What insurance do I need when travelling?

Cancellation and trip interruption insurance

You break your wrist just before a three-week trip to Australia and have to cancel it? Travel cancellation insurance is highly recommended, especially for expensive trips, because it can protect you against large financial losses. Make sure you check the conditions in the insurance policy. Sometimes only certain cases such as death or unforeseen illness are covered. Make sure that your special needs and requirements are met.

Tip: some credit cards already include travel insurance, provided the travel was paid for using the same card. So it’s worth checking what extra benefits your credit cards offer.

If you have to cancel an already started trip unexpectedly, trip interruption insurance may be a good idea. Especially for more expensive trips or problematic destinations, you get additional protection with trip interruption insurance. Make sure you check the scope of cover and exclusions carefully before taking out the insurance.

Travel legal expenses insurance

Have you booked a hotel where the rooms are uninhabitable and you have a conflict with the hotel management? With travel legal expenses insurance you can get a price reduction.

If you already have legal expenses insurance, you should check whether it also covers legal cases abroad. Travel legal protection insurance, which also applies abroad, offers you legal support in difficult situations, including telephone advice in the event of a claim.

Luggage and household contents insurance

Independent luggage insurance is not always necessary, as it is often expensive and only covers up to a certain amount. Instead, it may make more sense to expand your household contents insurance to include supplementary cover for “Simple theft outside Switzerland”. It is important to know that this supplementary cover only applies in the event of a verifiable theft, for example if there is a police report – but not in the event of a simple loss of luggage.

As a rule, airlines are themselves liable for any damages or losses they cause. The amount of compensation varies, but in Switzerland it is usually around CHF 1550 (source: admin.ch).

Find out in good time about exactly what your household contents insurance covers – this way you can ensure that your luggage is optimally protected even when you are out and about.

Tip: especially in the case of valuable items such as jewellery, electronics or laptops, check whether and to what extent they are covered by your policy.

Vehicle assistance

A flat tyre on the motorway or a broken window? Vehicle assistance is a good idea if you are travelling in your own car. In the event of a breakdown or accident abroad, it covers the costs of roadside assistance, repairs or a replacement car – so that you can continue your journey as stress-free as possible.

Important: make sure you closely check the extent of cover that your policy provides. If only Switzerland is covered, the cover does not apply abroad. Depending on the destination, it may be worth expanding your assistance benefits to cover Europe or worldwide.

Tip: many car manufacturers – such as Mercedes – offer assistance free of charge as part of their warranty or service packages when buying new cars. However, this is usually only for a certain period of time (e.g. 3 to 5 years) or tied to having regular services from the official dealer. Separate cover may then be needed after this period. Motoring clubs such as TCS or ACS also offer roadside assistance and assistance throughout Europe – often at more favourable conditions than individual insurance companies. It’s worth comparing the different options available.

Car rental

An accident with a rental car can be expensive – especially when travelling abroad. That’s why it’s advisable to take out liability insurance for rental cars with a sufficiently high sum insured (at least CHF 1 000 000) and fully comprehensive insurance with a low or ideally no excess when renting a car.Important information: the insurance policy for your private vehicle at home does not cover damage to rental cars. If more than one person drives the vehicle, each additional driver must be specifically included in the contract and insured.

Tip: many car rental companies sell expensive supplementary insurance locally. It’s worth organising your insurance cover in advance – for example via Swiss providers or via your credit card, which often already includes appropriate cover.

Foreign health insurance

A trip abroad is an adventure. But what if an accident suddenly happens or you fall ill? Without the right insurance cover, it can quickly become expensive. There are major differences depending on the destination: within EU/EFTA countries such as Italy, Spain, Iceland or Norway, the costs of emergency medical treatment are usually covered. However, in countries with high healthcare costs – such as the US, Australia, Japan or Canada – basic insurance coverage is often insufficient.

Basic insurance benefits:

• Emergency treatment abroad is covered by basic insurance – this includes accidents or acute health problems requiring treatment in public hospitals or medical practices. Important information: the excess and deductible also apply abroad.
• Basic insurance covers no more than twice the costs that would be incurred in your canton of residence for the same treatment.
• Ambulance transport and repatriation from abroad are not covered by basic insurance – even if it makes sense from a medical perspective.

Additional international health insurance is highly recommended, especially when travelling to countries with high healthcare costs. This includes not only the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan – higher treatment costs are also to be expected in Africa and Latin America. In these countries, it is often preferable to have better care in a private hospital, as public hospitals do not meet Swiss standard. You should also think carefully about how important it is for you to have return transport to Switzerland with medical assistance. Being a member of Rega is a useful addition in this respect.

Tip: many health insurers – including Sanitas – offer supplementary insurance with improved protection abroad, including repatriation and a free choice of hospital worldwide. It is a good idea to compare what insurance is available – especially if you travel on a regular basis or for longer.