travel insurance for usa trip

• 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 Discover It® Cash Back Discover It® Student Chrome Discover It® Student Cash Back Chase Ink Business Unlimited American Express Blue Business Plus
• Credit Card by Issuer Best Chase Cards Best Discover Cards Best American Express Cards Best Visa Credit Cards Best Bank of America 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 October 2024

Amy Fontinelle

Heidi Gollub

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

Updated 2:01 p.m. UTC Oct. 14, 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 over 40 travel insurance policies and nearly 2,000 coverage details. 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 baggage insurance limits.

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.

• 1,918 coverage details evaluated.
• 588 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

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 benefits and for baggage damage or loss. This means the travel insurance company will pay your claim first and then seek recovery from any responsible third party. Plans with secondary coverage may be cheaper, but for the amount of hassle you can save when filing a claim, I recommend looking for a plan with primary coverage.” 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.
• 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 want missed connections coverage for any trip, I recommend buying a plan like TravelSafe Classic. It offers up to $2,500 in missed connection coverage and doesn’t restrict this benefit to cruises and tours like many policies do.” 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 for trip interruption coverage

Why it’s the best

If you need to cut your trip short and head home early for a covered reason, PrimeCover Luxe has the best trip interruption coverage of all our top-rated plans. This top-tier travel insurance plan offers trip interruption coverage of up to 200% of your trip cost. You also have the option to add a rare “interruption for any reason” (IFAR) coverage upgrade for even more flexibility with your travel plans.

• Trip interruption coverage of up to 200% of total trip cost.
• Excellent $1 million emergency medical evacuation and $100,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Pre-existing medical condition waiver available if you buy travel insurance within 21 days of first trip deposit.
• Good primary medical coverage of $250,000.
• Luxe plan is the most expensive of our best-rated travel insurance plans.

There are no reviews online for PrimeCover yet as it is a relatively new product offering.

Heidi’s expert take: “PrimeCover Luxe is on the high end of cost in our rating, but it does offer robust coverage for the price. If you’re concerned about the money you’d lose if you had to end your trip early, it offers an “interruption for any reason” (IFAR) coverage option, which I don’t see very often. With IFAR, you can pull the plug on your trip for any reason and seek up to 60% reimbursement for any prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses you’ll lose.” 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, I recommend looking for a plan that will cover them for free, like Travelex. The number of children you can add to a Travelex 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: “Nationwide Choice Cruise 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 first. Since your health insurance won’t help you at sea, I recommend cruisers 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 condition 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.

Our partners

Travel insured.

Via TravelInsurance.com’s website

Worldwide Trip Protector

Covers COVID?

Medical & evacuation limits per person

$100,000/$1 million

Atlas Journey Preferred

Seven Corners

RoundTrip Basic

$500,000/$1 million

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,918 coverage details and 588 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.

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. 

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.

Editor’s note: While our parent company has an interest in PrimeCover, this review was subjected to our team’s standard, rigorous editorial process, which remains independent of any influence from insurance companies, business relationships, affiliates or any other external parties.

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 former managing editor of insurance at USA TODAY Blueprint. Heidi is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert. She has expertise in travel insurance, pet insurance, home insurance, car insurance, health insurance and life insurance. Heidi previously led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. With 15 years of service journalism experience, Heidi cares deeply about helping people make smart decisions with their money. She creates unbiased, data-driven methodologies to determine the best insurance products and works with the insurance team on content that simplifies complex subjects for readers.

10 worst US airports for flight cancellations this week

Travel insurance Kara McGinley

10 worst US airports for flight cancellations last week

Travel insurance for a trip to Australia

Travel insurance Alyce Meserve

How to get reimbursement for a travel insurance claim

Travel insurance Mandy Sleight

How travel insurance works for baggage

Travel insurance Erica Lamberg

What does travel delay insurance cover?

Travel insurance for UK trips

Travel insurance Amy Fontinelle

What is trip interruption insurance?

What are your rights during an airline meltdown?

Hurricanes and travel insurance

Generali Global Assistance travel insurance review 2024

Travel insurance Jennifer Simonson

Travel insurance for vacations to Italy

Travel insurance Timothy Moore

Tricky travel insurance questions answered by experts

Survey: 20% of Americans have had a life-changing experience while traveling

Our travel insurance ratings methodology

Travel insurance Heidi Gollub

• How we get paid

USA travel insurance

Find travel insurance for the USA. [1]

Do I need travel insurance for the USA?

You're not required to have travel insurance  for your trip to the USA, but as flights, accommodation and healthcare, in particular, are so expensive, it'll cover you if the trip takes an unexpected turn.

Worldwide travel insurance (inclusive of the USA) will cover medical expenses if you're ill or injured, if you lose your luggage and possessions, if you’re a victim of crime, and if your trip is cancelled for any reason that’s not your fault.

Healthcare cover for the USA

Receiving treatment for an injury or illness can be extremely expensive in the USA, but the right travel insurance policy will account for the costs involved.

Before you travel, pack a printed copy of your travel insurance documents which contains the details of the medical cover - if you need to visit the hospital, you’ll have all the information you need to claim.

What type of cover should I consider for a trip to the USA?

Repatriation.

If you’re taken seriously ill while you’re in America, medical expenses cover will pay for the cost of flights and transport back to a hospital in the UK. You can find out more about repatriation cover and travel insurance in our guide.

Lost luggage

If you’ve booked a shopping trip to the states, your bags will be worth more on the way home. In any case, your luggage contains your possessions and possibly valuable cameras, tablets and laptops, passports and travel money.

You can claim on your travel insurance If your baggage is lost or damaged, but you may need a separate gadgets policy if you have numerous items of expensive tech and they exceed the single item limit cover in the policy.

Travel insurance protects your possessions for the entire trip, and during outbound and inbound flights. But the value varies - read more in our lost and delayed luggage cover guide.

Travel disruption

Travel insurance will usually cover the cost of your expenses, like a night in a hotel, under travel disruption cover. It’s not covered under every policy, but if you’ve got to make numerous connecting flights once in the states, it’s worth checking what cover you have.

DO I NEED A VISA TO TRAVEL TO THE USA FROM THE UK?

To visit or transit through the United States as a non-national, you need permission either in the form of a visa or authorisation for visa-free travel with ESTA.

ESTA is an online facility that allows eligible people to receive approved travel authorisation to the United States under its Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).

The VWP enables people from certain designated countries, including the UK, to travel to the United States for tourism or business stays of 90 days or less without the need to obtain a visa.

If your trip to the USA is for business or pleasure, for 90 days or less, and you’re a citizen of one of the 40 VWP-eligible countries (which includes the UK), you need to apply for travel authorisation via ESTA.

For trips longer than 90 days you’ll require a visa.

There are also other incidences where you may not be eligible for an ESTA visa waiver and will need to apply for a visa instead. These include if:

• You’ve travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen on or after 1 March 2011
• You’ve travelled to or have been in Cuba
• You’ve been arrested (even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction)
• You have a criminal record
• You’ve been refused admission into, or have been deported from the USA previously
• You’ve previously overstayed under an ESTA

ESTA APPLICATION AND COSTS

You should apply for an ESTA on the official website of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection .

Make your application as soon as you start planning your trip to the US, before you book flights, but at least 72 hours before travelling.

You’ll need a valid passport and to input basic information about yourself, like your name and date of birth, plus your email address, employers’ details, your US point of contact (the hotel or location you’ll be visiting). You’ll also be asked to answer several security questions.

The application costs $21 per person payable by credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay.

Every member of the party travelling to the US must have an ESTA, including children.

You can only apply for an ESTA online, and travel agents can fill in the form on your behalf.

Annual insurance

If you’re planning on making more than one trip abroad over the next year, annual multi-trip insurance is probably cheaper than multiple single-trip policies  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

It’ll usually take about 20-25 minutes to fill out your ESTA application.

You should find out if you’re approved or rejected for an ESTA straight away, but it could take up to 72 hours.

You’ll receive an application number once your email has been verified. Keep a note of it. You’ll need it to retrieve your application, check its status or to update it.

An approved ESTA application is valid for two years, or until your passport expires - whichever is first. You can take multiple trips to the US without having to renew the ESTA, as long as each stay is not more than 90 days.

One of the most common reasons an ESTA application is denied is if your stay is for more than 90 days. Alternatively it could be because you’ve ticked ‘yes’ to any of the vetting eligibility questions such as if you have a criminal record or have had a previous visa or ESTA rejected.

If you made a mistake on your form, and accidentally ticked yes to an eligibility question, you can try to reapply. But there’s no guarantee your new application will be accepted.

In most circumstances where travel authorisation under an ESTA is rejected, you’d need to apply for a visa from the United States embassy instead.

Travel destination guides

• Travel insurance for Brazil
• Travel insurance for Canada
• Travel insurance for Cuba

Travel insurance for Mexico

• Travel insurance for South America
• Travel insurance for UAE

Our awards and accreditations

We're chuffed to say we've received some snazzy recognition since we started in 2006. Here's a bit more about our awards and accreditations:

Superbrands

Being a Superbrand means dedication to quality, reliability, and distinction. Independently judged, this award recognises trusted companies as providers of excellent service and customer care.

British Insurance Brokers Association

We hear you - 'But you're not an insurer?' you say. And you're right. But our shared goal of doing right by customers is why we’re the only comparison site to be invited to join them.

Insurance Fraud Bureau

We work with the IFB to fight against fraud in the insurance industry. We use their specialist fraud intelligence and data to improve our systems and raise awareness of scams.

Travel insurance guides

Expensive travel destinations.

Find out more

Family travel insurance

Annual travel insurance, winter sports insurance, snowboarding travel insurance.

Travel insurance

Page last reviewed: 11 Janaury 2024

Page reviewed by Gavin Richards

[1] Gocompare.com introduces customers to theidol.com which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Gocompare.com's relationship with theidol.com is limited to that of a business partnership, no common ownership or control rights exist between us. Please note, we cannot be held responsible for the content of external websites and by using the links stated to access these separate websites you will be subject to the terms of use applying to those sites