Travel Insurance Guide: What It Covers and How to Choose

What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance provides financial protection against a range of problems that can occur before or during a trip, most importantly emergency medical treatment abroad, which can be extremely costly in some countries without reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the UK. It also typically covers trip cancellation, lost or delayed baggage, and travel delays or disruption.

Policies are generally available as single trip cover for one specific holiday, or annual multi-trip cover for people who travel more than once a year, with the right choice depending on how often you travel and the types of trips you take, such as winter sports, cruises or long-haul travel.

Who needs travel insurance?

Anyone travelling abroad should consider travel insurance, given that the UK's Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and similar arrangements provide only limited access to state healthcare in certain countries and don't cover costs like repatriation, lost belongings or trip cancellation. Families, solo travellers, couples and groups all have access to appropriate policy types.

People with pre-existing medical conditions need to pay particular attention to how they're declared, since many standard policies exclude claims related to undeclared conditions, though specialist policies catering for a wide range of medical conditions are widely available. Travellers undertaking activities such as skiing, scuba diving or other adventure sports typically need to check their policy includes the relevant activity, as these are often excluded from standard cover.

What does travel insurance typically cover?

Core cover generally includes medical expenses, cancellation and curtailment, baggage, and travel delay, though the specific limits and exclusions vary considerably between policies.

• Emergency medical treatment and repatriation
• Trip cancellation or curtailment cover
• Lost, stolen or delayed baggage
• Travel delay and missed departure cover
• Personal liability cover while abroad
• Optional cover for specific activities such as winter sports or scuba diving

What affects the cost of travel insurance?

The destination is a major factor, as countries with higher medical costs, such as the United States, typically lead to higher premiums due to the potential scale of medical claims. Trip length, the traveller's age, and whether any medical conditions need to be declared also significantly affect pricing.

The level of cover chosen, including medical expense limits and cancellation cover amounts, as well as whether additional activities like winter sports are included, all contribute to the overall price. Annual multi-trip policies can also vary in price depending on the maximum trip length allowed and the regions covered, such as Europe-only versus worldwide.

Tips for choosing travel insurance

Always declare any pre-existing medical conditions accurately, even if you think they're minor or well-controlled, as failing to do so could mean a related claim is refused. If you travel more than once or twice a year, compare the cost of annual multi-trip cover against buying single trip policies each time.

• Check medical expense cover limits, particularly for destinations outside Europe
• Declare all pre-existing medical conditions accurately
• Confirm any planned activities like skiing or diving are included
• Check baggage cover limits against the value of items you're taking
• Compare annual versus single trip cover based on how often you travel

How to get a quote

Because travel insurance needs vary by destination, trip type and medical history, it can help to speak to a specialist broker, particularly if you have a medical condition or unusual travel plans. Fill in a short form with your trip details, and a broker will provide tailored quote options, with no obligation to proceed.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need travel insurance for trips within the UK?

It's not compulsory, but some UK travel insurance is available to cover cancellation and other disruptions, which can be useful even though NHS treatment is generally available at home.

Does travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?

Many standard policies exclude undeclared pre-existing conditions, but specialist policies exist that can cover a wide range of conditions if declared accurately when you buy the policy.

What's the difference between single trip and annual travel insurance?

Single trip cover is for one specific holiday, while annual multi-trip cover provides cover for multiple trips over a year, which can suit people who travel more than once or twice annually.

Does travel insurance cover winter sports or scuba diving?

These activities are often excluded from standard policies and need to be added as an optional extra, so it's important to check before travelling.

Will travel insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

Many policies include cover for travel delay or missed departure, though terms and qualifying delay periods vary, so it's worth checking the specific policy wording.