UK travel insurance
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Make it one to remember for the right reasons.
If you’re planning on going away only once in the next 12 months, single-trip travel insurance is ideal. It provides the cover you need for one-off holidays that last a month or less.
Single-trip insurance doesn’t just cover travelling to one destination - you can visit other places during your holiday, but the cover will end as soon as you return home.
You can get a single-trip policy whether you’re travelling alone, in a couple, or with family or a group of friends.
But no matter who you’re travelling with, taking out cover as soon as you book your trip can help make it a stress-free one.
Insurers can vary in what they cover, but standard single-trip policies should typically include:
The cancellation cover included with your single-trip policy applies from the moment you buy the policy until your holiday ends.
Other insurance elements, like medical treatment and luggage cover, only apply for the duration of your holiday.
Check whether your insurer covers the activities you’re planning to do on holiday. To get the right protection, it’s usually possible to add optional extras to your policy, like:
If you’re planning any snowy activities during your trip, this will cover you and your ski equipment
You can get extra protection for more adventurous holiday sports like horse riding and bungee jumping
Specifically designed for cruises, you’ll be covered for anything that might impact your cruising plans
With this add-on, you can cover your golf equipment, the cost of hiring replacement clubs, and any unused green fees
Get your phone, tablet and favourite tech covered while you’re on holiday so you can always stay connected
If you’re travelling for business, get cover for things like business equipment and merchandise you take with you
It’s quick and easy to get a quote for a single-trip policy. We’ll just need a few simple details from you to get started:
Name and date of birth of everyone in the travelling party
The dates you plan to travel
Choose between European cover and a worldwide policy
Tell us if you have any activities or sports planned
You’ll need to declare any pre-existing medical conditions
Annual or multi-trip insurance will cover you for two or more trips within a 365-day period - but there’ll be a limit on how long each trip can be (typically, one month).
This cover usually costs less than buying multiple single-trip policies, particularly if you’re going somewhere like America or Canada. But if you've just got a couple of European trips planned, or one in the USA and another closer to home, it’s not always cheaper.
So to get the right deal, take the time to compare annual and single-trip policies.
This cover is sometimes called extended-stay or backpackers’ insurance. Unlike annual cover, it’ll cover you for a trip that’s going to last more than a month.
In fact, long-stay policies can last up to 18 months. So it’s useful if you’re planning to visit several different countries or are going backpacking.
But this type of policy doesn’t cover multiple trips, it just covers one long holiday.
The global health insurance card (GHIC) and European health insurance card (EHIC) let you access urgent or medically necessary treatment within the European Union (EU) at the same rate as a local resident.
But they’re no replacement for travel insurance. For example, you won’t be covered for repatriation costs, any lost or stolen belongings, or trip cancellation.
The card can also help you access routine treatment and monitoring for pre-existing conditions that travel insurers won’t usually cover. So it makes sense to get both types of protection before you travel.
Some current accounts and credit cards come with extra benefits, like travel insurance. So check whether you’re already covered – there’s no point in doubling up.
If you’ve got travel insurance with your bank or card provider, read the policy documents.
Check what’s included and whether it covers worldwide travel or any activities you might be doing, like winter sports. And if you’re travelling with your spouse or partner, see if they’re also included.
If it doesn’t provide the cover you need, consider buying a separate policy for peace of mind.
You’ll usually need to pay more for travel insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition or an injury you were being treated for before taking out cover.
It may also limit the number of providers you can choose from.
The good news is that our panel of travel insurers includes providers that cover a wide range of serious medical conditions.
And if you need cover for more serious medical conditions, you can find a directory of specialist providers at Money Helper.
The average cost of single-trip travel insurance policies was £21.30 for those without pre-existing medical conditions and £56.05 for people with medical conditions in 2020.[2]
Here are a few things that travel insurance for a single trip might exclude:
Your insurer won't pay out for claims if you travel somewhere the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against.
Any medical treatment you need while you’re away might not be covered if you failed to tell your insurer about your pre-existing medical conditions.
Claims due to reckless (unless it’s to save a human life) or illegal acts will be rejected.
Having one or two drinks is fine, but if your judgement or physical ability is impaired any claims you make as a result will be rejected.
Certain adventurous activities will be included on your policy as standard, but others might be offered as an optional extra or excluded altogether.
Claims that are a result of purposely hurting others (unless in self-defence) or yourself, will be rejected.
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Last reviewed: 12th May 2023
Reviewed by: Jasmine Hembury
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[2]Average median price purchased data recorded by theidol.com for single-trip travel insurance, split by those with medical conditions and without, in April 2023.