Travel insurance isn’t just designed for big worldwide jaunts: it’s actually just as essential for a city break or camping trip in Europe. Lost luggage, medical bills, car breakdowns and flight cancellations – these things can happen wherever you go. But with so many types of European travel insurance to choose from, it’s hard to know what’s the best option for you on your trip.

EHIC NHS EU Card

All British citizens are able to apply for an EHIC card, which stands for European Health Insurance Card. This is the most basic form of medical cover you can get and is completely free to apply for. However it only covers state medical care in EU countries. So travel outside of these countries will mean going through an insurance company. The main advantage of this card is that you can apply for it online for free and know that your family is covered for medical care, although it only applies to treatments “medically necessary until your planned return home”. The main disadvantage is that it only applies to medical care and not luggage, flights, car breakdowns or the myriad of other things that can go wrong on holiday.

Winter Sports Insurance

More than 50% of worldwide skiing trips are taken in Europe, and of that number the vast majority are in the Alps. Anyone skiing in Europe needs to make sure their travel insurance covers this activity. The best way to do this is to get specialised winter sports travel insurance. This way you are extensively covered for medical costs and also for lost or stolen ski equipment.

Multi-Trip

Multi-trip insurance is ideal for anyone who is likely to be making a number of similar types of travel in a year, such as a series of business meetings or city breaks or more than one package holiday. The easiest way to assess whether this is cheapest for you is to do a simple calculation and comparison of quotes. This is also a good option if you are travelling outside of Europe and within Europe in one year.

Long-Stay Insurance

This is ideal for those who are going on an extended trip or backpacking within Europe. It’s also ideal for youngsters who are planning a Eurorail trip. This sort of insurance can cover sports and activities and can be typically bought for periods of 3-18 months.

Single-Trip European Travel Insurance

Those taking a single trip to Europe this year, without any plans to ski, are better off getting single-trip insurance. This can be tailored to your individual needs and can include cover for all the family. It’s the cheapest option if you are simply taking one summer holiday in Europe and definitely know you won’t be taking any more.

Insurance options can seem quite confusing when you first start familiarising yourself with the terms and conditions for each type of cover. But it’s essential that you get yourself up to speed if you are only planning a trip to Europe this year.