Half of Hungarians travel abroad every two years – many still without insurance

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 06. 17. 11:23

Nearly half of the Hungarian population (44%) travels abroad every two years, but many embark on the unknown without insurance. Only four out of ten (40%) regularly take out travel insurance, while every third traveler has been in an unexpected situation where help abroad would have been useful. Car trips are also popular: three-quarters of households have their own car, with a third of them planning to travel abroad. However, more than half of motorists do not use any assistance services, while 91 percent of them consider this type of insurance useful. According to a recent, representative study by Europ Assistance, holidaymakers are most concerned about health problems and the associated costs, as well as the difficulty of finding a suitable specialist and service to repair their car in the event of a breakdown.

The attitudes, preferences, consumer behavior and travel habits of the Hungarian population aged 18-69 related to travel insurance, as well as vehicle and home assistance services, were also examined in a recent comprehensive research by Europ Assistance, which was completed in May 2025.

Nearly a third of the population travels abroad annually, few cross European borders

According to the survey, a quarter of the domestic population (27%) travels once a year within Europe, while only 9% of Hungarian adults cross the continent’s borders in a year. Overall, nearly half (44%) of Hungarians aged 18-69 travel abroad at least every two years, and a third of this group (34%) have experienced an unexpected event that required travel insurance. In the case of those who travel every two years, four out of ten always take out travel insurance, while every third person uses this option in some special case – when skiing or traveling to an unknown country. In most cases, customers already take out travel insurance online.

The survey also asked about travelers’ fears: every second Hungarian (50%) thinks that repatriation would be difficult in the event of a health problem. Nearly as many (47%) believe that it would be more difficult for them to find legal help in Hungarian on their own or to pay for possible compensation in the event of damage.

“Our research highlights that Hungarians see serious value in assistance services, but unfortunately, many people still do not provide for adequate protection during their holidays abroad, and thus take a big risk. The vacation, the holiday season, is upon us, so it is definitely worth preparing for unexpected situations and taking the necessary steps before leaving for a carefree vacation,”

– drew attention to Andrea Éva Elek, CEO of Europe Assistance Magyarország Kft.