Nearly half of holidaymakers and travellers said they have been on holiday abroad without travel insurance, according to a survey by swiftcover.com.
One in four people said they had taken a short break without cover, while 16% had been on a long holiday in Europe and 7% had even travelled long haul without insurance.
Around 19% of people said they hadn't bothered taking a policy out because they didn't think they were likely to make a claim. 15% said they thought policies were too expensive. 13% thought the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which has replaced the E111, provided adequate cover.
Tina Shortle, director of swiftcover.com, said: "It is staggering to see that such huge numbers of travellers place themselves at risk.
"There is a general opinion that the EHIC will provide free medical treatment anywhere in Europe but this isn't always the case. When travelling to countries like Spain private clinics and hospitals are most often the first port of call after an accident or a medical problem, and the EHIC does not cover private clinics."
