WorldTrips is the best travel insurance company of 2024, based on our in-depth analysis of travel insurance policies. Its Atlas Journey Elevate plan gets the top score in our rating because of the extensive coverage it provides for the price. It offers best-in-class emergency medical and evacuation benefits, as well as high limits for baggage insurance.
Best travel insurance of 2024
- WorldTrips: Best travel insurance.
- Travel Insured International: Best for emergency evacuation.
- TravelSafe: Best for missed connections.
- Aegis: Cheapest travel insurance.
- Travelex: Best for families.
- AIG: Best for add-on coverage options.
- Nationwide: Best for cruise itinerary changes.
Why trust our travel insurance experts
Our travel insurance experts evaluate hundreds of insurance products and analyze thousands of data points to help you find the best trip insurance for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
- 567 rates reviewed.
- 5 levels of fact-checking.
Travel insurance quotes comparison
Best travel insurance companies
Best travel insurance
WorldTrips
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top travel insurance plans
Atlas Journey Elevate
Average cost
$400
Medical limit per person
$250,000 primary coverage
Why it’s the best
If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel, WorldTrips’ Atlas Journey Elevate plan gives you $250,000 in travel medical insurance with primary coverage. This plan is a good option if health insurance for international travel is a priority. It also has $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage.
See our full WorldTrips travel insurance review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- $250,000 in primary medical coverage.
- $1 million per person in medical evacuation coverage.
- Primary damage or loss baggage coverage of $500 per item, up to $2,500.
- 5 optional upgrades, including pet care, adventure sports and rental car damage and theft.
Cons
- No non-medical evacuation coverage.
Customer reviews
WorldTrips has a rating of 4.27 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 428 reviews of policies purchased through the travel insurance comparison site since 2008.
Heidi’s expert take:
“WorldTrips offers primary coverage for emergency medical expense and for baggage damage or loss. This means the insurer will pay for your claim first and then seek recovery from any responsible third party, such as your health insurance provider, airline or homeowners insurance company (if your belongings are stolen). Travel insurance with secondary medical coverage might be cheaper, but then you’d have to file claims with third parties yourself, before you could turn to your travel insurance for help.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Best travel insurance for emergency evacuation
Travel Insured International
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top travel insurance plan
Worldwide Trip Protector
Average cost
$370
Medical limit per person
$100,000 primary coverage
Why it’s the best
If you’re traveling to a remote area, consider Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector. It has the best travel insurance for emergency evacuation of travel insurance policies in our rating. This top travel insurance plan provides up to $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Only plan in our rating that offers $150,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
- $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
- Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
Cons
- Missed connection benefit of $500 per person is only available for cruises and tours.
Customer reviews
Travel Insured International has a rating of 4.39 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 3,402 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.
Heidi’s expert take:
“The Worldwide Trip Protector plan provides rare non-medical evacuation benefits of up to $150,000. If you’re traveling to an area at risk of a political, security or national disaster, this emergency evacuation coverage could help get you back to safety.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Best travel insurance for missed connections
TravelSafe
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top travel insurance plan
Classic
Average cost
$431
Medical limit per person
$100,000 primary coverage
Why it’s the best
TravelSafe offers good travel insurance for missed connections, with $2,500 in missed connection coverage for each person on the plan.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
- $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
- Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
Cons
- Most expensive of our best-rated travel insurance plans.
- No “interruption for any reason” coverage option.
- Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.
Customer reviews
TravelSafe has a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,506 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.
Heidi’s expert take:
“If you miss out on prepaid vacation plans because you didn’t make a connecting flight, you’ll be glad for the $2,500 missed connection coverage. Some policies only provide missed connection coverage for cruises and tours, but TravelSafe Classic doesn’t impose that restriction.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Cheapest travel insurance
Aegis
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top travel insurance plan
Go Ready Choice
Average cost
$305
Medical limit per person
$50,000 secondary coverage
Why it’s the best
Go Ready Choice by Aegis has the most affordable travel insurance of the best-rated travel insurance companies in our rating. This is based on the average cost of seven international trips of varying lengths and values for travelers of different ages.
See our full Aegis travel insurance review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Cheapest of our best trip insurance plans.
- Pet care benefit of $500 under travel delay benefits.
Cons
- Low emergency medical and evacuation limits.
- Low missed connection benefit of $500 per person for cruises and tours only.
- Low baggage and personal items loss benefit of $500 per person.
Customer reviews
Aegis has a rating of 4.06 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,111 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2013.
Heidi’s expert take:
“If you’re looking for abudget travel insurance policy, Go Ready Choice may fit the bill. It has comparably low coverage limits, but if you have health insurance that will cover you on your trip, its $50,000 in secondary medical coverage may be sufficient.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Best travel insurance for families
Travelex
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top-scoring plan
Travel Select
Average cost
$391
Medical limit per person
$50,000 primary coverage
Why it’s the best
Travelex Insurance Services has the best travel insurance for families because you can add kids aged 17 and younger to your Travel Select plan at no additional charge.
See our full Travelex travel insurance review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
- Robust travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
- Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
Cons
- Low emergency medical coverage of $50,000 per person.
- Non-medical evacuation is not included.
- Low baggage delay coverage of $200 requires a 12-hour delay.
Customer reviews
Travelex has a rating of 4.43 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 2,048 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.
Heidi’s expert take:
“If you’re traveling with kids, a Travelex policy will cover them, too. The number of children you can add to your policy is unlimited and they’ll get travel protection at no additional cost.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Best travel insurance for add-on coverage options
AIG
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top-scoring plan
Travel Guard Preferred
Average cost
$413
Medical limit per person
$50,000 primary coverage
Why it’s the best
Travel Guard Preferred from AIG allows you to customize your policy with a host of available upgrades, making it the best traveler insurance for add-on options. These include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage, rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings.
There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million. This is a good option if you’re looking for foreign travel health insurance.
See our full AIG travel insurance review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your travel insurance policy.
- Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
Cons
- Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
- $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
- Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.
Heidi’s expert take:
“You can add riders to your AIG travel insurance policy to maximize your coverage. Choose from these bundles: adventure sports, medical, pet, quarantine, security and wedding. You may also want to add “cancel for any reason” coverage and rental vehicle damage coverage.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Best travel insurance for cruise itinerary changes
Nationwide
Blueprint Rating
Via Compare Coverage's website
Top travel insurance plan
Choice Cruise
Average cost
$407
Medical limit per person
$100,000 secondary coverage
Why it’s the best
Nationwide’s Choice Cruise is good travel insurance for cruises. It has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion.
Choice Cruise also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay when you’re taking a cruise or tour. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.
See our full Nationwide travel insurance review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Benefits for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
- Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
- Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.
- Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
Cons
- Travel medical coverage is secondary.
- Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
- No “cancel for any reason” upgrade available.
Customer reviews
Nationwide has a rating of 4.02 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 570 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2018.
Heidi’s expert take:
“This plan has protections for cruisers when it comes to prepaid expenses. But its emergency medical coverage is secondary, which means you’d have to file medical claims with your health insurance company first. Since U.S. health insurance won’t help you at sea, you may want to look for cruise travel insurance with primary medical coverage instead.”
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Compare the best travel insurance plans
| BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE COMPANY | TOP-SCORING PLAN | OUR RATING | AVERAGE COST OF TOP-SCORING PLAN | Product CTA Link | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Journey Elevate | $400 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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| Worldwide Trip Protector | $370 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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| Classic | $431 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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| Go Ready Choice | $305 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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| Travel Select | $391 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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| Travel Guard Preferred | $413 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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| Cruise Choice | $407 | Via Compare Coverage’s website | |||||||
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Heidi’s expert take:
“Here are my tips on how to buy travel insurance that gets you the most coverage for the lowest price:
Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
- Buy early. Getting travel insurance within two weeks of making your first trip deposit may qualify you for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions, and it won’t cost you any extra.
- Look for primary emergency medical coverage. If you buy a plan with secondary coverage, you’ll have to file a claim with your health insurance first, even if you know it will be denied.
- Don’t overinsure. Calculate the value of only your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses that are not already covered by other insurance (like credit card travel insurance or health insurance, if your coverage extends to where you are traveling). Even if this value is $0, you can still buy travel insurance for the travel medical insurance benefits, and you’ll only be paying for the insurance you need.
- Understand exclusions. If you are planning to go scuba diving, for instance, make sure this adventure activity is not excluded from a policy’s coverage. If so, you may need to pay for a rider or shop for another plan that offers the coverage you need.”
What is the best travel insurance?
The best travel insurance for international travel is sold by WorldTrips, according to our in-depth trip insurance comparison.
The best travel insurance plan for you will depend on the trip you are planning and the coverage areas that are most important to you.
- Best cruise travel insurance
- Best COVID travel insurance
- Best “cancel for any reason” travel insurance
- Best senior travel insurance
Best travel insurance for cruises
The best cruise travel insurance is Atlas Journey Preferred sold by WorldTrips. This plan offers solid travel insurance for cruises for a low rate.
| CRUISE INSURANCE | TOP-SCORING PLAN | CRUISE INSURANCE RATING | AVERAGE COST OF CRUISE INSURANCE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas Journey Explore | $334 | ||||||
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| Atlas Journey Elevate | $408 | ||||||
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| Classic | $431 | ||||||
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Best travel insurance for COVID-19
The best COVID travel insurance is the Trip Protection Basic plan sold by Seven Corners. It is a relatively low cost travel insurance plan with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.
| COVID TRAVEL INSURANCE | TOP-SCORING PLAN | COVID TRAVEL INSURANCE RATING | AVERAGE COST OF COVID TRAVEL INSURANCE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trip Protection Basic | $502 | ||||||
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| Atlas Journey Explore | $513 | ||||||
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| Atlas Journey Elevate | $627 | ||||||
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| Trip Protector | $639 | ||||||
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Best travel insurance for “cancel for any reason”
The best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance is Seven Corners’ Trip Protection Basic. Adding CFAR coverage to a RoundTrip Basic plan only increases the cost by about 40%, which is lower than other plans we analyzed. For the extra cost, you get coverage of 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.
| CFAR TRAVEL INSURANCE | TOP-SCORING PLAN | CFAR TRAVEL INSURANCE RATING | AVERAGE COST OF CFAR TRAVEL INSURANCE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trip Protection Basic | $502 | ||||||
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| Atlas Journey Explore | $513 | ||||||
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| Travel Guard Preferred | $525 | ||||||
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Best travel insurance for seniors
The best senior travel insurance is the Gold plan sold by Tin Leg. It is an affordable travel insurance plan with travel medical primary coverage of $500,000 and a pre-existing conditions waiver if you insure the full amount of your trip within 14 days of your first trip deposit.
| SENIOR TRAVEL INSURANCE | TOP-SCORING PLAN | SENIOR TRAVEL INSURANCE RATING | AVERAGE COST OF SENIOR TRAVEL INSURANCE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $436 | ||||||
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| Travels First Class | $439 | ||||||
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| Trip Protection Choice | $483 | ||||||
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How much is travel insurance?
The average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs.
How much you pay for travel insurance will depend on:
- The cost of your trip.
- Your destination.
- The length of your trip.
- The ages of travelers being insured.
- Your state of residence.
- The travel insurance policy you choose.
- The total coverage amounts in your policy.
- Any travel insurance add-ons you select.
Here are average travel insurance rates for a 30-year-old female who is insuring a 14-day trip to Mexico.
| COST OF TRIP | AVERAGE COST OF TRAVEL INSURANCE |
|---|---|
$1,000 | $61 |
$2,500 | $120 |
$5,000 | $228 |
$10,000 | $512 |
$20,000 | $1,204 |
$30,000 | $1,848 |
$50,000 | $3,091 |
Looking to save? Discover cheap travel insurance options.
How much travel insurance should I buy?
Travel insurance companies typically offer several plans with varying maximum limits. The higher the coverage limits, the more you’ll pay for travel insurance.
Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends the following coverage limits for international travel:
- Emergency medical coverage: At least $50,000.
- Medical evacuation coverage: At least $100,000.
If you’re going on a cruise, or to a remote location, Squaremouth recommends:
- Emergency medical coverage: At least $100,000.
- Medical evacuation coverage: At least $250,000.
When evaluating travel insurance plans, our team of insurance analysts considered the best medical travel insurance policies to have at least $250,000 in emergency medical coverage and at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage.
When should I buy travel insurance?
The best time to buy travel insurance is within two weeks of making your first nonrefundable travel payment, whether it’s for a plane ticket, hotel stay, cruise or excursion.
Travel insurance costs the same whether you buy it early or last minute, and buying it early has added benefits:
- You may be able to add on “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage, an upgrade that is typically only available for a limited time after you’ve started paying for your trip.
- You may qualify for a pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver, meaning your pre-existing conditions will be covered by travel insurance. This waiver is generally added to your policy automatically, provided you buy the travel insurance within a certain window after your first trip deposit.
- You will be covered over a longer period of time for unforeseen events that could cause you to cancel your trip, such as medical emergencies, inclement weather and natural disasters.
Expert tip: You can buy travel insurance up to the day before you leave on your trip, but waiting may cost you the opportunity to qualify for a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver or to buy a “cancel for any reason” upgrade.
Where can I buy travel insurance?
You can buy a travel insurance plan:
- Online. Visit a travel insurance company’s website to buy a policy directly or use a comparison website like Squaremouth or Travelinsurance.com to see your options and compare plans. You may also be able to purchase travel insurance online through an airline, cruise, hotel, rental car company or other provider you book a ticket with.
- In person. A travel agent or insurance agent may be able to assist you in buying travel insurance.
Travel insurance trends in 2024
Americans are changing the way they travel and this includes buying travel insurance when they might have skipped it in the past. As spending on trips continues to rise, travelers have more to lose if their plans are disrupted.
Based on travel insurance quote requests on the Squaremouth website last month, these are the main benefits travelers are looking for in a travel insurance policy.
| TRAVEL INSURANCE BENEFIT | % OF SEARCHES WITH THIS FILTER APPLIED |
|---|---|
Emergency medical | 27.12% |
Medical evacuation | 21.32% |
Primary medical | 14.95% |
Trip interruption | 14.12% |
“Cancel for any reason” | 8.83% |
Travel delay | 8.30% |
Pre-existing medical | 8.50% |
Cancel for medical | 8.29% |
COVID-19 | 5.62% |
Cruise | 7.74% |
*Source: Squaremouth.com. Travel insurance quote filter usage from April 28 to May 28, 2024.
Methodology
Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance of 2024. For companies with more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan.
Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:
- Cost: 40 points. We scored the average cost of each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles:
- $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 30.
- $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 70.
- $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 40.
- $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 65.
- $15,000, 17-day trip to Italy for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
- $15,000, 17-day trip to France for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
- $15,000, 17-day trip to the U.K. for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
- Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
- Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
- Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
- Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
- “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
- Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
- Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
- Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.
Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.
If you’d like to dig in deeper, head over to our travel insurance ratings methodology page.
Best travel insurance FAQs
According to our analysis, WorldTrips has the best trip insurance. Two of its plans — Atlas Journey Explore and Atlas Journey Elevate — get 5 stars in our rating.
The best travel insurance policy for you will depend on what type of coverage you need. With so many different policies and carriers, the policy that was best for your friend’s trip to California might not be ideal for your trip to Japan. If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel, you may be willing to pay more for higher coverage levels.
A comprehensive travel insurance plan bundles several types of travel insurance coverage, each with its own limits. To ensure you have adequate financial protection for your trip, your travel insurance policy should include the following travel insurance coverages:
- Trip cancellation. With trip cancellation insurance, you’re covered if you need to call off your trip because of a reason listed in your policy, such as unexpected illness, injury or death of you, a family member or a travel companion, severe weather, jury duty and your travel supplier going out of business.
- Travel delay. Once your trip has started, travel delay insurance reimburses you for unexpected expenses you incur after a minimum delay, such as five hours. It can cover needs like airport meals, transportation and even overnight accommodation.
- Trip interruption. If you need to cut your trip early for a reason listed in your policy, trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for any prepaid, nonrefundable payments you’ll lose by leaving early. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home.
- Travel medical. Emergency medical benefits are especially important if you need international health insurance for travel outside of the country. Your domestic health insurance may provide limited coverage once you leave the U.S. The best travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, doctor visits, hospital stays, X-rays, lab work and prescription medication you may require while traveling.
- Emergency medical evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote area, or planning excursions such as boating to an island, emergency medical evacuation coverage is a good idea. This coverage pays to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility if you are injured or sick while traveling.
- Baggage delay. After a certain waiting period, such as six or 12 hours, this coverage will reimburse you for necessities you need to buy to tide you over while you wait for your bag to arrive. Be sure to save your receipts and look at your coverage limit, as some caps are low, like $200.
- Baggage loss. Baggage insurance can reimburse you if your bag never arrives, or if your personal belongings are stolen during your travels. Coverage limits apply here, as well as exclusions for certain items such as electronics.
“Typically, travelers are expected to pay their expenses out of pocket, and then file a claim for reimbursem*nt,” said James Clark, spokesperson for Squaremouth. “However, there are medical situations in which a provider may be required to pre-authorize payment to make sure the policyholder receives the treatment they need.”
According to Clark, “Providers can pre-authorize payment for medical care and emergency evacuations. With that said, every circ*mstance is unique, and providers will handle each situation on a case-by-case basis.”
Travel insurance covers your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs — as well as extra money you may need to spend due to unforeseen circ*mstances and emergencies — both before and during your trip.
Travel insurance coverage varies by plan, but in general travel insurance covers costs associated with these problems:
- Bankruptcy of a travel insurance company, such as your airline or tour operator.
- Dangerous weather conditions.
- Delayed and lost luggage.
- Illness or death in your family that requires you to stay home or cut your trip short.
- Illness that needs medical attention.
- Injury requiring medical evacuation.
- Jury duty.
- Travel delays and missed connections.
- Terrorism.
- Theft of your personal belongings while traveling.
- Unexpected job loss.
Travel insurance policies often exclude or limit “foreseeable” losses. Typical travel insurance exclusions include:
- Accidents or injuries caused by drinking or drug use.
- Canceling your trip because you changed your mind.
- Ending your trip early because you changed your mind.
- Losses caused by intentional self harm, including suicide.
- Losses due to war, civil disorder or riots.
- Medical tourism.
- Medical treatment for pre-existing conditions.
- Mental health care.
- Natural disasters that begin before you buy travel insurance.
- Non-medical evacuation.
- Normal pregnancy.
- Medical treatment related to high-risk activities.
- Routine medical care, such as physicals or dental care.
- Search and rescue.
Your U.S. health insurance may provide little or no coverage in foreign countries. Check with your health insurance company to see if you have any global benefits and ask how they work. If your health care does extend across the border, the benefits it provides abroad may not be the same benefits it provides domestically.
Medicare usually won’t pay for health care outside of the United States and its territories, so older travelers planning an international trip should look into the best senior travel insurance with robust medical benefits.
The best time to buy travel insurance is immediately after booking your trip and making a nonrefundable payment — in other words, as soon as you’re at risk of losing money. This way, you’ll know the total cost that you need to insure and you’ll have the longest window to take advantage of your policy’s benefits if something goes wrong.
You can’t wait until something goes wrong and then buy travel insurance to get reimbursed for your loss. Travel insurance only covers unexpected losses.
Travel insurance companies can decline to cover travel to certain countries. For example, you may find that some trip insurance companies don’t offer coverage to countries with a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department.
Travel insurance policies also frequently exclude certain risks that you’re more likely to encounter in Level 4 or Level 3 countries. For example, your policy may not cover losses related to declared or undeclared wars or acts of war or losses related to known or foreseeable conditions or events.
Some credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, offer benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursem*nt when you use your card to pay for your trip.
Ask your credit card issuer for your card’s benefits guide to see what coverage you may have. Keep in mind that it may not cover all the risks you want to protect against, such as the cost of international health care or emergency medical evacuation.
Business travel insurance makes sense if you are self-employed and paying for your own travel expenses, or if you are traveling internationally and want medical coverage abroad.
You might also consider buying travel insurance for a business trip if your company won’t cover extra expenses if your flight is delayed or you need to head home early.
Cruise travel insurance can help protect you financially if you need emergency medical care in a remote location, or if a delayed flight causes you to miss embarkation and you need to pay extra to catch up to your cruise.
Experts caution that travel insurance you buy through a cruise line may not be as comprehensive as plans you can buy directly from travel insurance companies.
Some travel insurance plans cover rental cars as an optional upgrade, for an additional cost. The 5-star rated travel insurance companies in our rating offer these optional rental car benefits:
- Travel Insured International — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000.
- WorldTrips — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000 with a $250 deductible.
Travel insurance typically only covers a single trip, although your insured trip can have multiple destinations.
If you’re looking to insure several trips in the same year, annual travel insurance may be a good option for you.
Travel insurance may be required, depending on the country you plan to visit. But it’s smart to consider buying a travel insurance policy for international travel, even when it is not required. A good travel insurance policy can protect you financially if you need emergency medical assistance when traveling, or if you need to cut your trip short and buy a last-minute plane ticket home because an immediate family member is ill.
Wondering if travel insurance is worth it? What travel insurance covers
Editor’s Note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:
- Spirit Airlines scrubs 60% of its Wednesday flights, says cancellations will drop ‘in the days to come.’
- 'Just a parade of incompetency': Spirit Airlines passengers with 'nightmare' stories want more than apology, $50 vouchers
- ‘This is not our proudest moment’: Spirit Airlines CEO says more flight cancellations expected this weekend
- Hurricane Irma: Flight cancellations top 12,500; even more expected
- Is an annual travel insurance policy right for you?
- How 2020 and COVID-19 changed travel forever – and what that means for you
- COVID-19 or delta variant have you ready to scrap your trip? Here’s how to cancel like a pro
- Sunday: Snow is over, but flight cancellations top 12,000
- After nearly 13,000 Harvey cancellations, Irma is new threat to airline flights
- What’s the difference between travel insurance and trip ‘protection’?
- How to choose the right travel insurance for your next vacation
- Travel insurance can save the day
- Angry passengers brawl after Spirit cancels flights
- What to do when travel insurance doesn’t work
- How lockdowns, quarantines and COVID-19 testing will change summer travel in 2021
- Travelers will pay and worry more on summer vacation this year. But they won’t cancel
- How to find a hotel with COVID testing and quarantine facilities wherever you travel
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- International travel hacks: When to book flights and hotels, how to deal with COVID-19 rules
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- The COVID-19 guide to holiday travel – and the case for why you shouldn’t go this year
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- ‘Busiest camping season’: Travelers choose outdoor recreation close to home amid COVID-19 pandemic
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- Five myths about travel agents
- Should I buy travel insurance?
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- Five myths about travel insurance and terrorism
- These eight things could get your travel insurance claims rejected
- There’s a good chance that your credit card already gives you some kind of travel insurance coverage
- How to avoid a hotel cancellation penalty
- Change fees and travel insurance continue to rise
