As an EU country, Italy has free reciprocal health agreements with
other member states. To take advantage, EU citizens will need form E111,
available over the counter from main post offices. There are no
inoculations required nor any particular health hazards to beware of
beyond those of taking care when travelling in an unknown place. Still,
you're as likely to fall ill or have an accident here as anywhere else,
so it's as well to make sure you're covered by adequate travel insurance.
A typical travel insurance policy usually provides cover for the loss of
baggage, tickets and - up to a certain limit - cash or cheques, as well
as cancellation or curtailment of your journey. Most of them exclude so-called
dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: in Italy this can
include skiing, windsurfing, trekking and mountaineering. Read the small
print and benefits tables of prospective policies carefully; coverage
can vary wildly for roughly similar premiums. Many policies can be
chopped and changed to exclude coverage you don't need - for example,
sickness and accident benefits can often be excluded or included at will.
If you do take medical coverage, ascertain whether benefits will be paid
as treatment proceeds or only after return home, and whether there is a
24-hour medical emergency number. When securing baggage cover, make sure
that the per-article limit - typically under £500 equivalent - will
cover your most valuable possession. If you need to make a claim, you
should keep receipts for medicines and medical treatment, and in the
event you have anything stolen, you must obtain an official statement
from the police. Bank and credit cards often have certain levels of
medical or other insurance included and you may automatically get travel
insurance if you use a major credit card to pay for your trip.
Even with an E111, UK citizens would do well to take out an insurance
policy before travelling to cover against theft, loss and illness or
injury. Travel agents and tour operators are likely to require some sort
of insurance when you book a package holiday, though according to UK law
they can't make you buy their own (other than a £1 premium for "schedule
airline failure"). If you have a good all-risks home insurance policy it
may cover your possessions against loss or theft even when overseas.
Many private medical schemes such as BUPA or PPP also offer coverage
plans for abroad, including baggage loss, cancellation or curtailment
and cash replacement as well as sickness or accident.
Americans and Canadians should also check that they're not already
covered. Canadian provincial health plans usually provide partial cover
for medical mishaps overseas. Holders of official student/teacher/youth
cards are entitled to meagre accident coverage and hospital in-patient
benefits. Students will often find that their student health coverage
extends during the vacations and for one term beyond the date of last
enrolment. Homeowners' or renters' insurance often covers theft or loss
of documents, money and valuables while overseas, though conditions and
maximum amounts vary from company to company.
Rough Guides travel insurance
Rough Guides now offer their own travel insurance, customized for our
readers by a leading UK broker and backed by a Lloyds underwriter. It's
available for anyone, of any nationality, travelling anywhere in the
world, and we are convinced that this is the best-value scheme you'll
find.
There are two main Rough Guide insurance plans: Essential, for effective,
no-frills cover, starting at £11.75 for two weeks; and Premier - more
expensive but with more generous and extensive benefits. Each offer
European or Worldwide cover, and can be supplemented with a "Hazardous
Activities Premium" if you plan to indulge in sports considered
dangerous, such as skiing, scuba-diving or trekking. Unlike many
policies, the Rough Guides schemes are calculated by the day, so if
you're travelling for 27 days rather than a month, that's all you pay
for. You can alternatively take out annual multi-trip insurance, which
covers you for all your travel throughout the year (with a maximum of
sixty days for any one trip).
For a policy quote, call the Rough Guides Insurance Line on UK freefone
tel 0800 015 0906, or, if you're calling from outside Britain on (tel
+44) 1243 621 046. Alternatively, you can get a quote or buy online at
www.roughguides.com/insurance .
|
