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You’ve been saving money for years to take that once-in-a-lifetime, dream vacation; you’re all booked and can’t wait for your big trip. It’s going to be a perfect escape — a week in a tropical paradise, Paris, or Peru. But what if reality rears its unfortunate head? Stuff happens when you least expect it, and you’re not immune just because you’re traveling.
Whether you have to cancel your trip, have a medical emergency, or disaster strikes while you’re on vacation, travel insurance can help save you from an utter financial loss — or an even larger financial burden. Our travel insurance reviews will help you determine which providers are right for you.
- Is COVID-19 Coverage Still Necessary?
- 5 Things To Look Out For
- Which Travel Insurance Is Best?
- Best Overall: Generali Global Assistance Review (Formally CSA Travel Protection)
- Best For Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe Review
- Best For Emergency Medical Coverage: Seven Corners Review
- Best For Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard Review
- Best For Lost Luggage & Missed Connections: AXA Assistance USA Review
- Best For Adventure Seekers: World Nomads Review
- Side-By-Side Comparison
- What Are My Other Options?
- Beyond The Boundaries Of Travel Insurance
- Is Travel Insurance Worth It?
- Travel Insurance Terminology
- What If You're Planning An Extended Stay Abroad?
Is COVID-19 Coverage Still Necessary?
As of February 2023, mandatory Covid travel insurance for most countries has now been waived. However, it is advisable to choose an insurance policy that includes Covid-related medical expenses, trip cancellation, delay, or disruption so you are covered in case Covid strikes you or your travel companions before or during your trip.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention still advises you not to travel if you have symptoms, so securing your travel insurance as soon as you book your trip would cover you if you contract the virus before traveling. Most policies now treat COVID like any other sickness, and trip cancelation and/or medical expenses related to COVID are therefore covered in the same way other illnesses are.
Be sure to read any policy’s fine print before purchasing travel insurance. Every policy is different, and certain exclusions may apply, so it’s important to know exactly what’s covered.
5 Things To Look Out For
- Check if the plan explicitly covers medical expenses for COVID-19. Some policies state it as a ‘known event,’ and therefore, your claim might be rejected.
- Look for trip cancellation coverage due to COVID-19 in case you contract the virus before traveling and need to cancel/postpone.
- Go for a policy with a 24-hour hotline where possible. This will give you peace of mind when traveling in different time zones and need urgent advice on what you are or are not covered for.
- Do not get caught out by your destination’s government restrictions. It is advisable to check your Covid cover if traveling to China or Singapore, for example.
- Finally, check, check, and check again, as Covid is still prevalent in most countries. You do not want to be hit with hefty medical expenses that might not be covered.
Best COVID-19 Policies
Get A Quote Now From SquareMouth
- April International Pandemic Plus Plan
- AXA Assistance USA Platinum Plan
- HTH Worldwide TripProtector Preferred Plan
- Trawick International Safe Travel Voyagers Plan
Which Travel Insurance Is Best?
We’ve chosen our travel insurance winners based on 6 factors:
- Company reputation
- Coverage payouts
- Variety of plans available
- Ease of claims process
- Customer service
- Policy pricing
A few things you need to know about pricing: policy pricing depends upon the age of travelers; many policies discount rates for kids; travelers over 65 should expect to pay more. And be aware: not all providers and policies are available in every state.
Travel insurance can be confusing even if you read the fine print (which you should always do). Therefore, we’ve included a terminology section below to help you understand the details of some benefits and what you need to keep in mind. This section can help you if you don’t understand some of the features we cover in our reviews.
We broke up our top picks into several categories to help you choose the policy that best meets your needs. Here are our winners in the following categories:
- Overall Coverage
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption
- Emergency Medical
- Travel With Kids
- Lost Luggage & Missed Connections
- Adventure Seekers
Best Overall: Generali Global Assistance Review (Formally CSA Travel Protection)
Generali Global Assistance (formerly CSA Travel Protection) wins our top nod for the best overall travel insurance for its very high payout rates for nearly everything it covers (and they cover a lot). They also offer some perks many other companies don’t — ID theft resolution services, lost or stolen prescription coverage, and up to $1,000 emergency medical coverage without having to file a claim (although you must visit one of their network’s healthcare providers to qualify).
This California-based company has been in business for 25+ years and has built a great reputation for itself. They only offer three package plans; however, they recently added the ability to file claims online.
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Best For Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe Review
TravelSafe provides some of the best trip cancellation and cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage in the industry — at extremely competitive pricing. TravelSafe offers two comprehensive plans, and their policy pricing is a good value for overall coverage, and they offer fantastic customer support.
They also offer excellent missed connection coverage and high payouts for lost or delayed luggage. You can also file and check your claim status through their website. Travel Safe has been in business since 1971 and has a solid reputation for continued customer satisfaction.
Personal Experience
Personally, whenever I travel, I always purchase TravelSafe cancel for any reason coverage. In March 2019, I had to cancel a trip due to a reason that’s normally not covered by travel insurance. Cancel for any reason helped me recoup 75% of the cost. I also found the claims process to be straightforward and hassle-free. – Neil G.
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Read Our In-Depth TravelSafe Review
Best For Emergency Medical Coverage: Seven Corners Review
In business since 1993, Seven Corners is a well-established insurance provider and offers a wide variety of travel insurance plans. You can choose from three comprehensive travel insurance plans that include coverage similar to what other companies offer at competitive prices.
What’s great about Seven Corners is its high medical emergency and repatriation cover should you need it. The testimonials make it clear that travelers have not had to worry about medical bills when needing medical attention abroad. In addition, pre-existing medical conditions are covered when choosing the highest plan. They also have an annual plan for frequent travelers, two student policies, and plans for non-U.S. residents. Seven Corners’ plans have affordable prices, and consumers find them reputable and easy to work with.
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Best For Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard Review
In business for more than 20 years, AIG Travel Guard is the largest global travel insurance provider, serving more than six million travelers each year. Travel Guard offers three popular comprehensive plans to fit almost any budget. Its Gold and Silver comprehensive plans even insure kids for free (one child per paying adult).
Travel Guard’s highest comprehensive plan is among the most expensive we’ve reviewed once you tack on all the add-ons, but, hey, if you’re traveling with kids, we feel it’s well worth it. They give you the option of purchasing the cancel for any reason add-on to cover either 50% or 75% (the 50% option is much cheaper).
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Best For Lost Luggage & Missed Connections: AXA Assistance USA Review
AXA is a global insurance company that’s been in business for more than 50 years. Travel insurance is a branch of their overall insurance offerings. AXA Assistance USA offers reliable travel insurance for domestic and international travel, and they offer three policy levels plus some add-ons.
Overall, their policy prices are extremely competitive, and they offer some sizeable payouts compared to the bigger travel insurance names. What’s more, AXA’s cancel for any reason add-on pricing is far lower than most. Add that on top of an extremely affordable base Platinum Plan, and you’ve got a super deal.
With AXA you get a major global presence and some nice features, including ID theft resolution, concierge, and translation services. At their highest plan, they also cover missed golf and skiing trips, lost sports equipment, and pet boarding fees if you face a delay.
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Best For Adventure Seekers: World Nomads Review
World Nomads’ policy pricing is far below average but lacks a lot of coverage that other travel insurance providers offer. Where World Nomads shines is for adventure seekers. Their medical expenses coverage provides for accidents while taking part in more than 100 different sports and physical activities. Most companies don’t offer this or charge an added fee. They also include rental car damage coverage in their policy.
Most of World Nomads’ payouts are far below their competitors, and they don’t offer cancel for any reason coverage, or pre-existing medical conditions. If you’re a healthy risk-taker, World Nomads could be just the ticket for your adventure.
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Side-By-Side Comparison
The following coverage amounts are for each company’s highest plan. All of the companies reviewed have 24/7 emergency hotlines.
| Best Overall: Generali | Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe | Emergency Medical: Seven Corners | Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard | Lost Luggage: AXA Assistance | Adventure Seekers: World Nomads | Allianz Travel Assistance | Seven Corners | Travel Insured International | USI Affinity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trip Cancellation | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | Up to $10,000 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Trip Interruption | 175% | 150% | 150% | 150% | 150% | Up to $10,000 | 150% | 150% | 150% | 150% |
| Cancel For Any Reason | Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) | Included (covers up to 75%) | Add-on (covers up to 75%) | Add-on for 2 higher plans (covers 50% or 75%) | Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) | Unavailable | Unavailable | Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) | Included in highest policy (covers up to 75%) | Add-on w/ highest plan (covers up to 75%) |
| Short-Term Delay Coverage Per Person | $1,000 ($300/day) | $750 ($150/day) | $2,000 ($250/day) | $1,000 ($200/day) | $1,250 ($300/day) | $1,500 ($250/day) | $1,600 ($400/day) | $1,500 | $1,000 ($200/day) | $1,500 ($250/day) |
| Missed Connection Per Person | $1,000 | $2,500 | $1,500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | Unavailable | $1,600 | $1,500 | $500 | $1,500 |
| Lost Luggage/Person | $2,000 | $2,500 ($300/article) | $2,500 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $3,000 ($1,500/article) | $2,000 | $2,500 | $1,000 ($250/article) | $2,500 ($500/article) |
| Luggage Delay Per Person | $500 | $250 | $500 ($100/day) | $500 | $600 | $750 ($150/day) | $600 ($100/day) | $600 | $300 | $500 |
| Must Purchase Cancel For Any Reason Within # Of Days Of Deposit | 1 | 21 | 2 | 15 | 14 | N/A | 14 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Emergency Medical Per Person | $250,000 | $100,000 | $500,000 | $100,000 | $250,000 | $100,000 | $50,000 | $250,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 |
| Emergency Dental Per Person | $500 | $750 | $500 | $500 | Included in Medical | $750 | Included in Medical | $750 | Included in Medical | $1,000 |
| Primary or Secondary | Primary | Primary | Primary | Primary | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | Secondary | Primary |
| Medical Evacuation Per Person | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million | $500,000 | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million |
| Preexisting Medical Condition Lookback | 180 days | 60 days | 60 days | 60-180 days | 60 days | Unavailable | 120 days | 60 days | 60 days | 60 days |
| Must Purchase Policy Within # Of Days For Pre-Existing Waiver | 1 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 14 | N/A | 14 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Accidental Death & Dismemberment (24-Hour) Per Person | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $50,000 | $10,000 | Unavailable | $25,000 | $10,000 | $50,000 |
| Accidental Death & Dismemberment (Flight only) Per Person | $100,000 | Add-on | Add-on | $100,000 | $100,000 | Unavailable | Unavailable | $25,000 (Add-ons available) | Add-on | Unavailable |
| Policy Cancellation | 10 days | 14 days | 10 days | 15 days | 10 days | 10 days | 10 days | 10 days | 14 days | 15 days |
| Offers Rental Car Damage Coverage | $25,000 included | Add-on ($7/day) | Add-on ($7/day) | Add-on ($15/day) | Add-on ($6/day) | $35,000 included | Add-on ($9/day) | Add-on ($7/day) | $50,000 included | $35,000 included |
| File Claim Online |  | | | | | | | | ||
| Best Overall: Generali | Trip Cancellation: TravelSafe | Emergency Medical: Seven Corners | Travel With Kids: AIG Travel Guard | Lost Luggage: AXA Assistance | Adventure Seekers: World Nomads | Allianz Travel Assistance | Seven Corners | Travel Insured International | USI Affinity |
What Are My Other Options?
Below, you’ll find an alphabetical listing of other travel insurance companies we’ve reviewed.
Allianz Travel Assistance | Travel Insured International | USI Affinity
Allianz Travel Review
Virginia-based Allianz Travel (previously Allianz Global Assistance) is a big player in the travel insurance industry, with 35 million customers. Allianz offers various plans for domestic and international travel, so you have some choices about how much coverage you want. Most of their payouts, however, are less than what you’ll find elsewhere.
A huge perk with Allianz’s higher-level plans is that kids 17 and under are covered for free when traveling with parents or grandparents. Allianz also offers an option of annual travel insurance coverage for people who frequently travel during the year. The policy pricing is lower than their one-trip plans, but the payouts per trip are also much lower.
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Travel Insured International Review
Travel Insured International (TII) is another well-established company, in business for more than 20 years. Their policy pricing is competitive, and overall their payouts are about average compared to the top travel insurance providers. TII is the only provider we reviewed that includes both cancel for any reason and trip interruption for any reason in their highest policy.
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USI Affinity: Travel Insurance Services Review
USI Affinity has an excellent reputation and loyal customer base, with more than 40 years of providing reliable travel insurance under its belt. They offer fairly competitive payouts for most benefits and are one of a few companies that include rental car damage in their plan pricing. They’re also one of few providers we’ve seen that offer an add-on for trip interruption for any reason.
Where USI Affinity falls short compared to companies that provide comparable payouts is higher than average pricing (especially for their two higher plans) and nearly double the trip delay time required before you can make a claim. Still, depending on your needs, USI Affinity may be worth your consideration.
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Read Our In-Depth USI Affinity Review
Beyond The Boundaries Of Travel Insurance
Are you a student traveler, or do you travel to potentially life-threatening destinations? If so, the following sites may be of interest to you for coverage you won’t find with traditional travel insurance providers.
Global Rescue
If you’re traveling to a high-risk area of the world, you may want to join Global Rescue, the world’s leading membership organization providing emergency services to individuals, families, enterprises, and governments. Membership gives you access to travel assistance and insurance, medical evacuation and advisory services, field rescue, security advisory, extraction services, and more.
Is Travel Insurance Worth It?
Severe weather, medical problems, mechanical problems with transportation — these events affect travelers more than you might think. In a survey, the US Travel Insurance Association found that 1 in 6 Americans said their travel plans were impacted by such incidents leading to trip cancellations, interruptions, or major delays.
On average, travel insurance will only cost you 6% of your total travel costs, but it may not be worth it in some cases. In general, if you’re traveling domestically and you’ve gotten excellent deals on a flight and hotel stay, it’s probably not worth it to invest in travel insurance — especially if your vacation isn’t too long or too far from home. Otherwise, here are four factors you should consider, especially if you are traveling internationally.
- What does your credit card cover? Many credit cards offer some type of travel insurance, but a vast majority don’t cover trip cancellation for non-refundable costs. Overall, the coverage they offer doesn’t even come close to what you get by purchasing travel insurance.
- What if you have to cancel? If you’ve spent thousands of dollars on non-refundable plane tickets, hotel rooms, tours, etc., you could suffer a significant financial loss if you have to cancel. Finding the best vacation insurance could help mitigate that loss.
- What if you have an accident or get seriously ill? Travel insurance is worth it if you’re not covered by your healthcare insurance for emergencies when traveling abroad. Many U.S. health insurance policies don’t cover you when you’re out of the country. Further, you may not have access to advanced medical care in the local region (due to lack of it or lack of access for non-residents) without travel insurance.
- What if you require evacuation? The highest cost you are subject to incur while traveling is for emergency medical care or evacuation. The average price for emergency medical evacuation is a whopping $26,000 ($200,000+ in Alaska). If your health is in trouble, you want to make sure this cost is covered, and your evacuation happens quickly (without claims process).
Is Travel Insurance A Replacement For Existing Insurance?
First, travel “insurance” can be a misleading term, particularly regarding the emergency medical aspect. A more apt term is travel protection. The medical benefit arm of comprehensive travel protection isn’t really medical insurance per se, and it doesn’t cover you as your health insurance policy does. See our terminology section to learn more.
When To Say Yes Or No To Travel Insurance
Check out this helpful video by CNBC that goes into greater detail about whether you should get travel insurance or not.
Travel Insurance Terminology
- Trip Cancellation
- Trip Cancellation For Any Reason
- Trip Interruption
- Primary vs Secondary Emergency Medical
- Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
1. Trip Cancellation
Travel insurance policies vary based on the reasons for approved trip cancellation coverage, so you need to read the fine print of your policy to see when you’re covered and when you’re not.
The most common covered reasons for trip cancellation include:
- The unanticipated illness or injury of you (or a fellow traveler) that renders you unable to travel (with a licensed physician’s approval)
- The unforeseen death or hospitalization of an immediate family member
- Unexpected natural disasters at home or your destination
- Jury duty or other legal obligation
- A common carrier’s mechanical failure or worker strike
To be approved for trip cancellation benefits, the circumstances must be the direct cause of you not being able to make your destination, or you must experience unreasonable delays. You’ll need to provide documentation for your claim approval.
2. Trip Cancellation For Any Reason (CFAR)
Trip cancellation for any reason is a different ball game, and that’s why it typically hikes up your premium so much. This optional benefit truly covers you if you have to cancel your trip, no matter the reason. Unlike basic trip cancellation coverage, however, you have to meet a few requirements to get reimbursed. You MUST:
- Purchase CFAR coverage within a set time period after you make your initial trip deposit (usually 10-21 days)
- Insure 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable trip cost
- Cancel with your travel supplier 48 or 72 hours before departure date, depending on the plan
3. Trip Interruption
Trip interruption coverage is similar to trip cancellation in that travel insurance companies vary in the circumstances they cover. Policies also differ with the timing of your trip interruption.
Some require you to be less than halfway through your trip to approve coverage, while others cover you for additional time during your trip. Again, it’s crucial to read the fine print of your policy.
4. Primary vs Secondary Emergency Medical Coverage
It’s important to note that travel insurance offers emergency medical benefits coverage rather than general health insurance coverage. To receive medical-related travel benefits, you’re typically required to need immediate medical attention — anything from a serious ankle injury to hospitalization.
What Is Primary Coverage?
A travel insurance plan with primary emergency medical means the travel insurance company is the first payer or reimburser of those benefits. After paying your claim, the travel insurance provider may contact your health insurance company for reimbursement.
What Is Secondary Coverage?
Secondary emergency medical coverage means that you’re first required to file a claim with your health insurance company. Then, if denied, you file a claim with the travel insurance company, which will reimburse you up to its stated limits.
The major benefit of primary over secondary is that you don’t have to deal with both your health insurance company and travel insurance companies. The travel insurance company handles your claim all on its own.
A few companies offer primary with all of their plans, but most only include it with their higher-priced plans. If this feature is important to you, make sure you read the policy to see which type of coverage each plan offers to meet your needs best.
5. Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
This coverage is one of the most confusing aspects of travel protection. Travel insurance plans automatically exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. However, in many cases, you can qualify for an exclusion waiver, which protects both your trip cancellation and emergency medical benefits.
What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Condition?
A pre-existing condition is any disease, illness, injury, or other medical condition that occurs before the travel plan’s effective date — and for which you sought a diagnosis, treatment, new prescription medications, or a change in a current prescription.
What Is A Pre-Existing Medical Waiver?
The waiver essentially removes the exclusion of pre-existing conditions from your travel plan (as we stated earlier, all travel insurance plans automatically exclude pre-existing conditions).
In most cases, you MUST purchase your plan within a specified time frame (usually 10-21 days) after making your initial trip deposit to qualify for the waiver. Some plans also require you to meet other eligibility requirements.
Some plans, particularly basic, lower-priced plans, don’t include the waiver. Make sure the policy you purchase does indeed have the pre-existing condition waiver if this coverage is important to you or fellow travelers.
Are Non-Travelers Included?
Yes, in most cases. Non-travelers can include immediate family members or a business partner (whose illness would require you to work). Most plans don’t apply to cousins, uncles, nieces, etc.
What Is A Look Back Period?
The travel insurance company has the right to “look back” at the medical records of the traveler or non-traveler to whom the claim is made. The period of time for this review of medical records varies by company and by plan (typically 60-180 days back).
Any medical condition that existed during the look-back period is considered pre-existing if you received treatment or a change in your prescription medications. The condition is not deemed pre-existing if you’ve been stable within the look-back period. “Stable” means that the condition has not changed or worsened.
What If You’re Planning An Extended Stay Abroad?
If your “travel” plans involve living abroad for more than a year, traditional trip insurance and your U.S. health insurance carrier likely won’t cover you for medical needs. That’s when you need to consider purchasing expatriate health insurance. Check out our reviews of the best expat health insurance policies to learn more details and see our top picks.
Do you think you’ll purchase travel insurance for your next trip? Let us know in the comments below.
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