✈️ Travel insurance compared
Median: £27 single-trip / £71 annual (2026)A week in Europe can cost £10–20 to insure; the USA £30–60 because of medical costs. If you travel twice a year or more, annual multi-trip usually wins.
Post Office Travel
- Trusted high-street brand
- Up to £10m medical cover options
- Cruise and winter sports add-ons
- Kids often covered free on family policies
Staysure
- Specialist in over-50s cover
- Pre-existing medical conditions covered
- No upper age limit on single trip
- UK-based support
AllClear
- Covers 1,300+ medical conditions
- All ages, all conditions declared
- 3.5m+ travellers covered
- Strong Trustpilot rating
Coverwise
- High cover limits at low prices
- AXA-underwritten policies
- Good value annual policies
- Online-first, quick to buy
Insurefor
- Budget single and annual trips
- Optional gadget cover
- Covid cover included
- Quick online quotes
Outbacker
- Backpacker & long-stay policies
- Adventure activities covered
- Working holidays included
- Extend cover while abroad
Quickest way to compare: run one quote and see multiple ✈️ travel insurers side by side.
travel quotesWhat to compare before you buy
- Medical expenses limit: £5m+ for Europe, £10m for the USA is the sensible benchmark.
- Cancellation cover should match what you'd actually lose — the full holiday cost, not the deposit.
- Declare pre-existing conditions honestly; specialists (Staysure, AllClear) price them fairly. The MoneyHelper directory lists medical-condition-friendly insurers.
- Cruise, winter sports and adventure activities each need explicit cover — they're excluded by default.
- Check the FCDO-advisory clause: travelling against official advice voids most policies.
Frequently asked questions
Is travel insurance worth it for a cheap European city break?
A £10–15 policy mainly buys medical and repatriation cover — a broken ankle abroad can cost thousands even with a GHIC. For trips you could afford to walk away from, medical cover is still the point.
Do annual multi-trip policies cover long trips?
Most cap each trip at 31–45 days. Long-stay or backpacker policies (e.g. Outbacker) cover months-long trips and working holidays.
Does my bank's packaged account travel cover make this unnecessary?
Maybe — check its medical limit, age limits, and whether your destination and activities are covered. Many packaged-account policies exclude declared medical conditions unless you register them.
Do I still need travel insurance if I have a GHIC card?
Yes. A GHIC gets you state healthcare in the EU at local rates, but it doesn't cover repatriation, private treatment, cancellation, lost baggage, or travel outside Europe. It complements travel insurance — it doesn't replace it.
When should I buy travel insurance?
As soon as you book, not just before you fly. Cancellation cover only protects events after the policy starts, so buying early covers you if illness or a change of plans forces you to cancel weeks ahead.