Travel insurance for vacations to Italy

Key points

• Comprehensive travel insurance for Italy should bundle together several types of insurance, including trip cancellation, delay and interruption insurance.
• You’ll also want a policy with medical and medical evacuation coverage while in Italy, as your health insurance likely will not cover you abroad.
• Baggage insurance is particularly important in Italy, where it’s possible to be pickpocketed or have your luggage stolen on a train.

Planning a trip to Italy requires a lot of work. Between researching the must-see sites and out-of-the-way small towns, booking flights and train tickets, finding accommodations and possibly getting an International Driving Permit, it’s easy to forget about buying travel insurance for Italy.

But don’t skip this important step. Though my family did not need to use our Italy travel insurance during a month-long trek around the world’s biggest boot last year, we slept much easier knowing we were covered in the event of an emergency.

Below, we’ll review how travel insurance for Italy vacations works, how much it costs and how to pick the best policy for your once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Understanding travel insurance for Italy vacation

The best travel insurance for Italian vacations should be comprehensive, covering everything from trip cancellation or delay to lost luggage to medical costs. Traveling to Europe can be expensive, so a travel insurance policy with the right coverages is important to ensure you won’t lose your entire vacation savings should something go wrong.

While a comprehensive travel insurance plan is your best bet when traveling anywhere, some coverages, including travel medical insurance, are especially prudent for travel to Italy.

“From hurting an ankle on Rome’s cobblestone streets to a more serious ski accident in the Italian Alps, purchasing a travel insurance policy with emergency medical benefits is a smart move while overseas,” said Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners.

Meghan Walch, director of product for InsureMyTrip, points out that the Rome and Milan airports are particularly busy “and therefore vulnerable for flight disruptions.” She said, “Travelers should prepare for an uptick in flight delays and cancellations,” especially during Italian travel strikes at the airport and on railways.

Key coverage considerations for travel insurance in Italy

Travel insurance plans bundle together several types of coverage, which can vary by plan. Below, we’ve broken down the major types of travel insurance coverage you should have when traveling to Italy.

Trip cancellation insurance for an Italy vacation

As soon as you start booking flights, hotels and activities for Italy, you’ll want to consider buying a travel insurance plan that includes trip cancellation insurance. This coverage lets you file a claim for reimbursement when you have to cancel your upcoming trip for a covered reason, such as injury, illness, a death in the family, natural disasters or terrorist activities.

In this case, you can file a claim for any nonrefundable expense you’ve prepaid ahead of your trip. Given how far out families often plan for Italy vacations — and how expensive they can be — this is a helpful coverage to include in your policy.

Trip delay insurance for Italy trips

Your vacation may not be canceled, but a missed connection, flight delay or even canceled flight could mean your trip doesn’t get off on the best foot. When you have trip delay insurance in your travel insurance plan, you can get help with covered meals, hotels and transportation if you get stranded somewhere after a delayed or canceled flight.

This is good coverage to have, as direct flights into Italy are expensive. Such coverage will be helpful if you have trouble at your departure airport or any airports in between you and your destination.

“Generally, the most common claims that are filed by travelers are trip cancellation or delay due to flight issues or health/medical reasons.”

Meghan Walch, Director of Product, InsureMyTrip

Trip interruptions on an Italy vacation

You’ve been plotting your vacation to Italy for months or maybe even years. Perhaps you have a spreadsheet with your full itinerary, or you log onto Facebook every day to get tips from your favorite travel groups. There’s no way anything could go wrong, is there?

Even when we’re far across the Atlantic, living out our dream vacation, life goes on. If you need to end your trip early and come home for a family emergency or because you got sick during your vacation, trip interruption insurance will help you recover any prepaid portions of the trip that you didn’t yet get to experience.

While my husband and I didn’t have to use trip interruption insurance during our Italy vacation, it came in handy years ago during a trip to Maine when our dog back home became terminally ill.

Baggage insurance for Italy trips

You might think of baggage insurance as simply coverage for if the airline loses your luggage during travel. That’s one important aspect of it — though I recommend trying to limit yourself to a carry-on for European travel; it makes taking the train so much easier. But there’s another important component of baggage insurance that’s particularly important in Italy.

Baggage insurance covers lost, damaged and stolen personal items. Though this type of insurance is called “baggage insurance,” it extends to any items you bring with you, whether or not they’re in your luggage, backpack or purse at the time of the incident.

Why is this important in Italy? Last year, an Italian woman went viral on TikTok for calling out pickpockets, because the country has a widespread problem with them. Thieves often steal wallets, purses and jewelry in crowded tourist areas, but it’s also common for tourists to return to their rental car and discover their luggage has been stolen.

Trains are another concern; if you can’t keep your bags with you where you’re sitting, there’s a chance someone could get off the train with your bag before you even know it’s gone. And if you’re touring multiple Italian cities and regions, it’s easy enough to forget something in a hotel or Airbnb.

Having baggage insurance won’t keep this from happening (safe, smart, vigilant traveling will), but it can help you recoup the cost of the items lost, stolen or damaged. Just make sure to file a report with the Italian police. You’ll need this when filing your insurance claim.

 Expert tip: Baggage insurance is considered secondary coverage, so if you experience a theft while traveling, you may need to file a claim with your homeowners insurance or renters insurance before you can turn to your travel insurance for help. Likewise, if an airline loses your bag, you’ll first need to file a claim with the airline for reimbursement.

Travel medical insurance for Italy trips

If you have health insurance, it’s easy to assume you’re always covered. That’s often not the case when you leave the country. Check your health insurance policy before taking a gamble and leaving the country uninsured.

“One of the biggest reasons to buy travel insurance is in case of a medical emergency,” said Durazo. “If you or a family member on the policy end up in a situation that requires emergency medical care, you may find that your domestic health care plan isn’t accepted and you have to pay on the spot, especially if you’re being treated overseas, where it’s common to have to pay out of pocket for services before leaving the hospital. That’s why choosing a travel insurance policy with appropriate medical benefits is an important consideration.”

“When it comes to travel medical coverage limits, travelers will likely find coverage amounts starting around $50,000 and go up from there,” said Jonathan Nichols, vice president of underwriting for WorldTrips.

Because treatment can be more challenging and expensive in remote locations and on cruises, it may be prudent to get at least $100,000 of coverage if you’ll be hiking in the Italian Dolomites or taking a Mediterranean cruise. The best cruise travel insurance plans should provide ample medical coverage.

Expert tip: Look for emergency medical benefits with primary coverage. If your plan only has secondary medical coverage, you’ll have to file a claim with your health insurance (even if you know it will be denied), before you can file a travel insurance claim.

Medical evacuation for serious medical issues 

My husband and I spent two full days hiking in the Dolomites during our trip to Italy — and saw just as many helicopter evacuations from the top of a mountain. But it’s not just hikers (and skiers) who risk needing evacuation. At any point during your travels, you may need to be transported to a medical facility by some type of ambulance or helicopter, and it can be extremely expensive.

“Look for at least $100,000 in emergency medical evacuation benefits,” said Nichols. “Without proper coverage, the out-of-pocket expense for emergency transportation during a health-related crisis can easily run thousands of dollars.”

Travel insurance upgrades for trips to Italy

You can enhance your Italy travel insurance with a number of upgrades, including:

• “Cancel for any reason” coverage: Trip cancellation coverage is helpful if you need to cancel for a reason listed in your policy, like getting sick, needing to attend a funeral or not being able to travel because of a natural disaster. However, you won’t get reimbursed if you simply cancel because you forgot to request off at work or your pet sitter falls through. That’s where “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage comes in. With this upgrade, you can get reimbursed (usually 50% or 75%) of your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure time. The best “cancel for any reason” coverage is expensive but may be worth the cost if your plans aren’t fully set in stone. 
• “Interruption for any reason” coverage: Similar to CFAR, “interruption for any reason” typically lets you recoup up to 75% of nonrefundable trip expenses if you have to change or end your itinerary during the trip. This upgrade is not available with all plans. 
• Car rental insurance: If you want to see some of Italy’s countryside or mountainous areas, you may need to rent a car. Even the best car insurance policies typically don’t extend to European roads. You can get car rental insurance directly through the rental agency, but you may also be able to get it as part of your comprehensive travel insurance plan.
• Winter sports liability insurance: If you plan to ski in the Italian Alps during your trip, Italy requires that you have winter sports liability insurance. You’ll typically need to buy this directly from a ski resort in Italy. It should cost about 3€ a day.

What is the best travel insurance for Italy?

The best travel insurance for Italy or any international travel is WorldTrips, according to our analysis. In fact, two WorldTrips policies (Atlas Journey Preferred and Atlas Journey Premier) rank high in our rating of the best travel insurance.

Choosing the best travel insurance for your Italy trip depends on what you want covered, including upgrades, and your budget. Take the time to research and compare multiple policies to ensure you get the best coverage for your trip.

How much is Italy travel insurance?

According to SquareMouth, a travel insurance comparison site, Italy travel insurance has an average premium of $381.71 to cover a trip that costs $5,843.27. However, your age and the cost (and length) of your trip will impact your total cost of travel insurance.

The table below shows how much the cost of Italy travel insurance can vary by age, trip cost and length of stay. The premiums for each traveler profile are based on 45 quotes from 19 major travel insurance companies. No quotes include CFAR coverage.

Average cost of Italy travel insurance

Benefits of having travel insurance for your Italy trip

There are several benefits of having traveling insurance for Italy, including:

• Travel changes: Whether your trip is canceled due to illness, cut short due to an emergency back home or delayed due to flights, you can file a claim for reimbursement of lost prepaid expenses.
• Medical costs: Your health insurance policy usually does not extend to European countries such as Italy. Whether you sprain an ankle while walking through Roman ruins or get COVID-19 while traveling in a packed airport or train station, you’ll be able to get the medical help you need.

“Something people may not know is that in addition to financial protection, another major benefit of travel insurance is access to assistance services, wherever you are in the world at any time of day or night. For example, Allianz’s team of travel and medical experts can locate medical treatment in an emergency, monitor customers’ care, relay updates to family members, serve as interpreters, help with payment and billing, replace lost passports and more — which can really provide peace of mind, especially when traveling in an unfamiliar place.”

Daniel Durazo, Director of External Communications, Allianz Partners

Tips for picking the right travel insurance provider for your Italy trip 

Ready to purchase travel insurance for Italy? Here are a few tips to help you make your selection:

• Compare multiple quotes: Don’t just go with the first travel insurance company you research. Get at least three quotes to compare coverage levels and costs.
• Check your other coverages: Between car insurance, homeowners or renters insurance, health insurance and even your credit card, you may already have some financial protection when you travel abroad. See what you do and don’t already have covered in Italy so you can fine-tune the additional coverage you purchase.
• Review the policies in depth: Know what you’re paying for. Review the policy details, including deductibles and exclusions, to determine what is and isn’t covered.
• Buy early: You may book your Italy vacation months or even years out. If you’re starting to make nonrefundable deposits or payments, purchase travel insurance ASAP. It won’t cost you any extra and you’ll be covered for a longer period of time. Buying early may also make you eligible for a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver, meaning these conditions would be covered. 

Italy travel tips and safety information

Traveling to Italy is a rewarding adventure, but it can also be stressful and sometimes dangerous. Make sure your Italian getaway is safe and stress-free with the following tips:

• Protect your belongings: We wore money belts under our shirts for the duration of our trip to Italy. We kept our passports, credit cards and cash there, so we never had to worry about them being stolen. We also packed light so we could always keep our luggage with us when traveling by train.
• Plan ahead: Italians are famously laid-back, and it’s a good idea to embrace that way of life when in Rome (or Florence, or Venice, or …). Even so, you’ll need to do a lot of planning. Research how trains and buses work in the cities you’re visiting, buy tour tickets before they sell out and secure lodging and plane tickets far enough in advance.
• Learn the language: We got by with a limited vocabulary, a few key phrases and Google Translate. In most popular parts of Italy, the locals, especially in the service industry, will speak some English — but speaking their language can go a long way.
• Get off the beaten path: Italy’s big three (Rome, Venice and Florence) are lovely, and there’s so much to see. But the country has a wealth of things to experience outside these three cities. Even when you’re in the bigger tourist spots, walk farther to find yet-to-be-discovered restaurants, museums and architecture.
• Wear comfortable shoes: You’re going to be walking a lot!

Italy travel insurance FAQs

Should I buy travel insurance for a trip to Italy?

You should purchase travel insurance for Italy trips. These vacations can be expensive and carrying travel insurance means you won’t be out a lot of money if something cancels, delays or interrupts your trip. Medical insurance for Italy is also important, as your health insurance likely does not extend to Europe.

What type of travel insurance do I need for Italy?

If you’re traveling to Italy, we recommend getting comprehensive travel insurance that includes:

• Trip cancellation insurance.
• Trip delay insurance. 
• Trip interruption insurance. 
• Baggage insurance. 
• Travel medical insurance.
• Emergency medical evacuation coverage.

Depending on the trip, you may also need rental car insurance and winter sports liability insurance.

What does Italy travel insurance cover?

The extent of Italy travel insurance coverage depends on the policy you buy. Comprehensive travel insurance for Italy vacations should include trip cancellation, delay and interruption, as well as baggage insurance, travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation. You should also purchase rental car insurance if you’re renting a car, and if you plan to ski, you’ll need winter sports liability insurance, which you can purchase directly from the resort.

Is travel insurance for Italy worth it?

Travel insurance to Italy is worth the cost. Italian travel — and any type of foreign travel — comes with high costs, many of which are nonrefundable. Should something happen before or during your trip, carrying the right Italy travel insurance means you’ll recoup those costs.