How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost? (2024)

FAQs

How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost? ›

A travel insurance policy typically costs between 4 and 10% of the overall price of your trip.

However, depending on your provider, travel insurance costs can range from 4%-16% of your trip cost. That means for that $1,000 trip, you might find coverage for as little as $40 or up $160 on the high end. Costs vary across providers, level of coverage and factors like your age and destination.

How much travel medical insurance do you need? Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends buying at least $50,000 in emergency medical coverage for international travel. For travelers going on a cruise or to a remote destination, the site recommends at least $100,000 in coverage.

If all conditions are met, most of the policies will reimburse you 50% to 75% of your trip costs, unless otherwise noted.

Policies cover the expenses and inconveniences incurred from delayed flights, canceled reservations, lost or delayed luggage, injuries and illness. You can buy policies that cover one reservation, an entire trip or a specific period of time. Policies can provide protection for a single person or a whole family.

Every plan is different, but the coverage amounts and benefits may vary. Determine how much you really need. For example, SquareMouth recommends international travelers get around $50,000 in Emergency Medical coverage and $100,000 for cruises or travel to remote areas.

Overseas travelers should have these minimum levels of protection: Medical Insurance Coverage - $100,000. Medical Evacuation Coverage - $250,000.

Medical-only policies are typically more affordable than full travel insurance but will not provide trip delay and interruption benefits. For example, if you get sick on vacation and must go home, medical-only insurance will not compensate you for nonrefundable flights or hotel costs.

Many travel medical policies start at less than a dollar a day. Costs can vary widely depending on factors such as coverage level, age, destination, and trip length. A full week of coverage may cost less than $4 or more than $100.

What travel insurance will not cover? ›

Travelling against medical advice or to get medical treatment. If your doctor says it's not safe for you to travel, then you won't be covered. Similarly, if you go abroad to get planned treatment, sometimes called 'medical tourism', a standard policy will not cover this – you'll need specialist insurance instead.

Conditions which may not be covered

Conditions like terminal illness, the need for oxygen, pending surgery, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, specific types of cancer, congestive heart failure, and recurring pain are generally excluded from coverage.

If your trip is canceled for a covered reason, a policy will often reimburse airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, tours, cruises and other prepaid, non-refundable expenses.

In general, you should expect a plan will cost anywhere from 4%-10% of your total pre-paid, nonrefundable trip cost. For example, if you purchased a trip with a total cost of $5,000, travel insurance policies available to you will likely range in price from $250-$500, depending on variables.

Cost: Travel insurance will add to the overall cost of your trip. Some may choose to forgo it to save money, especially on shorter or less expensive trips. Exclusions and Limitations: Policies may have various exclusions and limitations, so it's essential to read the fine print.

This will depend on how many trips you make per year. If you know you will only go on one or two holidays abroad in a 12-month period, a single trip policy will most likely be the best option. However, if you take several trips abroad each year, an annual multi-trip policy could be cheaper.

Travel insurance can be useful, but it's not always necessary. The key to knowing if you need travel insurance is figuring out your specific risks for any given vacation, then deciding if you can buy coverage that adequately protects you from any financial losses and pitfalls that might occur.

If you're wondering when you should buy travel insurance, the simple answer is as soon as possible. Ideally, you'll buy coverage no later than 15 days prior to your trip.

What is covered by travel insurance. Most plans typically cover a range of trip protections, including accidental death and dismemberment, baggage delay or loss, emergency medical coverage and evacuation, trip cancellation, delay or interruption and more.

Travelling against medical advice or to get medical treatment. If your doctor says it's not safe for you to travel, then you won't be covered. Similarly, if you go abroad to get planned treatment, sometimes called 'medical tourism', a standard policy will not cover this – you'll need specialist insurance instead.