Travel insurance
Compare travel insurance quotes and get the right cover for your holiday
Why is travel insurance important?
Travel insurance is there to help cover unexpected costs that would otherwise put you out of pocket - medical costs can be very high in some countries so it's important to have suitable cover for that.
It’ll usually include cover for things like:
- Emergency medical expenses
- Cancelling or cutting your trip short
- Lost luggage
- Flight delays
- Personal liability claims
And there are two main types of policy you can get:
- Single trip
- Annual multi-trip
You can also choose policies tailored for your type of trip, including cruise travel insurance, winter sports or Ski travel insurance.
Some countries might require you to have travel insurance in place before you visit.
Can I get travel insurance with Covid-19 cover?
Yes you can still compare and buy travel insurance, and most policies will cover coronavirus-related emergency medical care and repatriation (getting you back to the UK).
Some insurers offer further Covid cover, for things like cancellation and denied boarding, but exactly what’s offered varies a lot. No policy will cover you if you travel against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice.
Travel insurance policy types
Find the right type of travel insurance for your trip.
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Single trip insurance
- Covers you for one destination, for trips up to 30 days
- Choose the country or area you're travelling to and how long you're going for
- You can add-on cover for activities too, like skiing
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Annual multi-trip cover
- Covers you for multiple trips in one year
- If you travel frequently - more than once or twice per year, it could work out cheaper than a single trip policy
- Choose a policy for an individual, couple, group or family
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Backpacker travel insurance
- This covers you for a continuous trip for between two and 18 months
- It covers you visiting multiple countries if you're away for a long time
- You can buy it for individuals, couples, families and groups
Travelling with serious pre-existing medical conditions
Our panel includes travel insurance providers that can give you a quote for policies with cover for many declared serious medical conditions.
If you have more extreme and serious medical conditions, Money Helper has launched a directory of insurance providers who may be able to give you a quote over the phone.
You can find the directory at the Money Helper or call the British Insurance Brokers Association on 0370 950 1790.
What does travel insurance cover?
What's included varies by provider so check your policy to be sure. A few things most policies cover are listed below:
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Medical expenses
Covers the cost of emergency visits to the doctor or hospital for medical treatment while abroad. You'll need to declare any pre-existing medical conditions, or you may not be covered.
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Repatriation
Repatriation covers the cost of getting you home to the UK for further medical treatment if you're seriously ill or injured abroad.
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Cancellation or curtailment
If you need to cancel, cut short or delay your holiday for certain reasons outside your control, you could reclaim the cost. You won't be covered if you knew that you might need to cancel or cut short your trip, for example because you were already unwell.
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Lost, stolen or damaged possessions
Cover for your luggage and belongings. This sometimes also includes cover for passports or cash. Your home contents policy or gadget insurance might offer some cover for your possessions while abroad as well.
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Personal liability and legal expenses
Covers the costs of legal fees, in case you accidentally injure someone or damage their property and they sue you. It can also help you pursue compensation if you’re injured during your trip where someone else was to blame.
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Delayed departure
Most travel insurance companies will offer some cover for delayed outbound or inbound journeys, however the requirements for the length of the delay and what compensation is available may differ. Make sure you read your policy so you know what you're covered for.
Travel insurance to suit your needs
You need to choose the right insurance for your trip. Think about how frequently you travel, where in the world you're going and what you'll be doing.
We'll help you narrow down the options and choose when you get quotes.
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Single trip travel insurance
Single trip travel insurance covers you for one destination, usually for trips of up to 30 days. You can bolt-on cover for activities too, like skiing.
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Annual travel insurance
Annual travel insurance covers you for multiple trips for one year. If you travel regularly, it can work out cheaper.
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Worldwide travel insurance
There are two types of worldwide cover: including America, Canada and the Caribbean, or excluding them. If you’re not travelling to these destinations, exclude them from your cover. Medical care is expensive in these places, so it’ll push up the price of your insurance.
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Pre-existing medical conditions
If you need travel insurance for a pre-existing medical condition, you need to let the insurer know. Otherwise, they won't cover you for it. If it gets worse while you're away, and you haven't declared it, they won't help you with any medical costs or repatriation.
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Family travel insurance
Family travel insurance covers one to two adults, and up to eight children, providing they live with you and are under 18, otherwise you may need a group policy.
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Over 70s travel insurance
Older travellers are more likely to have existing medical conditions, therefore the cost of travel insurance tends to be higher, but you can still get the right cover at the right price, by comparing policies.
Travel insurance optional add-ons and extras
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If you're abroad and a natural disaster occurs, you could be injured, have your travel disrupted or need repatriating. Natural disasters aren't usually covered as standard by travel insurance, so you may have to pay extra to get cover for travel disruption.
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While some adventurous sports might be covered as standard, generally the riskier an activity the less likely your insurer will be to cover it. But you might be able to get additional cover for an extra fee.
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Like with extreme sports, not all insurers offer winter sports cover as standard so you'll probably need this if you plan on skiing or doing any other winter sports.
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Similarly to other winter sports skiing is a high-risk activity, so you might need cover for ski-specific things like air ambulances and piste closures.
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Travel insurance tends to cover the cost to get an emergency travel document if your passport is lost or stolen. But this likely won’t stretch to cover the expense of replacing your passport so think about whether you’d want to add passport cover to your policy.
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Golf insurance doesn’t just cover your clubs and equipment in the UK – it can also cover overseas golfing, as well as things like the traditional round of drinks for the club if you get a whole in one and accidents involving a golf buggy.
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Your camera, laptop and even your smartwatch and phone might not be covered by standard travel insurance, so consider whether gadget cover could be worthwhile to protect your pricier possessions.
Frequently asked questions
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You can get a 25% refund on the ticket price for the part of your trip that was affected refunded if you're delayed for at least:
- one hour for a journey of up to four hours
- two hours for a journey of between four and eight hours
- three hours for a journey of between eight and 24 hours
- six hours for a journey of more than 24 hours
If the delay time doubles, then you should get 50% refunded.
For cancelled ferry trips, you should be offered either an alternative sailing or a refund on the ticket price.
If you don't get a response from the ferry company or they can't to resolve your complaint, you can contact ABTA , the official complaint handling body.
Read more on how to claim for ferry cancellations or delays.
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Travel insurance is a policy that details how your insurer can help cover certain costs should something unexpected happen to you or your belongings while you're on holiday, or if your trip needs to be cancelled or cut short.
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The excess is what you have to pay towards each claim you make.
For example, if you make a claim for £1,000 and your excess is £75, the excess amount is deducted from your claim, so your insurer would only pay out £925.
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Yes – they’re not the same thing and a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) simply entitles you to receive state healthcare in some European countries.
With travel insurance you’ll also be covered for repatriation, non-emergency treatment and non-medical cover like lost luggage or cancellation – so it’s worth having.
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As soon as you book your trip, so you can benefit from its cancellation cover straight away.
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You can get travel insurance if you’re pregnant. Insurers don’t class pregnancy as a medical condition, so you likely won’t have to mention it when you take out cover and it won’t affect the cost of your policy. Bout you might only be covered for pregnancy related conditions up to a certain stage, typically 26 weeks.
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You won't need the medical aspect, because we've got the NHS. But it’s a good idea to have some cover if you’re having a staycation.
Missed transport and cancellation cover is useful if you’re taking an internal flight. Gadget cover can be worthwhile too, if you’re travelling in the UK with expensive smart devices.
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Yes, you can get last-minute travel insurance. But it won’t include cancellation cover and you'll need to find a specialist insurer covering post-departure insurance.
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Page last reviewed: 24 June 2022
Next review due: 24 September 2022