saga insurance for travel

Saga travel insurance review

Saga travel insurance review highlights:

• No upper age limit
• Covers most pre-existing medical conditions
• 5 Star Defaqto Expert Rated Insurance
• Emergency medical cover of up to £20million*

Get a Saga travel insurance quote

Who is Saga?

Saga is a British based holiday and insurance specialist for the over 50s. Having started life as a Folkestone based travel company in 1951, Saga now owns its own cruise ships, has a chartered fleet of river cruise ships and offers a wide range of insurance and financial products including car insurance, home and health insurance and equity release.

Saga travel insurance is underwritten by Astrenska Limited and administered by Collinson Insurance Services Limited.

What does it cover?

Saga provide single trip and annual travel insurance for the over 50s . Their travel insurance is comprehensive, includes cruise insurance as standard and has no upper age limit. It also covers most pre-existing medical conditions and over 40 popular leisure activities.

Here’s how each option works:

Saga single trip holiday insurance

Saga offers 3 levels of single trip insurance:

• Essential Single
• Standard Single
• Plus Single

Their Plus Single trip insurance covers you for a single trip to one or more destinations for up to 180 days. This includes the following services as standard:

• Up to £15,000 cancellation cover
• Up to £15 million emergency medical cover
• Up to £7,500 baggage cover
• Up to £1,000 missed departure cover
• Up to £15,000 abandonment cover
• 24/7 travel helpline
• Flexibility to add family and friends under 50 years of age

Compare Saga travel insurance

Saga annual travel insurance

Annual travel insurance provides the same benefits as single trip insurance with one big difference - w ith their Plus Annual, you are covered for multiple trips throughout the year. This includes insurance for up to 180 days per year, with a maximum of up to 45 days per trip and with an option to increase this to 60 or 90 days for some regions.

Their are 2 levels of annual multi-trip travel insurance:

• Standard Annual
• Plus Annual

Depending on the level of cover you choose, Saga travel insurance protects you in the following regions:

• Worldwide excluding USA, Canada, Mexico and all Caribbean islands

The Plus Annual also includes:

• Up to £20,000 cancellation cover
• Up to £20million emergency medical cover
• Up to £10,000 baggage cover
• Up to £1,500 missed departure cover
• Up to £20,000 abandonment cover

Take a look at over 50s travel insurance

Does Saga offer coronavirus travel insurance cover for the over 50s?

All Saga travel insurance policies include covid-19 cancellation or abandonments cover of up to £20,000 depending on your cover level should you test positive for coronavirus within 14 days of travel.

This is in addition to emergency medical cover if you were to become ill with coronavirus whilst on holiday.

If you travel to a country where the  FCDO  advise against all but essential travel for a non-essential reason, you’’ have no cover for any policy if your claim relates to why the FCDO advice is in place.

How much does Saga travel insurance cost?

The cost of Saga travel insurance depends on the traveller’s age, health and the type of cover required.

Am I eligible for Saga travel insurance?

To be eligible as the policy holder for Saga travel insurance you must be at least 50 years of age however there is no upper age limit. You must live in the UK and disclose any pre-existing medical conditions, or your policy could be invalid.

Saga will only look to provide cover for diagnosed medical conditions therefore if you are under investigation or awaiting test results of an undiagnosed condition, no cover will be available.

Is Saga travel insurance any good?

My review of Saga travel insurance is designed to help you compare plans and find the best option for you. I would always recommend that you review all of your options to ensure you’re getting the best deal that suits your budget and needs.

Saga travel insurance has the highest possible Defaqto rating. It also has a Trustpilot score of 4.1 out of 5 for all its insurance products.

With no upper age limit and cover for most pre-existing medical conditions, Saga offers comprehensive travel insurance as standard. This means it’s simple to arrange yet still offers flexibility to tailor the policy by changing the excess, adding additional travellers and changing the level of cancellation cover.

How to get a Saga travel insurance quote

To get a Saga travel insurance quote, visit their website for more details.

Getting a quote is easy and there is no obligation to proceed.

Travel insurance for over 50s

Frequently asked questions

Who is saga travel insurance underwritten by.

Saga Travel Insurance is underwritten by Astrenska Insurance Limited, which meets our high standards of quality and service.

Does Saga travel insurance cover include repatriation?

Saga travel insurance includes repatriation fees as part of the emergency medical cover. This includes your repatriation if it is medically necessary and one friend or relative if the doctor thinks it’s appropriate.

Do Saga holidays and Saga Cruises include travel insurance?

All overseas Saga Holidays and Cruises include optional comprehensive travel insurance, subject to a medical screening. However, should you prefer to choose your own travel insurance, a price reduction would be available.

*Depending on your level of cover

Did you find this information helpful?

We work with

If you have enjoyed visiting our website we would love you to visit and like our Facebook page where you will find our latest news

How this site works

Our aim is to provide you with clear and accurate information to help you research your chosen financial products and services. The material on this site is for general information only and does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation.

If a link has an * by it, it means it is an affiliated link to an insurance company or broker that may result in a payment to the site. Should you use the equity release calculator, speak to an Age Partnership adviser and take out a plan out using their services, we receive a commission, however this will not affect the price you pay.

Also, from time to time you may see advertisements from third party companies who pay us a fee to advertise their services on our site.

None of the above arrangements constitute advice or recommendations, as other products and companies are available. You should always obtain independent, professional advice for your own situation.

The information provided on this site is accurate at the date of publication, occasionally however, things will change before we have had the opportunity to update them, so please do check. Always do your own research and take independent advice.

We do not investigate the solvency of any company mentioned on our website and are not responsible for the content on websites we link to.

Over50choices is an independent company and regulated by the FCA (No.594280) for insurance products only and a member of the Equity Release Council.

Saga travel insurance review: What do you get for your money?

Saga travel insurance is seen by many as the best option for over 50s. On the surface, it appears to offer everything from single trips to annual travel insurance, flights and cruise travel insurance and more. But what exactly does Saga travel insurance cover? Does Saga travel insurance cover pre-existing and long-term medical conditions? How much flexibility is there on premiums?

Saga travel insurance: FAQs

Does saga travel insurance cover issues relating to covid-19.

Thankfully, Saga reacted quickly to the challenges of Covid-19 and the potential for significant additional expenses. Whether you require treatment, other accommodation or repatriation, there is specific cover available .

Do Saga holidays include travel insurance?

All holidays booked directly through Saga include the option of comprehensive travel insurance . However, where you choose to take travel insurance from another third party, this will be reflected in the reduced cost of your Saga holiday.

Can I add others to my Saga holiday insurance?

There is the option to add others to your Saga holiday insurance policy . For example, where you take out a multi-trip policy, not only can you add family and friends of any age, but you don't need to travel together.

While many well-known travel insurance companies today have little history, this is not a criticism anyone can aim at Saga . Saga was founded in 1959 with a simple focus: to cater for over 50s regarding insurance, holidays, financial services and healthcare. The fact that Saga travel insurance is, for many, the first port of call today says everything about the company's reputation. While we are focusing on travel insurance, it's worth noting you can obtain other types of cover such as home and car insurance through Saga.

Let's look at  Saga travel insurance , how much it costs, how flexible cover is, and the company's approach to existing medical conditions.

Whether you're looking for single-trip, multi-trip, or specialist cover, or need assurance about pre-existing medical conditions, our panel of travel insurance providers has you covered. Click on your chosen provider below to get started.

• Some restrictions based on age

Do I qualify for Saga holiday insurance?

As we touched on above, Saga is focused on an array of different services for over 50s. Consequently, to qualify for Saga holiday insurance, you should:

• Be at least 50 years of age
• Live in the UK
• Disclose any pre-existing medical conditions

While Saga will not request a medical certificate or direct advice from your doctor, the onus is on customers to be truthful when completing the online or telephone medical questionnaire. If medical information has been withheld, this may invalidate your cover.

Unlike many travel insurance providers, Saga has been able to keep things relatively simple and avoid customers having to overcome numerous hurdles. When it comes to regulatory cover, as a provider of insurance products, Saga travel insurance is covered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Different types of Saga travel insurance

Two central travel insurance policies are available with Saga, single trip travel insurance and annual multi-trip travel insurance. Note there is no upper age limit with Saga travel insurance products.

Saga single trip holiday insurance

While the Saga single trip policy only covers you for a single trip, this can include multiple destinations. Cover is valid for one trip a year, up to a maximum of 120 days, which may include an array of leisure activities. Compared to other insurance providers, Saga single trip policies can be a little more expensive. Still, you get what you pay for - as demonstrated by reviews on the Defaqto and Trustpilot websites.

This insurance product offers comprehensive cover that includes:

There is also a 24/7 travel helpline and the ability to add friends and family under 50 to your policy. While the above figures are standard, you can increase and reduce different types of coverage to lower the cost of your Saga insurance premiums.

Saga annual holiday insurance

As you would expect, Saga annual travel insurance policies offer precisely the same cover as the single trip policy. However, you're covered for multiple trips, up to 45 days per trip, for up to 120 days per year.

Worldwide travel insurance

When you begin to dig a little deeper, you become aware of the flexibility available with Saga travel insurance. There are three primary levels of cover:

• Worldwide excluding USA, Canada and the Caribbean

If you are travelling predominately within Europe, European-focused travel insurance is cheaper than the worldwide cover. As we go through the various elements of Saga travel insurance policies, you will become aware of the enhanced degree of flexibility.

As a side note, more relevant with the onset of Covid-19, you would not be covered for countries listed as dangerous on the UK government  travel advice website . So it is essential to keep up with the latest news.

Medical conditions

Unlike many travel insurance companies, Saga does not exclude any  pre-existing medical conditions  when offering comprehensive cover. Consequently, Saga holiday insurance is very popular with over 50s, the company's prime target market. At times, the cost of Saga travel insurance policies can sometimes appear higher than others in the marketplace. However, it is important to compare like for like. Not all travel insurance companies will offer the same level of comprehensive cover for over 50s.

When obtaining your travel insurance quote, you will be asked to complete a simple health screening review online or over the phone. This ensures Saga is aware of any potential medical issues, thereby ensuring your policy remains valid.

Awaiting results of medical tests

Unfortunately, if you are awaiting the results of medical tests, you will not be able to secure cover. However, as soon as you receive the results, you will be free to apply for cover, whatever the condition.

Am I covered for Covid-19 with Saga travel insurance?

Saga travel insurance covers you for the following scenarios:

Cancellation of holiday

In the event of a positive coronavirus test within 14 days of your travel commencing, for either:

• A close relative
• A member of your travelling party

You will receive a payment covering:

• Unused travel expenses
• Accommodation
• Planned excursions
• Prepaid charges
• Other contracted payments

Abandonment

If you are forced to cut your trip short because of a positive test for Covid-19, you will receive payment for expenses as detailed above. The test could relate to you, a family member, someone you are staying with or a member of your travelling party.

Emergency medical expenses/repatriation

We only need to look at additional expenses incurred when receiving Covid-19 related treatment in the UK to appreciate overseas fees and the cost of repatriation. For example, Saga travel insurance includes up to £10 million in medical expenses and repatriation costs should Covid-19 impact you. In addition, the traditional £5,000 health insurance-related cover for UK holidays has been increased to £2 million due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As discussed above, Covid-19 related travel insurance cover will be invalidated if you travel to a country subject to UK government restrictions. Therefore, when taking out your Saga travel insurance, it is essential to discuss your travel plans and how they may or may not be impacted by Covid-19. Take nothing for granted!

Standard features of Saga travel insurance policies

On the surface, Saga travel insurance products may seem a little more expensive than other insurance providers. As ever, the devil is in the detail. It is only when you dig a little deeper that the differences become apparent. We will now expand on the earlier list, which shows the standard features you can expect for single and multi-trip insurance cover:

Alternative accommodation

You can claim up to £5,000 for alternative accommodation and transport costs should any of the following impact you:

• Natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes
• Insolvency of the provider
• An outbreak of food poisoning
• An episode of infectious disease

The fact that this is standard for all Saga travel insurance policies should give you peace of mind.

Transport issues

If your scheduled airline goes out of business before or after departure, an additional £1,500 is available to cover alternative arrangements.

Enforced stay

In the event of an enforced stay, you can claim £100 for each 24-hour delay, up to a maximum of £1,500. This may involve difficulty:

• Reaching your destination
• Returning to pre-booked accommodation
• Returning home

If after 24 hours you're forced to make alternative arrangements, getting to your destination/returning home, you can claim expenses of up to £1,000.

Missed departure

There is also cover available if you miss your departure for any of the following reasons:

• Public transport delays
• Delay to a connecting flight
• Denied access to your flight (overbooked)
• Vehicle breakdown or accident on the way to the departure point

Up to £1,000 is available for extra accommodation or travel costs required to get you to your final destination.

If you are forced to abandon your trip due to unforeseen circumstances, Saga covers you up to £10,000. This can be used to reimburse unused travel and accommodation expenses and other prepaid charges. You are also covered for new flight tickets home.

Saga travel insurance helpline

As part of the comprehensive cover offered by Saga, you'll also have access to the Saga travel assistance helpline 24/7. This worldwide service offers assistance about an array of issues, including:

• Replacement of passports, driver licenses, air tickets and other travel documents
• Tracing luggage if lost or delayed
• Contacting your local embassy/consulate
• Sourcing additional funds from the UK if required
• Guidance and assistance for your family if you are admitted to hospital
• A "phone home" service if you are detained for medical treatment
• Translation/interpretation services if required

It is fair to say that considering the numerous elements of cover provided as standard by Saga travel insurance policies, together with the helpline, this is a comprehensive offering.

How much does Saga travel insurance cost?

One of the benefits of Saga travel insurance is that you can mix and match, and there is excellent flexibility with no upper age limit. For example, a 60-year-old individual looking at a self-catering holiday to Spain would expect to pay around £33 for single trip cover. However, this would increase to just over £60 for Saga's annual holiday insurance cover.

These two premiums are based on:

• An excess of £150
• £10,000 of cancellation cover
• No winter sports
• No additional travellers

There are also other policy elements that you can remove, increase or decrease depending upon your requirements. For example, you may not require any medical cover if you already have overseas medical insurance through another party. If you are uncertain about the level of cover you need, speak to a Saga representative on the telephone. For those who are clear about their requirements, there is an online system where you can get a quote 24/7.

Does Saga travel insurance offer value for money?

If you look at the Trustpilot and Defaqto review websites, you will see that Saga travel insurance for over 50s has received high praise indeed. Whether it is the fact that existing medical conditions are catered for, the vast range of standard cover or the flexibility available, Saga travel insurance is extremely popular. Consequently, it is safe to say that independent third-party feedback from policyholders suggests Saga offers good value for money.

Find out what you really need to know, plus easily compare prices from hundreds of deals, no matter what insurance you need.

Our Top Picks

• Cheap Car Insurance
• Best, Largest Car Insurance Companies
• Cheap Motorcycle Insurance
• Cheap Home Insurance
• Cheap Moped Insurance
• Best Cheap Cruise Insurance
• Best Pet Insurance
• Best Insurance for Bulldogs
• Best Travel Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Home Insurance
• Travel Insurance
• Car Insurance
• Motorcycle Insurance
• Caravan & Motorhome Insurance
• Campervan Insurance
• Health Insurance
• Van Insurance

Solar Panels

Get solar panels for your home.

• Best Solar Panels
• Solar Panel Installers
• Solar Panels for Home
• Solar Panel Comparison
• Solar Panel Installation
• Solar Panel Battery

The Financial Aspects

• Solar Panel Costs
• Solar Panel Grants
• Solar Panel Quotes
• Solar Panel Tariffs

Business Insurance

Find the best insurance deals for you and discover what you need to know, whatever your business.

Popular Types of Cover

• Public Liability Insurance
• Employers' Liability Insurance
• Professional Indemnity
• Directors and Officers
• Fleet Insurance
• Best Business Insurance Companies
• Guide to Small Business Insurance
• How Much Does Business Insurance Cost?
• Business Loans

By Type of Business

• Limited Company Insurance
• Self Employed Insurance

By Occupation

• Click for insurance by occupation!

Credit Cards

Read reviews and guides to get clarity over credit cards and see which is best for you.

Credit Card Categories

• Credit Builder Cards for Bad Credit
• Rewards Credit Cards
• Travel Credit Cards
• 0% Interest Credit Cards
• No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards
• Balance Transfer Credit Cards
• Cashback Credit Cards
• Credit Cards with No Annual Fee
• Student Credit Cards

Helping you make the most of your money with our in-depth research on the topics that matter to you.

Stay up to date with the latest news that affects you.

Come say hi!

Connect with NimbleFins

• Follow NimbleFins on LinkedIn

Saga Travel Insurance Review: Nice Features and No Upper Age Limit

• Insuring older travellers
• Covering end supplier failure
• International flight delays
• Including baggage, personal belongings, trip delay/cancellation/curtailment
• Insuring trips in the UK
• Reimbursing for lost rewards points

Editor's Rating

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here .

Compare Cheap Travel Insurance

Protect your holiday today. Quick quotes from 20 insurers.

Saga offers one, simple travel insurance plan to those over 50 years of age (with no upper age limit) when you buy direct and one different plan (that is cheaper but with less coverage) through comparison sites. We like that Saga includes cover for End Supplier Failure , some catastrophe cover and a higher level of Personal Belongings/Baggage cover on all policies (plus Golf). Another stand-out perk is that travellers whose international flight is delayed more than an hour can benefit from access to a LoungeKey airport lounge (part of Trip Delay cover)—if you bought direct from Saga and not via a comparison site.

In This Review

• Customer reviews
• Saga Travel Insurance Price Comparison

Notable Features

• Saga Travel Policy Limits and Coverage Options
• Comparing Saga to the Competition
• Saga Travel Policy Wording and Claims

Saga Travel Insurance Review: What You Need to Know

Saga keeps the insurance-buying process easy by offering one comprehensive tier of Travel Insurance, and they now offer special cover related to Covid-19. Strong customer reviews make a further case for buying a Saga policy, in addition to some solid features.

Policies include Trip Cancellation, Emergency Medical, Trip Delay/Missed Departure, Legal Assistance, Personal Accident, Personal Belongings and Golf cover. Those who like to ski can add Winter Sports cover for an additional cost. Not surprisingly, the cost of the Winter Sports add on rises quickly with age.

Anyone planning a longer trip can extend the maximum trip length to 90 days, but only if you are travelling outside the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico or any Caribbean Islands. If you’re travelling to those countries then the maximum trip length is 45 days on an Annual, Multi-Trip policy or 120 days under a Single Trip policy.

Those who struggle with sitting in an airport for hours may like Saga's Delayed Flight Assistance, which gives you access to an airport lounge if your international flight is delayed for an hour or more. This feature provides a bit of peace of mind and comfort for international travel—be sure to pre-register your flights with Saga ahead of time to be eligible for this perk—but this is only available on policies bought direct from Saga, not a comparison site.

Those going on a cruise can get cover for cabin confinement, emergency airlift to hospital, missed port and unused excursions. To learn more about market prices please see our article Average Cost of Cruise Travel Insurance UK .

Does Saga Travel Insurance Cover Trips in the UK? Holidays in the UK are covered under Saga policies, so long as you stay in pre-booked holiday accommodation or the accommodation of a relative or friend who resides in the Channel Islands for at least 2 consecutive nights (Annual, Multi-Trip policies only) or 1 night (Single Trip). However, note that some features are not offered for UK trips and coverage limits may be lower.

Pre-Existing Conditions: Saga may be able to offer cover for your pre-existing medical conditions, buy you may pay a higher premium. Pre-existing conditions are only covered if they've been declared by you and accepted by Saga. As part of the online quote process you can declare your conditions to see if cover can be offered, and for what cost.

Over 65s: There is no upper age limit for Saga Travel Insurance policies; there is, however, a lower age limit of 50 years of age. This age limit only applies to the main policy holder—other travellers you add to your policy can be of any age. There is no upper age limit for Winter Sports cover, but Winter Sports premiums will rise with age .

Insuring Other Travellers: Those you’ve listed on your Annual Multi-Trip policy can travel independently (without you) and still benefit from the same cover as you. This cover extension does not apply to Single Trip policies.

Covid Cover: Saga now offer cover for cancellation or abandonment if you receive a positive test result in writing for Coronavirus within 14 days of your trip’s departure date, as well as emergency medical cover and repatriation if you fall ill with COVID-19 while on your trip.

Covid-19 Cover

Saga now offers cover for cancellation or abandonment if you have a positive Coronavirus test result within 14 days of your departure date. Plus you get emergency medical cover and repatriation if you fall ill with Coronavirus while you're on holiday. Read more here about Saga's Covid cover.

Here is a sample of some of the coverage you get (and don't get) for Covid from Saga travel insurance before you travel:

Saga Travel Insurance Key Points

• Travel insurance for those at least 50 years of age (no upper age limit)
• Annual, Multi-Trip cover for trips up to 45 days each (total 120 max days per policy year)
• Single Trip cover up to 120 days
• Includes End Supplier Failure, Catastrophe, Baggage, Golf, lounge access for int'l flight delays, etc.
• Optional extras: Winter Sports and Hire Car Excess Waiver
• Average 25% discount online
• Choice of excess on direct policies of £70, £150 or £250

Saga Insurance Customer Reviews

Over 38,000 customers have awarded Saga plc a solid 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot . Common themes amongst the comments were good value (cheap prices), easy-to-use website and friendly/knowledgeable staff on the phone lines. This rating reflects Saga as a whole, not just their travel insurance.

Here is a sample of the mostly positive experiences:

"What a quick, simple process. I had been told by friends this was the case and that I should try Saga for travel insurance first. They were absolutely right. I have already recommended Saga to my partner. In, fact, I would recommend Saga to anyone who asks." "I got my requested travel insurance at a fair price. I did have a bit of trouble with the web site, which might have been due to a poor connection. I used the 'chat' feature and got prompt and helpful advice." "I was so relieved that Saga made the application for travel insurance quite easy to do. I panicked when it directed me to open my banking app but I was successful with their directions and it was approved. I’m not that good on the internet and am 75 years old but got this done so am very happy." "Just organised travel insurance through Saga. So easy. Competitive pricing. Covers exhausting health issues. Excellent Service from Samuel. Have a policy that caters for my needs. It was easy to purchase. Samuel gave me sound advice. He was patient and courteous. Excellent customer service all round. I do have other insurance products with Saga. I do recommend their services both to family and friends. Thank you Samuel. You were outstanding. Good luck in your future career with Saga" "Fantastic service all round and great prices." "Excellent, as ever. Always good price and great service." "Brilliant trustworthy and always give the maximum help when you contact them. I will never change back to other insurers.... you need someone who really has your best interests at heart when things are difficult and are prepared to really listen and give support in any form. Top rating and then some!!" "I have tried to ring them 9 times, waiting in the phone for over 35 mins. Sent emails asking for someone to ring, that was 3 weeks ago, still waiting!" "We made a claim earlier this year for the theft of luggage on the travel policy. The amount offered in settlement we believe was unrealistic and unfair. After lodging a complaint and receiving a decision from Collinson Insurance, who act for SAGA we have made no progress towards a increased settlement figure. Perhaps we should have insured with Zurich as our traveling companions did who made a virtually identical claim and received a prompt and realistic settlement to their claim. Not recommended." "We had a travel insurance policy with SAGA Services, which we had to claim under due to C-19 in April 2020. On 11th June 2020, SAGA agreed the claim, by email, in full and promised to pay the amount due within 5 days. After 6 days we called them as no money had been received , they confirmed the claim and apologized for the delay. After 10 days we called back and they then said they had made an error , and despite them having sent an email agreeing the claim they were no longer going to pay it, as it had been an error. Since then I have written to the CEO's office twice and received two letters claiming it isn't their problem , as the mistake is with the insurance company. In short you can't rely on anything they say..."

Saga Travel Insurance Prices

While travellers of any age can get a Saga travel insurance policy, premiums rise significantly as travellers age—especially for worldwide coverage including the USA. To get an understanding of how age affects prices, we gathered sample quotes of Saga Travel Insurance across various age groups (50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 years of age).

Insurance quotes can vary significantly from day to day and according to your individual details, so please just use the pricing data in this article for general educational purposes only; your quotes may reflect a large degree of variation to quotes listed here.

Premiums with Pre-Existing Conditions

Travellers with Pre-Existing Conditions will pay more for travel insurance, in nearly all cases. The additional premium will depend on a lot of factors, such as your age, the geographic coverage (e.g. it's more expensive to cover medical conditions in USA than Europe), type of pre-existing condition (some are riskier than others), health history (e.g. were you a smoker? are you on new medication?), etc. Trips to Europe are more cost effective than the USA, when you have pre-existing conditions.

For instance, our data analysis of prices from the Saga website shows that common conditions of high blood pressure and cholesterol cost 38% or 51% more for a 70 year old going to France or the USA, respectively. And for someone who's had a heart attack, stent and heart bypass, the premium increases are 74% and 151%, respectively.

How Expensive is Saga Travel Insurance with Pre-Existing Conditions?

How much does winter sports add-on cost.

The cost of Winter Sports cover practically doubles with every decade of age. While Saga will sell Winter Sports cover to you regardless of age, it doesn't come cheap, especially for older travellers to North America. For instance, we found that Winter Sports cover for an 80-year old heading to Aspen would cost over £500.

After reading through the Saga travel insurance policy documents, we feel these are the most notable features. In addition, standard features like Medical and Personal Liability are also included on Saga policies, limits for which can be found below . For more complete details like inner limits and exclusions, please see the policy documents .

Types of Saga Travel Insurance Policies

Saga offers one level of travel insurance cover when you buy direct, and they offer one level of cover when you buy from a comparison site—but the limits vary between these two options. Policies bought direct are expected to be more expensive, because they have higher cover limits across many categories.

Regardless of where you buy, you can purchase as an Annual, Multi-Trip policy or a Single Trip policy.

Saga Single Trip: Saga Single Trip travel insurance covers trips up to 120 days abroad.

Saga Annual Multi-Trip: Saga Annual, Multi-Trip policies cover trips up to 45 days in length (with the option to extend to 60 or 90 days on policies excluding travel to USA, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean Islands). Within each policy year, you can travel as many time as you want provided your total time abroad doesn’t exceed 120 days.

You can add Winter Sports and Hire Car Excess Waiver cover to all policies; Golf is already included as standard. Note, policies have lower limits/fewer features for UK-based holidays .

Cover Limits for Policies Bought Direct (Single & Annual Multi-Trip)

Cover limits for optional winter sports travel insurance (direct policies only), cover limits for saga golf travel insurance (included).

Please read some of our Travel Insurance Guides if you're trying to decide between Single Trip or Multi-Trip policies, learn about What May Not be Covered by Travel Insurance or decide if you Need Travel Insurance or Not .

How does Saga Travel Insurance Compare to Competitors?

To better understand the value of Saga travel insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared it to other plans in the market so you can see which may be more suitable for you.

Saga Travel Insurance vs Direct Line Travel Insurance

Direct Line travel insurance plans include cover for End Supplier Failure and Natural Disasters, plus cover for the replacement cost of used points or miles in case of Cancellation/Curtailment for a trip bought with air miles or another rewards structure . While prices are a bit higher than average, according to our analysis, you are getting these extra cover features. One surprising extra is Baggage—you'll need to pay extra to cover your personal belongings as they're not included as standard. There is an upper age limit of 75 years old for Direct Line Multi-Trip policies; there is no upper age limit on Single Trip policies.

Bottom Line: If you book trips with miles, Direct Line might offer better cover since they reimburse for used miles/points if your trip is cancelled or curtailed.

Saga Travel Insurance vs AXA Travel Insurance

In our opinion, AXA travel insurance offers solid cover for reasonable prices. Insolvency, Baggage, Cancellation/Delay/Curtailment and Catastrophe are included on all plans. Single trip policies an upper age limit of 80 years; the age limit for travellers on multi-trip policies is 75 years old. There is no upper age limit for Winter Sports cover, other than the policy age limits mentioned above. AXA is another provider for which you can select your pre-existing conditions online without calling in to customer service.

Bottom Line: AXA might be another solid option for travellers in their 50s, 60s and 70s, who can benefit from a simply online system for notifying of pre-existing conditions.

Other Useful Information

• Saga Travel Insurance Policy Book

Erin Yurday is the Founder and Editor of NimbleFins. Prior to NimbleFins, she worked as an investment professional and as the finance expert in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business case writing team. Read more on LinkedIn .

• 4.8 out of 5 stars**
• Quotes from 20 providers

Our Top Insurance Picks

• Cheap Travel Insurance

Cheap Travel Insurance by Destination

• Travel Insurance to Australia
• Travel Insurance to Ireland
• Travel Insurance to Canada
• Travel Insurance to Turkey
• Travel Insurance to India

Articles on Travel Insurance Costs

• Average Cost of Travel Insurance
• Average Cost of Travel Insurance to USA
• Cost of Travel Insurance with Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
• Average Cost of Travel Insurance to India
• Average Cost of Travel Insurance to Ireland

Recent Articles on Travel Insurance

• Travel Insurance with Optional Gadget Cover
• Top Tips for Travel Insurance with Medical Conditions
• Can Travel Insurance Help if Natural Disaster Strikes?
• Should You Buy Travel Insurance from a Comparison Site?
• Should You Buy Single-Trip or Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance?

Travel Insurance Guides

• Do I Need Travel Insurance? 3 Key Questions
• Will Your Travel Insurance Claim be Rejected? Boost Your Odds with These Tips
• 7 Things Your Travel Insurance May Not Cover
• Travel Insurance Guide

Travel Insurance Reviews

• AA Travel Insurance Review
• Admiral Travel Insurance Review
• Aviva Travel Insurance Review
• AXA Travel Insurance Review
• Cedar Tree Travel Insurance Review
• CoverForYou Travel Insurance Review
• Coverwise Travel Insurance Review
• Debenhams Travel Insurance Review
• Direct Line Travel Insurance Review
• Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Review
• Insure & Go Travel Insurance Review
• Sainsbury's Bank Travel Insurance Review
• Tesco Travel Insurance Review
• Travelinsurance.co.uk Travel Insurance Review
• Zurich Travel Insurance Review

Reviews of Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions

• Fit2Travel Travel Insurance Review
• Free Spirit Travel Insurance Review
• goodtogoinsurance.com Review
• JustTravelcover.com Insurance Review
• OK To Travel Insurance Review
• Saga Travel Insurance Review
• Virgin Money Travel Insurance Review
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Editorial Guidelines
• How This Site Works
• Cookie Policy
• Copyright © 2024 NimbleFins

Advertiser Disclosure : NimbleFins is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), FCA FRN 797621. NimbleFins is a research and data-driven personal finance site. Reviews that appear on this site are based on our own analysis and opinion, with a focus on product features and prices, not service. Some offers that appear on this website are from companies from which NimbleFins receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (for example, the order in which they appear). For more information please see our Advertiser Disclosure . The site may not review or include all companies or all available products. While we use our best endeavours to be comprehensive and up to date with product info, prices and terms may change after we publish, so always check details with the provider. Consumers should ensure they undertake their own due diligence before entering into any agreement.

Note regarding savings figures: *For information on the latest saving figures, pay-less-than figures, and pay-from figures used for promotional purposes, please click here .

**4.8 out of 5 stars on Reviews.co.uk is the rating for our insurance comparison partner, QuoteZone.

• Airport & Travel Enhancement
• Priority Pass
• LoungeKey Pass
• Lounge Pass
• Airport Dimensions
• Loyalty & Customer Engagement
• Salesforce Loyalty Management
• Data and Analytics
• Loyalty Platforms
• Valuedynamx
• Merchant Partners
• Reward Programmes
• Rewards Earning
• Rewards Redemption
• Insurance & Protection
• Travel Insurance
• International & Dental Healthcare
• Specialty & Ancillary Personal Lines
• Case Studies
• Our Leadership
• Our Offices
• Corporate Responsibility
• Contact us Contact us

Collinson appointed as travel insurance partner to Saga

Leading insurance and assistance provider, Collinson, has been appointed as travel insurance partner for Saga, the over 50s insurance and travel group. In need of a partner that could offer exceptional value and improve the experience for its customers, Collinson was selected as the best fit for Saga following a comprehensive review.

Collinson will provide travel insurance  for its standalone and Saga Holidays optional included travel insurance. With over 40 years’ experience in the travel insurance industry, Collinson will deliver a full-service solution, from underwriting through to claims and assistance. As part of the partnership, Collinson will also manage the insurance for Titan Travel, a Saga-owned luxury travel specialist.

The Defaqto 5-star rated insurance products include Collinson’s Stranded Traveller product, rebranded as Delayed Flight Assistance for Saga, which in the event of a flight delay offers access to over 950 airport lounges across 100 countries. Available to all travel insurance customers, it covers the policyholder and up to four companion travellers. 

Richard Coleman, Collinson’s European Director, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Saga and this partnership is a significant addition to our travel insurance portfolio. There are considerable similarities between our two businesses, especially around our approaches to customer satisfaction and reinforcing brand loyalty. 

“We look forward to working with the Saga team, driving growth and success through innovation and enhanced customer experiences such as our Stranded Traveller product, which provides Saga customers with access to our global airport lounge network in the event of a flight delay.”

Gary Duggan, CEO Saga Services, commented: “We are pleased to have appointed Collinson as the new underwriter for Saga’s travel insurance. They provide the first-class service that our customers expect and offer even greater control of the claims process which will significantly improve the customer journey. We look forward to exciting developments as the partnership takes shape through 2018 and beyond to further enhance our cover.”

Saga has often led the market in making innovative changes to meet the needs of the modern traveller and carefully constructed the insurance product using their travel expertise and knowledge of their customers. It insures thousands of travellers each year, including many with wide ranging pre-existing medical conditions and was looking for a provider with an appetite to continue this pioneering approach alongside providing exceptional value and customer service.

For more information contact: [email protected]

Related Insights SEE ALL

Video - Collinson reveals how brands can unlock new opportunities with The Travel Playbook

Collinson’s Priority Pass Named “Official Airport Lounge Partner” for Hong Kong, China Delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Opportunities abound for brands as travel rebounds in Asia Pacific

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

The Guide to Single Trip Travel Insurance

After spending seven years in the U.S. Air Force as an Arabic linguist, Carissa is now a freelance writer using points and miles to fund a four-year (and counting!) adventure. She previously worked as a reporter for The Points Guy. Her writing has since been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Business Insider, and The Balance. When she's not flying, you'll usually find her in a Priority Pass lounge somewhere, sipping tea and cursing slow Wi-Fi.

Megan Lee joined the travel rewards team at NerdWallet with over 12 years of SEO, writing and content development experience, primarily in international education and nonprofit work. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for websites like GoAbroad and Go Overseas. When not traveling, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

How single trip travel insurance works

How to choose between travel insurance companies, best plans for single trip travel insurance, other tips for travel insurance for a single trip, travel cards that come with complimentary travel insurance, single travel insurance for a trip recapped.

There are many types of travel insurance, including plans that’ll reimburse you for emergency medical expenses or unexpected travel delays. Along with coverage types, there are also different durations of travel insurance.

Single trip travel insurance will cover you during one vacation, while multitrip or annual travel insurance can last for multiple outings. Let’s take a look at single trip travel insurance, what kind of coverage you can expect and how to choose a plan that works for you.

Purchasing a travel insurance plan is fairly simple, as is making a claim. It generally goes like this:

You gather a few quotes from travel insurance companies.

You pick a plan that suits your needs and customize it to your liking.

You purchase your plan and include a date for it to start.

You go on your trip.

If something happens (such as a flight delay), keep the proof.

You make a claim with your travel insurance company.

The travel insurance company reimburses you. 

There are a few variations in how this can work (for instance, some travel insurance plans can pay a medical provider directly), but for the most part, this is how the process will go. This is the case whether you have one-trip travel insurance or multitrip travel insurance.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

There are several travel insurance companies out there, which can make choosing a plan difficult.

NerdWallet analysis found that some travel insurance providers rise above the rest in terms of breadth and depth of coverage, cost, customizability, and overall customer satisfaction. Jump to see our findings on the bets plans for single trip travel insurance.

However, before choosing a company and purchasing a plan, consider these questions:

How much am I willing to pay?

Do I want trip protection, emergency medical coverage or both?

Do I already have coverage somewhere?

How much customizability does my plan need?

Do I need coverage for preexisting conditions?

Will I be doing any sort of adventure activities?

Once you’ve answered these questions, do your due diligence and get quotes from multiple sources. Different providers will offer differing levels of coverage at varying prices, so it’s in your best interest to generate as many quotes as possible and read the fine print.

To make it simple, travel insurance aggregators such as Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner) will provide you with multiple quotes at a time.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

We considered a wide variety of factors when it comes to selecting the best insurance for your trip. These factors include cost, customizability, coverage maximums, whether preexisting conditions are included and the type of coverage the policy offers.

World Nomads

World Nomads is great for active travelers because of its standard coverage of adventure activities. With just two plans from which to choose, it’s also simple to decide which one you’d like.

Covers 200-plus activities as standard. 

Simple plan options.

Emergency medical coverage included.

Only two choices for policies.

Riskier activities are covered only by the more expensive Explorer plan. 

Fixed-rate reimbursement for trip protection.

» Learn more: Read our full review of World Nomads

With eight plans on offer, Tin Leg has a policy for every type of traveler. Along with standard trip protections, Tin Leg also offers Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) add-ons.

Plenty of plans from which to choose. 

Preexisting conditions included in most plans. 

Primary and secondary medical coverage options. 

Cheapest plan doesn’t cover preexisting medical conditions.

Rental car coverage add-on available only on Luxury plan. 

» Learn more: Is Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance worth it?

Seven Corners

Seven Corners is an excellent option for those who really want to customize their plans. Whether you’re looking for medical-only insurance or a more comprehensive policy, Seven Corners has options available.

Preexisting condition coverage available.

Medical-only plans on offer.

Covers missed tours and cruise connections. 

Inexpensive plan offers secondary medical insurance.

Event ticket registration coverage only for expensive plan. 

» Learn more: Is Seven Corners coverage worth the cost?

Our last company on the list is unique in that it covers those who use travel rewards, like purchasing flights or hotels with points and miles . This is fairly uncommon among travel insurance providers and can be really helpful when things go awry during award travel.

Plan options include accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) travel life insurance. 

Covers up to $300 in frequent traveler reward costs. 

Worldwide travel assistance included on every policy.

Cancel For Any Reason insurance available only on most expensive plan. 

Just $35,000 in emergency medical for basic plan (low compared to similar policies at other companies).

» Learn more: Our full TravelSafe review

If you’re interested in getting travel insurance, do yourself a favor and consider these tips before making any purchases:

Consult your medical insurance provider to see whether it offers coverage out of country .

Consider an annual plan to save money if you make multiple trips per year.

Check your credit card for complimentary travel insurance . Many offer this benefit, and if its limits are satisfactory, you can book your travels with it and avoid buying a separate policy out-of-pocket altogether. More on this in the next section.

If you're looking to get coverage for a one-off trip, among your best options is to simply pay for your travel with a card that includes travel insurance as a benefit.

Most travel cards will include coverage for things like trip interruption , trip delays and lost luggage .

on Chase's website

on American Express' website

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

Terms apply.

If you’re in the market for single trip travel insurance, there are plenty of options available to you. Before purchasing a plan, grab quotes from multiple companies because the types of coverage and costs are going to vary.

Beyond this, be sure to check whether your credit card offers complimentary travel insurance and reach out to your medical insurance provider to see what type of coverage it offers overseas.

Insurance Benefit: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Insurance Benefit: Trip Delay Insurance

Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

Insurance Benefit: Baggage Insurance Plan

Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g., plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.

Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

American Express insurance disclosures

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

85,000 Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Best overall
• Best for cruises
• Best for reputation
• Best for preexisting conditions
• Best for digital nomads
• Best low-cost
• Best for road trips
• How we reviewed travel insurance companies

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Insurance in June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Traveling is an adventure, a leap into the unknown, a story waiting to unfold. But every story needs a safety net, and that's where travel insurance comes in. In this guide to the best travel insurance, we'll embark on a journey to help you better understand travel insurance and uncover the benefits that make it an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Our Picks for the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best overall: nationwide travel insurance.

• Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA
• Best for Cruises: Travel Guard
• Best Reputation:  C&F Travel Insured
• Best for Pre-existing Conditions:   Tin Leg Travel Insurance
• Best for Digital Nomads:   WorldTrips Travel Insurance
• Best Low-Cost Option:   Trawick International Travel Insurance

Best for Road Trips: Travelex Travel Insurance

How we rate travel insurance »

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options for a wide range of people and needs. For this guide, we looked at coverage options, customizability, and the best companies for specific situations, such as pre-existing conditions.

Here are Business Insider's picks for the best travel insurance companies in 2024. 

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

Nationwide Travel Insurance is of the largest players in the travel insurance space, offering nearly endless options for any customer on the travel spectrum, including annual travel insurance plans which can offer frequent travelers the flexibility to "set it and forget it" on their travel insurance coverage.

Nationwide Essential also offers some of the most affordable policies in the market compared to similar plans from competitors, which makes it a great pick for just about anyone. Buyers can discuss bundling options as Nationwide also sells homeowners, auto, pet, and other insurance products. Its travel insurance quoting is just as easy as it has been with other Nationwide insurance products.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Travel Insurance Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

AXA Assistance USA  offers consumers a great option for no-stress travel insurance: low-priced plans, generous coverage limits on key categories including primary insurance on lost luggage, and up to 150% reimbursement for qualifying trip cancellations.

While add-ons are limited and rental car coverage is not included by default on cheaper plans, AXA is a perfect fit for travelers who don't plan to drive (or who already hold a travel credit card with rental car coverage), and don't need any additional bells and whistles.

Read our AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Cruises: AIG Travel Guard

Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost and trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the cost, for all three plan levels
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR covers up to 75% of total trip costs (maximum of $112,500 on some plans) 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Medical coverage of up to $500,000 and evacuation of up to $1,000,000 per person
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes COVID coverage 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Above average baggage loss and delay benefits
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums may run slightly higher than competitors

Travel Guard is a well-established and highly rated name in the travel insurance industry. It offers three main coverage options to choose from, and in general its policies have above-average coverage for baggage loss and baggage delays, plus high medical evaluation coverage limits.

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Preexisting medical conditions exclusions waiver must be purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment
• Annual travel insurance plan and Pack N' Go plan (for last-minute trips) available

Travel Guard is well-known insurance provider, and a great fit for travelers who want to ensure that they can get their money back in the event of canceled or interrupted travel plans.

While the company's policies can be pricey compared to its competitors, the high medical and evacuation limits make AIG a solid choice for older travelers who value peace of mind and simplicity over highly customizable plans that may be bolstered with medical upgrades.

Read our AIG Travel Guard review here.

Best for Reputation: C&F Travel Insured

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers 2 major plans including CFAR coverage on the more expensive option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancellation for job loss included as a covered reason for trip cancellation/interruption (does not require CFAR coverage to qualify)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Frequent traveler reward included in both policies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is only $100,000
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews on claims processing indicate ongoing issues
• C&F's Travel Insured policies allow travelers customize travel insurance to fit their specific needs. Frequent travelers may benefit from purchasing an annual travel insurance plan, then adding on CFAR coverage for any portions of travel that may incur greater risk.

While every travel insurance company has negative reviews about its claims process, C&F Travel Insured 's claims process has a consistent stream of positive reviews. One customer wrote that C&F processed a claim within 48 hours. Additionally, C&F regularly responds to customer reviews within one business week, making reviews a consistent way to reach the company.

Additionally, in C&F's fine print, it mentions that any claims that take more than 30 days to pay out will begin to accrue interest at 9% APY.

C&F's reputation isn't the only thing to speak highly of. It offers an array of add-ons uncommon in the travel insurance industry, such as Interruption for Any Reason insurance and CFAR coverage for annual plans. C&F also offers discounts for children on its Protector Edge plan and free coverage on its Protector plan.  

Read our C&F Travel Insured review here. 

Best for Pre-Existing Conditions: Tin Leg Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited add-on coverage options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.

• Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance is a great fit for travelers with medical issues in particular. Seven of Tin Leg's eight travel plans include coverage for pre-existing conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 15 days of your initial trip payment.

Thanks to coverage for pre-existing medical conditions as well as for potential COVID-19 infection while traveling, this company offers some of the best financial investment options for travelers who are or will be exposed to higher health risks and issues.

Read our Tin Leg Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Digital Nomads: WorldTrips Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable base plans that can be customized with add-ons including rental car, pet care, hunting and fishing, and vacation rental coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Insurance plans available for international student travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage benefit that kicks in after just five hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Pre-existing conditions waiver can be purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Lower medical, evacuation and accidental death limits
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited, secondary baggage loss coverage although baggage protection can be upgraded at a low cost
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc.

WorldTrips has been a reputable travel insurance provider for more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, it boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive reviews from thousands of customers.

• Travel medical insurance (Premium, Group, Annual, and International Student options)
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip protection insurance

WorldTrips Travel Insurance has affordable premiums, highly customizable add-ons, and generous coverage for core categories of travel insurance. All this makes it a great option for digital nomads, students studying abroad and backpackers.

However, travelers should keep in mind that plans are not particularly flexible, and coverage amounts are limited unless you plan ahead to pay for the areas and amounts that you need.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Affordability: Trawick International Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Useful for adventurous travelers headed to higher-risk destinations
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable plans with varying levels of coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 10-day free look option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage loss replacement policy
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some policies allow a CFAR add-on
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million medical evacuation coverage limit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage and trip delay coverages don’t kick in until after the 12-hour mark
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. International student policies available for temporary stints abroad
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complaints about claims not being paid or involving an intermediary to resolve claims

Trawick International travel insurance offers plans customized to diverse travelers' needs. We look at coverage options, claims processing, pricing, and other important factors for savvy travelers.

• Travel medical insurance
• Trip protection and cancellation
• International student insurance
• Visitor medical insurance (for traveling to the US)

Trawick International Travel Insurance is another insurance provider with robust medical travel insurance  that can help higher-risk and anxious travelers find peace of mind while on the road. This company offers one of the most generous medical evacuation policies in the market, although travelers will need to remember to add on rental car coverage if they need it.

Read our Trawick Travel Insurance review here.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Options to cover sports equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to increase medical coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only two insurance plans to choose from
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage maximum is low at up to $50,000 per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage

Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the US providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.

• Optional CFAR insurance available with the Travel Select plan
• Trip delay insurance starting at $500 with the Travel Basic plan
• Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000

Travelex Travel Insurance  offers three plans:

• Travel Basic
• Travel Select
• Travel America

The Travelex America plan is meant for trips limited to the U.S., but it has the highest coverage limits in many areas compared to its other programs. If you're flying somewhere, the lost baggage limits are higher. Its natural strengths shine for road trippers, though. Travelex America adds coverage for roadside service and rental car coverage for unexpected accidents. It also covers pets should you be involved in an accident while on the road.

While your standard auto insurance does extend to car rentals within the U.S. for a limited time, any accident would affect future rates. Travelex would eliminate the risk of reporting to your auto insurance provider for minor incidents within its purview.

Read our Travelex Travel Insurance review here.

Introduction to Travel Insurance

Why travel insurance is a must-have.

The unpredictable nature of traveling – from flight cancellations to medical emergencies – can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance acts as a personal safeguard, ensuring that unexpected events don't drain your wallet or ruin your trip.

Understanding Different Types of Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. From single-trip travel insurance policies to annual travel insurance plans , from minimal coverage to comprehensive protection, understanding the spectrum of options is your first step in finding the right fit for your journey.

Key Features to Look for in Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for medical emergencies.

Imagine falling ill in a foreign country; daunting, right? A robust travel insurance plan ensures you don't have to worry about how much emergency medical care while traveling will cost, even in the most remote corners of the globe. This coverage will often come in tandem with emergency medical evacuation coverage.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Benefits

Life is full of surprises, some less pleasant than others. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage ensures that you're not left out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel or cut your trip short. You may also look for cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason options, which will reimburse you for a percentage of your nonrefundable fees, but expands the covered reasons you can cancel a trip. You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance companies here.

Coverage for Personal Belongings and Baggage Loss

Losing your belongings is more than an inconvenience; it's losing a piece of your world. Insurance that covers personal belongings and baggage loss ensures that you're compensated for your loss, helping you to rebound and continue your adventure.

Support and Assistance Services

In times of trouble, having a lifeline can make all the difference. Look for insurance that offers 24/7 support and assistance services, giving you peace of mind that help is just a phone call away. Also, check websites that field customer reviews like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and InsureMyTrip , to see how well a company responds to customer requests.

Choosing the Best Travel Insurance

Reputation and reliability of the travel insurance provider.

A provider's reputation is not just about being well-known; it's about reliability, customer satisfaction, and the ability to deliver on promises. Researching and choosing a reputable provider is a cornerstone in ensuring your safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the Policy's Fine Print

The devil is in the details, and understanding the fine print of what your travel insurance policy covers is crucial. Be aware of coverage limits, exclusions, and the process for filing a claim to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

In the age of information, customer reviews and feedback are goldmines of insight. Learn from the experiences of others to gauge the reliability and customer service of the insurance provider you're considering. While the ratings are important, you should also look at whether or not a company responds to customer complaints.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Insurance

Knowing your policy inside out.

Familiarize yourself with every aspect of your policy – what it covers, what it doesn't, how to file a claim, and who to contact in an emergency. Being informed means being prepared. 

Steps to Take When a Problem Arises

If you face an issue during your travels, knowing the immediate steps to take can make all the difference. Keep important contacts and your policy details handy, and remember, your insurance provider is there to assist you.

How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance Company for You

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy that works perfectly for every traveler. Young, healthy solo travelers can opt for much cheaper plans that offer bare-bones coverage, while families juggling complex itineraries will do best by investing in a robust policy that can help defray any costs associated with lost baggage, delayed transportation or other trip-impeding obstacles.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a travel insurance provider that boasts a reputable history and offers a wide range of customizable plans. In some cases, you may be comparing plans that are only a few dollars' apart from each other. In such situations, you should generally opt for the insurance company that offers the strongest customer service. It's also worth considering whether or not the travel insurance provider has been reviewed by other travelers with similar itineraries to your own. 

An insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth is one of the best tools for searching travel insurance policies. Once you input the specifics of your travel itinerary, you'll be able to see hundreds of search results to compare the ones that catch your eye. If the options are too overwhelming, use the filters to the left of your search page to eliminate as many irrelevant plans as possible.

How We Reviewed the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with our list of the best travel insurance companies, we evaluated each insurer based on the following factors:

Guide Methodology: What We Considered

Policy Types

Travel insurance is essential, but often underused partly because people aren't getting what they want. Business Insider's 2023 travel study showed 10.65% of travelers surveyed bought cancel for any reason insurance. Cost may be a factor, but in many cases, the coverage is more affordable than you might think. Regardless, companies must offer a diverse range of coverage options. We award five stars to companies offering all standard coverages and additional options like pet and sports equipment protection.

Our 2023 travel study indicated the majority of purchases were made through the travel provider (ex: flight protection insurance when you're purchasing your airline tickets). While these may be sufficient for some customers, we look for companies offering a more comprehensive range of services.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, the average cost of travel insurance will be between 4% and 8% of total travel expenses. Anything beyond that price point should include additional benefits beyond the standard inclusions, such as CFAR protection or upgraded medical coverage. Anything below that 4% threshold may leave you lacking important or sufficient coverage in an emergency.

Convenience and Flexibility

Whether you're an infrequent traveler or a suitcase warrior, a good travel insurance company should have you covered. In many cases, you might not even have to talk to a person in order to purchase your policy.

Many people think of travel insurance in context with specific trips, but most of these top contenders sell both single-trip and multi-trip policies, also known as annual travel insurance. Some companies also offer plans specifically designed for cruisers, students abroad, and business travelers. (Read our guide to the best cruise travel insurance companies for more details.) Finally, all of these providers offer multiple options for getting the specific areas and amounts of coverage that you want.

Claims Handling

Most travelers never have a large claim. Premiums are low, and it provides peace of mind for the just in case situations. So they leave reviews based on their reduced stress levels. But what happens if you lose your luggage or have to stay a few extra days due to an unexpected accident? Will your insurance carrier cover your claim without all the hassle? We check real customer reviews to sort this out for you.

Ease of Use and Support

When purchasing, during your trip, and throughout the claims process, you may need extra support. Does the company have a 24/7 help line? Does it have an online or mobile system allowing you to self-manage? Essentially, what are the options when you need help? We look at the big picture to evaluate the average customer experience with each company.

You can read our full insurance rating methodology for even more details.

Best Travel Insurance FAQs

There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every traveler. Determine the benefits that are most important to you, like baggage delay coverage, medical coverage, and trip delay coverage, then look for a company with solid customer ratings, especially when it comes to processing claims.

Travel insurance will pay out if you experience a covered event, such as a travel delay or delayed or lost baggage. If you're looking to get travel insurance for a specific reason, such as needing to potentially cancel your trip due to work reasons, make sure your policy will cover you in that situation before purchasing it. You should also check customer reviews to see other travelers' claims experiences, as it varies wildly from company to company.

The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your total trip cost, so it could vary widely depending on where you're traveling and the length of your trip. Your age, the number of people in your group, and other factors can also influence how much you'll pay.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include travel medical coverage that can come in handy if an emergency occurs and you need medical evacuation. Some travel insurance plans offer more specialized coverage for travelers with pre-existing conditions , so shop around if medical coverage is a top priority for you. 

$100,000 should be a sufficient medical coverage limit for travel insurance. If you're planning on doing extreme sports or anything particularly risky on your trip, you may want to increase your coverage level. A high medical coverage limit is especially useful when you're purchasing cruise travel insurance, since medical evacuations are more involved at sea.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

• Main content

• Auto Insurance Best Car Insurance Cheapest Car Insurance Compare Car Insurance Quotes Best Car Insurance For Young Drivers Best Auto & Home Bundles Cheapest Cars To Insure
• Home Insurance Best Home Insurance Best Renters Insurance Cheapest Homeowners Insurance Types Of Homeowners Insurance
• Life Insurance Best Life Insurance Best Term Life Insurance Best Senior Life Insurance Best Whole Life Insurance Best No Exam Life Insurance
• Pet Insurance Best Pet Insurance Cheap Pet Insurance Pet Insurance Costs Compare Pet Insurance Quotes
• Travel Insurance Best Travel Insurance Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance Best Cruise Travel Insurance Best Senior Travel Insurance
• Health Insurance Best Health Insurance Plans Best Affordable Health Insurance Best Dental Insurance Best Vision Insurance Best Disability Insurance
• Credit Cards Best Credit Cards 2024 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Best Rewards Credit Cards Best Cash Back Credit Cards Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards Best 0% APR Credit Cards Best Business Credit Cards Best Credit Cards for Startups Best Credit Cards For Bad Credit Best Cards for Students without Credit
• Credit Card Reviews Chase Sapphire Preferred Wells Fargo Active Cash® Chase Sapphire Reserve Citi Double Cash Citi Diamond Preferred Chase Ink Business Unlimited American Express Blue Business Plus
• Credit Card by Issuer Best Chase Credit Cards Best American Express Credit Cards Best Bank of America Credit Cards Best Visa Credit Cards
• Credit Score Best Credit Monitoring Services Best Identity Theft Protection
• CDs Best CD Rates Best No Penalty CDs Best Jumbo CD Rates Best 3 Month CD Rates Best 6 Month CD Rates Best 9 Month CD Rates Best 1 Year CD Rates Best 2 Year CD Rates Best 5 Year CD Rates
• Checking Best High-Yield Checking Accounts Best Checking Accounts Best No Fee Checking Accounts Best Teen Checking Accounts Best Student Checking Accounts Best Joint Checking Accounts Best Business Checking Accounts Best Free Checking Accounts
• Savings Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Best Free No-Fee Savings Accounts Simple Savings Calculator Monthly Budget Calculator: 50/30/20
• Mortgages Best Mortgage Lenders Best Online Mortgage Lenders Current Mortgage Rates Best HELOC Rates Best Mortgage Refinance Lenders Best Home Equity Loan Lenders Best VA Mortgage Lenders Mortgage Refinance Rates Mortgage Interest Rate Forecast
• Personal Loans Best Personal Loans Best Debt Consolidation Loans Best Emergency Loans Best Home Improvement Loans Best Bad Credit Loans Best Installment Loans For Bad Credit Best Personal Loans For Fair Credit Best Low Interest Personal Loans
• Student Loans Best Student Loans Best Student Loan Refinance Best Student Loans for Bad or No Credit Best Low-Interest Student Loans
• Business Loans Best Business Loans Best Business Lines of Credit Apply For A Business Loan Business Loan vs. Business Line Of Credit What Is An SBA Loan?
• Investing Best Online Brokers Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Best Low-Risk Investments Best Cheap Stocks To Buy Now Best S&P 500 Index Funds Best Stocks For Beginners How To Make Money From Investing In Stocks
• Retirement Best Roth IRAs Best Gold IRAs Best Investments for a Roth IRA Best Bitcoin IRAs Protecting Your 401(k) In a Recession Types of IRAs Roth vs Traditional IRA How To Open A Roth IRA
• Business Formation Best LLC Services Best Registered Agent Services How To Start An LLC How To Start A Business
• Web Design & Hosting Best Website Builders Best E-commerce Platforms Best Domain Registrar
• HR & Payroll Best Payroll Software Best HR Software Best HRIS Systems Best Recruiting Software Best Applicant Tracking Systems
• Payment Processing Best Credit Card Processing Companies Best POS Systems Best Merchant Services Best Credit Card Readers How To Accept Credit Cards
• More Business Solutions Best VPNs Best VoIP Services Best Project Management Software Best CRM Software Best Accounting Software
• Debt relief Best debt management Best debt settlement Do you need a debt management plan? What is debt settlement? Debt consolidation vs. debt settlement Should you settle your debt or pay in full? How to negotiate a debt settlement on your own
• Debt collection Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages? Can credit card companies garnish your wages? What is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act?
• Bankruptcy How much does it cost to file for bankruptcy? What is Chapter 7 bankruptcy? What is Chapter 13 bankruptcy? Can medical bankruptcy help with medical bills?
• More payoff strategies Tips to get rid of your debt in a year Don't make these mistakes when climbing out of debt How credit counseling can help you get out of debt What is the debt avalanche method? What is the debt snowball method?
• Manage Topics
• Investigations
• Visual Explainers
• Newsletters
• Abortion news
• Climate Change
• Corrections Policy
• Sports Betting
• Coach Salaries
• College Basketball (M)
• College Basketball (W)
• College Football
• Concacaf Champions Cup
• For The Win
• High School Sports
• H.S. Sports Awards
• Scores + Odds
• Sports Pulse
• Sports Seriously
• Women's Sports
• Youth Sports
• Celebrities
• Entertainment This!
• Celebrity Deaths
• Policing the USA
• Women of the Century
• Problem Solved
• Personal Finance
• Consumer Recalls
• Video Games
• Product Reviews
• Home Internet
• Destinations
• Airline News
• Experience America
• Great American Vacation
• Ingrid Jacques
• Nicole Russell
• Meet the Opinion team
• How to Submit
• Obituaries Obituaries
• Contributor Content Contributor Content

Personal Loans

Best personal loans

Auto Insurance

Best car insurance

Best high-yield savings

CREDIT CARDS

Best credit cards

Advertiser Disclosure

Blueprint is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service focused on helping readers make smarter decisions. We receive compensation from the companies that advertise on Blueprint which may impact how and where products appear on this site. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Blueprint. Blueprint does not include all companies, products or offers that may be available to you within the market. A list of selected affiliate partners is available here .

Travel insurance

Best travel insurance companies of June 2024

Amy Fontinelle

Heidi Gollub

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 2:16 p.m. UTC June 7, 2024

• path]:fill-[#49619B]" alt="Facebook" width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 18 18" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
• path]:fill-[#202020]" alt="Email" width="19" height="14" viewBox="0 0 19 14" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">

Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy .

WorldTrips is the best travel insurance company of 2024 , based on our in-depth analysis of travel insurance policies. Its Atlas Journey Elevate plan gets the top score in our rating because of the extensive coverage it provides for the price. It offers best-in-class emergency medical and evacuation benefits, as well as high limits for baggage insurance.

Best travel insurance of 2024

• WorldTrips : Best travel insurance.
• Travel Insured International : Best for emergency evacuation.
• TravelSafe : Best for missed connections.
• Aegis : Cheapest travel insurance.
• Travelex : Best for families.
• AIG : Best for add-on coverage options.
• Nationwide : Best for cruise itinerary changes.

Why trust our travel insurance experts

Our travel insurance experts evaluate hundreds of insurance products and analyze thousands of data points to help you find the best trip insurance for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content . You can read more about our methodology below.

• 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
• 567 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

Travel insurance quotes comparison

Best travel insurance companies, best travel insurance.

Top travel insurance plans

Average cost, medical limit per person, why it’s the best.

If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel , WorldTrips’ Atlas Journey Elevate plan gives you $250,000 in travel medical insurance with primary coverage. This plan is a good option if health insurance for international travel is a priority. It also has $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage. 

See our full WorldTrips travel insurance review .

Pros and cons

• $250,000 in primary medical coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation coverage.
• Primary damage or loss baggage coverage of $500 per item, up to $2,500.
• 5 optional upgrades, including pet care, adventure sports and rental car damage and theft.
• No non-medical evacuation coverage.

Customer reviews

WorldTrips has a rating of 4.27 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 428 reviews of policies purchased through the travel insurance comparison site since 2008. 

Heidi’s expert take:   “WorldTrips offers primary coverage for emergency medical expense and for baggage damage or loss. This means the insurer will pay for your claim first and then seek recovery from any responsible third party, such as your health insurance provider, airline or homeowners insurance company (if your belongings are stolen). Travel insurance with secondary medical coverage might be cheaper, but then you’d have to file claims with third parties yourself, before you could turn to your travel insurance for help.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for emergency evacuation

Travel insured international.

Top travel insurance plan

If you’re traveling to a remote area, consider Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector. It has the best travel insurance for emergency evacuation of travel insurance policies in our rating. This top travel insurance plan provides up to $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits.

• Only plan in our rating that offers $150,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
• Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
• Missed connection benefit of $500 per person is only available for cruises and tours.

Travel Insured International has a rating of 4.39 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 3,402 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Heidi’s expert take:   “The Worldwide Trip Protector plan provides rare non-medical evacuation benefits of up to $150,000. If you’re traveling to an area at risk of a political, security or national disaster, this emergency evacuation coverage could help get you back to safety.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for missed connections

TravelSafe offers good travel insurance for missed connections , with $2,500 in missed connection coverage for each person on the plan.

• Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
• Most expensive of our best-rated travel insurance plans.
• No “interruption for any reason” coverage option.
• Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.

TravelSafe has a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,506 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Heidi’s expert take:   “If you miss out on prepaid vacation plans because you didn’t make a connecting flight, you’ll be glad for the $2,500 missed connection coverage. Some policies only provide missed connection coverage for cruises and tours, but TravelSafe Classic doesn’t impose that restriction.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Cheapest travel insurance

Go Ready Choice by Aegis has the most affordable travel insurance of the best-rated travel insurance companies in our rating. This is based on the average cost of seven international trips of varying lengths and values for travelers of different ages.

See our full Aegis travel insurance review .

• Cheapest of our best trip insurance plans.
• Pet care benefit of $500 under travel delay benefits.
• Low emergency medical and evacuation limits.
• Low missed connection benefit of $500 per person for cruises and tours only.
• Low baggage and personal items loss benefit of $500 per person.

Aegis has a rating of 4.06 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,111 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2013.

Heidi’s expert take:   “If you’re looking for a  budget travel insurance policy , Go Ready Choice may fit the bill. It has comparably low coverage limits, but if you have health insurance that will cover you on your trip, its $50,000 in secondary medical coverage may be sufficient.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for families

Top-scoring plan

Travelex Insurance Services has the best travel insurance for families because you can add kids aged 17 and younger to your Travel Select plan at no additional charge.

See our full Travelex travel insurance review .

• Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
• Robust travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
• Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
• Low emergency medical coverage of $50,000 per person.
• Non-medical evacuation is not included.
• Low baggage delay coverage of $200 requires a 12-hour delay.

Travelex has a rating of 4.43 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 2,048 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Heidi’s expert take:   “If you’re traveling with kids, a Travelex policy will cover them, too. The number of children you can add to your policy is unlimited and they’ll get travel protection at no additional cost.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for add-on coverage options

Travel Guard Preferred from AIG allows you to customize your policy with a host of available upgrades, making it the best traveler insurance for add-on options . These include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings.

There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million. This is a good option if you’re looking for foreign travel health insurance.

See our full AIG travel insurance review .

• Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your travel insurance policy.
• Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
• Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
• $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
• Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.

Heidi’s expert take: “You can add riders to your AIG travel insurance policy to maximize your coverage. Choose from these bundles: adventure sports, medical, pet, quarantine, security and wedding. You may also want to add “cancel for any reason” coverage and rental vehicle damage coverage.”  Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Best travel insurance for cruise itinerary changes

Nationwide’s Choice Cruise is good travel insurance for cruises . It has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion.

Choice Cruise also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay when you’re taking a cruise or tour. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.

See our full Nationwide travel insurance review .

• Benefits for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
• Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
• Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.
• Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
• Travel medical coverage is secondary.
• Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
• No “cancel for any reason” upgrade available.

Nationwide has a rating of 4.02 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 570 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2018.

  Heidi’s expert take: “This plan has protections for cruisers when it comes to prepaid expenses. But its emergency medical coverage is secondary, which means you’d have to file medical claims with your health insurance company first. Since U.S. health insurance won’t help you at sea, you may want to look for cruise travel insurance with primary medical coverage instead.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

Compare the best travel insurance plans

Via Compare Coverage’s website

Heidi’s expert take: “Here are my tips on how to buy travel insurance that gets you the most coverage for the lowest price: Buy early . Getting travel insurance within two weeks of making your first trip deposit may qualify you for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions, and it won’t cost you any extra.  Look for primary emergency medical coverage . If you buy a plan with secondary coverage, you’ll have to file a claim with your health insurance first, even if you know it will be denied.  Don’t overinsure . Calculate the value of only your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses that are not already covered by other insurance (like credit card travel insurance or health insurance, if your coverage extends to where you are traveling). Even if this value is $0, you can still buy travel insurance for the travel medical insurance benefits, and you’ll only be paying for the insurance you need.  Understand exclusions . If you are planning to go scuba diving, for instance, make sure this adventure activity is not excluded from a policy’s coverage. If so, you may need to pay for a rider or shop for another plan that offers the coverage you need.” Heidi Gollub, Managing Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint

What is the best travel insurance?

The best travel insurance for international travel is sold by WorldTrips, according to our in-depth trip insurance comparison.

The best travel insurance plan for you will depend on the trip you are planning and the coverage areas that are most important to you.

• Best cruise travel insurance
• Best COVID travel insurance
• Best “cancel for any reason” travel insurance
• Best senior travel insurance

Best travel insurance for cruises

The best cruise travel insurance is Atlas Journey Preferred sold by WorldTrips . This plan offers solid travel insurance for cruises for a low rate.

Best travel insurance for COVID-19

The best COVID travel insurance is the Trip Protection Basic plan sold by Seven Corners . It is a relatively low cost travel insurance plan with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.

Best travel insurance for “cancel for any reason” 

The best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance is Seven Corners’ Trip Protection Basic. Adding CFAR coverage to a RoundTrip Basic plan only increases the cost by about 40%, which is lower than other plans we analyzed. For the extra cost, you get coverage of 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Best travel insurance for seniors

The best senior travel insurance is the Gold plan sold by Tin Leg . It is an affordable travel insurance plan with travel medical primary coverage of $500,000 and a pre-existing conditions waiver if you insure the full amount of your trip within 14 days of your first trip deposit.

How much is travel insurance?

The average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs . 

How much you pay for travel insurance will depend on:

• The cost of your trip.
• Your destination.
• The length of your trip. 
• The ages of travelers being insured.
• Your state of residence.
• The travel insurance policy you choose.
• The total coverage amounts in your policy.
• Any travel insurance add-ons you select. 

Here are average travel insurance rates for a 30-year-old female who is insuring a 14-day trip to Mexico.

Looking to save? Discover cheap travel insurance options.

How much travel insurance should I buy?

Travel insurance companies typically offer several plans with varying maximum limits. The higher the coverage limits, the more you’ll pay for travel insurance. 

Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends the following coverage limits for international travel: 

• Emergency medical coverage: At least $50,000. 
• Medical evacuation coverage: At least $100,000. 

If you’re going on a cruise, or to a remote location, Squaremouth recommends: 

• Emergency medical coverage: At least $100,000. 
• Medical evacuation coverage: At least $250,000.

When evaluating travel insurance plans, our team of insurance analysts considered the best medical travel insurance policies to have at least $250,000 in emergency medical coverage and at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage. 

When should I buy travel insurance?

The best time to buy travel insurance is within two weeks of making your first nonrefundable travel payment, whether it’s for a plane ticket, hotel stay, cruise or excursion. 

Travel insurance costs the same whether you buy it early or last minute, and buying it early has added benefits: 

• You may be able to add on “ cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , an upgrade that is typically only available for a limited time after you’ve started paying for your trip. 
• You may qualify for a pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver, meaning your pre-existing conditions will be covered by travel insurance. This waiver is generally added to your policy automatically, provided you buy the travel insurance within a certain window after your first trip deposit.
• You will be covered over a longer period of time for unforeseen events that could cause you to cancel your trip, such as medical emergencies, inclement weather and natural disasters. 

Expert tip: You can buy travel insurance up to the day before you leave on your trip, but waiting may cost you the opportunity to qualify for a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver or to buy a “cancel for any reason” upgrade.

Where can I buy travel insurance?

You can buy a travel insurance plan:

• Online. Visit a travel insurance company’s website to buy a policy directly or use a comparison website like Squaremouth or Travelinsurance.com to see your options and compare plans. You may also be able to purchase travel insurance online through an airline, cruise, hotel, rental car company or other provider you book a ticket with.
• In person. A travel agent or insurance agent may be able to assist you in buying travel insurance.

Travel insurance trends in 2024

Americans are changing the way they travel and this includes buying travel insurance when they might have skipped it in the past. As spending on trips continues to rise , travelers have more to lose if their plans are disrupted. 

Based on travel insurance quote requests on the Squaremouth website last month, these are the main benefits travelers are looking for in a travel insurance policy.

*Source: Squaremouth.com. Travel insurance quote filter usage from April 28 to May 28, 2024.

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance of 2024. For companies with more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan.

Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:

• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 30.
• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 70.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 40.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 65.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to Italy for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to France for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to the U.K. for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
• Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
• Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
• Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.

Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.

If you’d like to dig in deeper, head over to our travel insurance ratings methodology page.

Best travel insurance FAQs

According to our analysis, WorldTrips has the best trip insurance. Two of its plans — Atlas Journey Explore and Atlas Journey Elevate — get 5 stars in our rating.

The best travel insurance policy for you will depend on what type of coverage you need. With so many different policies and carriers, the policy that was best for your friend’s trip to California might not be ideal for your trip to Japan. If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel, you may be willing to pay more for higher coverage levels.

A comprehensive travel insurance plan bundles several types of travel insurance coverage, each with its own limits. To ensure you have adequate financial protection for your trip, your travel insurance policy should include the following travel insurance coverages:

• Trip cancellation . With trip cancellation insurance , you’re covered if you need to call off your trip because of a reason listed in your policy, such as unexpected illness, injury or death of you, a family member or a travel companion, severe weather, jury duty and your travel supplier going out of business. 
• Travel delay. Once your trip has started, travel delay insurance reimburses you for unexpected expenses you incur after a minimum delay, such as five hours. It can cover needs like airport meals, transportation and even overnight accommodation. 
• Trip interruption. If you need to cut your trip early for a reason listed in your policy, trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for any prepaid, nonrefundable payments you’ll lose by leaving early. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home. 
• Travel medical . Emergency medical benefits are especially important if you need international health insurance for travel outside of the country. Your domestic health insurance may provide limited coverage once you leave the U.S. The best travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, doctor visits, hospital stays, X-rays, lab work and prescription medication you may require while traveling. 
• Emergency medical evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote area, or planning excursions such as boating to an island, emergency medical evacuation coverage is a good idea. This coverage pays to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility if you are injured or sick while traveling. 
• Baggage delay. After a certain waiting period, such as six or 12 hours, this coverage will reimburse you for necessities you need to buy to tide you over while you wait for your bag to arrive. Be sure to save your receipts and look at your coverage limit, as some caps are low, like $200. 
• Baggage loss. Baggage insurance can reimburse you if your bag never arrives, or if your personal belongings are stolen during your travels. Coverage limits apply here, as well as exclusions for certain items such as electronics.  

“Typically, travelers are expected to pay their expenses out of pocket, and then file a claim for reimbursement,” said James Clark, spokesperson for Squaremouth. “However, there are medical situations in which a provider may be required to pre-authorize payment to make sure the policyholder receives the treatment they need.”

According to Clark, “Providers can pre-authorize payment for medical care and emergency evacuations. With that said, every circumstance is unique, and providers will handle each situation on a case-by-case basis.”

Travel insurance covers your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs — as well as extra money you may need to spend due to unforeseen circumstances and emergencies — both before and during your trip.

Travel insurance coverage varies by plan, but in general travel insurance covers costs associated with these problems: 

• Bankruptcy of a travel insurance company, such as your airline or tour operator. 
• Dangerous weather conditions.
• Delayed and lost luggage.
• Illness or death in your family that requires you to stay home or cut your trip short.
• Illness that needs medical attention.
• Injury requiring medical evacuation.
• Jury duty. 
• Travel delays and missed connections.
• Theft of your personal belongings while traveling.
• Unexpected job loss. 

Travel insurance policies often exclude or limit “foreseeable” losses. Typical travel insurance exclusions include:

• Accidents or injuries caused by drinking or drug use.
• Canceling your trip because you changed your mind.
• Ending your trip early because you changed your mind.
• Losses caused by intentional self harm, including suicide.
• Losses due to war, civil disorder or riots.
• Medical tourism.
• Medical treatment for pre-existing conditions.
• Mental health care.
• Natural disasters that begin before you buy travel insurance.
• Non-medical evacuation.
• Normal pregnancy. 
• Medical treatment related to high-risk activities.
• Routine medical care, such as physicals or dental care.
• Search and rescue.

Your U.S. health insurance may provide little or no coverage in foreign countries. Check with your health insurance company to see if you have any global benefits and ask how they work. If your health care does extend across the border, the benefits it provides abroad may not be the same benefits it provides domestically. 

Medicare usually won’t pay for health care outside of the United States and its territories, so older travelers planning an international trip should look into the best senior travel insurance with robust medical benefits. 

The best time to buy travel insurance is immediately after booking your trip and making a nonrefundable payment — in other words, as soon as you’re at risk of losing money. This way, you’ll know the total cost that you need to insure and you’ll have the longest window to take advantage of your policy’s benefits if something goes wrong.

You can’t wait until something goes wrong and then buy travel insurance to get reimbursed for your loss. Travel insurance only covers unexpected losses.

Travel insurance companies can decline to cover travel to certain countries. For example, you may find that some trip insurance companies don’t offer coverage to countries with a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. 

Travel insurance policies also frequently exclude certain risks that you’re more likely to encounter in Level 4 or Level 3 countries. For example, your policy may not cover losses related to declared or undeclared wars or acts of war or losses related to known or foreseeable conditions or events. 

Some credit cards , such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , offer benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement when you use your card to pay for your trip.

Ask your credit card issuer for your card’s benefits guide to see what coverage you may have. Keep in mind that it may not cover all the risks you want to protect against, such as the cost of international health care or emergency medical evacuation .

Business travel insurance makes sense if you are self-employed and paying for your own travel expenses, or if you are traveling internationally and want medical coverage abroad.

You might also consider buying travel insurance for a business trip if your company won’t cover extra expenses if your flight is delayed or you need to head home early.

Cruise travel insurance can help protect you financially if you need emergency medical care in a remote location, or if a delayed flight causes you to miss embarkation and you need to pay extra to catch up to your cruise.

Experts caution that travel insurance you buy through a cruise line may not be as comprehensive as plans you can buy directly from travel insurance companies.

Some travel insurance plans cover rental cars as an optional upgrade, for an additional cost. The 5-star rated travel insurance companies in our rating offer these optional rental car benefits:

• Travel Insured International — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000.
• WorldTrips — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000 with a $250 deductible. 

Travel insurance typically only covers a single trip, although your insured trip can have multiple destinations. 

If you’re looking to insure several trips in the same year, annual travel insurance may be a good option for you.

Travel insurance may be required, depending on the country you plan to visit. But it’s smart to consider buying a travel insurance policy for international travel, even when it is not required. A good travel insurance policy can protect you financially if you need emergency medical assistance when traveling, or if you need to cut your trip short and buy a last-minute plane ticket home because an immediate family member is ill. 

Wondering if travel insurance is worth it? What travel insurance covers

Editor’s Note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:

• Spirit Airlines scrubs 60% of its Wednesday flights, says cancellations will drop ‘in the days to come.’
• 'Just a parade of incompetency': Spirit Airlines passengers with 'nightmare' stories want more than apology, $50 vouchers
• ‘This is not our proudest moment’: Spirit Airlines CEO says more flight cancellations expected this weekend
• Hurricane Irma: Flight cancellations top 12,500; even more expected
• Is an annual travel insurance policy right for you?
• How 2020 and COVID-19 changed travel forever – and what that means for you
• COVID-19 or delta variant have you ready to scrap your trip? Here’s how to cancel like a pro
• Sunday: Snow is over, but flight cancellations top 12,000
• After nearly 13,000 Harvey cancellations, Irma is new threat to airline flights
• What’s the difference between travel insurance and trip ‘protection’?
• How to choose the right travel insurance for your next vacation
• Travel insurance can save the day
• Angry passengers brawl after Spirit cancels flights
• What to do when travel insurance doesn’t work
• How lockdowns, quarantines and COVID-19 testing will change summer travel in 2021
• Travelers will pay and worry more on summer vacation this year. But they won’t cancel
• How to find a hotel with COVID testing and quarantine facilities wherever you travel
• Yearning to travel in 2022? First, figure out your budget – then pick a destination
• Pro tips for surviving a long flight during a pandemic: Get the right mask, bring a pillow
• Want to steer clear of contracting COVID-19 on your next vacation? Follow these guidelines
• Post-pandemic travel: Is it OK to ask another passenger’s vaccine status or request they mask up?
• These days, forgetting these important travel items could cost you thousands of dollars
• International travel hacks: When to book flights and hotels, how to deal with COVID-19 rules
• Traveling post-coronavirus: How do you book your next trip when so much remains uncertain?
• The COVID-19 guide to holiday travel – and the case for why you shouldn’t go this year
• Should you travel during the holidays? Americans struggle with their decision
• ‘There’s still pent-up demand’: What you should know about fall travel
• Planning for life after coronavirus: When will we know it’s safe to travel again?
• ‘Busiest camping season’: Travelers choose outdoor recreation close to home amid COVID-19 pandemic
• Considering a camping trip this summer? Tips to make sure your gear is good to go
• RVing for the first time? 8 tips for newbies I wish I’d known during my first trip
• Five myths about travel agents
• Should I buy travel insurance?
• Is travel insurance stacked against you?
• Five myths about travel insurance and terrorism
• These eight things could get your travel insurance claims rejected
• There’s a good chance that your credit card already gives you some kind of travel insurance coverage
• How to avoid a hotel cancellation penalty
• Change fees and travel insurance continue to rise

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Amy Fontinelle has more than 15 years of experience helping people make informed decisions about their money, whether they’re refinancing a mortgage, buying insurance or choosing a credit card. As a freelance writer trained in journalism and specializing in personal finance, Amy digs into the details to explain the products and strategies that can help (or hurt) people seeking greater financial security and wealth. Her work has been published by Forbes Advisor, Capital One, MassMutual, Investopedia and many other outlets.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

10 worst US airports for flight cancellations this week

Travel insurance Heidi Gollub

10 worst US airports for flight cancellations last week

Our travel insurance ratings methodology

AXA Assistance USA travel insurance review 2024

Travel insurance Jennifer Simonson

Cheapest travel insurance of June 2024

Travel insurance Mandy Sleight

Average flight costs: Travel, airfare and flight statistics 2024

Travel insurance Timothy Moore

John Hancock travel insurance review 2024

HTH Worldwide travel insurance review 2024

Airfare at major airports is up 29% since 2021

USI Affinity travel insurance review 2024

Trawick International travel insurance review 2024

Travel insurance for Canada

Travelex travel insurance review 2024

Best travel insurance for a Disney World vacation in 2024

World Nomads travel insurance review 2024

Suggested companies

Titan travel, riviera travel.

Saga Travel   Reviews

In the Travel agent category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.1.

1,295 total

Most relevant

Which parts of GDPR legislation do Saga not understand?

Was advised on 26th April my details had been removed from their mailing database but it might take six weeks before all mailings ceased. It is now six weeks and five days since 26th April and I'm still receiving promotional emails on a regular basis

Date of experience : 12 June 2024

Reply from Saga Travel

Hi Julian, Thank you for your review from which we are extremely sorry you are still receiving promotional emails. To ensure your details have been removed, please could you email your contact details, name and address and email to our Customer Service team at [email protected] for a full investigation to be completed. We look forward to hearing from you further and resolving this matter quickly. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

Fantastic service, price and experience

From start to finish, the service with Saga has been fantastic! We booked our holiday through an independent advisor who then moved on and we were then handed over smoothly to another. Both individuals were attentive and nothing was too much. The holiday itself was brilliant. I can’t recommend them enough and I will definitely be booking my next holiday through them again!

Date of experience : 26 May 2024

My dealings with the agent for the…

My dealings with the agent for the holiday was perfect. I can't judge anything else as I have not yet got my Saga Travel Insurance and will not be going on holiday for a few months yet.

Thank you for your review from which we are delighted your booking journey was perfect. We are looking forward to you travelling with us soon and offering you an amazing holiday. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

Saga systems stalled but telephone service was good.…

Saga systems refused to go forward with my booking. I telephoned instead and got good service. However I have had no explanation as to why online systems suddenly stalled. I have IT director level experience and you have not explained this scenario. Also filling in this survey has taken longer than making my booking - annoying!

Date of experience : 07 June 2024

Hi David, We are sorry to hear about your experience, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide a review. Please be reassured that a member of our team will be reaching out to you as soon as possible to resolve your concerns. Best regards Thomas Saga Travel.

Our Canadian Adventure

We were traveling to Canada for the first time and had no idea how to go about it. We came across the Saga Holidays tour through the Rockies and once we made contact, Sarah was assigned to our enquiry. She listened to our requirements, provided a great quote, gave us options, we chose to up grade the hire car, and the hotels, but stuck with economy flights. Her knowledge was fantastic, enabling us to make informed decisions, she had been to the places and had local knowledge. Nothing was too much trouble, even making changes to the hire car within a week of departure. All documentation arrived in plenty of time and an App called Tripigo worked really well with our itinerary on our phones. The trip went very smoothly and we can highly recommend Saga Holidays and in particular Sarah - our personal travel guide. Thank you.

Date of experience : 11 May 2024

Dear Anne, Thank you so much for your kind review. We appreciate your feedback on both the pre and post-trip experience. We hope to see you again on another Saga holiday. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

Holiday booking After Sales NO SERVICE ! .... Nicole

Saga assistant Nicole, was extremely helpful and competent dealing with my booking. However, since writing this revue, I have been waiting for my PAPER travel docs ! ! Tried to chase them up but can never get a person on the phone. Left several messages, no return call as yet. So "after sales" service is very poor and frustrating....I'm feeling incredibly irritated by the lack of communication ! I want the docs. ASAP, having told them I don't have a printer. I am not impressed.....

Hi Patricia, We are delighted you received a great service from Nicole, however your feedback about our Aftersales Team is extremely disappointing. We have arranged for you to receive a call from the team to restore your faith in Saga Travel and ensure you have everything you need for your holiday. Kind regards Thomas Saga Travel

10 hour flight and seated 10 rows apart!

Ref S171531 Booked a holiday too USA in January. Was previously told by SAGA that we could not choose our own seats on a 10 hour BA flight as it was a group booking, so we (wrongly assumed) that we would all be booked together. We have specifically requested a "next to" seat request. BA just emailed me to provide API. We are seated 10 rows apart. Thank you Saga. Despite raising an issue about the difference between the PDF itinerary and the manage my booking system this still persists as we go away on holiday. We still don't know with any confidence whether we are getting 6, 7, 8 or 9 meals while on holiday as different documents say different things. VERY disappointed in the flight seating arrangements as we have booked and paid ages ago. Thank you for the reply Thomas. The main issue is that we are unable to access our seating arrangements for the return flight and contacting BA is problematic when we're trying to enjoy our holiday. Could you provide assurance that we will be seated together on the return flight please. I don't think that's unreasonable.

Date of experience : 06 June 2024

Hi Philip, Thank you for your review, which we see you have left on our Titan Travel site. Please be assured that our Duty Office will reach out to you via your Tour manager to answer your concerns. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

Exceptional holiday

Very good company. Professional and caring. They use only my the best venues and staff. The recent small ship cruise was very very good. The crew were excellent. Food fabulous but the biggest congratulations goes to Bozo the tour manager. He was outstanding.

Date of experience : 31 May 2024

H Pamela, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a wonderful review. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

Excellent trip, great memories

The organisation was excellent. We loved how our luggage was portered around for us. The hotels were very good. We enjoyed the first one very much as it was large, busy but very well organised & its location & grounds were beautiful. The location of the second hotel was amazing but the lunchtime food was very poor and overpriced. It was a bit too much time spent there. The third hotel was ok. It was very busy and the food wasn’t the best. Ali’s the shuttle buses to the beach were very few and far between. The excursions were amazing and were a good mixture. Our tour guide Michelle was outstanding. She had a great personality and was extremely knowledgeable. Giuseppe our driver was very professional yet friendly and negotiated the roads brilliantly. It was our first Titan tour but it won’t be our last.

Hi Lorraine, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us - it's much appreciated! We are delighted to hear how well your trips with us have been organised, and will make sure your kind comments are shared with Michelle and the team. We look forward to seeing you again on your next Saga Travel adventure Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

It was made so easy

It was made so easy. However 2 days later I am still waiting to hear from someone regarding the SAGA Travel Insurance which I use all the time and there is no change!

Hi Rosemary, Thank you for the 5 star review. I have arranged for our After Sales team to give you a call to confirm your Saga Travel insurance. Kind regards Thomas Saga Travel

Croatia again.

This will be the fifth time we have done this type of holiday. We enjoy them despite the increased hike in price and popularity.

Thank you for taking the time to give us a review.

Very upset customer

I have travelled only with Saga for more years than I like to remember, (I’m 78 years old) first with my husband and since he died 7 years ago, I’ve travelled with them on my own. I have recommended them to everyone, BUT no more, starting in 2025 they are only doing flying holidays (I do river cruises, travelling by Eurostar ) and I am no longer able to fly. I have been informed by them that the decision has been made and they will not be using trains anymore, which is very short sighted of them as talking to the people who go by train they only travel that way because they can’t fly. I am very disappointed 😢 that after all these years I have now got to find another travel company. Saga have replied to the above. And I’m being told to contact them to see what they can do for me BUT as I have already been told (after corresponding with them previously) that they can’t offer any solutions to me and “THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE” what is the point?

Date of experience : 05 June 2024

Hi Pauline, We're really sorry to read about your disappointment. If you could send your contact details over to [email protected], our teams will be able to look into other suitable options for you. We do hope that you will still consider us for your future travel plans, Best Wishes, Deb Saga Travel

The operator handling my inquiry was…

The operator handling my inquiry was very polite and kept me informed of all the aspects of the booking

Date of experience : 14 June 2024

A new experience with Tailormade by Saga

I have travelled with Saga many times and this time used their Tailormade service, which meant that I specified where I would like to go, for how long and that I travelled independently rather than as part of a group. Sarah organised a wonderful trip to Canada, riding the Rocky Mountaineer train, followed by a cruise to Alaska. Exploring out of the way places is the sort of holiday I love but I haven't travelled long haul since before the pandemic and, as I now require accessible accommodation and assistance at airports and on transfers, I felt quite nervous when I left home. I'm happy to say that every step of this holiday went like clockwork, which was so reassuring. It has given me the confidence to travel alone again, so thank you for that, Sarah and Saga.

Date of experience : 22 May 2024

Hi Anne, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with Saga Travel. We are delighted to hear that we were able to exceed your expectations and provide exceptional service. At Saga, we are dedicated to providing our clients with a personal and tailored experience, and it is comments like yours that make our efforts worthwhile. Kind regards Thomas Saga Travel

Just a brilliant setup

They genuinely hold your hand from start to finish. We went with Saga last year and we are going with them again this year and even when you are on holiday, they are always there for you.

Date of experience : 08 June 2024

Hi Tracy, Thank you for your sharing your positive experience with Saga Travel. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

We wanted to visit Italy

We wanted to visit Italy, and toyed with a cruise but not enough time to see what we wanted. Decided to go with a Saga holiday, two destinations which hopefully will give us what we require. Looking forward to our holiday later in the year.

Date of experience : 03 June 2024

Hi Colin, Thanks for your review. We're so pleased that you chose us for your upcoming trip and we hope you have a fantastic time. Best Wishes, Nick Saga Travel

Just got back from a superb SAGA hosted…

Just got back from a superb SAGA hosted 7 night stay at The Hotel Sans Souci in Gabicce Mare (Nr Rimini) Italy. An exceptional boutique hotel overlooking the beach. The included half board food package was first class and the staff really friendly and attentive. Our SAGA rep (Lynette) was so helpful and attentive. There are bags of intersting things to do and see including side trips to Urbino and San Marino....and a really high quality market on Saturday mornings at nearby Catollica.....plus don't miss out on a short train ride to Rimini... Click on thr following

Date of experience : 21 May 2024

Hi Jonathan, We have loved reading your review about our Saga Hosted stays hotel. Thank you for your feedback. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel.

Japans real essence

All arranged including door to door “vip”pickup. Travel to and from Japan was straightforward. The trip around Japan (Essence of Japan) was well organised but very full on. We were fortunate to have a great Tour Manager and also super local tour guide whose English was good. We were also travelling with a lovely group which again enhanced the experience.

Date of experience : 20 May 2024

Hi John, Thanks for taking the time to share your review. We're thrilled to hear that you had such a great time exploring Japan and that the local team looked after you so well. We look forward to helping you with your future travel plans, Best Wishes, Nick Saga Travel

Give us old people time to consider the…

Give us old people time to consider the total package before you take in the Credit Card a nd passport details. The booking telephone call was made 32 days before departure and all details taken on the same day. The lady was extremely pleasant but rather hasty in securing the booking. She has been trying to help me recover the full cost . So far we have agreed just 50% refund but still awaiting confirmation. The 15 day cooling off period ignored. This sticks in the throat

Date of experience : 16 May 2024

Hi Stephen, We're really sorry to hear that you have had cause to cancel your booking. We never like to think that any of our customers are unhappy with the service received. We understand that our senior managers are aware of your case and offered to look at alternative options that would be more suitable. Unfortunately, bookings cancelled close to the travel date do incur fees, some of which have been waived as a gesture of goodwill on this occasion. We do hope that you find a suitable holiday, Best Wishes, Deb Saga Travel

Safe and friendly drivers

Safe and friendly drivers. Tour manager always keen to help. Two of the three hotels we stayed were excellent but the third hotel - the Hotel Caesar Palace in Giardini Naxos -was geared more for family holidays rather than older tourists. No porterage. The quality of the food left alot to be desired, particularly the meat joints which were very tough and fatty. But for this hotel we would have awarded 5 stars.

Hi David, Thank you for your amazing feedback about our Secrets of Southern Italy and Sicily tour. We love to hear our customers opinions about all aspects of our tours as it helps us to ensure our tours are meeting our customer expectations. We hope to see you again on another Saga holiday. Kind regards, Thomas Saga Travel

U.S. News takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

The 5 Best Annual Travel Insurance Plans of 2024

Allianz Travel Insurance »

AIG Travel Guard »

Seven Corners »

GeoBlue »

Trawick International »

Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Annual Travel Insurance Plans.

Table of Contents

• Allianz Travel Insurance
• AIG Travel Guard

Buying travel insurance can be a smart move for most trips, but those who travel more than a few times a year should consider an annual travel insurance policy. Whether you regularly travel for business and/or take several vacations a year, annual travel insurance plans can help you get the coverage you need without having to price out and purchase protection every time you leave home.

If you find yourself in a situation where an annual plan makes sense, know that not all travel insurance companies offer this kind of coverage. You'll also want to consider the available annual travel insurance plans to see which options make sense for your travel style and the level of coverage you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

Annual travel insurance plans all work in their own way, but the majority let travelers pay one annual premium for coverage that lasts for up to 364 days. These plans often limit the length of individual trips that are covered within the coverage year. Per-trip and annual limits on coverage can also apply.

In some cases, annual travel insurance plans require a deductible or coinsurance for certain types of coverage. If you're considering an annual travel insurance plan because you take multiple trips each year, make sure you read over the policy details and understand all coverage limits and trip limits that apply.

The cost of annual travel insurance typically varies based on factors like the age of the travelers applying, included benefits and coverage limits. You will want to shop around to compare plans across multiple providers using a platform like TravelInsurance.com or Squaremouth before you settle on a travel insurance policy.

To provide an example of the cost of annual travel insurance, U.S. News applied for a quote for two 40-year-old travelers seeking coverage for eight trips over a 12-month period. The Squaremouth travel insurance portal quoted policies with costs that range from $206 for the GeoBlue Trekker Essential plan to $610 for the Safe Travels Annual Deluxe plan by Trawick International.

Annual travel insurance can be worth it if you take multiple trips each year and want to make sure you always have coverage in place. After all, the alternative to having a multitrip policy is buying a new travel insurance plan for every vacation you take. That's not always feasible for frequent travelers who are always jetting off somewhere new – often at the last minute.

Just keep in mind that annual travel insurance plans tend to come with lower coverage limits than plans for single trips, and that you'll pay a premium for coverage that comes with comprehensive benefits and high limits for medical expenses and emergency evacuation.

• Allianz Travel Insurance: Best Overall
• AIG Travel Guard: Best for Basic Coverage
• Seven Corners: Best for Medical
• GeoBlue: Best for Expats
• Trawick International: Best for the Cost

Tailor your annual travel insurance plan to your needs

Most plans include coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, travel delays, medical expenses, and more

Lowest-tier plans (AllTrips Basic and AllTrips Prime) come with no or relatively low coverage limits for trip cancellation

Most annual plans (except for AllTrips Premier) do not cover trips longer than 45 days

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to between $2,000 and $15,000
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to between $2,000 and $15,000
• Emergency medical coverage worth up to $50,000
• Up to $500,000 in emergency medical transportation coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for lost or damaged baggage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage delays
• Travel delay coverage worth up to $1,500 ($300 daily limit)
• Rental car coverage worth up to $45,000
• Up to $50,000 in travel accident coverage
• 24-hour hotline assistance and concierge service

SEE FULL REVIEW »

Annual Travel Insurance Plan offers year-round travel insurance protection

Relatively high limits for medical expenses ($50,000) and emergency evacuation ($500,000)

No trip cancellation coverage and relatively low limit ($2,500) for trip interruption coverage

No coverage for preexisting medical conditions

• Up to $2,500 in coverage for trip interruption
• Up to $1,500 in coverage for trip delays of five-plus hours ($150 per day limit)
• Missed connection coverage worth up to $500
• Up to $2,500 in baggage insurance
• Baggage delay coverage worth up to $1,000 for delays of at least 12 hours.
• Up to $50,000 for emergency medical expenses ($500 for emergency dental sublimit)
• Up to $500,000 for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains
• Up to $50,000 in accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Up to $100,000 in protection for security evacuation

Provides coverage worth up to $250,000 for emergency medical expenses

Tailor other included benefit levels to your needs

Coverage only applies to trips up to 40 days

Deductible up to $100 applies for emergency medical coverage and baggage and personal effects

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to between $2,500 and $10,000
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to 150% of the trip cancellation limit
• Up to $2,000 in trip delay coverage ($200 daily limit)
• Up to $1,000 in protection for missed connections
• Up to $250,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses ($50,000 in New Hampshire)
• $750 dental sublimit within emergency medical coverage
• Up to $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage and personal effects
• Baggage delay coverage worth up to $1,000 ($100 daily limit)
• 24/7 travel assistance services

Get annual coverage for medical expenses and routine medical care

High limits for medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation

GeoBlue plans don't offer comprehensive travel protection

Deductibles and copays apply

• Ambulatory and therapeutic services
• Inpatient hospital services
• Emergency medical services
• Rehabilitation and therapy
• Preventive and primary care

Choose among three tiers of annual travel protection

Option for basic protection with affordable premiums

No coverage for preexisting conditions

Maximum trip duration of 30 days per trip

• Trip cancellation coverage up to $2,500 maximum per year
• Trip interruption coverage up to $2,500 maximum per year
• $200 per trip for trip delays (up to $100 per day for delays of 12 hours or longer)
• Up to $500 in coverage per trip for baggage and personal effects
• Baggage delay coverage up to $100 per trip
• Up to $10,000 for emergency medical expenses per trip
• Up to $50,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage per trip
• Up to $10,000 in AD&D coverage
• 24-hour travel assistance services

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a travel expert who has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world. On a personal level, her family uses an annual travel insurance policy from Allianz. Johnson works alongside her husband, Greg – who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states – within their family media business and travel agency .

You might also be interested in:

The 5 Best Family Travel Insurance Plans

Holly Johnson

Explore the options to protect your family wherever you roam.

8 Cheapest Travel Insurance Companies Worth the Cost

U.S. News rates the cheapest travel insurance options, considering pricing data, expert recommendations and consumer reviews.

The 6 Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance Plans

Protect your trip and give yourself peace of mind with the top options.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It? Yes, in These 3 Scenarios

These are the scenarios when travel insurance makes most sense.

Get Better Insurance

Saga travel insurance quotes

You could save money, get better cover, or both.

Get the best Saga travel insurance quotes

To make the most of your holiday, a Saga travel insurance policy is there to cover cancellation, lost luggage, delayed flights, stolen property, illness and injury. No all that’s left is for you to enjoy your travels. Sometimes, travel insurance is called ‘holiday insurance’.

You don’t legally need it to travel, but it could help you out financially if something happened while you were away. If you end up in an unexpected situation when you’re travelling, you might have to pay a lot more money than you were expecting to. But travel insurance can save the day and help cover your expenses. If you want to get the best Saga travel insurance quotes, apply now for free!

The Wiser Choice

We are committed to helping you get the insurance cover you need at no cost to you

Quick & Simple

Find cover from anywhere, at any time. Our application takes less than 3 minutes to complete.

Get the best cover options from the comfort of home. Skip the hassle of waiting in line.

Stress Free

No deadlines, contracts, or obligations. Simply apply online and we’ll do the rest.

We’re here to help.

Here are some frequently asked questions about travel insurance. Have a different question? Contact us today.

What affects Saga travel insurance quotes?

Saga travel insurance quotes are dependent on a few factors. Insurance providers take into account the length of your trip, your travel location(s), your age and medical history, etc.

What can you do to save on Saga travel insurance quotes?

You are already taking the first steps to saving on travel insurance. When you apply with Shieldwise , we automatically match you with the best deal for your situation.

Why should I have Saga travel insurance anyway?

Insurance policies in the UK are meant to protect your property or the person insured. Travel insurance is meant to protect your belongings and you from the financial burden of theft, a serious illness or an unexpected change in your travel plans due to an accident or disaster. This helps guarantee that the cost of changing plans, your medical care, or replacing your belongings is no big deal while you are on holiday.

What should I look for in a good Saga travel insurance policy?

When buying travel insurance, always check that you are aware of the key factors that could affect your trip. Pay attention to who the travel insurance pays out to and how long it takes the travel insurance company to pay out. In the event you need to use the travel insurance policy, these two things will affect the ease of your experience.

If I am young and healthy, do I really need Saga travel insurance?

The main thing to consider when getting travel insurance is whether you will require financial assistance in the case of an accident or unexpected event on your trip. Will you be able to make alternate plans, replace your belongings, or pay for unexpected medical bills comfortably? Or will they likely struggle financially or fall into debt? Regardless of your age, if you would need a little extra financial support in an emergency situation, it is wise to get travel insurance cover.

Get Wiser Travel Insurance Covers

The best insurance matcher in the UK

More ways to find a great travel insurance quote

• Greater London
• Greater Manchester
• West Midlands
• West Yorkshire
• All Counties
• Columbus Direct
• All Companies
• Backpacking
• Single-Trip
• All Quote Types
• Business Insurance
• Health Insurance
• Home Insurance
• Life Insurance

• Travel Insurance

Quick Quote

• Airline Travel Insurance Review
• Country Travel Health Insurance
• Country Traveler Information
• Cruise Company Insurance Review
• Insurance Carrier Review
• Travel Company Insurance Review
• City Guides

SAGA Travel Insurance - 2024 Review

Saga travel insurance.

• Strong Insurance Partner
• Designed for Seniors
• Excellent Coverage
• Not Available To US Residents

Sharing is caring!

SAGA Travel Insurance is offered by SAGA, a UK company that offers products and services to consumers who are 50 years and over. It is reported to have in excess of 2.7 million customers.

As a brand, SAGA is generally very well regarded and strives to offer goods and services which are tailored to its over-50 members.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Website

The SAGA website is well presented with good colors and font size which are clearly legible. The tabs across the home page let the user navigate around the site with ease.

Saga Travel Insurance is just one of the products offered. SAGA also has Saga Car Insurance, Saga Home Insurance as well as additional tabs on its home page for  Holidays ,  Money ,  Care ,  Health  and  Magazine .

The tab to direct customers to Saga Travel Insurance is clear and obvious and sends the customer to a page where they can choose either buy SAGA Travel Insurance Single Trip or a SAGA Travel Insurance Annual Multi-Trip.

SAGA also makes it easy to navigate directly to the policy documentation with just a few clicks on the ‘Single Trip’ on the left column, and following the prompts offered to download the policy document.

Having selected single trip, the quote screen has really simple functionality to progress the quote and the steps to complete your purchase and the progress you are making are shown clearly at the top of the page.

For trip destination, we see a feature we really like. The customer merely starts typing their destination into the search parameter, and the website auto completes their destination, becoming more accurate as they continue to type. It also offers the user the ability to add additional countries to their trip.

The departure date is a calendar drop down box, and once selected, you are immediately offered a click button for some of the most likely vacation durations, including seven nights, ten nights and 14 nights. The final option allows you to select your own dates of travel.

For our trip, our two travelers aged 62 are going to France on March 1, 2023 – March 19, 2023.

After entering all the details of the trip and listing any pre-existing medical conditions (in minute detail) are we taken to the purchase page. However, not until you get to the purchase page does it tell you that you must have your primary home in the UK and that your trip must start and stop in the UK!

Therefore, this insurance won’t work for US travelers going TO the UK or Europe. For US residents traveling overseas, we recommend shopping at a marketplace like CruiseInsurance101 which will provide you with options for travel insurance policies enabling you to choose a policy that will give you the coverage you want for your travel needs.

For UK residents looking for travel insurance from SAGA, let’s look at what their policy provides.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Policy

For UK residents who choose to purchase SAGA insurance, either a single-trip or multi-trip policy is available. The single-trip SAGA travel insurance offers the customer a 14-day free-look period, also known as a cooling-off period.

SAGA Travel Insurance - Coverage

When we turn to the coverage limits, we see the cancellation limit is £10,000. This may be sufficient for many travelers, but there will be some for whom this limit is insufficient for their travel needs and may not provide sufficient coverage for the trip they have booked.

The medical and associated expenses coverage is £10 million. This would seem to provide a substantial level of cover that we would be happy to support. Additional coverage includes £2m of personal liability and £50,000 of legal expenses.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Job Loss (Redundancy)

Cover for loss of job is included, although the wording is quite restrictive. Note that there is no specified minimum period that a person must have worked with their employer. This should not be taken as meaning that no minimum period exists. The policy states that cover is for redundancy and that:

“ you or your travelling companion have been given a notice of redundancy and are receiving payment under the current redundancy payments legislation ”

The UK legislation on redundancy requires an employee to have worked continuously for their employer for two years before they are entitled to receive payments under the redundancy legislation.

This means that although the SAGA Travel Insurance doesn’t specifically state it in so many words, they require a customer to have been continuously employed for two years before being able to gain cover for loss of job under a SAGA travel insurance plan. This is slightly more restrictive than the normal 12 months continuous employment that we like to see in a travel insurance plan.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Medical Care

When we turn to the section of coverage dealing with medical and associated expenses, the first paragraph of the policy immediately looks restrictive.

“What is covered. This section provides insurance for medical and associated costs not covered by the National Health Service or any reciprocal health agreement. This is not private medical insurance.”

The policy speaks in terms of expenses not covered by the National Health Service (NHS) or by a “ reciprocal health agreement” . What this appears to mean is that private hospitals and private associated costs are not covered within the United Kingdom or Europe.

This is on the basis that the NHS covers all medical and associated costs for a UK citizen, and that within Europe, there exist reciprocal arrangements so that each other European country's own health service will be provided to a UK citizen for free, or at a substantial discount, and the UK will act in a similar manner to citizens of other European countries if they need medical assistance whilst in the UK.

It is hard to envision a scenario where a UK citizen traveling in Europe or the UK could ever possibly incur medical and associated costs against their insurance plan. Every medical issue they might have would be covered by the NHS in the UK, or the equivalent within other member states. However, where a traveler is heading further afield than the UK and EU, such as a trip to the USA or Canada, then we see the true benefit of the medical cover coming into play. Imagine being taken ill on a trip to the USA. The costs of medical services, hospital procedures and repatriation back to the UK could quickly mount up.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Pre-existing Conditions

It is possible to cover a pre-existing condition with SAGA Travel Insurance, but any condition must be specified in great detail when buying the travel insurance, and you must continue to inform SAGA if your pre-existing condition changes prior to departure. There is no pre-existing condition waiver.

SAGA Travel Insurance also does not provide the customer with a time-sensitive period to purchase their insurance following initial trip payment to unlock any additional travel insurance benefits – for example, pre-existing condition waiver.

Pre-existing condition waiver is a term used where the normal exclusion that would prevent a traveler with a pre-existing condition getting cover being waived. Typically, with this type of waiver the traveler must be medically fit and stable when the travel policy is bought and needs to buy the travel insurance within a prescribed number of days following the initial trip payment date.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Single Trip Price Comparison

Next let’s turn to the price of the insurance.

Without anything to compare against, our travelers have no idea whether the product and price being offered represents good value and coverage, or whether they may be paying far too much for what may be inferior coverage. Only when we compare and contrast in the travel insurance marketplace will we discover the quality of the plan that SAGA offers.

Interestingly, when filling out the quote, we were not asked about cost of the trip. Having added all of these trip and personal details into the SAGA website, the price offered by SAGA for their single-trip travel insurance was £114.70.

To enable us to compare whether the SAGA travel insurance plan offers good or bad value and cover for money, we ran the same quote criteria through a UK travel insurance comparison website, similar to CruiseInsurance101. The travel insurance comparison site came up with over 60 options of alternative coverage and listed them from cheapest to most expensive. The user then has the ability to sort by various headings, including rating and cover.

SAGA Travel Insurance – Travel Insurance Marketplace

As we have seen time and time again when reviewing single travel insurance products offered by airlines, member organizations and travel agents, the price of coverage available from a travel insurance comparison website was substantially lower for policies that were equal to or higher than that offered by SAGA.

However, to ensure that we are comparing like for like coverage, we filtered the results by the rating, to ensure that we only viewed insurance plans that offered the same 5-star Defaqto (similar to AM Best in the US) rating.

With this filter in place, we were able to see a true comparison of the alternative plans available on the open market versus the single-trip plan offered by the SAGA website and can make a better-informed decision as to the best travel insurance policy for our needs.

This is no surprise to us at CruiseInsurance101. We know that a travel insurance marketplace like the one used in this example is the best way to find great value and coverage for a traveler. That is why we built CruiseInsurance101, to quickly and easily give our customers the ability to compare and contrast multiple insurance plans in one easy-to-use website.

In summary, if you are a SAGA member looking to buy travel insurance, our advice is to use a comparison marketplace where you can compare multiple travel insurance plans from many of the largest providers. This will allow you to compare the product and price offered to you by SAGA and decide which travel insurance plan offers you best value and cover.

For US travelers looking for travel insurance, we encourage you to run a quote at CruiseInsurance101 and compare leading US-based travel insurance companies.

Safe travels!

This article has been written for review purposes only and does not suggest sponsorship or endorsement of AARDY by the trademark owner.

Recent AARDY Travel Insurance Customer Reviews

When you need help they respond

I had chosen the wrong dates for my cruise insurance and the agent responded to my request for help the agent responded immediately.

Travel Insurance for a Cruise

The results display of multiple policies made the comparison very simple, together with ability to obtain an explanation on the phone from Amanda, a representative of the Client Service Team.

Well pleased

Destiny was super helpful,answered all the questions I had and explained everything in great detail..