Falling ill on a trip: what to do, in what order and who to call

When you feel ill in a country you don't know, the instinct is to find a hospital on the map and turn up. That is exactly the order that can cost you the reimbursement.

The right order

1. Call your insurer's assistance number, which works at any hour and in your language.
2. Explain where you are and what is wrong. They will tell you which centre to go to, and that is what activates the cover.
3. If it is a serious emergency, call the country's emergency number or go straight there, and tell the insurer as soon as you can.
4. Keep every piece of paper: reports, prescriptions, invoices and proof of payment.
5. If you have to pay up front, ask for an itemised invoice in your name.

Step two is the one almost nobody takes and the one that decides whether the insurer pays directly or you have to pay and claim.

How to find reliable care

• Your insurer has a network of approved centres: that is the fastest route.
• Your accommodation usually knows where local people go, which isn't always what comes up online.
• Your consulate can supply lists of doctors who speak your language.
• And pharmacies handle far more than you might expect at home, in some countries.

The basics that prevent half the scares

Bottled water where it applies, care with ice and with raw food in the first few days, and rehydration salts in your bag. The number one cause of a lost day on a trip isn't exotic: it is your stomach.

You call the insurer first and go to the doctor second. The other way round, the bill can end up being yours.

And the phone, which matters here

This whole sequence depends on being able to call and on having data: the insurer's number, a translator to explain a symptom, a photo of the report to send on. It is the moment of the trip when being offline is least funny.

How to call without it costing a fortune is in how to call from abroad.