2. Traveling outside the European Union: specific mandatory insurance

As soon as you leave the EU, travel insurance becomes essential, and is even mandatory for any stay longer than 3 months.

Why?

• The Social Security and your French mutual insurance no longer cover your expenses abroad after 90 days.

• The guarantees of bank cards are limited and often insufficient for a long stay.

• Medical expenses can be exorbitant (e.g. hospitalization in the United States can exceed €10,000 per day).

Essential points to check in your contract:

• Liability insurance abroad.

• Cancellation / interruption insurance.

• Medical assistance and repatriation.

• Loss, theft, or destruction of luggage.

• Legal assistance.

Practical tip: keep the invoices of your travel equipment purchases and create a precise list of your valuable items (computer, camera, etc.) with their references. This will facilitate a potential reimbursement in case of theft or loss.

3. Which insurances to choose?

During our research, two insurers stood out for their reputation among travelers:

• ACS – Travel insurance: often more advantageous for young people and small budgets.
  👉 Traveler reviews: Trustpilot – ACS

• Chapka: the insurance most chosen by long-term travelers, thanks to a good coverage/price ratio.
  👉 Traveler reviews: Trustpilot – Chapka

These two insurers cover the majority of needs. For extreme sports (diving, mountaineering, etc.), it is sometimes necessary to subscribe to a specific coverage extension.