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The best travel insurance varies depending on your desired coverage, trip value and budget. Below are our top picks for every type of traveler.
If you’re considering traveling domestically or internationally, you might want to invest in a travel insurance policy. In this guide to the best travel insurance companies, you can learn more about travel insurance and see how investing in a policy can help protect your next trip.
We at the Guides Home Team have researched dozens of travel insurance companies and compiled our top picks based on policies offered, cost, customer service and other important factors. Explore some of the best travel insurance companies and plans using our guide below.
Here are our picks for the top travel insurance companies for U.S. residents:
Below is an at-a-glance look at how the best travel companies compare in terms of cost and coverage. We collected costs for a single 35-year-old traveler from Alabama with plans to spend a week in the Bahamas. The trip’s total value is $2,000.
We received quotes directly from each company’s website. The data is updated as of March 2023.
Read further for a more detailed review of each company, including coverage offered, add-on options and additional costs.
Note: Unless otherwise listed, we collected all quotes in the following cost sections from each company’s website using a week-long trip to the Bahamas in November for a 35-year-old traveler.
Berkshire Hathaway’s LuxuryCareTM travel insurance plan is an ideal choice for anyone planning a high-value vacation. Policies are available with higher insurance limits, covering up to $100,000 worth of nonrefundable trip expenses such as unexpected cancellations and medical emergencies. Unlike most travel insurance, this plan also covers cancellations if your child’s school calendar changes, you or your partner becomes pregnant or are approved for adoption and other circumstances.
But the company’s travel insurance division covers more than just luxury travel. Berkshire Hathaway also offers standard travel insurance plan options and AdrenalineCare adventure travel plans that remove policy exclusions on action sports. All insurance coverage also includes 24/7 travel assistance in the event of an emergency.
The LuxuryCareTM plan includes the following coverages. If you plan on golfing or playing sports while on your trip, this plan will also reimburse you for delayed rental equipment.
Berkshire Hathaway allows you to add the following add-on options to your LuxuryCareTM plan:
A 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long trip with a total cost of $2,000 can typically expect to pay around $148 for LuxuryCareTM trip insurance. Pricing for LuxuryCareTM coverage was the same for 35-year-old and 50-year-old travelers.
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Allianz Global Assistance is our pick for business travel, thanks to its AllTrips Executive plan. As the name implies, this policy focuses on business travel and includes unique coverages for things like business equipment rentals, rental car damage, lost or stolen commercial property and more. Overall, Allianz’s executive-oriented plans can be ideal for anyone who travels regularly and carries expensive equipment.
The AllTrips Executive plan also includes concierge coverage to offer personalized assistance in navigating travel itinerary changes or using your insurance benefits. In addition to its business travel plan, Allianz also offers annual and single-trip travel insurance, along with a 24-hour hotline to help you handle travel emergencies.
The chart below outlines coverage limits for the AllTrips Executive plan. This policy also includes a $500 reimbursement if you need to change a flight, $45,000 in rental car coverage and $1,000 to protect your business equipment or related rentals.
*You can choose from three coverage levels for both trip cancellation and trip interruption, which could impact the price of your policy.
You can add the following coverages to your Allianz travel insurance plan, whether you are planning a family vacation or traveling on business.
The cost of the AllTrips Executive plan is higher than Allianz’s other travel insurance options. A 35-year to 50-year-old traveler can expect to pay around $510 for the AllTrips Executive Plan for a trip lasting less than 45 days.
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While there are many options for travel insurance, not every company offers specific coverage for cruises. With Nationwide, you can choose from three levels of coverage for your next cruise. In addition to standard protections, Nationwide’s cruise policies feature coverage for ship-specific events such as mechanical breakdowns or missed connections.
Every plan also includes coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions, baggage delays, missed connections, and emergency accidents and sickness. Covered cancellation reasons are flexible and include work-related cancellations and extensions to your child’s school calendar.
The below chart outlines Nationwide’s cruise travel insurance plans and associated coverages. If your cruise schedule is interrupted, each plan also offers coverage for missed connections and itinerary changes.
You can add the following optional coverages to Nationwide’s travel insurance plans, including cruise-specific policies:
A 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long cruise can expect to pay between $82 and $104 in Nationwide travel insurance to protect a $2,000 vacation, depending on the coverage level. The price for a 50-year-old traveler was also between $82 and $104 on the same trip.
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No matter where you go, Generali Global Assistance can provide peace of mind in knowing you have telemedicine and international travel experts on standby if you run into trouble. Generali offers travel insurance plans that include access to the company’s 24/7 global assistance team if you need support with your policy. Company experts can be invaluable resources if natural disasters or political demonstrations strike the areas you’re traveling to, or if you fall sick and need medical attention.
Generali’s plans also include identity theft protection, an uncommon benefit in the travel insurance industry, and trip interruption coverage for COVID-19 at no additional costs. Another unique feature of Generali’s plans is its 10-day “free look” period. After purchasing your coverage, you have 10 days to review your plan to ensure it fits your needs. If you find a better travel protection plan from another insurance company within this window, you can cancel your coverage and receive a full refund.
Generali Global Assistance offers three travel insurance plans for you to choose from. Additionally, the Preferred and Premium plans offer reimbursement if you experience any delays when renting sporting equipment on your trip.
Generali’s current add-on options include:
A 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long trip with a total cost of $2,000 can typically expect to pay between $76 and $113 for Generali travel insurance, depending on the plan. Pricing for 50-year-old travelers was the same as for 35-year-old travelers.
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If you’re traveling and your plans include skiing, golfing or a cruise, you may find AXA Assistance’s travel insurance policies beneficial. The company offers a Platinum travel insurance package that includes reimbursements for special leisure activities, like ski trips, missed tee times and sports equipment rentals. It’s also one of the only companies we’ve reviewed that provides a generous $1,500 benefit for missed connections, which you can apply to missed cruise departures.
The policy’s $3,000 delay coverage for lost bags is exceptionally generous, which might add peace of mind if you travel with expensive equipment. It also includes coverage for COVID-19 and $100,000 in insurance toward nonmedical evacuations, which can be beneficial if you’re traveling to an area of known social or political unrest.
AXA offers three travel insurance plans, each listed below. If your trip involves sporting activities, the Platinum plan also includes daily coverages for lost skier days, lost golf rounds and sporting equipment rentals.
You can add the following coverages to your policy as an AXA customer:
A 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long trip with a total cost of $2,000 can typically expect to pay between $60 and $101 for AXA travel insurance. A 50-year-old traveler may expect to pay between $83 to $142 for coverage on the same trip.
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With coverage limitations up to $1 million, AIG’s policies can be great for families looking to protect multiple people while traveling. AIG offers three travel plans that include complimentary family, meaning one child under the age of 17 is included with every adult enrolled in the plan. If you are traveling as a family, this can potentially cut your insurance expenses in half.
AIG’s travel insurance policies include higher-than-average coverage limits on missed connections, baggage delays and emergency evacuation expenses. The company also offers several unique upgrades that can be especially beneficial for family travel — it is one of the only travel insurance providers we’ve reviewed that offers specialized group policies for destination weddings. AIG also has a specific Name Your FamilyTM add-on that allows you to add a non-family member to your policy for family-related unforeseen event coverage.
AIG offers three travel insurance plans, all of which include family coverage.
AIG offers several add-ons for its travel insurance plans. While the following list is comprehensive, not all coverages can be added to all plans. We recommend visiting AIG’s website to learn more about plan upgrades.
The company also offers unique coverage bundles that can be added to the Preferred and Deluxe plans, including:
A 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long trip with a total cost of $2,000 can typically expect to pay between $80 and $170 for AIG trip insurance. A 50-year-old traveler may expect to pay between $90 to $180 for coverage on the same trip.
A family of four, including two adults aged 30 and two children under 17, can expect to pay from $150 to $330 for coverage on a $4,000 trip.
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Health insurance is a must-have protection when staying long-term in the U.S. Trawick International stands out for offering Collegiate Care plans, which provide travel medical coverage to students studying abroad in the U.S.
Travel medical coverage is available with deductibles as low as $100 and can be purchased for an entire semester. These plans also treat COVID-19 like any other illness, providing unlimited benefits on most treatment plans. While Trawick’s standard travel insurance policies are available to U.S. residents, Collegiate Care plans are limited to international residents. The company also offers international students and scholars evacuation-only coverage.
Trawick International offers three Collegiate Care plans for international students studying abroad in the U.S. Since these plans cover expenses related to travel medical costs, the coverage items will be different from those listed for other providers in this review. You can visit Trawick’s website for more information on policy coverage and costs.
Coverage add-ons are not available on Collegiate Care plans.
An 18-year-old student traveler from Canada visiting the U.S. for a four-month semester can expect to pay around $181 for the basic Collegiate Care Essential plan.
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If you’re seeking travel insurance on a budget, consider a Travelex plan. While Travelex’s policies are only available for trips up to two weeks in length, you can get comprehensive coverage starting at just $60. In addition, children under the age of 17 are included with one adult on certain travel insurance policies at no additional cost, making Travelex an affordable choice for families.
Travelex offers three policy options that include the standard protections you’d expect to find on any travel insurance plan. Though you’ll need to opt for the company’s higher-priced Travel Select plan to access benefits like free children’s coverage and license fee reimbursement, the Travel Basic plan can fit into nearly any traveler’s budget. Travelex policies can also be shared among up to eight travelers, which makes getting low-cost coverage on group trips easy.
If you decide to purchase travel insurance from Travelex, you can choose from the plans below. While both the Travel Select and Travel America plans both include coverage for sporting equipment delays, Travel America also offers medical protection for your pet.
Limited add-on options are available on the Travel Basic plan, but the following add-on coverages are available on the Travel Select plan:
A 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long trip with a total cost of $2,000 can typically expect to pay between $90 and $125 for Travelex travel insurance. Pricing for 50-year-old travelers was the same as for 35-year-old travelers.
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Seven Corners offers short- and long-term travel insurance that can be ideal for international travelers looking for affordable coverage. With Seven Corners, you can purchase travel insurance once and enjoy protection year-round, which is ideal for frequent travelers, expats and students living abroad for most of the year. Or if you’d prefer single-trip coverage, plans are available for international adventures up to 90 days.
Seven Corners’ policies include 24/7 emergency and travel assistance over the phone, which can be a lifesaver for regular international travelers. You can also quickly add coverage for domestic travel with a single click, which can be useful for regular travelers. Seven Corners’ streamlined online buying process makes comparing plans simple, and you can easily add coverage for up to 10 guests if you’re booking group travel.
In addition to its annual travel insurance plan, Seven Corners offers two policies for trip protection.
Seven Corners offers the following coverage add-ons:
Based on our research, a 35-year-old traveler taking a week-long trip with a total cost of $2,000 can typically expect to pay between $75 and $126 for Seven Corners travel insurance. That same traveler can expect to pay around $400 for annual Seven Corners travel insurance, which covers worldwide travel up to 30 days per year with a $0 deductible.
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HTH Travel Insurance offers a variety of single and multi-trip plan options, including travel medical insurance policies. However, it is most notable for its easy group coverage option — you can add multiple group members to your policy and access affordable group insurance at discounted rates. Group insurance includes coverages like a trip interruption, medical and cancellation protection for qualifying reasons.
HTH is also notable for its more inclusive travel insurance policies. You can purchase a policy with or without medical insurance coverage up to 95 years of age. This can benefit senior travelers whom other insurance providers have denied due to age.
HTH Travel insurance offers both travel medical insurance and traditional travel insurance policies. The chart below outlines its TripProtector travel insurance plans, which are underwritten by Nationwide.
HTH offers the following coverage add-ons for individual and group plans:
A group of five 30-year-old travelers can expect to pay around $456 for a travel insurance policy with HTH. This equals about $91 per person, which is competitive with other travel insurance providers.
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If you need a medical travel insurance plan with higher benefits, International Medical Group offers a multi-trip coverage plan that can provide you with long-term, worldwide health insurance. The company offers plans for both individuals and families, and policies include up to $8 million in annual medical benefits. The Global Medical Insurance plan allows you to choose your own deductible, with options as low as $100 and as high as $25,000.
In addition to its travel medical insurance policies, IMG offers travel insurance for single-trip plans. IMG also offers a unique “interrupted for any reason” add-on coverage choice that allows you to apply CFAR-like benefits if you get sick or injured and need to leave your trip early. Regardless of the IMG policy you select, you have 15 days to review coverage and cancel if it is too much for your needs.
IMG Global offers a variety of travel medical insurance, as well as standard travel insurance plans. Since travel medical plans cover expenses related to health costs, the coverage items will be different from those listed for other providers in this review. You can visit IMG’s website for more information on policies and costs.
IMG’s travel medical insurance plans allow you to add the following riders to any coverage level. These riders extend the situations when your injuries and illnesses are covered and you’re entitled to reimbursements for medical care expenses.
The cost of your IMG insurance policy will vary depending on your coverage level and deductible. A 35-year-old can expect to pay between $1,028 and $5,670 annually for worldwide health insurance coverage, while 50-year-old travelers can expect to pay between $2,768 and $18,011.
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Some of you may be wondering, what is travel insurance and what does it cover? Most travel insurance policies include a few specific protections. Some of the most common coverage items you’ll find include:
While the above list includes the more common protections you will find on travel insurance plans, most providers also include coverage for trip delays, missed connections and accidental death and dismemberment. Other companies may offer more unique coverages that focus on sporting equipment rentals, your pet, rental cars and more.
Most travel insurance providers have various add-on coverage options that can complement your policy. The most common travel insurance add-ons include:
When selecting a travel insurance policy, we recommend you consider the following factors:
You’ll also want to review the coverages you already have before shopping for more. For example, American Express and many other credit cards include some rental car coverage, and many homeowners insurance policies protect you against theft abroad.
Most travel insurance policies we’ve reviewed offer limited coverage for COVID-19. These plans treat the COVID-19 pandemic like any other illness under medical insurance. If you become sick while traveling or before you leave and are forced to adjust your travel plans, your coverage may come into effect. However, most standard policies do not cover fear of a new COVID-19 strain as a qualifying cancellation reason.
If you’re in a group at a higher risk of COVID-19 and believe a new strain might affect your travel plan, consider upgrading to CFAR insurance. CFAR insurance extends your benefits to situations like fear of flying or illness.
Travel insurance is not a one-size-fits-all plan, and the best travel insurance plan for you depends on your specific budget and needs. Several factors can determine how much your travel insurance will cost, including:
Travel plans can get expensive quickly, so you may be wondering if it’s worth buying travel insurance to begin with.
The answer to this question will vary depending on your specific situation. If you’re saving up for an expensive international trip with hefty airfare, it’s probably worth spending a little extra to insure your trip. But you may reconsider for shorter trips, such as a weekend at the beach. It’s also worth getting travel insurance if you or someone you care for has known medical conditions that might cause you to have to make last-minute trip adjustments or cancellations.
Even if you don’t think you’ll buy travel insurance, getting a free quote or two takes only a few minutes — coverage might be more affordable than you think.
The best travel insurance will vary depending on your budget, the price of your trips and your coverage needs.
Get a quote from at least three competing travel insurance providers before investing in coverage — we recommend starting with a quote from each of the providers listed above. Every travel insurance company uses its own formula to determine how much you’ll pay for coverage, which means that the only way to know you’re getting the best price is to know what’s out there. You can work with your local insurance agent to compare multiple quotes and discuss your options.
Unlike most other types of insurance, you won’t be penalized for buying your travel insurance closer to the dates you might use it. However, many travel insurance companies require that you purchase coverage within a limited time after booking your trip. Luckily, travel insurance prices do not increase as you get closer to your departure date. That being said, some options (like CFAR coverage) may only be available for a limited time before you travel.
Your travel insurance policy will expire on the date you indicate when you purchase the plan. For most travelers, this will be the final day of your vacation. Frequent travelers might also have the option to buy annual travel insurance that protects them for a year.
International travel insurance provides you with a reimbursement for nonrefundable travel expenses if you’re forced to cancel your trip or leave your destination early. In addition, it may reimburse you for travel expenses like airfare and hotel costs if you cannot claim a refund from your vendors directly.
That depends. Most travel insurance companies require canceling anywhere from 24 hours to a week or more before departure in order to be eligible for reimbursement.
Our team surveyed dozens of travel insurance providers and created a scoring system to judge each company’s quality and service. We reached out for sample quotes, both over the phone and on the internet, to simulate an authentic customer experience. Here are the factors that account for our provider reviews:
Kristina Zagame is a multimedia journalist with a background that spans multiple topics, including news, finance, environment and solar technology. Her work has been published on multiple platforms including ABC and NBC affiliate stations, EcoWatch, the World Economic Forum, and Ramsey Solutions. Kristina’s reporting has taken her all over the U.S., as well as to Puerto Rico and Chile.
Tori Addison is an editor with over five years of experience in the digital marketing industry. Her includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.
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