Travel insurance for Italy
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Covid-19 (coronavirus) – important information
From 17th May 2021, a travel traffic light system is being introduced and trips to green list countries will be legally permitted if you live in England. Strict border control measures will remain in place for your return to the UK. Before you buy, you should consider the implications of your destination moving from a green list country to amber or red as you may incur additional costs and/or face travel restrictions that will not be covered by your travel insurance. The traffic light rules only dictate what you have to do on returning to England – so even if a country is on the green list, you still need to check your destination's entry requirements and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice for travelling there. If the Foreign Office has advised against travel to your destination and you still decide to travel, you will not be covered by any travel insurance policy you purchase. A few insurers do offer cover If you are an essential traveller, however if you are in doubt or have any queries, please check the policy wording, or contact your chosen provider before purchasing. Until dates have been set to permit non-essential international travel from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland it is important that you follow all the rules that apply to your country of residence.
Travel insurance for Italy
Your trip to Italy could take in bustling cities, expansive mountains and mouth-watering cuisine. Take out a European travel insurance policy with the right level of cover for you. Cover options to think about include:
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Skiing and winter sports
Standard travel insurance might not give you adequate cover. When you get quotes with us, we’ll ask you if you want to include winter sports cover. Make sure you’ve got enough medical cover and think about cover for your equipment or travel disruption caused by bad weather too.
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Gadget cover and personal belongings
Pickpocketing is common in the large cities in Italy. Be careful, and if you’re taking expensive tech with you, think about additional cover for your items.
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Cancellation and curtailment cover
In case you need to cut your trip short or cancel it unexpectedly. You’ll need to have bought your insurance a little in advance to take advantage of cancellation cover, so don’t leave it to the last minute.
If you travel abroad more than twice a year, multi-trip or annual cover sometimes works out cheaper than taking out several single-trip policies
Medical cover, Italy and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
State healthcare in Italy is like ours and you can access it if you have a valid EHIC. You can apply for an EHIC online, or over the phone, with the NHS.
Your EHIC won’t bring you home in an emergency, or provide routine medical care, so make sure your travel insurance policy provides some medical cover and includes repatriation.
If you need treatment but your EHIC doesn’t cover all the costs, some insurers will waive your excess - check policy details to see if you’d still need to pay it.
Driving in Italy
If you have a UK drivers licence, or a driving licence from a European country, you won’t need an international driving permit.
All UK insurance providers offer basic third-party cover if you’re driving in an EU country. Some might cover you for theft or damage to your car when driving abroad too, but it’s not standard. Check your policy details before you head off, and make sure you’ve got enough cover to suit you.
Consider European breakdown cover too. You’ll be given roadside assistance as standard and if your car can’t be fixed at the side of the road it’ll be taken to the nearest garage.
If your car can’t be repaired, it’ll need to be recovered back to the UK, so having repatriation included in your breakdown cover is important.
Italy has a strict Italy has a strict drink-driving limit of 0.5mg of blood alcohol, which is much lower than the UK’s 0.8mg.
Penalties for being caught above the limit can include fines, vehicle confiscation, licence bans and imprisonment. Keep it simple and safe - don’t drink before you drive.
Drivers can only use a hands-free device to speak on mobile phones when behind the wheel.
General travel advice for Italy
Here are a few things you should be aware of when in Italy:
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Currency
The currency for Italy is the euro. Be sure to take credit/debit cards with you that work in Italian ATMs and plenty of local cash
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Crime
While crime levels are generally low across Italy there are higher levels of petty crime (especially bag snatching and pick-pocketing) in the big cities like Rome, Milan and Pisa
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Taxis
Only use officially licenced taxis, which will have a taxi sign on the roof, and make sure the meter gets reset before you set off
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Natural disasters
There’s a risk of forest fires in the height of summer, and large parts of Italy lie on a major seismic fault line - minor tremors and earthquakes are a regular occurrence
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ID
By law you must be able to show some form of identification at all times. A photocopy of your passport should be enough
Travel insurance guides and tools
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