Myths about travel insurance typically aren't born out of stupidity, but out of half-truths: behind each one there's a real kernel of fact that grew into a bad generalisation. We've gathered the most common ones – and what's true instead.
- What the myths have in common: mistaking the exception for the rule – or the other way round.
- The most costly myths live around sport cover and storno – that's also typically where the losses are largest.
- The remedy is simple: know your own package's limits and exclusions, not general assumptions.
“The EHIC replaces travel insurance”
It doesn't – it does something different. It entitles you to publicly funded emergency care under local rules, but it typically doesn't cover private care, medical repatriation, baggage or storno, and it has no assistance hotline. The full explanation: EHIC vs travel insurance – the right answer is both together.
“The insurance bundled with my bank card is all I need”
It's often a valuable foundation – but its limits, excesses, territorial scope and sport cover vary hugely from card to card, and it's typically tied to conditions (for example, that you paid for the trip with that card). A separate article covers what bank card insurance actually includes – worth reading before you rely on it for your family.
“Storno cover pays out no matter why I cancel”
No: storno cover pays out for specific, provable reasons – typically events for which an official document is issued (a specialist's medical report, an official report). “I changed my mind” doesn't qualify. The details: what storno cover pays for and storno myths.
“Pointless for a short trip nearby” – and other myths
Risk doesn't depend on the length of the trip – a staircase on a two-day trip to Prague can cause a broken bone just as easily, and city breaks have their own typical claims too. It's equally a myth that “young, healthy people don't need it” (accidents don't check your age), and that “they won't pay anyway”: the insurer pays according to its policy terms – a good share of disputes come from not knowing those terms. That's why that particular half hour pays off: here's how to read the policy wording. More myths: the myth-busting collection.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
Why are these myths so widespread?
Because each one has a kernel of truth – the EHIC really is an entitlement, storno cover really does pay out on cancellation – it's just that their boundaries get lost along the grapevine. Knowing the policy terms for half an hour is the most effective myth-buster there is.
How do I know what's actually true for my own package?
From your own policy and its terms – your friend's experience was about a different package from a different insurer. If you get stuck interpreting it, bring it along to a 20-minute consultation.
Have a question specific to your own trip? Request a quote – a free 20-minute consultation, no obligation. Book a time here →
