some of your property damaged or lost during your holidays.
  • Luggage guarantee: the travel agency, the carrier or your bank can offer it. It covers goods you have taken or purchased.

FYI  

air carriers have obligations to provide lump-sum compensation for loss or damage to your luggage. This obligation arises from the purchase of an airline ticket.

The covering your healthcare costs abroad is different if you are going on holiday in Europe or another country.

Supplementary health insurance may be used to cover some of your remaining costs.

Some contracts include guarantees in the event of an accident or illness.

Example :

Death and disability insurance, contract multi-risk housing.

Personal assistance services are typically offered in multi-risk housing or auto insurance contracts.

These services most often include the following:

  • Repatriation, transport and admission to hospital in case of illness or injury
  • Payment of transport costs in the event of interruption of the journey following the death of a relative
  • Return ticket for a relative, if you are hospitalized, without repatriation for a specified period in the contract
  • Advances in case of loss or theft of money
  • Coverage of search costs in the event of rescue or rescue operations
  • Support for urgent on-site procedures

The legal protection guarantee allows you to benefit from a cover of fees and lawyer fees if you encounter a dispute with a third party (travel agency, airline, hotel).

These contracts usually provide for a legal information service.

Guarantees of legal protection are frequently included in credit card contracts.