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Travel insurance

Compare holiday insurance quotes to get the right level of cover for your next trip

Choose additional cover tailored to your holiday, including cruise, business and winter sports cover
Find cover for pre-existing medical conditions
Compare a range of policy types, including single-trip, annual cover and family travel insurance

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

Why is travel insurance important?

Travel insurance, also known as holiday insurance, could help to ensure that you're covered for anything unexpected that may happen before or during your trip.

For most countries, travel insurance isn't a legal requirement, but some countries do ask you to buy travel insurance before you fly. For example, if you're travelling to Cuba you must have travel insurance otherwise you won't be granted entry into the country.

Buying a travel insurance policy can help you reclaim all or some of your costs if you need to cancel your holiday plans. Cancellation cover is included as part of most travel insurance policies, but some can vary so you need to check exactly what’s on offer.

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

Even if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), it's still a good idea to buy travel insurance. There is a limit to what a EHIC or GHIC card can cover and they don't recover costs for cancellations or lost baggage. Here are 2 examples of EHIC or GHIC benefits from the Association of British Insurers (ABI):

The cost of treatment for injuries following a fall in France was £80,000. The GHIC covered £64,000 of this, leaving £16,000 that the individual’s travel insurance company covered.
Another individual’s travel insurer paid out £67,000 for medical treatment for a lung condition that included private medical treatment in the Canary Islands and repatriation back to the UK.

A travel insurance policy can cover these costs, but it also protects you in other circumstances.

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

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When should I buy holiday insurance?

It's important to consider buying travel insurance soon after you book your trip. You can buy travel insurance at any time up to your departure date. But buying your policy early could cover you for more, including a cancellation.

ATOL protection can only protect you if your holiday provider goes out of business.

What our travel insurance expert says?

"Summer travel brings excitement, whether that's planning your family holiday or a summer travelling around the world. It's important to think about travel insurance and what you need cover for while you're away.

"Even though it's warmer in most places, summer holidays can still be affected by extreme weather. Having travel insurance in place as soon as you book your holiday covers you for any cancellations, as well as cover for repatriation and medical expenses, leaving you time to enjoy your summer break."

Alvaro Iturmendi Insurance expert

How to compare travel insurance quotes

Tell us about yourself

We need to know the cover you need, and whether you're travelling solo or with a family or group.

Choose your level of cover

Tell us if there's any additional cover you need or whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions.

We'll do the hard work

We'll show you quotes from up to 43¹ different travel insurance companies. Choose the policy that best suits your needs.

¹Correct as of March 2024

Important information

All insurance products exclude cover for known events. These are global events that can put you in danger and/or disrupt travel. The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of this. This exclusion applies if the event was declared as a ‘known event' when you bought your insurance.

If you're travelling to a place where there's a known event, such as the ongoing conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, you will not be covered by your travel insurance.

If you travel against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice or fail to comply with your destination's entry requirements, you won't be covered by any travel insurance you buy.

What type of cover do I need?

Backpackers travel insurance

If you're travelling through multiple countries on a trip lasting 1 to 18 months, choose this type of travel insurance.

Single-trip travel insurance

This might work out more cost-effective for people who take multiple trips each year. Most policies have a trip length limit of 31 days.

Annual multi-trip travel insurance

If you're travelling as a couple, it might be cheaper to take out combined cover rather than 2 individual policies.

Compare travel insurance quotes

Get a quote

What does travel insurance cover?

Exactly what's covered by travel insurance varies between providers, so check the details of your policy carefully before buying.

What's usually covered

Medical treatment

Anyone who's listed on your policy will be covered for medical treatment

Cancellation cover

Provides cover for your flights or accommodation if you need to cancel your holiday unexpectedly

Theft, accidental damage or loss

If your personal possessions or baggage go missing or are damaged while you're on holiday

Emergency repatriation

If you or anyone listed on your policy fall ill or are seriously injured during your trip and need to return home

Travel disruption

If you're unable to make your onward travel plans because of bad weather, strikes or mechanical issues

What's usually not covered

Travelling against FCDO advice

If you travel to a country that the FCDO advises against, you won't be covered. This includes countries with travel warnings or any safety and security concerns

Pre-existing medical conditions

Any medical conditions that aren't declared when you buy your policy won't be covered and will need a specialist policy

Incidents involving drugs or alcohol

Any injuries you sustain while under the influence won't be covered

Known events

This includes natural disasters. If an event like this occurs before you buy your policy and you still travel, you won't be covered

Extreme sports or activities

Activities like scuba diving or skiing usually require a specialist policy

Changing your mind

If you decide you don't want to travel anymore, you won't be covered for anything you've already paid for

How much does travel insurance cost?

How much you pay for holiday insurance depends on your personal circumstances. Here's how much it could cost depending on the type of policy you buy:

Policy type	Price
Family travel insurance	£19.37¹
Single-trip travel insurance	£2.93²
Annual cover	£11.85³
Couples travel insurance	£5.60⁴
Over-50s travel insurance	£8.20⁵

The amount you pay depends on:

Where you're going
How much cover you want
How many people are named on the policy
Whether anyone named on the policy has any pre-existing medical conditions
Whether you want to add any additional cover

¹The cheapest price for a single-trip family travel insurance policy. Based on family of 4, including 2 adults over 30 and 2 children under 10 with no previous medical conditions travelling to Spain for 7 nights. Confused.com data - April 2024.

²The cheapest price for a single-trip travel insurance policy. Based on a 30-year-old with no previous medical conditions travelling to Spain for 3 nights. Confused.com data - April 2024.

³The cheapest price for a European annual travel insurance policy. Based on a 30-year-old with no previous medical conditions. Confused.com data - April 2024.

⁴The cheapest price for a single-trip travel insurance policy. Based on 2 30-year-olds with no previous medical conditions travelling to Spain for 3 nights. Confused.com data - April 2024.

⁵The cheapest price for a single-trip travel insurance policy. Based on 2 55-year-old with no previous medical conditions travelling to Spain for 3 nights. Confused.com data - April 2024.

How to get cheaper travel insurance

Compare quotes

When you have decided what cover you need, shopping around and comparing quotes can help you save money.

Choose the right type of travel insurance

If you only travel once a year, buying a single-trip policy might be cheaper. If you travel regularly throughout the year, it can be cost-effective to buy an annual policy, rather than multiple single-trip policies.

Consider family, couple or group insurance

If you're travelling with other people, you might benefit from buying one group insurance policy together, rather than individually. However, if someone you're travelling with has pre-existing medical conditions, it might be cheaper to buy individual policies.

Avoid extras you don't need

If you're not doing any activities on your trip, like skiing or snowboarding, avoid adding these to your policy. They come at an added cost, so including cover for them when you don't need it means you're paying more than necessary.

Travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition

Some insurers might not cover you if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Others might only offer you insurance that's more expensive. This is because you might need emergency medical attention for certain conditions while you're on holiday. Some pre-existing conditions include:

Diabetes
Cancer
Stroke
Serious heart conditions
Respiratory conditions
Terminal illnesses

You must tell your insurer about any health issues to make sure you've got the right cover. If you don't and need to make a claim, it could be rejected and you may have to pay for the medical treatment yourself. If in doubt, contact the insurer before buying your travel insurance.

If you can't find suitable cover, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) might be able to help. This organisation has set up a directory of insurers who cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions through their brand MoneyHelper. You can also phone MaPS for free, impartial advice on 0800 138 7777.

Additional cover for your holiday

Ski cover

Winter sports insurance will cover you if the weather is too bad to ski or for any lost or damaged equipment.

Gadget insurance

If your phone or laptop is damaged, lost or stolen while you're on holiday, gadget cover provides up to £1,000 towards replacements or repairs.

Cruise cover

Includes cover for cruise interruption, cabin confinement, any unused excursions and missed port during your trip.

Business cover

Business cover offers the same level of cover as standard travel insurance, but with tailored extras for equipment, business money and alternative travel.

Why use Confused.com?

We're regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and so are all the travel insurance companies we work with. This means we follow strict regulations to make sure you're treated fairly and get the best policy for your needs.
We work with our trusted partner, theidol.com, an authorised intermediary who specialise in insurance comparison. They help us select the best available quotes for you from our range of travel insurance providers.

We compare quotes from our 43 travel insurance providers to ensure you have the right level of cover for your holiday. So you can focus on enjoying your trip.
We helped over 250,000 customers get travel insurance last year, so they're able to relax and enjoy their holiday knowing they have the right cover in place.

Expert help and support

All the information you see on our website is reviewed by our expert panel. This is made up of experienced professionals working in the insurance and personal finance industry. Our dedicated insurance specialists are here to help you throughout your journey.

If you have any questions about your travel insurance, you can fill out our online form. Our customer support team will get back to you within 5 working days.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Our office address is 2nd Floor, Greyfriars House, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, CF10 3AL, United Kingdom.

Find out more about who we are, how we make money from insurance and more on our about us page.

Types of travel insurance

Family travel insurance

Covers 2 adults and up to 8 children with 1 policy.

European travel insurance

Covers you for any holidays you have planned in Europe.

Long stay travel insurance

Long stay travel insurance is the perfect policy for those who plan to travel for an extended period of up to 18 months.

Over 50s travel insurance

Provides quotes for travellers over the age of 50.

Worldwide travel insurance

Covers you for travel to multiple locations around the world.

Adventure travel insurance

Covers you to take part in certain activities when you’re on holiday.

Pregnancy travel insurance

Helps provide peace of mind for any unexpected problems while away.

Travel insurance for popular destinations

Travel insurance for Australia

Travel insurance for Cuba

Travel insurance for Dubai

Travel insurance for Turkey

Travel insurance for the USA

Need more help?

How do I make a claim on my travel insurance?

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

Make sure you keep any relevant documents to hand:

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

Has Covid-19 affected travel insurance

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

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

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

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

Do I need travel insurance for the UK?

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

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

Travel insurance guides

Travelling to the USA? Then don't forget ESTA

For any holidays or trip to the USA you'll need as ESTA. We take you through what it is and how to apply for one.

Emergency travel documents

Losing your passport or having it stolen is a nightmare scenario. As well as enabling you to travel freely, your passport is also a recognised proof of identity.

EHIC and GHIC cards

An EHIC or GHIC card can provide vital peace of mind if you need medical treatment when you're overseas. Get the lowdown on how they work and what's changed since we left the EU with our guide.

How much will being overweight on baggage or luggage cost you?

Adding a few extra items to your baggage can end up costing you a lot of money. Here's our top tips to avoid those charges!

Page last reviewed: 4 April 2024

Reviewed by: Alvaro Iturmendi

Confused.com's Travel Insurance solution is provided by theIdol.com. theidol.com is a trading style of Investment Discounts On-Line Ltd and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office; Investment Discounts On-Line Ltd, One Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AA. Registered in England no: 04231834. theidol.com is part of the Legal & General group.

Our service is free and compares a wide range of trusted household names. Confused.com is an intermediary and receives commission from theidol.com if you decide to buy through our website which is based on a percentage of the total annual premium. We pride ourselves on impartiality and independence – therefore we don't promote any one insurance provider over another.