Travel insurance

Compare travel and holiday insurance quotes from £2.50

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  • Protects you from unexpected costs while travelling

  • We compare up to 43 trusted travel insurance companies1

  • Compare some policies with covid cover

*The cheapest price for a single-trip travel insurance policy. Based on a 30-year-old with no previous medical conditions travelling to Spain for 3 nights. Confused.com data - February 2024.
1Correct as of March, 2024

Can I get travel insurance that covers COVID-19?

Yes, you can still compare and purchase travel insurance with COVID-19 cover from Confused.com. All of our providers offer emergency medical treatment and repatriation (returning to the UK) for COVID-19 claims.

Many of our providers offer further Covid-19 related cover such as holiday cancellations, accommodation costs and denied boarding. Be sure to check the details of your policy carefully as different providers will offer different policy enhancements.

It's important to note that if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), you won't be covered by any travel insurance policy you buy.

What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance offers peace of mind while you’re on holiday, both abroad and in the UK. It covers you if:

  • Your travel plans are cancelled
  • Your items are lost or stolen while on holiday
  • You need to pay medical expenses while abroad or in the UK

It could also cover any pre-existing medical conditions you have.

What type of travel insurance do I need?

There are several types of holiday insurance, each designed to suit a different type of trip. They include:

  • Backpacker travel insurance: If you’re travelling through multiple countries on a longer trip, this is likely to be the cover you need. These policies cover you for between 1 and 18 months and may be ideal for gap year travel.
  • Business travel insurance: This is an add-on to a standard travel insurance policy. It covers your laptop and other business equipment while abroad, as well as any company money that’s lost or stolen.
  • Single trip travel insurance: This is useful if you’re planning a short city break or your annual family holiday as it covers you for 1 trip to a single destination. These policies tend not to cover pre-existing medical conditions or ski cover as standard.
  • Annual multi-trip travel insurance: This might work out more cost-effective for people who make multiple trips in a 12-month period, both in the UK and abroad. It usually covers you for an unlimited number of trips in a year. Most travel insurance companies limit each trip to 31 days. But some companies might let you extend this to 60 or even 90 days, so it’s worth checking before buying.

Why is travel insurance important?

A travel insurance policy offers peace of mind that you aren’t left out of pocket if:

  • Bad weather causes flight delays
  • Your airline goes bust
  • You or someone travelling with you falls ill and can’t travel
  • Any of your items are stolen or lost
  • You fall ill while on holiday and need to come home early

Without a travel insurance policy, you could have to pay the bill yourself.

Compare travel insurance quotes

What does travel insurance cover?

All travel insurance policies bought through Confused.com have emergency medical expenses and return travel included. So long as you’re travelling in line with FCDO advice, this includes if you get Covid-19 while abroad.

Emergency medical treatment is included on all policies if you or anyone covered under the policy falls ill on holiday and needs medical assistance. Your policy covers any expenses you might have to pay too.

Since the UK left the EU in 2020, your European health insurance card doesn't cover you in Europe if it’s expired. You need to have a valid EHIC or apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to get state-level medical treatment. But these don't replace travel insurance. You should still have a travel insurance policy with the right level of medical cover included.

Cancellation cover should cover your costs if your flight or accommodation is cancelled. It's safest to get a policy with enough cover to pay for the entire cost of your trip.

If you're going on a package holiday and your provider goes out of business, ATOL protection means you should be able to organise a refund. If not, it should arrange to get you back home if you're already on your holiday.

Possessions and baggage cover usually covers theft, accidental damage or loss of any personal possessions or baggage on your trip. The amount of protection you get depends on the policy you choose. The amount of cash that's covered also varies between insurers, so it's best to check beforehand.

What additional cover can I get?

When you're getting a quote, you can choose to add on extra cover for:

  • Winter sports if you plan to ski or snowboard while away: Standard travel insurance doesn't normally cover this as there are additional risks involved. But it could cover you if the piste is closed due to bad weather or lack of snow, for example.
  • Gadgets: You could get up to £1,000 of cover towards the cost of replacing your laptop, phone and other gadgets if they're lost, stolen or damaged while on holiday.
  • Cruises: With cruise cover included, you should also be insured for cabin confinement, missed ports, emergency transport to hospital and unused excursions.
  • Business: Offers extra cover that’s specifically suited for business trips. It covers things like laptops, business phones, alternative travel arrangements, and golf clubs.

Depending on the type of holiday you’re planning and who you get your insurance with, you might also be able to include:

  • Water sports like scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing and swimming: Some policies already cover this. But for more adventurous water sports like jet skiing, extra cover could help with medical expenses and damage to your equipment.
  • Passports: Passport cover usually pays the cost of a replacement passport if yours is lost or stolen. If not, you might be able to claim for the cost of getting an emergency travel document to get you to your destination.
  • Travel disruption: Cover for travel disruption protects you if your holiday is delayed or cut short. This add-on might also cover transport and accommodation costs while your trip is delayed.
  • Hazardous activities like hot air ballooning: Some insurers offer this cover as an add-on, but certain high-risk activities might be excluded altogether. Check the policy wording when looking at your quote so you know exactly what activities are covered.
  • Delays: This add-on helps with transport and accommodation if your flight is delayed and you’re unable to get delayed flight compensation.
  • Repatriation, also known as return travel to your home country: This covers you if you fall ill on holiday and need to be flown home for treatment. Check the level of cover you get for this, as some providers might let you enhance how much you’re covered for.
  • Personal liability: This protects you in case you injure someone else or damage someone else’s property while on holiday. The amount of cover you get is likely to vary between providers, so compare how much cover you get for the price.

What’s not covered with travel insurance?

There might be some exclusions attached to your policy, but it depends on the insurer. Some examples of what standard travel insurance policy might not cover include:

  • Travelling against FCDO advice.
  • Failure to declare any pre-existing medical conditions. If you have a medical condition, you should get a pre-existing medical quote to make sure you're covered on your trip.
  • Incidents involving alcohol or drugs.
  • Waiting too long to report an incident. You need to declare any lost or stolen personal possessions usually within 24 hours. But this should be detailed in the policy.

This is why it's important to answer questions honestly when getting a travel insurance quote or making a claim. If you don’t, your claim could be void or your policy cancelled, and you’d be left without protection.

When travelling, always follow the latest government advice, declare any incidents as soon as possible and enjoy yourself.

How much is travel insurance?

You can get travel insurance from £2.50 when you compare policies. The exact price of your policy depends on factors including:

  • Where you’re going
  • How much cover you want
  • How many of you are travelling
  • Whether you have any existing medical conditions
  • Whether you want additional cover - for example, whether you want any add-ons, like, ski, adventure sports, or business cover

When you get a quote, we’ll give you the option of adding extras to your policy, which is likely to increase the price. So it’s worth comparing how much it goes up for each provider.

*The cheapest policy for a European trip based on 1 adult aged 30, with no previous medical conditions travelling for 1 week. Correct as of February 2024.

How do I compare travel insurance?

To get started, we'll need a few details such as:

  • If you need single trip, annual multi-trip or backpacker cover
  • Where you’re travelling to
  • The start and return date of your trip
  • Details about you and others travelling with you
  • If you or anyone travelling with you have any pre-existing medical conditions
  • If you want any policy add-ons like gadget, cruise, winter sports or business

We’ll compare up to 43 travel insurance companies to help you find the right policy at the right price. You’ll also see ratings from the independent financial researcher, Defaqto, next to each company.

Compare travel insurance quotes

Can I get travel insurance if I have a serious, pre-existing medical condition?

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you can still use our site to get a quote. Some insurers might not cover you if you already have a serious medical condition, or if you have several conditions. Others might only offer insurance at a much higher price.

A pre-existing medical condition is an illness or condition you know about before you buy your travel insurance policy. These conditions include:

  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Stroke
  • Serious heart conditions
  • Respiratory conditions
  • Terminal illnesses

You must tell your insurer about any health issues to make sure they can cover you. If you don’t and need to make a claim, there’s a risk it could be rejected. If in doubt, contact the insurer before buying.

If you can’t find suitable cover, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has set up a directory of insurers who cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions through their brand MoneyHelper.

You can find the directory of insurers on the MoneyHelper website or you can phone MaPS for free, impartial advice on 0800 138 7777.

Types of travel insurance

We compare 43 trusted travel insurance companies to find you our best deals

AA car insurance logo
Coverwise
Post Office car insurance logo
Admiral car insurance logo

Need more help?

How do I make a claim on my travel insurance?

Get in touch with your travel insurance provider as soon as possible. If you have your policy details to hand, you could contact them while you’re still on holiday. They might send you a claim form, or ask you questions over the phone. They should be able to guide you through their process from there.

Make sure you keep any relevant documents to hand:

  • Receipts
  • Photographs
  • Correspondence
  • Crime reference number, if the police were involved

Has Covid-19 affected travel insurance

Yes it has. Even though most countries don’t require PCR tests anymore, Covid-19 is still something that you have to consider when travelling, especially the cover you get as part of your holiday insurance. Since the pandemic, policies that include Covid-19 cover protect you against things including:

  • Cancellation cover due to contracting Covid prior to your trip
  • Repatriation if you’re unwell due to Covid-19 while you’re away 
  • Accommodation or travel costs if you need to stay longer or isolate as a result of Covid
  • Medical expenses and emergencies as a result of contracting Covid or treatment required

Covid-19 is now something that has to be considered when travelling. If you travel against FCDO advice, any travel insurance policy you have is void and you won’t be covered if you need to make a claim.

The level of cover you get varies depending on the policy, so it’s important to read the policy wording before you buy.

What if I have 2 travel insurance policies?

Accidentally having 2 travel insurance policies can cause problems if you need to claim, as you might find each policy only pays a portion of the claim. This comes with the admin headache of making 2 separate claims.

Do I still need travel insurance if my holiday is ATOL protected?

While ATOL protection can help if your airline goes bust, that’s the only scenario it covers. Travel insurance protects you in many other ways.

Do I need travel insurance if I have an EHIC or GHIC?

A valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives you access to state-level healthcare in the EU. With the card, you can get the medical care at the same price a citizen pays. This means it might be free, if the country you’re visiting has free healthcare, or it might come at a cost.

The EHIC or GHIC aren’t replacements for travel insurance, though. If you want cover for replacing stolen property or the use of emergency services such as mountain rescue, you need a valid travel insurance policy. Travel insurance can also help cover the cost of any medical fees that aren't covered by the EHIC or GHIC that you are responsible for.

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Coronavirus FAQs

What type of travel insurance covers coronavirus?

Most travel insurance policies should cover your medical expenses if you get coronavirus while on holiday. But it’s best to check the policy wording as some could exclude certain illnesses as standard.

If you buy your policy when the FCDO advises against all non-essential travel to your destination, you won’t be covered by your policy. If you bought your insurance policy a few weeks or months ago and the advice on travel to the destination changes, you might still be covered. Check with your insurer directly to get up-to-date information.

Do I need travel insurance for the UK?

We recommend that you get a travel insurance policy before you go anywhere, even if you don’t leave the UK for your holiday. A UK travel insurance policy usually covers you for all the things you’d be covered for when abroad, including:

  • Cancelled accommodation meaning that if you have to change your UK travel plans, your UK travel insurance policy should be able to help you recover your accommodation costs. However, if you’re in lockdown and plan to travel abroad, then you won’t be covered by your policy.
  • Cancelled travel. If you’re travelling in the UK and your flight, train or bus gets cancelled, then your travel insurance policy could cover it.
  • Luggage cover means you’re insured if your luggage goes missing, gets damaged, or is stolen. Any valuables you have in your luggage should also be covered.

Have travel insurance companies changed their policies to exclude cover for coronavirus or other similar infections?

Check your policy wording. Most travel insurance companies should provide cover for medical expenses if you fall ill due Covid-19 while on holiday.

But they might have exclusions in place around cancellations. So, if you have to cancel your holiday because of coronavirus, you might not be covered.

When you get a quote with us you can see whether coronavirus is covered on the prices page. If the insurer does offer cover then you’ll be able to view the terms & conditions on their website so you can check them before you buy.

Will my insurance cover me if I get coronavirus while I’m abroad?

If you need emergency medical attention while you’re abroad, you could be covered. It’s best to check your policy wording. You won’t be covered if you ignore travel advice from the FCDO, World Health Organisation (WHO), any local government or authority.

Will I be covered if I go to hospital for an illness unrelated to coronavirus, but I contract coronavirus when I’m in hospital?

You should be covered if you’re following the advice from the FCDO or other relevant authority. If you’re travelling against their advice, then there’s a chance you won’t be covered. To make absolutely sure, you should always check with your provider.

If I need to be tested for coronavirus at my holiday destination, will my insurance cover it?

Most travel insurance policies don’t cover the cost of getting tested or getting test results for coronavirus. Some policies might come with a discount on tests, so it’s worth checking with the provider.

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What our travel insurance expert says

"Make sure you buy your travel insurance as soon as you book your trip as it doesn’t just cover you while you’re away. Buying early means you're covered for cancellations leading up to your trip, giving you peace of mind prior to your holiday. "
Matthew Harwood, Home & lifestyle insurance expert at Confused.com
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