Make Sure You're Covered for your Spanish Holiday

With its wealth of Blue Flag beaches, warm Mediterranean seas, and reliably scorching summer weather, not to mention its low cost of living and spectacular food, Spain is an enduring favourite for British holidaymakers in search of a beach holiday. The kids can splash about in the balmy waters and play in the sand, while the adults keep an eye on them from a beach recliner with an ice cold drink. No one can dispute that Spain is truly one of the best places in Europe for a family beach holiday.

While most family beach holidays are far from dangerous, there are a few things to watch out for. No matter how careful you are, somebody always seems to get sunburned (sometimes severely enough to require treatment), and there’s always a chance of food poisoning from some exotic cuisine. Add to this the possibility of heatstroke and the minor risks that can befall holidaymakers anywhere - twisted ankles from unfamiliar stairs, falls on crowded pavements - and it's clear that it's well worth ensuring your entire party is protected by a family holiday insurance policy, on the off-chance that something should go wrong.

Visiting a Doctor

Many injuries, illnesses and mishaps can occur, or become apparent, within your hotel. Shower slips and stair injuries are relatively common hotel injuries for adults, while children have been known to scald themselves on hot water or hurt themselves running or playing in the room. Anyone is susceptible to food poisoning, which will likely not make itself known until you’ve returned to your hotel after dinner.

Should an injury or illness be severe enough to necessitate medical attention, you can ask at the front desk for a doctor, but be sure to specify that you need a state appointed doctor, rather than a private one. If the hotel calls for a private one it may not be covered by your particular family holiday insurance policy (and definitely not by the EHIC).

Ensure that you know where to put your hands on every member of the family's EHIC, find their EHIC and proof of the family holiday insurance policy. As soon as you can, you should present these documents in order to avoid any up-front costs. Remember that some family travel insurance policies will allow you to treat mishaps such as sunburn, food poisoning and other maladies privately, so if this is the case, feel free to request private treatment and present proof of insurance on arrival.

Getting to a Hospital

While it’s rare to have to call an ambulance, it can happen - for example in cases of severe heatstroke, dehydration and vehicular accidents. If this happens, don’t worry about the cost: in Spain, unlike in some countries, your EHIC will ensure that you’re covered for the cost of an ambulance ride.

If you’ve called a doctor - perhaps for an accident in the hotel or a food poisoning incident - and they refer you to a hospital, check before you go that it’s not a private hospital. It’s not unknown for state doctors to make private referrals, and while private care may be covered on a family holiday insurance policy, it may not be - and it’s never covered under the EHIC.

Other Costs

Adults and children are sometimes prescribed drugs when they fall ill on holiday – for example, broad-spectrum antibiotics for an acute infection (e.g. bacterial chest infections) or perhaps antihistamines in case of an unexpected allergic reaction.

Prescriptions aren’t free in Spain, so if a family member needs one and is only covered by EHIC, you will have to pay 40% of the cost of filling it. This is rarely a very large expense, as most commonly prescribed drugs are relatively affordable, but it’s still worth being aware of whether your family holiday insurance covers prescription charges. If you’re bringing any older members of the family on holiday, they shouldn't have to worry about prescription charges as long as they're able to prove they’re a pensioner of the EEA (pensioners are not subject to prescription charges in Spain).

All in all, any EHIC holders travelling to Spain can rest assured they are fairly well covered by the high quality state healthcare system, but travel insurance is definitely still advisable in case you need a prescription or you’d like access to private medicine (especially handy if you get injured at a busy time).

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of Insuremore. We provide low cost travel insurance and offer a range of policies including family holiday insurance, annual, multi-trip and single-trip insurance. For all your travel cover needs, Insuremore can help you in the quickest and most cost-efficient way.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.