Backpacker Tales
“I was only going on a short trip. Just across Europe to take in some of the sights I'd never seen. I'd always fancied sitting on a boulevard in Paris drinking coffee, watching the world go by.
The first leg of the trip was great. Paris and the rest of France were amazing - I really liked it. I then decided to work my way through Italy and then back up and home. I didn't have an awful lot of time as I was starting a new job in October.
I honestly hadn't even thought of buying travel insurance. I thought 'well, I'm only going through the EU. I'll be covered in case of any medical emergencies with my E111 that my mum had got me.'
It had never occurred to me about my money etc. It was usually strapped so closely to me that no-one could get near it anyway. I'd just paid for a drink at a bar and put my bag on the table. This girl walked in and asked me some directions. I'd turned round to talk to her. She was so nice - English too - that we chatted for quite a while. When she'd gone I realised that my bag had too.
They took everything - my passport, credit cards and all my cash. I reported it to the police and they gave me a form that they said I'd need for my travel insurance claim.
I had to get to the British consulate and ask for help. They were really good and helped me cancel my cards and then arranged for me to get home. The last thing the guy said to me there was that I could have enjoyed the second half of my holiday if I had had travel insurance. Next time eh?”
Peter,
London
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