UK 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
Compare dozens of travel policies — including medical-condition-friendly options — in one search.
Compare 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.
Travel insurance for US visitors
For visitors in the United States — typical costs shown are US national averages (Bankrate, NerdWallet, KFF, NAPHIA and similar, as of 2026). Links may be affiliate links. US travel insurance typically runs 4–10% of insured trip cost (about 6% on average); the average policy is about $307 for a 15-day trip (Squaremouth, 2026).
Travelex Insurance
- Family-friendly: kids covered free on select plans
- Trip cancellation & medical
- Well-reviewed US claims service
Allianz Travel (US)
- OneTrip and AllTrips annual plans
- Epidemic coverage endorsement
- Huge global assistance network
Squaremouth
- Compare dozens of US travel insurers
- Zero-complaint guarantee mediation
- Filter by cancellation/medical needs
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.