Travel Insurance: USA to Italy Trip (2024)

A trip to Italy offers so much splendor, history and excitement. If you’ve been researching an Italian vacation, you know it’s expensive and you’ll likely want to visit several cities while there.

You might decide to fly between cities, take the train or use private transport, so there’s a possibility you could encounter delays or other unpredictable travel hiccups. As with any trip, particularly one outside the U.S., it’s important to look for the best travel insurance in order to protect both you and your trip investment.

Here’s how to pick the right policy for a trip to Italy so that you can focus on the experience and less on worries.

Winter Sports Liability Insurance Required

If you plan on hitting the slopes during your trip, be aware that Italy requires skiers to have winter sports liability insurance. Liability insurance covers injuries and damage you accidentally cause to others. U.S. travel insurance plans don’t generally include liability coverage, but you can purchase winter sports liability coverage at the ski resorts in Italy. It will cost about 3€, or a bit over $3, per day, per person. If you don’t comply with the mandate, you can be fined and have your ski pass revoked.

What to Look for in a Travel Insurance Policy for Italy

There are a few essential coverage types to look for when you’re traveling outside the U.S., especially on an expensive trip.

“As with virtually any international destination, including Italy, I would recommend purchasing a travel insurance product that includes coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, medical expenses, medical evacuation and baggage,” says Scott Adamski, a spokesperson with travel insurer AIG.

Adamski recommends you purchase travel insurance within 15 days of the initial deposit for the trip so that you can take advantage of early-purchase provisions such as getting a waiver of the pre-existing medical condition exclusion.

But if you’re late to a travel insurance purchase, a policy may be purchased up to 24 hours prior to the trip departure date.

The Importance of Trip Cancellation Insurance

You may be planning your trip to Italy well over a year in advance, so purchasing a travel insurance policy at the time you pay for your trip gives you the most value because you lock in coverage longer.

We all know life is unpredictable and even as the excitement builds about an upcoming trip to Venice or Rome, the unexpected can happen. Trip cancellation insurance will allow you to cancel the trip, file a claim and be reimbursed for any prepaid, non-refundable expenses if the reason for cancellation is covered by the policy.

For example, if you twist your ankle the day before the trip, or a close relative passes away, you can generally make a trip cancellation insurance claim.

If you had booked a private gondola ride in Venice, for example, and need to cancel the trip, you can be reimbursed for this missed experience.

To get the most flexibility to scuttle a trip, consider buying “cancel for any reason” travel insurance. This upgrade generally provides 75% reimbursem*nt of your insured trip costs if you cancel for a reason not covered in the base policy—like a sudden fear of travel. You usually must buy CFAR coverage within two to three weeks of making your first trip deposit. It typically adds an average of 50% to your trip cost.

Travel Medical Insurance for Italy Trips

It’s wise to buy travel medical insurance when planning an international trip. Your U.S. health insurance plan may have limited or no coverage outside the U.S. Likewise, Medicare does not cover health care costs outside the U.S.—a major consideration for senior travelers.

If you suffer an illness or injury when traveling internationally and require medical care, you will have to pay out of pocket if you don’t have travel medical insurance.

“Whether you’re exploring caves in Le Marche, going skiing in the Dolomites, or even just wandering a Tuscan village, you never know what injuries or sickness you may encounter, “ says ChristinaTunnah, spokesperson with travel insurer World Nomads.

For example, if you are on a bike tour in Tuscany and you hit a bump and are ejected from your bike and suffer a concussion, you will need immediate medical attention. Your travel insurance company can act as a liaison and help identify a suitable facility where you can be treated.

“Medical facilities are located all over Italy, but there are fewer options outside of urban areas,” says Tunnah. “These emergencies can take down even the most experienced traveler. That’s why the services of a 24/7 emergency team are so valuable. Travel assistance services will be able to give you advice on what to do, help locate suitable medical facilities (particularly in remote areas where access to medical care can be tricky) and will monitor your medical treatments to make sure you are given proper care.”

You can buy generous medical coverage of $500,000 per person if you would like a large safety net, but you can find policies with lower limits if you don’t think you need that much.

What If You Need a Medical Evacuation?

If your injury or illness warrants more specialized care than what’s available where you are, emergency medical evacuation coverage can cover the cost of a medevac to an adequate facility.

If you aren’t covered by insurance and need urgent transport, this could cost you thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

You can buy generous medical evacuation coverage of $1 million per person. Still, the insurer will only pay to get you to an adequate medical facility. Consider a membership in a service like Medjet if you want to ensure you can be flown back to the U.S. for a medical problem if you wish.

Handling Trip Delays

Direct flights to Italy are very pricey. You may be able to snag a lower airfare by purchasing a stop-over flight.

If you have a connecting flight in London en route to Rome, and there’s severe weather like torrential rain and fog, this may prevent your flight from taking off at JFK airport. If you miss your London connection, you will have to wait for the next flight.

Other issues could arise when the next few flights are full. If this happens, you may have to wait until the following morning to continue your journey to Rome.

Here’s where trip delay insurance assists you with expenses like meals, hotel stays, transportation or rebooking a more expensive flight. Keep in mind that many policies have a waiting period—sometimes six or 12 hours of delay—before trip delay benefits kick in.

Reimbursem*nt for Trip Interruption

As on any trip, whether it’s to Miami or Milan, you could run into a setback.

“Trip interruption and travel delay happen to be the most popular claims among travelers to Italy,” says Tunnah. “Trip interruption can help you recover the unused, prepaid portions of your trip that you’ve had to cancel because of an early return for a covered reason,” she says.

For example, if your sister is minding your 5-year-old daughter while you’re in Italy, and your sister gets the flu and can’t care for your child, you may have to cut your trip short and return home. You could then be eligible to file a trip interruption claim.

“With trip interruption coverage, you have a safety net in place. It can also get you a one-way, economy-class ticket home,” says Tunnah.

Baggage Troubles

Italy is a mix of lots to see and do.

“With ancient monuments, cliff-side villages, regional cuisines and a history that’s on display everywhere you go, Italy is famous for so many things,” says Tunnah. But where there are crowds of tourists, there are opportunities for thieves.

In Rome, she recommends being particularly vigilant at metro stations, overnight trains and other crowded tourist areas such as the Colosseum and Termini train station.

Also, she says Naples is also notorious for pickpockets, where they tend to lurk in the Spanish Quarter, the main train station, the Piazza Garibaldi, and dark alleys and streets.

To reduce the risk of theft, Tunnah provides this advice: “Avoid stashing your money or wallet in your pants. Consider wearing a money belt even if you’re not going to be the most stylish person in the street.”

Baggage insurance can reimburse you the depreciated value of your lost, stolen or damaged belongings.“Per item and total maximum benefits apply, as do exclusions such as antiques, cash or misplaced belongings,” says Tunnah. She says you should swiftly file a loss or theft report with local law enforcement authorities, common carrier, travel supplier, tour leader or with a representative of the venue or location where the loss or theft took place. This will be required when filing a claim for reimbursem*nt.

Note that baggage coverage is often secondary coverage in a travel insurance policy, meaning you have to make a claim on other applicable coverage first, such as your homeowners insurance.

Travel Insurance Requirements for Italy

Travel insurance is not required to visit Italy. But we recommend buying a policy that includes travel medical insurance and medical evacuation coverage. That’s because your U.S. health insurance policy will have limited or no coverage for you while visiting Italy.