Travel insurance at a glance

In short: Mainly important are travel health insurance abroad and, for expensive trips, trip cancellation insurance. Other policies are often unnecessary.

In more detail: Statutory health insurance often pays only limited amounts abroad, usually nothing outside the EU, and never a repatriation.

In detail

• Travel health insurance abroad: Covers treatment and medically sensible repatriation. Cheap, often just a few euros a year.
• Trip cancellation insurance: Refunds cancellation costs for illness, accident or other insured reasons. Sensible for expensive bookings; take it out as early as possible.
• Trip interruption: Add-on if you must end the trip early.
• Luggage and liability: Luggage insurance often covers little; private liability usually applies worldwide (haftpflichtversicherung-und-die-wichtigsten-versicherungen).
• Credit cards and travel packages: Often include partial insurance. Check the conditions.
• Mind the details: Exclusions, excess, pre-existing conditions.