Travel Insurance when visiting France

Whether you’re escaping to France for a weekend jaunt, or have an extended family holiday planned, don’t go away without travel insurance.

This essential financial safety net could be a lifesaver should you be unlucky enough to have a holiday disaster such as lost luggage, an accident or a medical emergency. And, if you buy it as soon as you book, travel insurance for France may pay out should something unexpected cause you to cancel your holiday before you travel.

As well as packing your holiday insurance for France, don’t forget to take a valid GHIC card too to benefit from subsidised healthcare while you’re away.

Many insurers now offer some level of Covid-19 cover, but this can vary quite a lot between providers. Examples of what may be covered include:

Emergency medical expenses: Including repatriation (getting you home), and additional expenses (for example, a quarantine hotel stay) if you fall ill with Covid-19.
Cancellation: If you test positive (or a close relative passes away due to Covid-19) prior to your holiday and are unable to travel.
Curtailment: If you test positive for Covid-19 pre-departure, upon arrival at your destination, or while on holiday. Additionally, look for a policy that offers curtailment cover in the event a close relative passes away from Covid-19 during your holiday.

To find the best policy for you, it’s wise to compare travel insurance for France before you buy. We recommend that you look for at least the following cover in any policy:

Medical cover – don’t let having a GHIC in your wallet lull you into a false sense of security about being covered for all medical eventualities. While it is valuable, it won’t cover you for expensive medical costs such as air-lifting you to hospital in an emergency or repatriation if needed. So, ensure you have adequate medical cover too.
Lost or stolen luggage – unfortunately, items can go missing while you’re on holiday so ensure you have enough financial protection for the items you’re taking away with you. Pay attention to limits on the overall amount you can claim as well as any limits for individual items or cash.
Lost or stolen passport – if this isn’t on a policy as standard, consider adding it on.
Cancellation and curtailment cover – this financial protection will prove to be invaluable should you have to cancel your holiday before you travel or cut your holiday short due to unexpected circumstance such as the death of a family member. Make sure your policy covers the cost of your holiday, plus any excursions you’ve booked.
Missed departure cover – should something unexpected make you miss your flight, you’ll be grateful for this protection.
Delay cover – this usually kicks in after a set length of delay.
Personal liability – this will protect you financially should you accidentally cause damage to someone else’s property or possessions or injure somebody.

If you’ve arranged your trip yourself, rather than booking a package holiday, you may want to look out for policies that include end supplier failure too. This will protect you financially should an element of your holiday, such as an airline or hotel, go bust.

Also pay attention to the excess on policies you are comparing – we recommend keeping this at £100 or less.

As with many purchases, some low-cost deals may not quite be as good as they seem. So, before you rush to buy cheap travel insurance for France, read the terms and conditions of any policy you’re considering carefully, looking out for some of the common exclusions below. While you needn’t pay over the odds for travel insurance, if you buy a policy that doesn’t cover you for an essential item, you’ve not spent your money wisely.

Pre-existing medical conditions – these are any illnesses or diseases you have been diagnosed with or had medical advice about prior to your travels. While it can be tempting not to mention these to your insurer, as you may have to pay more to be insured, not doing so risks invalidating your insurance. There are specialist policies available which take any pre-existing conditions into account.

Certain activities and sports – if you’re planning on skiing or taking part in any winter sports while you’re in France, or any other extreme activities, they may not automatically be covered should you have an accident. Take a look at any exclusions in policies you’re considering and add on extra cover if required.

Alcohol or drug-related incidents – many insurers won’t pay out for accidents that happened while you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Travel to places the FCDO doesn’t deem safe – always check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) advice around the destinations you’re planning to visit. If you travel against its advice, your insurance will be void.
Unexpected incidents such as war, natural disaster or terrorism – although it is possible to buy extra cover for natural disasters and terrorism insurance, these are unlikely to be included in standard policies.

So, make sure you have peace of mind on your next holiday by taking out comprehensive travel insurance. France is known for being a great place to experience the good life – don’t let an oversight stop you enjoying this.

Hand luggage

Travel documents

Passport
Visa (if necessary)
Plane tickets
Travel insurance documents
GHIC
Any other holiday documentation - for example for your hotel, hire car, transfers or your itinerary
Driving licence
Student card/senior concession card - for discounts on holiday

Valuables

Travel money/overseas credit card/prepaid card
Valuables such as iPad, iPod, mobile phone and camera (plus headphones and a memory card)

Essentials

Any maps, directions or instructions for arrival in resort
Useful contact numbers - for your bank, travel insurance provider, contacts at home, etc
An umbrella
A clear plastic bag for any toiletries
Any medicine you need (plus your prescription) - but remember, you have to stick to the 100ml rule
Tissues/ wet wipes
A notebook and pen

Entertainment and comfort for your journey

A lightweight jumper and socks - in case it gets chilly on the plane
Books, magazines or games
A guidebook to your destination
Painkillers
Lip balm
A sleep kit for long flights - an eye mask, a travel pillow and ear plugs
DVT flight socks
Travel sweets
A bottle of water (buy this once you have passed through security)

Hold luggage

Clothes
Underwear
Sleepwear
Shoes
Chargers - for your mobile phone, camera and any other electrical items
Travel adapter
Toiletries
Swimwear
Sunglasses
Suncream
After sun
Beach towels
Beach bag
Books/ereader
Plastic bags - for wet swimwear/dirty clothes
Rehydration salts
Razor and shaving gel
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Hairbrush/comb
Hairdryer
Accessories: Hats, scarves, belt, etc
First aid kit
Insect repellent
Swiss Army knife
Mini sewing kit

Travelling with children? Don't forget...

A change of clothes for the journey
Snacks and travel sweets for the journey
Wet wipes
Nappies
Enough baby food/milk for the journey (you will have to taste these when passing through security)
Toys, games and books to keep children entertained
Any medication your children will need while away (plus their prescription)
Dummies/comfort blankets/soft toys

Who regulates us?

The TravelSupermarket Limited travel insurance comparison service is operated by Moneysupermarket.com Limited. Registered in England No. 3945937. Registered Office: MONY Group House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, CH5 3UZ.

Moneysupermarket.com Limited is an appointed representative of MONY Group, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190).

TravelSupermarket Limited (FCA FRN 953671) is an appointed representative of MONY Group plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190). MONY Group Financial Holdings Limited, registered in England No. 3157344.