Illness or accident on a pilgrimage?

In short: In Europe, call 112 and give the section of the route and the last town if you can. Keep your ID and health insurance card to hand, and report the case to your travel health insurance.

You are on foot for many days or even weeks, often on unsurfaced paths. The weather can also be very windy, cold and wet, so you can fall ill very quickly. A cold can be enough to make you give up the pilgrimage, and a sprained ankle can happen in a moment. So what should you do if you fall ill or have an accident on a pilgrimage?

Illness or accident on a pilgrimage: what to do

Basic medical care is available almost everywhere. Normally every small village has a health centre or a doctor. To buy medication and the like, there are always small pharmacies along the pilgrimage routes.

This also applies to even the smallest injury. A small injury can quickly become infected on the way. In the worst case you may even have to break off your trip, and nobody wants that.

Please always remember:

Always carry your health insurance card and your ID card or passport with you!

You are travelling in a foreign country. If you have an accident, you may not get medical help without your health insurance card.

Insurance and emergency calls

Within the EU the European Health Insurance Card is valid. It doesn't cover repatriation, for which you need private travel health insurance, which usually doesn't cost much. The Europe-wide emergency number is 112. Save it along with the location of the next albergue, and note down your allergies and medication on paper. You can find out what belongs in your first aid kit on our gear page.