Travel Insurance For Italy: Our Pick Of The Best

When heading to Italy, travel insurance that just covers Europe will be adequate. It tends to be slightly cheaper than worldwide insurance which can cover areas such as the USA, Canada and the Caribbean where medical costs are particularly high.

We’ve pulled together (October 2023) our pick of the top five European travel policies. For more details around our selections and rankings, refer to the methodology, below.

We used data from our quotation journey to review single trip, European travel insurance policies, for a family of four (two adults, both aged in their 40s and two teenagers).

We’ve assumed no members of the family have any pre-existing medical conditions.

All policies include at least £2 million in medical and repatriation cover and £2,000 in cancellation cover, which extend to risks related to Covid, as well as 1,500 in baggage and belongings cover.

We scored each policy on the following factors:

• Price: we awarded policies points on a scale of one to five. Those offering more competitive prices scored more points
• Excess: (a set amount that the policyholder must pay on each claim): we awarded policies points on a scale of one to five. Those levying a lower excess on medical claims earned more points
• Excess waiver: we awarded policies five points if they offered the option for policyholders to waive the excess levied on claims by paying an additional premium (that is, paying more towards the cost of the policy).

The scores for each policy were totalled, and converted to Forbes Advisor star ratings out of a potential five stars. Policies with matching scores were ranked based on price.

Results are for illustrative purposes only and results will vary according to circumstances.

Travel insurance is not a legal requirement for Italy. But it is still a good idea to buy insurance before you travel.

Travel insurance can offer peace of mind that you’re covered for any emergency medical bills while you’re away. Most good travel insurance policies will offer up to at least £2 million for medical emergencies and will include repatriation to the UK if necessary.

Be aware that you won’t be covered for any pre-existing conditions and you will have to flag these to your insurer before you travel. Typically they will then be excluded from any claim.

But it’s not just medical costs you’ll have cover for under your travel insurance. Other things to consider include:

• cancellation of your trip, curtailment or missed departure – make sure the maximum limits will cover the full cost of your trip (insurers will usually be clear in their terms and condition about what reasons will be accepted to double check)
• loss or theft of baggage and personal items (good policies should also cover cash). Again ensure the maximum limit will cover the value of your belongings
• personal liability cover (covers you in the event you accidentally injure someone or damage property while on holiday). Most good policies should provide at least £1 million of personal liability cover.

When it comes to travel insurance, cheapest often won’t be best. Check the levels of cover when comparing policies – including individual item limits for your personal belongings, for example.

Also review the excess you’ll be asked to pay – this is the first part of any claim you have to cover yourself. The excess can vary significantly between different policies.