What is the Best Travel Insurance 2023? | moneyfactscompare.co.uk (2023)

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Featured travel insurance providers

• 

  Just Travel Cover

  

  Save 10% today with code MF10

  • No age Limit
  • Cover for pre-existing medical conditions –We can offer cover 100’s of pre-existing medical conditions with a fast and accurate online medical screening.
  • Smart Luggage cover as standard on gold policies –receive real-time payout if your luggage is lost or delayed of up to £550. Also available to add on or buy independently from just £3.
  • High Cover Limits– For medical cover, cancellation and baggage.
  • Panel of insurers– We work with a panel of insurers and compare prices to find you the best policy at the right price.
  • Covid 19 - Cover for cancellation and emergency medical treatment in relation to Covid-19

  Apply Online

• 

  Post Office - With Coronavirus Cover

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  With our insurance you will be covered for COVID-19 related reasons including:

  • If you need to cancel your trip because you tested positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of travelling
  • If you need to cancel your trip because a close family member passes away due to COVID
  • Emergency medial treatment whilst abroad and costs to get you home if needed

  On top of that, you can get cover for loss of luggage and personal money as well as delayed* or missed departure. Plus, there is no upper age limit and all medical conditions are considered.

  _{*Not available on Economy or Lite levels of cover}

  Apply Online

• 

  LV=

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  15% online discount on LV= travel insurance

  Choose from our Essential or Premier cover, which offers:

  • Up to £5,000 cancellation cover or £10,000 with our Premier Policy
  • All pre-existing medical conditions considered
  • No upper age limit for single trips
  • Cruise cover automatically included on annual policies

  You can choose to add cover for baggage and winter sports. You can also add cruise cover to single trip policies.

  Apply Online

• 

  Staysure

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  Cover your next holiday with the UK's most trusted travel insurance provider ‡

  • Pre-existing health condition cover with up to unlimited medical expenses*
  • Cancellation cover up to £5,000*
  • Superior-rated COVID protection§
  • No upper age limit on our policies
  • Up to unlimited medical expenses*

  ^{‡ UK’s No.1 for Travel Insurance is based on more Trustpilot reviews than any other travel insurance provider
  *Available on Comprehensive policies.
  § As rated by a large UK independent consumer association}
  

  Apply Online

• 

  TravelTime - With Coronavirus Cover

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 4 Stars

  TravelTime specilises in offering great value Single Trip, Annual Multi Trip, Winter Sports and Backpacker travel insurance.

  • Quick and east to quote and buy
  • Choose from 3 great levels of cover
  • 24 hour worldwide emergency assistance
  • Friendly UK based customer service
  • Award winning Coronovirus cover*

  ^{* Forbes Advisor 2022 - One of the Best Travel Insurance Companies for Covid-Related Risks}

  Apply Online

• 

  Saga

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  Saga Travel Insurance has been tailored for people over 50 with no upper age limit

  • Cover for many pre-existing medical conditions
  • Up to £10,000 cancellation cover
  • Up to £10 million emergency medical cover

  Apply Online

• 

  Avanti

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  It’s not just travel insurance, it’s travel reassurance!

  • Pre-existing health condition cover with up to unlimited medical expenses*
  • No age limit - enjoy travelling whatever your age
  • Superior-rated COVID cover included at no extra cost✝
  • Up to £7,500 cancellation cover*
  • 24/7 medical emergency support

  ^{*On Deluxe policies.
  ✝ Rated by a large UK independent consumer association}
  

  Apply Online

• 

  Big Blue Cover

  

  • Cover included for COVID 19
  • Big cover at affordable prices
  • Cover for Pre-existing medical conditions available
  • Cover for you and the people you travel with
  • 24/7 emergency medical support, 365 days a year

  Apply Online

• 

  loveit coverit

  

  We’re a travel insurer that goes above-and-beyond to provide excellent cover and the friendly face of insurance. With over 1 million policies sold and 30 years’ experience, our outstanding rating with Trustpilot says it all when it comes to our world-class level of service.

  • UK customer service
  • 24/7 helpline
  • In partnership with AXA
  • Covid-19 cover Included
  • Over 50 sports covered
  • Easy to claim
  • Medical cover up to £15 million
  • Cancellation cover up to £5000

  loveit coverit travel insurance will protect you, those you’re travelling with, and your belongings wherever you’re going. Visit our website today for a free instant quote.

  Apply Online

• 

  Quotezone

  

  • Complete one simple form and get quotes from over 30 UK providers including: Alpha Travel Insurance, Insurance Republic, flexicover, multitrip.com and Columbus Direct.
  • Whether you just need cover for a weekend away or an annual policy for many trips per year, see how much you could save today!
  • With Quotezone Rewards, unlock an entire platform of cashback and discounts for a full year just for completing an insurance quote.
    • Save online at up to 1,000 retailers
    • Earn cashback on your everyday shopping
    • Enter free competitions

  Apply Online

• 

  Admiral

  

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 4 Stars

  Get 10% off when use the code MONEYFACTS10 at checkout

  • Flexible Choice-Choose Single trip or Annual Multi Trip cover with varying levels of cover and many sports and leisure activities included as standard.
  • Cover when you need it -We insure a wide range of medical conditions.
  • Cover for young and old-We don't think age should hinder adventure which is why we offer travel insurance to holidaymakers aged 18 to 70.
  • Access to our 24-hour Multilingual Emergency Helpline-If you’re injured or fall ill while on holiday, you can call our 24-hour Emergency Assistance Helpline.

  Apply Online

• 

  Leisure Guard

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  • Medical Expenses for Medical Emergency & Repatriation (up to £20,000,000)
  • Trip Cancellation, Curtailment & Interruption (up to £10,000)
  • Personal Luggage(up to £3,000)
  • Personal Liability (up to £2,000,000)
  • Leisure Guard travel insurance has a 24hr emergency helpline in place should you need us.
  • Cruise cover is included with all of our policies at no additional cost

  Apply Online

• 

  Good To Go Insurance

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  • Medical travel insurance
  • Experts in cover for medical conditions
  • No upper age limit
  • Cover for cruise holidays
  • Covid-19 emergency medical cover abroad included in all policies
  • Covid+ policies include cancellation cover if you contract Covid-19 before you travel

  Apply Online

• 

  Insure With Ease

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 5 Stars

  • Great value travel insurance
  • All policies include emergency medical cover abroad and cancellation if you contract Covid-19.
  • Discounts for couples, families and single parent families
  • Backpacker / Gap year cover
  • Cover for adventure sports and activities available
  • Wedding cover available

  Apply Online

• 

  Insurefor.com

  

  Moneyfacts Star Rating: 4 Stars

  • Flexible cover options to suit your trip
  • Insurance that covers you worldwide
  • Annual and Single Trip policies
  • Cover for pre-existing medical conditions
  • Award winning customer service

  Apply Online

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• Lost or stolen possessions – items such as your luggage, cash to a certain limit and important documents. Specific items, such as musical instruments, sports equipment, jewellery and other expensive items, may require separate cover. If it’s valuable to you then check with your insurer that it is covered.
• Disruptions and cancellations – if your trip is cut short by an unexpected event, a flight is delayed, or a trip cancelled then you should be able to claim for the costs of these disruptions through your insurance.
• Medical expenses – it’s important to declare any pre-existing medical conditions before you buy your travel insurance. Some insurers will not cover certain medical conditions, including Coronavirus, others will, but only if they are notified as part of buying the policy. Also, declare any adventurous sports or high-risk activities as again your insurer may exclude incidents that result from these from your cover.
• Legal fees – your insurer may cover the cost of any legal fees incurred when you are involved in an incident that isn’t your fault.

COVID-19 cover has become an essential component of any travel insurance policy since the pandemic hit in 2020, though it’s important to bear in mind that you won’t be covered under every coronavirus-related scenario.

Typically speaking, most travel insurance policies will now offer cancellation cover if you or a member of your travel party tests positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks before the trip, and if you contract the virus while on holiday you’ll usually be covered for the associated medical costs as well, together with any additional accommodation and transport expenses.

However, you almost certainly won’t be covered if you’re travelling to any country on the red list, and neither will you be covered if Government restrictions (either at home or in your destination) prevent travel. You also won’t be covered if you cancel because you don’t feel safe going, and some policies won’t uphold COVID-19 claims if you’ve chosen to decline the recommended vaccinations.

It’s important to note that the rules regarding travel and coronavirus – and any relevant travel insurance policy – can change quickly, so it’s essential to stay up to date and be prepared for the fact that you’re taking on additional risk by travelling in the current climate. As well as making sure you’ve got insurance that’s as comprehensive as possible, always try to book flexibly so if circumstances change you don’t run the risk of losing out financially, and always carefully check the policy document, as specific terms will always differ between providers and products.

Six ways to get the right travel insurance for you:

1. Finalise the countries you are visiting so you know which geographical regions you need cover for.
2. Check that the activities you want to do are covered and to the level you need.
3. Consider group insurance if you are travelling as a family.
4. If you are travelling multiple times throughout the year, a 12-month policy could save you money.
5. Make sure you are happy with the excess and levels of cover.
6. Compare prices to get the best value for the cover you need.

Travel insurance is offered as part of a current account by several different financial providers. For example, at the moment there are 20 accounts available that come with Worldwide or European travel insurance cover. However, some of these accounts will charge a fee.

In addition, you will also need to check that the insurance offered meets your needs or the potential risks of the country you are travelling to. For example, some insurers may not insure older people or those with pre-existing medical conditions. It is also less likely that bank account insurance offerings will cover losses as a result of cancellation or delay due to weather conditions.

Visit our charts to compare bank accounts with travel insurance.

Some travel insurers set a maximum age of 65 for their policies, so travellers near or over this age will need to check their policy adequately covers them. By taking a policy specifically for those over 70, you won’t have this worry and you could benefit from additional cover such as:

• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Special medical equipment needed for and during travelling
• Holiday cancellation due to ill-health
• Lost medication
• Cover for your carer or travel companion

Buying travel insurance is essential to protect your holiday and, if you are travelling as a family, it can be expensive to buy multiple individual policies. Family travel insurance can cover your whole family with only one policy and one cost.

It usually covers families who reside at the same address, including two adults and up to five children (aged up to 18).

As with any travel insurance policy, you should check the cover that it comes with to make sure it meets your needs.

It’s important to let your existing travel insurer know about your dementia diagnosis. Having dementia should not prevent you from getting insurance but you may find that you have to look at more products to find one that will cover you. Some insurers may either choose not to cover you at all, some may charge you more money, whereas others may exclude costs arising from your condition from your policy.

If your insurer is open to covering you, it is likely that you will be asked a series of medical questions. This will help the insurer decide on whether they can provide you with cover, which situations they can cover you for and the cost of this cover.

If you want to see more of your holiday destination than just the airport and the resort then hiring a car is a great idea. However, hire cars can often cost you more than just the headline rate that you book them at - even if you manage to get a great deal through one of the many hire car comparison sites out there.

A major example of one of these ‘stealth’ expenses tends to be insurance, so we’ve put together our top three useful insurance tips that can save you time, money and frustration at the hire car rental desk:

A basic level of insurance is often included in the hire car rental costs. However, this won’t stop the hire car company trying to sell you a whole heap of additional protections on top of this. This basic level of insurance cover will provide you with the minimum level of insurance protection for the country you are planning to travel in – however, remember that this may be just indemnity against third parties should you have an accident or injure someone.

Any cover for damage to the hire car itself will be subject to an excess and often the standard level of insurance does not include the cost of repairs to things such as tyres, wheels, glass or wing mirrors. That’s why it’s a good idea to carefully check what you are covered for.

Tip: Always take some time to make sure you understand the level of insurance you have with the basic hire. Even if the insurance with the hire car covers you for damage to the vehicle it is often the case that it carries a hefty excess. An excess means that you will be responsible for the cost of repairs up to a certain level.

For example, let’s say your car hire includes cover for damage to the vehicle (often called Collision Damage Waiver or CDW) with an excess of £1,000.

So you have a collision with another car where the total repair bill for the hire car comes to £2,500. You must pay the first £1,000 of this bill with the remaining £1,500 paid by the hire car insurance. Just as with comprehensive cover here in the UK this excess must be paid by you regardless of whether the accident was your fault or not.

Hire car companies will often attempt to sell you Excess Waiver Insurance (EXI) as a way of avoiding the basic CDW excess. This is - if you like - insurance for your insurance!

At about £25 per day, the cost of buying this at the rental desk can be far more expensive than arranging your own cover beforehand. Some providers will not mention you taking out this cover until you arrive to pick up your hire car, often catching people off guard and flustered.

Tip: Insurance excess waivers are not compulsory. However, if you decide to opt out of this additional insurance then don’t be surprised if the hire car company insists on you leaving a substantial deposit – usually taken from your credit card and held onto by the rental firm until you return the car in an undamaged state.

Instead of paying hefty additional fees when you pick up the hire car take out EWI before you travel. This is available from an array of UK providers and will cover you for the excess for a fraction of the cost of cover from the rental firm. However, even with EWI, if you have an accident, you will still have to pay the excess and then claim this back from your insurer. In addition, if you opt for this ‘standalone’ excess waiver insurance then don’t be surprised if the hire car firm still insists on taking a hefty deposit’ as well. If you use hire cars frequently then you can buy policies that will cover you for rental car excess fees for a whole year.

Compare car hire excess insurance

Purchasing your car hire excess insurance in advance can save you up to 65%.Compare car hire excess insurance with the help of Excessbuddy.com.

One of the many extra insurances that you’ll be offered at the rental desk is personal injury cover. As the name suggests this covers the driver and any passengers in the vehicle for personal injuries if you are involved in an accident.

People can worry about medical costs when travelling outside the UK – hence for many this can seem like a good idea – and it is…except that if you’ve taken out travel insurance for your holiday or trip abroad then personal injury is often already covered.

Tip: Check if your travel insurance policy covers you and your family for personal injury and medical costs while abroad. If it does – and most good travel insurance policies will – then save your money and decline this extra insurance.

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