Uninsured travellers risk paying 12 times more than a five-star hotel for a hospital bed

10 million British holidaymakers travelled abroad last year without the necessary travel insurance

Joanna Whitehead
Friday 13 July 2018 14:58 BST
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Don't get landed with a hefty hospital bill this summer
Don't get landed with a hefty hospital bill this summer

Uninsured travellers can expect to pay up to 12 times more for a foreign hospital bed compared with a luxury hotel, according to new research.

A study conducted by finder.com, the price comparison site, investigated how much holidaymakers would have to spend if they needed to stay overnight in a hospital whilst abroad, compared with the average cost of a room in a five-star hotel.

The accident-prone would do well to steer clear of Monaco, where one night’s hospital stay comes at the eye-watering price of £2,583.

This is a whopping 511 per cent higher than the average price of a UK hospital bed for overseas visitors of £423.

Comparably, a night in a five-star hotel in Monaco will set you back £325, which is almost seven times cheaper than a night on the ward, with a saving of £2,158.

Luxembourg is the second most expensive place to fall ill, costing £1,360 for a night in a hospital bed. That’s 12 times more expensive than the average price of a five-star hotel room in the city, which costs £117 per night for two people.

Even a night in a hospital ward in Spain, the UK’s most popular holiday destination, will cost £332.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), the UK’s largest travel association, revealed earlier this year that nearly 10 million British holidaymakers (38 per cent) travelled abroad last year without the necessary travel insurance.

Susan Crown from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: “People are risking thousands of pounds in medical bills by travelling without an insurance policy that covers them for everything they want to do abroad.

“It’s important to know that the FCO cannot pay medical bills if you are hospitalised abroad, nor can we fly you home.”

Finder.com CEO, Jon Ostler agreed: “While most of us are lucky enough to avoid hospitals when abroad, the costs of staying overnight are eye watering – and this is before you take into account the cost of medicine and specialist treatment as well.”

When travel insurance can be purchased for less than £20, risking a giant credit card bill for unexpected injury seems risky indeed. Plan ahead and make sure you don’t get caught out this summer.

The 10 most expensive hospital beds in the world:

1. Monaco

2. 2. Luxembourg

3. Norway

4. Qatar

5. Switzerland

6. San Marino

7. Denmark

8. Ireland

9. United Arab Emirates

10. Netherland

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