If you have planned a holiday abroad then you really need to have travel insurance before you go away. If you fall or get knocked down by a car when you are in another country, you could find yourself with some huge hospital and medical bills.

If you live in the UK and you are travelling to another EU country, you are entitled to an EU medical card that will cover the basics such as a visit to the local doctor or clinic if you have a minor ailment.

The EU card will not cover things like hospital bills and repatriation to Britain; if you want full medical cover while you are out of the country then you need to buy travel insurance.

When you live in the UK you get used to the fact that National Health treatment is always free at the point of delivery but this is not the case in many other parts of the European Union.

In many countries people pay medical insurance on a regular basis to cover them in case they are taken ill. If you don’t have insurance then you can accumulate serious debt from a hospital stay.

You may feel that paying thirty or forty pounds for insurance that you may not use and that will only cover you while you are away, is a waste of money, but you would be wrong.

If you were seriously ill in most European countries other than the UK, you could face hospital and care bills for thousands of pounds. If you had to have a major operation and then be flown back to the UK at a later date, it will cost you a fortune.

Travel insurance is worth the money that you pay for it, if only for the fact that it gives you peace of mind in case you are taken ill.