France can be many different holidays. You might be planning a weekend in Paris, a relaxing break in Provence, a family holiday on the coast or a longer trip through the French countryside.
If you are living with cancer, having treatment or travelling after treatment, planning your time away can come with a few additional questions.
Can you get travel insurance for France if you have cancer? Will your GHIC cover you if you need medical care? What should you do about medication? And how can you make the journey and holiday itself work around your health?
Having cancer does not automatically mean that a holiday to France is out of reach.
At Lighthouse Travel Insurance, we help people living with and recovering from cancer explore travel insurance that takes their individual medical circumstances into account. Whether you are receiving treatment, recovering after treatment, in remission or living beyond cancer, we are here to help make the insurance side of your trip clearer.
Can you get travel insurance for France if you have cancer?
In many cases, travel insurance may be available if you have cancer and are planning a trip to France.
When you get a quote with Lighthouse, you will complete a medical screening. We may ask about:
- Your cancer diagnosis.
- Treatment you are receiving or have previously received.
- Medication you take.
- Surgery you have had.
- Ongoing appointments, monitoring or follow-up care.
- Your current health.
- Any other medical conditions you have.
This helps us understand your individual circumstances and assess the cover available to you.
Two people with the same type of cancer can be at very different points in their treatment or recovery. Someone travelling between treatment appointments may have different needs from somebody who completed treatment several years ago.
That is why your quote considers the information you provide about your own health and circumstances, rather than simply the name of your diagnosis.
You do not need to decide which parts of your medical history are relevant before you begin. Answer the questions accurately and our medical screening process will guide you through the information we need.
Click here, to find out how travel insurance medical screening works
Travelling to France during or after cancer treatment
There is no single rule for when somebody can travel during or after cancer treatment.
Whether a trip is suitable for you can depend on the treatment you are having, how you are feeling, any side effects you are experiencing and the advice of your healthcare team.
If you are currently receiving treatment, have recently finished treatment or have concerns about travelling, speak to your consultant, specialist nurse or another healthcare professional involved in your care before booking.
It is also worth checking your diary carefully before committing to travel. Treatment dates, scans, blood tests and follow-up appointments may all need to be taken into account.
Do not change, delay or miss cancer treatment to accommodate a holiday unless this has been agreed with your healthcare team.
If you would like more detailed information about travelling at different points in treatment and recovery, our Cancer and Travel Hub includes dedicated guidance.
Visit our Travel Insurance During Active Cancer Treatment page or Travel Insurance After Cancer Treatment page.
Planning your journey to France
One advantage of travelling to France from the UK is the choice of ways to get there.
Depending on where you are going, your journey could involve flying, taking the train, travelling by ferry or driving.
That choice can be useful if cancer or its treatment has changed how comfortable you feel travelling.
For example, if fatigue or reduced mobility affects you, think about the whole journey rather than simply how long the flight or train takes. Getting through a busy station or airport, waiting for connections, carrying luggage and travelling onwards to your accommodation can all add to the demands of a travel day.
If you need assistance, check what support your airline, airport, rail operator or ferry company can provide and how far in advance it needs to be arranged.
If you are planning to fly and have recently had surgery or treatment, or have concerns about breathlessness, blood clot risk or another medical issue, speak to your healthcare team about whether you are fit to fly. Visit our guide on Flying During and After Cancer Treatment.
Taking cancer medication to France
If you take cancer medication or medicines to manage the effects of treatment, plan what you will need before leaving the UK.
Take enough medication for the length of your trip, with additional supplies where appropriate in case your return is delayed. Keep essential medication accessible and follow any storage instructions you have been given.
Depending on what you take, you may also need to consider:
- Whether your medicine needs to be kept at a particular temperature.
- Whether you should carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your healthcare professional.
- Whether you are travelling with needles, syringes or other medical equipment.
- Whether your medicine contains a controlled drug.
- How you will manage medication timings while you are away.
- What you would do if your medication was lost or damaged.
Medicines that are legal and routinely prescribed in the UK can be subject to different rules in another country. Check the requirements that apply to your medication before travelling.
If you are unsure how your trip could affect when or how you take your medicine, speak to your healthcare team or pharmacist. You can also read our guide on Taking Cancer Medication Abroad for additional information.
Healthcare in France and your GHIC
If you are travelling from the UK, a valid UK GHIC or eligible EHIC can give you access to medically necessary state healthcare during a temporary stay in France.
Treatment is provided on the same basis as it is for people covered by the French state healthcare system. This does not necessarily mean that treatment will be free, and you may need to pay towards some healthcare costs.
A GHIC or EHIC is also not a replacement for travel insurance.
There are costs and circumstances it does not cover, which can include cancellation, lost baggage, medical repatriation to the UK, or if you need to cut your trip short for an eligible reason (details of limits, terms and exclusion are available in your policy wording).
If you are living with or recovering from cancer, it can also be useful to check what healthcare is available near where you are staying, particularly if you have ongoing medical needs.
Keep your GHIC or EHIC, travel insurance details and your insurer’s Emergency Medical Assistance contact information somewhere easy to access while you are away.
Getting medical help while you are in France
If you need emergency medical assistance in France, you can call 112, the European emergency number. The French ambulance service, SAMU, can also be reached on 15.
If you are referred to a medical facility or need treatment while you are away, contact your insurer or Emergency Medical Assistance team as soon as reasonably possible so they can explain what you need to do under your policy.
Make sure anyone travelling with you knows where your policy and emergency contact details are kept.
If your cancer team has given you particular advice about symptoms that need urgent attention, make sure you understand what to do if those symptoms develop while you are away.
Knowing where to turn for help means you can get on with your holiday without having to work everything out from scratch if you do become unwell.
Top destinations in France when travelling with cancer
The right part of France for your holiday will depend on what you want from your time away and how you are feeling.
A busy sightseeing break may be exactly what you are looking forward to. At another point in treatment or recovery, somewhere that makes it easy to slow the pace down might suit you better.
Paris is a good choice if museums, galleries, restaurants and famous sights are high on your list.
If fatigue or reduced mobility affects you, planning one or two priorities each day and choosing accommodation close to the places you want to visit can help make a city break more manageable.
Nice and the surrounding Côte d’Azur can offer a more relaxed mix of coast, cafés and sightseeing.
If treatment has made you more sensitive to sunlight or heat, think about when you travel and how much time you spend outdoors, following any advice from your healthcare team.
Provence may suit you if you prefer smaller towns, villages and countryside, with more flexibility to build rest into your days.
If you are staying somewhere rural, check how close you will be to medical care, pharmacies and any other services you may need.
The French Alps can offer a very different type of French holiday. If you are travelling to higher altitudes and have concerns about your health following cancer or treatment, speak to your healthcare team before you go.
If skiing or other activities are part of your plans, check that they are covered by your chosen travel insurance policy.
Wherever you choose, the best destination is one that works with how you feel now and the kind of holiday you want to enjoy.
Why choose Lighthouse Travel Insurance?
Our policies can offer:
- Up to £10 million emergency medical expenses.
- Up to £10,000 cancellation cover, based on the trip cost per person declared.
- Up to £5,000 cover for your personal belongings, depending on the policy selected.
- 24/7 access to an Emergency Medical Assistance team.
- Cover for UK, European and Worldwide trips, provided you are not travelling against the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) travel advice.
- Access to Air Doctor Connect is available on numerous policies, allowing you to connect with over 20,000 doctors in 78 countries. Where non-urgent outpatient treatment is provided through Air Doctor Connect, your policy excess is waived, and you may claim back the cost of prescribed medication when you return home.
Please Note: Any amounts listed above are per insured person on the policy. Cover limits, benefits and exclusions vary between policies. Full details can be found in your policy wording, available in your Customer Area
