The Best European Travel Insurance for Australians
An adventure around Europe is a rite of passage among Australians. While there’s plenty to look forward to, it’s also important to prepare for unplanned events.
That’s where getting travel insurance for Europe can help.
A comprehensive policy makes sure you receive the medical treatment you need in an emergency and reimburses you for lost, stolen, or damaged personal belongings.
These days, comparing international travel insurance policies can also protect you from unexpected costs or emergencies arising from COVID-19.
But what is the best travel insurance for Europe? We’ve compared a range of Europe travel insurance policies for intrepid Australians. These are our top picks.
Please note: The nature of travel is unpredictable and travel insurance policies are always adapting to the times. While we’ve combed the Product Disclosure Statements and cross-checked details, things change. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of any policy before you buy.
The Best Travel Insurance to Europe from Australia [2023]
Fast Cover International Comprehensive
Best Features
- Unlimited overseas medical cover (including for COVID-19)
- Up to $1,000 overseas emergency dental cover
- 24/7 emergency medical assistance overseas
- Unlimited trip cancellation cover
- Up to $50,000 for trip disruption
- Up to $15,000 for lost, stolen, or damaged belongings
- Optional $8,000 rental vehicle excess
Fast Cover International Comprehensive provides generous cover at a reasonable premium. To start with, it includes unlimited emergency medical cover, dental cover, and automatic cover for 43 pre-existing medical conditions.
There is also unlimited trip cancellation cover (capped at $5,000 if the cancellation is caused by COVID-19) and a generous $50,000 for expenses related to a trip disruption. These benefits are among the best of any policy we compared.
If you experience travel delays during your European adventures, you may claim up to $2,000 in travel delay expenses and up to $750 if your luggage is delayed. You can also claim up to $15,000 for lost, stolen, or damaged personal belongings.
These generous benefits combine to make Fast Cover Comprehensive the best travel insurance for Australian travellers to Europe that we found in our comparison.
The Best Cheap Travel Insurance for Europe
Tick Travel Standard Cover
Best Features
- Unlimited overseas emergency medical cover
- Incredibly affordable premiums
- Includes COVID-19 cover
- Up to $500 for dental work
- Up to $5,000 trip cancellation cover
- Up to $4,000 for lost, stolen, or damaged belongings
To get cheap travel insurance, you normally have to choose the most basic cover an insurance provider offers. However, Tick Travel Insurance is so unbelievably cheap that even its most expensive Top Cover is still more affordable than many other basic or medical-only plans in the market.
Tick Standard Cover covers you for medical expenses and a range of events caused by COVID-19. You can also claim up to $4,000 in lost, stolen or damaged belongings, up to $5,000 for trip cancellations ($2,500 if it was caused by COVID-19), and $500 for travel delay expenses.
For an even more low-cost option, the stripped-back Basic plan can get a single 35-year-old traveller essential health cover for a month in Europe for under A$100. Or they can go the whole hog with Top Cover for under A$200.
The Best Travel Health Insurance for Europe (Medical-Only)
Australia Post International Basic Plan
Best Features
- Unlimited overseas emergency medical cover
- Includes COVID-19 cover
- Up to $2,000 for dental work
- Unlimited cover for additional expenses
- Includes disability and accidental death cover
- $250 excess (plus another $250 for COVID-19)
If you’re just looking for medical cover, the Australia Post International Basic plan is the best travel health insurance we found for Europe. With a reasonably low premium, this policy provides unlimited medical cover, including for COVID-19.
It also provides cover for additional accommodation or travel expenses if you or your travelling companion becomes sick or a relative from home travels to you if you’ve been hospitalised — something you don’t usually see in basic health travel insurance.
Also unseen in most travel health insurance policies for Europe, Australia Post provides cover for disability and accidental death ($10,000 each). Its personal liability cover (at $5 million) is one of the most generous we’ve seen for this benefit.
Best Travel Insurance for Long Stays in Europe (6 or 12 Months)
1Cover Comprehensive
Best Features
- Valid for journeys up to 365 days
- Unlimited overseas emergency medical cover (including COVID-19)
- Affordable premium
- Up to $1,000 for dental work
- Unlimited cover for trip cancellation
- Up to $15,000 for lost, stolen, or damaged belongings
- Up to $5,000 for rental vehicle excess
- Includes disability, loss of income, and accidental death cover
1Cover Comprehensive travel insurance offers a great level of cover for a single journey of up to a year (or 6 months if you’re aged 80 and over). You may even be able to extend the cover if you choose to stay in Europe longer.
A year-long journey overseas may incorporate a range of adventures. Fortunately, 1Cover’s Comprehensive Long Term insurance covers more than 100 activities, including bungee jumping and white water rafting. Additional cover is also available if you plan on skiing or going on a cruise.
The Best Family Travel Insurance for Europe
Southern Cross International Comprehensive
Best Features
- Great value for extensive cover
- Dependent children under 21 years are covered for free
- Unlimited overseas emergency medical cover (including COVID-19)
- Choose your cancellation cover
- Up to $50,000 for changes to your journey once you have left
- Up to $25,000 for lost, stolen or damaged items
Southern Cross International Comprehensive offers great value for the level of cover you get as a family travelling across Europe. This policy offers one of the most affordable premiums for families that we compared.
Along with unlimited overseas medical cover, there is also a generous $25,000 cover for luggage and personal effects.
All dependent children under the age of 21 are covered for free, although you may need to pay an additional premium to cover any pre-existing medical conditions. Dependents are classified as children, stepchildren, foster children, or grandchildren who are not employed full-time.
The Best Travel Insurance for Winter Sports in Europe
NIB Snow Sports Cover
Best Features
- Unlimited overseas emergency medical cover (including COVID-19)
- Up to $700 per item for lost, stolen, or damaged equipment
- Up to $300 for ski lift passes
- Up to $500 for ski run closures
- Up to $300 to hire replacement snow equipment
- Choose your trip cancellation cover
- No excess applies to some claims
- 24/7 emergency assistance
NIB’s optional Snow Sports Cover can be added to the NIB Comprehensive or Annual Multi-Trip Plans for Europe. With this add-on, you may be covered for on-piste, off-piste, and back-country activities, including:
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
- Heli-skiing,
- Tobogganing
- Cross country skiing
- Snowmobiling
- Cat skiing
- Telemark skiing
It’s not just medical emergencies that can disrupt your European winter sports trip. NIB also provides cover for lost, stolen or damaged snow sports equipment (as long as the damage occurred off the slopes) and for hire equipment to replace your gear.
You may also be able to claim up to $100 per day for up to $500 if the ski runs are closed for more than 24 continuous hours (whether that’s a result of too little or too much snow or poor weather, as long as you’re there within Europe’s snow season).
Finally, you’re covered if you’re too sick or injured to use your prepaid lift pass, ski equipment hire, or tuition fees.
What You Need to Know About Travel Insurance for Europe from Australia
How much you spend on your travel insurance to Europe is ultimately up to you. You can often change the premium total based on things like the amount of cover and the excess you choose.
However, there are also factors outside your control. You may pay more for your premium depending on your age or whether you have a pre-existing medical condition.
The cost of travel insurance to Europe varies depending on (among other things):
- The number of people listed on the policy
- Their ages
- Their health status
- The duration of your trip
- The level of cover you choose
- The excess you choose
- Additional cover you may need for some activities (such as ski or cruise cover)
Australian passport holders do not need travel insurance as a condition of entry into most European countries. In general, countries that are a part of the Schengen Zone require proof of travel insurance only if you need to apply for a visa to travel.
While it isn’t compulsory to have travel insurance for Europe, the Australian Government still states that ‘travel insurance is as important as a valid passport’. It is still worth getting travel insurance for Europe to make sure you’re protected in emergencies.
If you’re travelling to Europe visa-free, it’s ultimately up to you whether you buy travel insurance for Europe. However, it’s worth thinking about how much it could cost you if you don’t have insurance in an emergency.
Costs for things like medical bills and personal liability can quickly spiral out of control. Travel insurance offers you protection for the worst-case scenarios, including hospitalisation and accidental death.
That said, Australia does have reciprocal healthcare agreements with the following European countries:
- Belgium
- Finland
- Italy
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- the Republic of Ireland
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Under these agreements, some or all of your emergency medical costs may be covered, as long as you hold a Medicare card. What’s covered varies in each country but may include medical transport, medication, or specialist services.
However, a reciprocal healthcare agreement shouldn’t replace insurance. The subsidy doesn’t cover you for every medical situation nor for costly medical evacuations.
It all depends on the type of trip you’ve planned. To start, you’ll need to have the right insurance policy to cover medical emergencies in all the countries you’re visiting and for the duration of your trip.
You’ll also need to make sure you have enough insurance for the activities you’ve planned, such as driving or riding a motorbike, snow sports, or going on a cruise.
Yes, Europe is included in worldwide travel insurance. If Europe is just one portion of your round-the-world trip, you may need to state ‘Worldwide’ as your region when you buy your policy.
It’s up to the travel insurance provider to decide what countries are included in European policies. Since it differs with policies, it’s best to check that all your destinations are covered before you buy.
In general, countries classed as Europe for the sake of travel insurance include all countries within the European Union, along with most other countries typically considered to be within Europe (including the UK).
Even countries as far afield as Turkey, Bahrain, Iceland, and Afghanistan are included in some travel insurance policies for Europe.
European travel insurance might also include any relevant stopovers on the way to Europe but it will not cover countries that the Australian Government lists on Smartraveller as ‘Do Not Travel’ (such as Ukraine and Russia at the moment).
The best and easiest way to get travel insurance for Europe is to compare travel insurance policies online and then directly visit the website of the insurance provider to buy your policy.
