Cheap travel insurance

What does travel insurance cover?

The aim of travel insurance is to cover the cost of the unforeseen, such as illness, 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.

You should expect an insurer to pay out for most of the below, though not all policies are the same, so cover will vary by policy – so always check the terms carefully before you buy.

Does travel insurance cover war?

Due to the conflict in the Middle East, many are asking if they can claim on their travel insurance, and what it will pay out for. Generally, war and conflict aren’t covered, so cancellations and delays are usually not covered.

Yet there is some help as many insurers say you’ll still be covered for medical emergencies unrelated to the conflict. In addition, some insurers say they’ll support those stranded abroad or whose future trips have been affected. What you’re entitled to, or the support you will get, will vary from one insurer to another, so it is always a good idea to contact your insurer for clarification.

In brief:

• War-related claims: usually not covered.

• Medical issues unrelated to conflict: often covered.

• Cancellations: sometimes covered, especially if the FCDO advises against travel.

• Stranded abroad: some insurers may extend cover or help case by case.

For more on this and the help available, we've rounded up full help on cancellations, fuel surcharges, package holidays and more in our:

• New Middle East conflict travel rights news story, and

• Middle East crisis: Will your travel insurer cover you? news story.

What types of travel insurance can I buy?

There are several different types of holiday insurance – they mostly differ in terms of the length of the policy, who's covered by it, and where you're covered. For example, you can choose between:

• Single-trip travel insurance. This covers you from the point you buy insurance to the day you come home from the specific trip you're insured for.

• Annual multi-trip travel insurance. This covers all trips taken during the period the policy covers.

But, once you've chosen between the two, you then need to decide who to cover:

• Family travel insurance. Generally covers parents, and children who live with them.

• Couples' travel insurance. Covers the two named policyholders.

• Individual travel insurance. Just covers the person named on the policy.

And, finally, where you want the travel insurance to cover (see how to check this):

• European travel insurance. Does as it says, but insurers' definitions of 'Europe' vary, so do check.

• Worldwide travel insurance. You'll often have to choose to include or exclude North America from the policy (medical expenses are often high in the USA, so you may pay extra for cover if you're travelling there). 

Travel insurance need-to-knows

Here are a few things you need to know before choosing a holiday insurance policy. Know what you're doing? Go straight to our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool to get quotes from two comparison sites.

1. Always declare medical conditions or your claim may be rejected

Declaring health conditions can feel daunting, but if you don’t tell your insurer, any claim you make could be rejected.

Always declare all pre-existing medical conditions – even ones you don’t think matter – as insurers treat them differently. Be full and frank about your health history (usually the past five years), and let them know if you’re pregnant.

Using weight-loss jabs such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro? Tell your insurer – they’re usually treated as prescribed medication. If you don’t, your cover could be invalidated.

For more help, including what counts as a condition, how to declare it, and tips to find the cheapest cover, see our Pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance guide.

2. Don’t forget your free EHIC/GHIC – it can help with medical costs in Europe

The free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and its replacement, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), entitle you to treatment in state-run hospitals in the EU at the same cost a local would pay. In other words, if they pay nowt, you pay nowt.

You’re also entitled to treatment in state-run hospitals in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. For full info, and how to get one for free, see our Free EHIC/GHIC guide.

IMPORTANT: EHIC/GHIC should only be seen as a supplement to travel insurance, not a replacement. Travel insurance protects you against far more – cancellation, possessions, delays, repatriation, personal liability and more.

3. Ensure you’re covered for the countries you’re travelling to

Insurers usually classify your trip as ‘European’ or ‘worldwide’, though this is often broken down further to include or exclude places such as the US, Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico. Selecting the option to include these countries increases the premium due to the high cost of medical treatment – particularly in the US.

If you’re travelling just outside Europe, don’t assume you’ll need worldwide cover. Some insurers include Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and Tunisia in their European definition, so always check before paying extra.

4. Check if the Foreign Office is advising against travel to your destination

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) keeps a list of countries and regions it considers unsafe. Check the latest advice before you travel, as things can change quickly.

If you still decide to travel against FCDO advice, standard insurers are unlikely to cover you – you’ll usually need a specialist policy.

5. How to get travel insurance for a holiday over a year away

If you’ve booked a trip more than 12 months in advance, your options depend on the type of policy.

Single-trip policies

Some insurers let you buy single-trip travel insurance up to 18 or even 24 months ahead. That means you can get cover in place as soon as you book – important, as single-trip policies usually include cancellation cover from day one.

If your trip is within the next 12 months, you’ll have a wider choice of insurers, including many in our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool. Here are the insurers that will let you buy single-trip cover well in advance:

Annual / multi-trip policies

Annual travel insurance can still work for holidays booked more than a year ahead – but only if you keep continuous cover until you return from the trip.

The key rule is simple: make sure you have a live policy from the day you book until the day you get home. If your annual policy expires before then, you’ll usually need to renew it or arrange replacement cover so there’s no gap.

6. Heading away twice or more this year? Annual cover may be cheaper

If you know you’ll travel at least twice in 12 months, consider an annual (multi-trip) policy – it can often work out cheaper than buying two single-trip policies. But always do the maths.

Multi-trip cover insures you for an unlimited number of trips over 12 months, but the number of days per trip is usually capped, so check the limit before you buy.

7. Check if you already have travel insurance with your bank account

You may already have cover without realising. Some bank accounts that charge a monthly fee include extras such as holiday insurance.

If you think your account offers this, make sure the cover is suitable for your trip, as there may be restrictions on age, medical conditions or trip length. For accounts that offer travel insurance (and other perks), see our Top packaged accounts guide.

8. Going skiing? Make sure you’ve got winter sports cover

Standard travel insurance usually won’t cover skiing or snowboarding unless you add winter sports cover.

As well as medical costs if you have an accident, winter sports cover can include mountain rescue, loss of ski equipment and piste closure.

If you're planning to take part in something even more wild – such as luging or stunt skiing – specialist providers such as BMC and Snowcard may be able to offer you cover. Alternatively, specialist brokers can help you find insurers that cover non-standard trips. See the British Insurance Brokers' Association website.

9. Planning a cruise? You’ll likely need an add-on to be fully covered

Most standard travel policies only cover loss or theft of goods and medical costs while you’re on a cruise.

Without specific cruise cover, you may not be protected for cruise-specific problems such as missed departures, itinerary changes, unused excursions or cabin confinement – and some cruise lines insist you have cover in place.

See our Cruise travel insurance guide for full info.

10. Want extra protection? Book flexibly and pay on plastic

Travel insurance gives valuable last-resort protection, but it works best alongside other ways to cut the risk of losing money on a trip.

If you can, book flights and accommodation that can be cancelled, changed or refunded if your plans change. Also consider paying by credit card. Under Section 75, if you spend over £100 and something goes wrong, your card provider is jointly liable with the seller. Debit cards can offer some protection too via chargeback.

Package holidays can give extra cover as well. If an airline or accommodation provider cancels, you’re entitled to a refund.

Just remember: these protections usually only apply when the service isn’t provided. If the trip still goes ahead but you can’t travel, you’ll usually need your travel insurance.

11. You’re usually not covered if you’ve been drinking or do dangerous sports – always check exclusions

Like all insurance, there are things providers won’t pay out for. Common exclusions include:

• Undeclared medical conditions

• Dangerous sports not covered by your policy

• Alcohol- or drug-related incidents

• Unattended possessions

• Private hospital treatment.

  

When should you buy travel insurance?

Martin Lewis explains more about when to buy travel insurance in this short video, including when your policy should begin and why acting quickly matters.

Health changed after buying insurance? Here’s what to do

Buying cover ASAB is still the safest move – but it isn’t completely foolproof. If you’re diagnosed with a new condition, referred for tests or awaiting results after taking out a policy, you must tell your insurer – even if your GP says you’re fit to travel. If you don’t, the insurer could reject a later claim or void the entire policy.

Some insurers may reassess the risk. In serious cases, they might increase the price, exclude the condition, or even cancel cover altogether. That doesn’t mean they can act however they like – they must act reasonably. If the changes feel excessive, you usually face a choice. You can accept cancellation of the policy and a pro-rata refund of the premium (but then you can’t claim for cancelling the holiday).

Or, if suitable cover isn’t available and you can’t reasonably travel, you can cancel the holiday and make a cancellation claim for your non-refundable costs (but you won’t get the policy premium back). If you’re not happy with how you’ve been treated, you can complain for free to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which can overturn unfair decisions.

Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool to find the right policy

Our brand-new Compare+ Travel Insurance tool gives you quotes from 40+ insurers and two comparison sites, plus expert MSE tips along the way to help you choose the right policy. The tool lets you:

• Factor in age, medical conditions, destination and cover levels

• See if single-trip or annual cover is likely to be cheaper

• Choose cover levels using our MSE minimum levels of cover or your own filters

• Get tailored savings tips – spot where tweaks (excess, destination or traveller mix) can cut the cost

Try it out and please give us your feedback.

Exclusive discounts via MSE

Here we list special deals you won’t find going direct, or via comparison sites. We’re not saying they win every time, but they’re worth checking and comparing against other providers in our Compare+ Travel Insurancetool.

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.

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 travel insurance provider 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.

If you need to claim for cancellation, you'll usually need to prove the tour operator/airline won't refund you first

There's often a clause built in that says the policy won't cover 'recoverable costs', which essentially means you need to prove that you can't claim back those amounts elsewhere.

So you'll usually need to put in the legwork and ask the provider, for example, the airline, holiday operator or car hire firm (and in some cases the credit card company), for a refund before your insurer would even consider a claim under the travel insurance policy.

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