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Cheap travel insurance
Get annual cover from £12/year, or less for single-trip cover
Booking a holiday? Always get travel insurance ASAB (As Soon As you... Book). That way you've cover in place if something happens and stops you from going, in addition to cover if you do travel. Though sadly no policy covers every scenario, so read on for things to watch out for and our top-pick travel insurance policies.
- Over 65? See our Over-65s' travel insurance guide.
- Medical conditions? See Pre-existing conditions.
- Staycation planned? See UK travel insurance.

What is travel insurance?

The aim of travel insurance is to cover the cost of the unforeseen, such as illness and injury or theft of your stuff while you're away.
It's also designed to cover you if you have to cancel your trip before you go, or if you need to return early due to an emergency.
However, it's not designed to cover every eventuality or every loss or inconvenience that you experience while on holiday. Read this guide carefully so you know what is (and isn't) covered.
What does travel insurance cover?
Sadly not all travel insurance is created equally, but you should expect an insurer to pay out for most of the below.
However, the exact level of cover will vary by policy – so always check the terms carefully before you buy.
Good travel insurance should cover you for...
Reason | Typical examples |
Cancellation as you can't travel | If you're made redundant, have to do jury service, fall seriously ill, test positive for Covid, suffer a bereavement or have a home emergency such as a fire, flood or break-in. |
Medical costs whilst abroad | If you fall ill overseas, including Covid, and require treatment – plus any travel costs if you need to be brought back to the UK for it. Though ALWAYS tell your insurer about any pre-existing medical conditions, or you won't be covered (see our Pre-existing conditions travel insurance guide for full help). |
Cutting your trip short (curtailment) | If an emergency happens that requires you to travel home early, such as death of a close relative. |
Baggage and personal belongings | If any of your stuff is lost, stolen or damaged while you're away. Though there are often limits on the amounts they'll pay out. You may also have cover for this under personal belongings on your home contents policy. |
Sports, excursions and other activities | If you can't make use of your booked activities, though some policies only cover this if the provider went bust. |
Personal liability | If you accidentally hurt someone or damaged their property, such as spilling a drink and staining an expensive upholstered chair. |
You catch Covid | You're generally covered if you test positive for coronavirus before your trip or while on it. |
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Book flexibly and pay on plastic for extra protection
Travel insurance provides valuable last-resort protection, but it's best used in combination with other ways of minimising the risk of losing money on a trip...
- Book easily cancellable or flexible flights and accommodation. Hedge towards offers with no/low deposits or those that give refunds or let you rebook for free if you find you can't go.
- Pay on plastic. Credit cards offer strong protection, as Section 75 refund rules mean for items costing more than £100, the card provider is jointly liable with the seller – though note that bookings via travel agents may not be covered as it usually only covers payments made directly to the travel provider.
Debit cards also have some protection under the 'chargeback' refund rules (but these aren't legal requirements and firms sometimes challenge them).
Yet for both schemes, you'll only be covered if the service wasn't provided, for example if the flight was cancelled or the accommodation was shut. These card schemes won't cover you if you weren't able to, or didn't want to, go on your trip.
- Package holidays can offer greater protection. If an airline or accommodation provider cancels, you're entitled to a refund. But if the trip or flight is still going ahead but you can no longer travel, such as a new travel warning from the Foreign Office banning all but essential travel, then you have few or no rights.
However, most package holiday providers won't operate holidays to countries where a travel restriction has been put in place, so they are more likely to cancel the trip anyway.
10 travel insurance need-to-knows
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As we highlighted above, travel insurance still covers a large range of unforeseen events, even if you won't be able to completely cover yourself for coronavirus-related events. It's still vital to get before you go away – and here are a few things you need to know before you choose a policy...
Use our Cheap Travel Insurance Finder tool
This tool lists the cheapest no-frills policies that meet or exceed our minimum cover levels for travellers aged 65 and under without medical conditions, plus a few high-end policies with that bit extra cover.
What's the Covid-19 cover like? All the policies in the tool will cover you if:
You or a family member can't travel as you test positive for Covid-19 or you get Covid overseas and have to pay medical bills or accommodation costs as you need to isolate.
But you WON'T be covered if there are new UK Government Covid restrictions that mean you can't travel, or the Foreign Office is advising against travel to your destination. If you'd like additional Covid cover, such as cancellation cover if Government advice were to change, see our top picks for extra Covid cover, from £28/week.
There are a few policies that go further than the rest, providing cancellation cover if you're unable to travel due to a change in the UK Government's travel restrictions. All the policies here meet our normal minimum cover levels, with these higher limits:
- £5,000 cancellation cover per person (M&S Bank is £4,000 with optional extra added)
- £10 million medical and repatriation expenses per person
They give the following cover for Covid-19 (do check the claim limits):
You or a family member can't travel as you test positive for Covid-19 or you get Covid overseas and have to pay medical bills or accommodation costs as you need to isolate.
UK Government Covid restrictions, such as a change in Foreign Office travel advice, mean you can't travel and need to cancel.
Though DON'T think of this as complete coverage, as there are still many scenarios you're not covered for. Examples include the Foreign Office advising against travel to your destination but you still travel, or you not being able to travel as you haven't got the right documents..
Top travel insurance with extra Covid cover for under-66s
TABLE_CELL_STYLE | Europe | Worldwide | TABLE_CELL_STYLE | ||
Insurer | Individual | Family | Individual | Family | Excess |
Top single-trip policies. Prices for a one-week trip and include baggage cover as an optional extra. | |||||
Churchill | £27.78 | £62.96 | £78.01 | £176.83 | £50 |
M&S Bank | £41.46 | £93.31 | £66.48 | £184.07 | £50 |
Aviva with travel disruption cover | £42.72 | £124.57 | £66.45 | £231.64 | £50 |
Top annual policies. If you go away 2+ times a year. Prices include baggage cover as an optional extra. | |||||
Direct Line | £64.55 | £195.55 | £157.76 | £398.83 | £50 |
M&S Bank | £68.94 | £165.35 | £106.31 | £326.63 | £50 |
Churchill | £69.14 | £110.87 | £179.52 | £287.69 | £50 |
Aviva with travel disruption cover | £87.19 | £244.74 | £93.59 | £381.07 | £50 |
Top annual travel insurance via fee-charging bank accounts. These could be cheaper than those above for families making a worldwide trip, but require you to open a new current account. | |||||
Nationwide FlexPlus | £13/month rolling cost (£156/year) – also includes European breakdown cover and mobile phone insurance. | £50 | |||
Barclays Travel Pack | £12.50/month rolling cost (six-month minimum term, so min £75, or £150/year) – also includes European breakdown cover. You need a Barclays current account to add this on. | £50 |
Correct as of January 2023. All prices will vary depending on your age – individual prices above based on a 21-year old and family prices based on two adults aged 40 travelling with two children aged 10 and 15.

Still can't get cover or not happy with the price?
Specialist brokers can help you find insurers that cover non-standard trips, or help you if medical conditions mean you're struggling to find an affordable policy. To find one, see the British Insurance Brokers' Association website.
Always double-check the level of cover offered before taking out a policy as well as providers' websites for any info about coronavirus. Your broker should also be able to help you with any questions you have.
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How to claim on your travel insurance
Claiming on your travel insurance shouldn't be daunting and – if you understand the terms and the excesses on your policy – you shouldn't be in for any nasty shocks. Follow the five steps below if you do need to make a claim.
- Submit your claim as soon as possible. Contact your insurer as soon as you can. Some parts of your policy may have a short window to submit a claim and it may take a while to be processed.
- Get your insurer to accept a medical claim before you get treatment. If you need to make a medical claim – and it's not an emergency – get your insurer to accept the claim over the phone first, before getting treatment. For example, if you sprained your ankle, call your insurer – if it accepts the claim then, you're less likely to be faced with a rejected claim later down the line. For obvious reasons, don't delay treatment if it's an emergency.
- Notify the police if it's a theft or loss. If something goes missing or is stolen when you are abroad you may need to get a crime reference number or the overseas equivalent to make a successful claim. Report the incident to the police as soon as you can – you often have to do so within 24 hours – to make sure your claim doesn't hit the skids.
- Keep receipts. If you are claiming for lost luggage or delay, remember to keep receipts of essential items you have bought while waiting, such as food and drink. Many insurers allow you to add these expenses to a claim and may ask for receipts as proof.
- Complain if you feel your claim was unfairly rejected. If your insurance company rejects your claim, and you think it has done so wrongly, don't take it lying down. Complain to the free Financial Ombudsman. This independent adjudicator will make the final decision on a claim if you are locked in a dispute with your insurer. For more on how to make a complaint, read our Financial rights guide, or see our section below.
How to complain about your insurance provider
The insurance industry doesn't have the best customer-service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others.
Common problems include claims not being paid out on time or at all, unfair charges, or exclusions being hidden in small print. It's always worth trying to call your provider first, but if not, then…
You can use free complaints tool Resolver. The tool helps you manage your complaint, and if the company doesn't play ball, it also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
Travel insurance FAQs
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