Compare Travel Insurance

A Travel Insurance Comparison Guide

Travel insurance protects holiday expenses against adverse events such as cancellation and interruption and reimburses medical expenses, property loss or damage, and transit delays while you’re away.

Many millions of travellers and holidaymakers purchase some form of insurance every year. Considering this, very few people know what insurance is and how it can be defined. Understanding what is included and what is not can help you fully utilize your protection and ensure fair reimbursement.

There are four main categories of travel insurance:

1. Health and Medical reasons for Emergency evacuation: 

This type of insurance generally covers emergency transportation to a local hospital if the traveller cannot get there alone or returns to a hospital near their hometown. If the same policy covers family members, they might also be able to travel back home. Medical reasons: This reimburses emergency medical and dental costs. Nearly all holiday insurance plans work by returning the traveller after they have paid locally for treatment. Most providers usually deliver claims within 7–10 working days. Your policy may cover pre-existing medical conditions, and checking if you need to factor this into your insurance is essential.

2. Delays and cancellation or curtailment

Cancellation:

Reimbursement generally comes into effect if travellers have booked and paid for a holiday but are unable to embark because of personal illness or injury, death (of the individual or a family member), adverse weather conditions, transport strikes, terrorism, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, jury duty or by sustaining severe damage to their home causing it to be uninhabitable due to fire or flooding. Delay: This usually reimburses travellers for hotel, food or clothing expenses in case of a flight delay. Some plans also cover costs associated with catching up with a cruise should another delay cause the traveller to miss embarkation.

Interruption:

Insurance companies may pay money to policyholders abroad if they need to cut short their trip due to illness, death (of the traveller or a family member), terrorism, weather, airline strikes, bankruptcy, sudden unemployment, or other adverse conditions that force the holidaymaker to curtail their trip due to events outside their control.

3. Death:

Accidental death – can cover death or dismemberment at any time of your trip. Usually guarantees the lowest coverage due to a higher risk Air Flight accident – this may cover death or dismemberment during an air flight only. Usually, it ensures the highest coverage due to the reasonably low likelihood of this occurring. Common carrier – often covers death or dismemberment while travelling on public transport such as a plane, ferry, train, bus or taxi.

4. Loss or property damage:

Baggage loss – may reimburse travellers for lost, stolen or damaged personal items. Typically, this coverage applies only to the duration of the trip and does not extend to baggage damaged or lost by the airline. There are two policy limits: total claim and per item maximum.

Examples:

Some policies also limit the items that travellers can claim. Examples include things such as precious jewellery, laptops and sporting goods.

Hire Car damage

This coverage reimburses travellers for damage or loss to a rental vehicle and allows them to decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage offered by car rental companies. However, travellers should still purchase liability coverage through the car rental company. Just as in the UK, car insurance is essential abroad.

Rental Car Damage

Credit cards for car rentals often include Rental Car Damage coverage, typically matching the policy’s coverage. Assistance services may offer 24-hour telephone advice and support to travellers, available whenever they need help. Ensure you keep a copy of this contact number in several places, in your luggage, or your person while travelling.

Travel Stats

Travel insurance shields your holiday expenses from unexpected cancellations and interruptions and ensures reimbursements for medical bills, property damage or loss, and travel delays.

UK Travel Statistics

In 2019, over 70 million UK residents travelled abroad for tourism purposes. However, a surprising 20% of these travellers went uninsured, exposing themselves to potentially significant financial risks.

The Risks of Travelling Uninsured

Uninsured travellers face considerable financial risks. For instance, the average cost of overseas medical treatment is £1,300 but can skyrocket to tens of thousands depending on the region and severity. A broken bone in the USA can cost upwards of £10,000, and an air ambulance from the Canary Islands to the UK can cost as much as £25,000.

Note:

SEOPA provides this Insurance comparison tool. Insuro.co.uk is not responsible for the content of the comparisons you obtain.

The information on this page is not advice. You should always perform your research and make sure that you understand the conditions of any insurance you decide to take out.

The information contained within this page is for editorial purposes only and not intended as financial advice.