Do you really need to buy travel insurance?

Personally, I'd say it really depends on your own situation, not just how far you're going. Do you have good health insurance that covers you abroad? A premium credit card with insurance included? Then you can honestly skip it for a short trip. But if you travel a lot or do risky stuff (hiking, winter sports, etc), then it's definitely worth it. And yeah, medical bills can explode abroad, but people often forget that travel insurance also covers cancellations, lost luggage, flight delays - sometimes that's what saves your butt, not just health issues.

The vast majority of people massively underestimate what their health insurance actually covers the moment they set foot outside France. It's not just emergency expenses - it's also medical evacuation, repatriation that can cost tens of thousands of euros if something serious happens to you in the mountains or a remote area. Before you say no to travel insurance, call your health service or your insurance company and explicitly ask what they cover abroad, the limits, and whether you have to pay upfront.

Now the thing nobody mentions: premium bank cards or home insurance policies often include basic travel coverage. It's rarely great but it's there. So you're already paying for it sometimes without realizing it. Worth checking before you pull out your wallet for a separate insurance. Honestly if you're going away for less than 15 days somewhere nearby you can probably get by without much, but the moment it's further away or longer, travel insurance becomes a no-brainer: one medical issue and you're broke without it.