A recent survey of 1,000 people by insurance comparison site Quotezone.co.uk found that 68% of Brits have forgotten at least one item when heading on holiday. The most commonly forgotten essential is the travel adaptor, left behind by 15% of travellers, leaving UK visitors to Europe or the USA unable to charge their devices.
Other Commonly Forgotten Items
In addition to travel adaptors, 8% forgot their charger, while 7% admitted to forgetting sunscreen, sunglasses, or toothpaste. Around 4% forgot headphones, and 3% forgot swimwear. While many items are easily replaceable, some forgotten essentials can cause serious issues.
Serious Consequences
Quotezone noted that 4% of Brits forgot prescription medication, which can be difficult to replace abroad. The company stated: “In some countries, pharmacies can advise or provide a limited emergency supply without a full prescription. In most cases, it will mean contacting medical professionals at home or visiting a local doctor.” It added: “The GHIC card can help access state-funded or public medical care, but does not guarantee free prescriptions.”
Helen Rolph from Quotezone.co.uk advised: “Forgetting medication is serious, especially if it’s essential. Simply leaving the treatment at home will not usually qualify if you try to claim back costs on travel insurance. However, if you need a prescription due to a medical necessity or emergency while you’re away, then you should be covered, it’s important though to check the details of the policy and see what’s included.”
Another 3% forgot prescription glasses, with Quotezone warning: “Travellers should be cautious not to drive or hire a car if they’ve forgotten prescription glasses needed for the road - doing so could invalidate insurance and lead to hefty fines.”
Embarrassingly, 1% of passengers forgot their passport, which could lead to expensive last-minute flight rebookings unlikely to be covered by insurance. Helen said: “When it comes to claiming on travel insurance, a holidaymaker will not likely be able to make a claim for having to rebook flights after leaving their passport at home. Standard travel insurance treats this as an avoidable human error, not an insured event. It won’t normally cover additional costs like missing a flight and having to pay for an extra hotel night for the rebooked flight.”
List of Commonly Forgotten Items
- Travel adaptor - 15%
- Charger - 8%
- Sunscreen - 7%
- Sunglasses - 7%
- Toothpaste - 7%
- Prescription medication - 4%
- Headphones - 4%
- Swimwear - 3%
- Prescription glasses - 3%
- Travel money - 2%
- Passport - 1%
