Around a quarter of British people are travelling abroad without travel insurance, despite the high costs of medical treatment abroad.
At the highest risk are young travellers, with 48 per cent in this age group going on holiday without the appropriate cover for hospital expenses.
When asked by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), 47 per cent of Britons mistakenly thought it would cost less than £5,000 to treat a broken leg if something went wrong in the US.
The actual cost is closer to £40,000 and the lack of education around high medical costs in the country could cost younger holidaymakers dearly.
Another 33 per cent thought they would not need insurance in the European Union because they had a health card, but this only covers basic state medical care.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of ABTA, said: “Unfortunately, accidents can and do happen and sometimes these accidents can lead to costly medical bills.
“It is just not worth taking the risk, when an average annual travel insurance policy costs less than £25.”