Compare Travel Insurance Quotes

Accidents and mishaps can happen anywhere and at any time – even when you’re supposed to be relaxing on holiday. Whether it’s something as straightforward as lost luggage or as complicated as a serious accident, if something goes wrong while you’re away you could be left high and dry…unless you have a suitable travel insurance policy in place.

Travel insurance That’s why approximately three quarters of British holidaymakers take out travel insurance before they take to the skies (or the seas) each year, according to ABTA.

Of course, if you’ve made the decision to take out a travel insurance policy before you jet off that doesn’t mean you have to pay an arm and a leg for it. In fact, provided you don’t have a pre-existing medical condition (such as epilepsy, diabetes or asthma, for instance) you just might find that your travel insurance proves to be surprisingly… and you could find an even lower deal when you use an insurance comparison service to compare travel insurance quotes from a wider range of providers.

Compare travel insurance quotes now

What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance can cover you against a range risks while you’re on holiday, and help with the cost of remedying those unforeseen events.

For instance, the best travel insurance policies may cover the cost of finding your bags if you lose your luggage, or they might cover the cost of overseas medical expenses if you’re involved in an accident or contract a serious illness.

In some cases, your holiday insurance policy may also cover you if you have to cancel your holiday at the last minute (if you took ill shortly before you were due to fly, for instance).

What types of travel insurance policies are there?

You can buy different types of holiday insurance depending on where you’re going, what you’ll be doing and how long you’re going for. Options you might want to consider include:

• Single trip cover – insures you for one holiday that lasts for a limited period of time.
• Annual cover – also known as multi-trip cover, this insures you for 12 months from the policy start date. You can take several trips during this time but only for a limited number of days per holiday.

If you go away two or three times a year, an annual policy might be better value compared to taking out several single trip policies.

It sounds obvious, but you’ll also need to make sure the policy you choose covers the country you’re going to. In many cases you’ll have to choose between Europe and worldwide cover. It’s worth knowing that worldwide is often split into two groups:

• Worldwide including the USA, Canada and the Caribbean
• Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada and the Caribbean

It’s vital to check your policy’s small print as not all insurers class countries the same way. For example, some travel insurance companies include Egypt, Turkey and Morocco under European cover in addition to worldwide.

You can also opt for more specific types of holiday cover. For instance, family travel insurance usually covers two adults and at least one child living at the same address.

How long can each trip be?

When you’re ready to compare travel insurance policies it’s important to bear in mind that the vast majority of them will impose a maximum duration each trip can last, and this maximum will usually still apply even if you opt for an annual policy. For example, you might be covered to take four trips in one year with your annual policy but each trip might be limited to a maximum of 31 days, for instance.

If your trip is likely to be longer than this you should either speak to your insurer about extending your insurance or else consider taking out a backpacker insurance policy. These policies are aimed at anyone travelling to lots of different countries for long periods of time (usually at least 12 months continuously). You can use our comparison service to compare travel insurance policies like this as well.

What does holiday insurance cover?

Policies vary from one holiday insurance company to another, but when you’re comparing travel insurance policies you should double check whether each policy includes the following features:

• Medical expenses cover – this pays for any treatment you need while you’re away. Aim for a minimum of £2 million worth of cover but bear in mind that some countries like the USA have very expensive healthcare systems so choose a policy that reflects this.
• Repatriation cover – this covers the cost of getting you back to the UK if you have a medical emergency.
• Cancellation or curtailment insurance – provides compensation if you need to cancel your holiday or cut it short through no fault of your own. For example, if you become ill and your doctor has told you not to travel.
• Missed or delayed departure insurance – pays for any costs you face if your flight is delayed or if you miss it because of a situation that is out of your control (a car accident, for example).
• Lost or delayed luggage insurance – compensates you if your luggage is lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen.

In addition to those core travel insurance features, some of the best travel insurance policies may also provide cover for the following:

• Personal liability cover – pays legal fees and compensation if someone blames you for an injury or if you accidently cause damage to their property.
• Gadget Travel Insurance – can pay to repair or replace gadgets if they’re stolen or damaged while you’re on holiday.

How do I compare travel insurance?

Before you compare travel insurance it’s worthwhile making a list of ‘must have’ features – particularly if you need something specific like extreme sports cover.

If you’re torn between two policies take a look at the small print to see if one has more limitations than the other.

It’s also a good idea to look at how the excess is imposed so that you’re not hit with unexpectedly high costs. Insurers determine the excess in a variety of different ways – for example, per person or per separate claim. They may even charge a different excess depending on what the claim is for.

Ready to buy holiday insurance?

When you compare travel insurance quotes, you increase your odds of finding a suitable policy at a price to suit you. For example if you are looking for travel insurance to Spain or family travel insurance, then your best option is to compare as many quotes as possible.