What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance is insurance specifically taken out for travel. It covers the costs that may arise from unforeseen events. This includes costs for trip cancellation, medical emergencies abroad, or lost luggage. It is intended as a supplement to health insurance, accident insurance, and coverage from private companies such as airlines or hotels. In this article, we take a closer look at what travel insurance is, its pros and cons, and the best travel insurance policies in Switzerland. This will help you determine whether it makes sense for you to take out travel insurance.

What does travel insurance cover?

Travel insurance generally comes in two variants: trip cancellation insurance and travel health insurance. Trip cancellation insurance covers the costs if a trip cannot be started or must be interrupted. Often, additional items such as car rental or luggage insurance can also be added.

Travel health insurance covers the costs of medical emergencies abroad. It supplements Swiss health insurance and accident insurance. Travel health insurance covers costs not covered by health insurance. Especially in countries outside Europe, the costs of medical treatment can be very high, for example in the USA. And in developing countries, tourists do not want to rely on public hospitals. Even in inexpensive countries, private hospital stays can be very expensive. Without immediate payment, tourists are often denied treatment. Depending on the insurance, rescue costs, treatment costs, or even repatriation to Switzerland are covered. It is worth checking what the Swiss health insurance and accident insurance already cover and only insuring the gaps.

Reasons for travel insurance

• Outside Europe, medical treatments can be very expensive, and health insurance coverage can be complicated. Some travel insurance policies make immediate payments to hospitals, so you don’t have to pay for treatment yourself.
• Airlines and hotels outside Europe are not always obliged to cover costs incurred in the event of a cancellation. Trip cancellation insurance can help here.

When coverage may not be necessary

• In Europe, there are reciprocal agreements, so health insurance provides the same benefits as in Switzerland. Additionally, the costs for medical treatments in Europe are not as high as in the USA or Asia.
• European airlines and hotels are subject to strict regulations. For example, airlines must cover accommodation and meals in case of delays or cancellations. The same applies to significantly delayed or lost luggage.
• Repatriations from Europe to Switzerland are much simpler and cheaper. Also, the urgency for a return is likely lower for most people if they are in a hospital in Sweden rather than Tanzania.

Is my credit card enough as travel insurance?

Most premium credit cards offer travel insurance. However, this usually only applies if a large portion of the trip is paid for with the credit card. However, we cannot recommend these offers as the main travel insurance. Trips are often paid in foreign currencies. If this is done via a Swiss credit card, high fees almost always apply. Additionally, the insurance benefits of credit cards are often not as comprehensive as dedicated travel insurance. Credit card providers purchase insurance from a third party. Thus, the customer has no direct contact with the insurer, making claim refunds often more complicated.

Moreover, most Swiss people are better off with a free credit card anyway. And for the annual fee of a premium credit card, you can get a much more comprehensive, dedicated travel insurance from virtually any insurer.

Do I need travel insurance?

The decision to take out travel insurance depends on various factors and is very individual. However, we can generally say that someone who drives to Germany or Italy once a year benefits significantly less from travel insurance than someone who travels to exotic countries several times a year and engages in adventurous activities there.

It also depends on how much you are willing to lose in the event of a cancellation. It is probably much less painful to lose three inexpensive hotel nights in Germany due to an unexpected incident than a costly three-week safari in Africa.

TCS ETI Schutzbrief

The TCS Schutzbrief is the most popular travel insurance in Switzerland. It comes from the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), known for vehicle assistance. The TCS Schutzbrief is travel insurance that includes both trip cancellation and travel health insurance. It is available in two variants: Standard and Plus. Additionally, it can be purchased individually or for the entire household. However, a TCS membership is necessary.

Benefits

The Standard Schutzbrief includes:

• Cancellation costs up to CHF 120,000 (CHF 200 deductible)
• Rescue costs and repatriation to Switzerland
• Breakdown assistance abroad
• Reduction of rental car deductible to CHF 500
• Legal protection abroad
• Ticket refund for events

Additionally, the Plus Schutzbrief offers:

• No deductible for cancellation costs
• Unlimited medical costs abroad
• Luggage insurance (CHF 200 deductible)
• Coverage of rental car deductible

Prices

All prices are annual.

For individuals:

Option	Europe	World
Standard	CHF 94	CHF 163
Plus	CHF 165	CHF 259

For families:

Option	Europe	World
Standard	CHF 124	CHF 214
Plus	CHF 204	CHF 319

Additionally, there is the cost of a TCS membership. So, those who are not yet TCS members must pay slightly more for the insurance. Those under 26 years old receive a discount on individual plans.

Advantages

• Very comprehensive benefits
• Affordable for those who are already TCS members
• High surcharge for worldwide Plus coverage
• Coverage of rental car deductibles, eliminating the need for expensive car rental insurance

Disadvantages

• TCS membership required
• No possibility to take out parts of the insurance separately
• Plus membership for individuals relatively expensive

CSS Travel Insurance

At CSS, all benefits are available in separate modules. These can be combined as desired. In the price overview, we have listed the three predefined modules for which a discount is applied. Also included is a suggested combination of the three most important modules: healing, assistance, and cancellation.

Benefits

• Healing: unlimited coverage of costs in an emergency
• Assistance: rescue and repatriation to Switzerland
• Cancellation: cost coverage up to CHF 40,000
• Luggage: up to CHF 2,000 for theft, damage, or loss (optional up to CHF 8,000 available)
• Foreign legal protection: CHF 250,000 in Europe, CHF 50,000 outside Europe

Prices

All prices are annual.

For individuals:

Option	Price
Basic (Healing, Assistance, Legal Protection)	CHF 107.90
Balance (Assistance, Cancellation)	CHF 126.70
Premium (Healing, Assistance, Cancellation, Luggage, Legal Protection)	CHF 268.30
Healing, Assistance, Cancellation	CHF 184.30

For couples:

Option	Price
Basic (Healing, Assistance, Legal Protection)	CHF 181.30
Balance (Assistance, Cancellation)	CHF 194.90
Premium (Healing, Assistance, Cancellation, Luggage, Legal Protection)	CHF 482.70
Healing, Assistance, Cancellation	CHF 338.70

For families:

Option	Price
Basic (Healing, Assistance, Legal Protection)	CHF 218.00
Balance (Assistance, Cancellation)	CHF 212.00
Premium (Healing, Assistance, Cancellation, Luggage, Legal Protection)	CHF 482.70
Healing, Assistance, Cancellation	CHF 338.70

Advantages

• Possibility to take out insurance for less than a year
• Modular plan, so only the necessary benefits can be included
• Inclusion of theft

Disadvantages

• No coverage of rental car deductibles
• High surcharge for “Healing” module

Allianz Travel Insurance

Benefits

• Cancellation costs (up to CHF 25,000 Europe and CHF 50,000 worldwide)
• Rescue costs and repatriation to Switzerland
• Hotel accommodations and meals in case of flight delays up to CHF 2,000
• Coverage of rental car deductible up to CHF 3,000
• Optional: costs for lost luggage up to CHF 2,000 (CHF 200 deductible)

Prices

All prices are annual.

For individuals:

Option	Europe	World
Without luggage, without theft	CHF 174.90	CHF 192.50
With luggage, without theft	CHF 203.50	CHF 225.50
With luggage, with theft	CHF 273.90	CHF 302.50

For families:

Option	Europe	World
Without luggage, without theft	CHF 251.90	CHF 306.90
With luggage, without theft	CHF 280.50	CHF 339.90
With luggage, with theft	CHF 350.90	CHF 416.90

Advantages

• Luggage insurance is optional. It can be omitted as it is usually covered by the airline.
• Coverage of rental car deductibles in all options

Disadvantages

• No option for medical costs abroad
• Legal protection abroad not included

AXA INTERTOURS

Benefits

• Trip cancellation insurance (full coverage)
• Rescue costs and repatriation to Switzerland
• Optional: breakdown assistance for vehicles

Prices

AXA travel insurance does not distinguish between Europe and worldwide. The coverage is therefore valid worldwide. All prices are annual.

For individuals:

Option	Price
Cancellation costs	CHF 103.40
Cancellation costs and personal assistance	CHF 148.80
Cancellation costs, personal assistance, and vehicle	CHF 200.35

For families:

Option	Price
Cancellation costs	CHF 172.60
Cancellation costs and personal assistance	CHF 231.95
Cancellation costs, personal assistance, and vehicle	CHF 308.20

Advantages

• No deductible
• Competitive prices

Disadvantages

• No option for medical costs abroad
• No coverage for rental car deductible or luggage insurance

Zurich Relax Assistance

Zurich Insurance also does not differentiate between Europe and worldwide. The insurance is valid everywhere.

Benefits

• Cancellation costs (CHF 30,000 per person)
• Repatriation to Switzerland
• Legal protection abroad
• Optional: breakdown assistance for vehicles

Prices

All prices are annual.

For individuals:

Option	Price
Relax Assistance	CHF 152.20
Relax Assistance with breakdown assistance	CHF 215.30

For families:

Option	Price
Relax Assistance	CHF 206.50
Relax Assistance with breakdown assistance	CHF 309.00

Advantages

• Breakdown assistance is available separately
• Affordable

Disadvantages

• No option for medical costs abroad

Best Travel Insurance

Finding the best travel insurance is not easy. Each insurance company offers various plans that differ. Additionally, the terms of insurance are often very complex and difficult to compare. Everyone has different needs for insurance and their own travel profile. All the insurances shown here have their pros and cons. Therefore, it is difficult to designate one insurance as the best. However, we have selected the best insurances for different travel profiles.

For most people: CSS Balance

If you are looking for basic coverage of cancellation and personal assistance, the CSS Balance package is a good choice. It is affordable, covers the entire world, and offers the most important benefits. If you plan a long-distance trip to a country with high healthcare costs in a particular year, you can flexibly add the “healing” module for that year.

For TCS members or frequent travelers: TCS Schutzbrief

If you are already a TCS member for your car, the TCS Schutzbrief Plus offers very comprehensive travel insurance at a good price. For frequent travelers, it may make sense to take out this insurance even without a car, despite the additional cost of TCS membership (CHF 24 for individuals).

The TCS Schutzbrief covers everything imaginable—except for theft abroad. However, this can often be covered by household insurance. A notable advantage is the coverage of medical costs abroad. This coverage is particularly important for travelers to the USA, as mandatory health insurance only partially covers such expensive hospital stays. Another advantage is the coverage of rental car deductibles. Usually, this eliminates the need for expensive car rental insurance.

For those who only travel in Europe or to non-European countries with manageable healthcare costs, the standard variant is also an option. It is significantly cheaper and covers the essential points.