You need travel insurance for a European city break. GHIC (the UK's Global Health Insurance Card) covers emergency medical treatment in EU countries, which is genuinely useful, but it doesn't cover cancellation, delayed flights, lost baggage, or missed connections. One bad travel day can cost more than a year of insurance premiums.

GHIC Is Not Enough on Its Own

The GHIC entitles you to the same emergency healthcare as a local in EU countries. If you need hospital treatment in Paris, you won't get a bill. What it doesn't cover: repatriation costs if you need to be flown home, private medical treatment, cancellation if you or a family member falls ill before travel, lost or stolen luggage, delays and missed connections.

Get a GHIC (free from the NHS website) and travel insurance. They work together.

Annual vs Single-Trip: Buy the Annual Policy

If you take more than two trips a year, an annual multi-trip policy almost always works out cheaper than single-trip cover. For a UK traveler doing two or three European city breaks, the maths is obvious. Most annual policies cover Europe as standard, with worldwide available for extra.

Price check on sites like MoneySuperMarket or Compare the Market before renewing an existing policy. The market is competitive and loyalty rarely pays.

What to Actually Look For

Medical cover: Minimum £2 million for Europe. Most decent policies exceed this.

Cancellation cover: Should cover the full cost of your trip. Check what qualifies as a valid reason — good policies include illness of a close relative, not just your own.

Baggage: £1,500 to £2,000 is standard. Check the single-item limit if you're travelling with a laptop or camera.

Delay and missed connection: 24-hour trip disruption cover is useful for short city breaks where a delay eats a significant portion of your time.

Excess: A £100 excess is reasonable. Anything over £150 starts reducing the practical value of claiming.

Pre-Existing Conditions

Declare them. Skipping this to save money on the premium is a false economy. Undeclared conditions are the most common reason claims get rejected. Many insurers now cover common conditions like asthma or high blood pressure at little or no extra cost.

Where to Buy

For straightforward annual cover, Direct Line, LV=, and Staysure consistently rate well for value and claims handling. Staysure is particularly good for older travelers or those with pre-existing conditions. SuperBreak and Coverwise are worth checking for competitive single-trip pricing.

Buy before you book flights — some cancellation cover kicks in from the purchase date.