Thinking that traveling abroad with a campervan was cheap until I broke my leg and found out an ambulance ride cost more than the trip. Depending on your destination, what you carry in the van, and how you spend your vacation, purchasing travel insurance can save you from unforeseen expenses.
Alejandra Otero has written 4517 articles for Auto Global News. Traveling with a campervan or motorhome outside Spain offers complete freedom but also presents unexpected issues that may leave you stranded in remote areas. Additionally, we often carry valuable equipment such as sports gear and electronics.
Free documents like the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) cover medical expenses to some extent but do not include private healthcare, repatriation costs, or loss of belongings or documentation. Therefore, it’s advisable to get travel insurance. Some countries even require it for entry.
What Does Travel Insurance Cover?
All policies vary in coverage, but typically they cover:
- Comprehensive medical assistance including transport to a hospital or clinic, accommodation and medication.
- Repatriation or early return home if there’s a severe accident or illness, covering the entire or partial transportation costs.
- Delays or missed connections. If you lose a reservation due to flight delays or train delays or missing your connecting transport, it covers the lost ticket cost and may even pay for unused lodging expenses.
- Theft of belongings during travel up to an amount set in the policy or even 100% of their value.
- Loss or theft of documentation. It usually helps you manage the paperwork overseas while covering related costs.
Why is it important if you’re traveling abroad with a campervan? Medical assistance in isolated areas. Even if we stay at a campsite or an RV area, they may be in remote locations deep in nature. With outdoor sports like cycling, surfing, and climbing added to this mix, the risk of injury increases: a bad fall, twisted ankle or broken bone can ruin your trip and budget without adequate medical coverage.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is free, covers medical expenses under the same conditions as residents in that country. For instance, it’s completely free in Italy like Spain, but typically functions with a deductible or co-pay depending on the type of care required (France, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands).
Traveling through Europe requires you to check each country’s coverage to evaluate if purchasing additional insurance is cost-effective.
