11 Best Travel Insurance Companies Of March 2024 (2024)

• Travel Insured International – Best for Non-Medical Evacuation
• WorldTrips (Atlas Journey Premier and Atlas Journey Preferred) – Great for Add-On Coverage
• Nationwide (Cruise Luxury) – Best for Upgrades
• TravelSafe – Best for Missed Connections
• AIG – Best for Customization
• AXA Assistance USA – Best for Baggage
• Generali Global Assistance – Great for Pre-Existing Medical Condition Coverage
• HTH Worldwide – Best for Trip Interruption
• Nationwide (Cruise Choice) – Great for Cruise Itinerary Change/Inconvenience
• Seven Corners – Best for Medical/Evacuation
• Travelex Insurance Services – Best for Families

Comprehensive travel insurance policies package together a number of valuable benefits. You can also buy policies that cover only trip cancellation or only medical expenses. With the wide variety of travel insurance plans available, you can find coverage levels that will fit your budget and trip needs.

Look for these top coverage options in a comprehensive travel insurance plan.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

You don’t book a trip with the intention of canceling it, but unexpected illness, injury, family member sickness, jury duty and more could disrupt plans. Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you 100% for money you lose in prepaid, non-refundable deposits if you have to cancel for a reason listed in the policy.

If Covid is a concern, you can find travel insurance policies that cover Covid-related trip cancellation if you contract the virus right before the trip.

A good strategy for trip cancellation coverage is to buy insurance for the total amount you have put into non-refundable and prepaid deposits. Don’t insure refundable amounts, like refundable plane tickets, because you can’t make an insurance claim for that.

Travel Delay Insurance

It can be inconvenient, stressful and costly if your trip is delayed due to unforeseen events.

Travel delay insurance reimburses you for expenses if you’re stuck somewhere due to a holdup that’s covered by your travel insurance plan. For example, if you’re stranded in an airport all day because bad weather delays your flight, travel delay insurance can reimburse you for necessities like food and toiletries.

If you have a long delay, travel delay benefits can pay for an Uber, a night in a hotel and meals. Travel delay insurance has a specified waiting period before benefits apply—for example, six or 12 hours—and also a per day maximum limit and a total maximum per person.

“Cancel for Any Reason” Coverage

If you want the freedom to cancel your trip no matter what, look for travel insurance that allows you to upgrade your trip cancellation insurance to “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance. Having CFAR allows you to cancel your trip for any reason that’s not listed in your base policy. For example, you could cancel the trip because you simply don’t feel like going anymore, as long as you do so at least 48 hours before your departure time.

Reimbursem*nt under a CFAR claim is 75% or 50% of your trip costs, not the 100% that’s available under the base trip cancellation coverage. CFAR adds an average of about 50% to an insurance plan’s cost. Not all travel insurance companies offer a CFAR upgrade.

Travel Medical Insurance

Travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, X-rays, lab work, medicine, doctor and hospital bills, and other medical expenses during your trip. This is important coverage for travelers going abroad, where your U.S. health plan may have limited global coverage or no coverage. You can find generous coverage limits of up to $500,000 per person with some travel insurance policies, but you may decide that lower levels of coverage are adequate for your needs.

The best travel insurance for seniors includes travel medical insurance because Medicare does not pay for health care outside the U.S., except in very limited circ*mstances.

Many travel insurance policies cover Covid-related medical expenses just like any other illness—but not all do—so be sure to confirm that Covid is covered by your travel insurance policy if you contract the virus during your trip.

Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage

This is also important coverage for those traveling abroad, especially if you’re going to a remote area where quality medical care might be hard to find. Emergency medical evacuation insurance pays to get you to the nearest adequate medical facility. You can find ample coverage of $1 million per person in the best travel insurance policies..

Trip Interruption Insurance

If you have to cut your trip short because of a reason listed in the policy, trip interruption insurance is valuable coverage to have. It can reimburse you for the non-refundable parts of your trip that you miss, such as a resort stay or prepaid scuba diving lesson. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home if you have an emergency.

Baggage Delay Coverage

Your bags may be on their own detour, but what do you do while you’re waiting? This coverage reimburses you for necessities while you wait for your luggage. For example, if you’re in Canada you may need a coat, hat and essential toiletries. Policies usually require a certain time delay before baggage delay coverage kicks in, such as six hours.

Baggage Loss and Personal Effects Coverage

If your luggage doesn’t arrive at your destination when you do, it can throw your trip into chaos.

Baggage insurance can at least ease the financial pain a little. It can reimburse you for the bags and clothes and shoes that never arrive, but note that reimbursem*nt is for the depreciated value of the items, not the cost to buy new ones. It also pays out for items lost to theft.

Travel Accident Insurance

Some travel insurance policies provide compensation for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D). If an accident that’s covered by the policy kills or dismembers the policyholder during the trip, travel accident insurance pays out the specified amount.

Generally, AD&D travel insurance benefits cover death and the loss of feet, hands, sight, hearing, speech and fingers on the same hand caused by an accident. It usually pays out a percentage of the maximum benefit, depending on the loss. For example, the Atlas Journey Premier plan from WorldTrips includes $25,000 in AD&D coverage. It pays out 100% of the benefit if the policyholder loses both hands or both feet, both eyes or a hand and a foot. But it pays 50% if they lose either a hand or a foot or the sight in one eye.

There are common things not covered by travel insurance. Make sure you read a policy’s exclusions so you’re not caught by surprise later.

For example, injuries from high-risk activities may not be covered, such as scuba diving. Nor are problems that happen because you were drunk or using drugs.

Medical tourism is also a common exclusion, so if you’re going abroad for a face lift or other elective procedure, travel insurance won’t cover hospital bills or aftercare.

If you lose cash, or it’s stolen, that is typically also excluded from reimbursem*nt under most travel insurance plans.

Keep in mind that travel insurance is designed to protect you against unforeseen events and emergencies. For instance, if you want to cancel a trip because you’re afraid of flying, that’s not covered under standard trip cancellation insurance.

The average cost of travel insurance is 6% of your trip cost, based on a Forbes Advisor analysis of travel insurance rates. The cost of travel insurance is usually mainly based on the age of travelers and the trip cost.

The plan and provider you choose will also affect cost. Here are examples of the costs of the top plans in our ratings.

Travel Insurance Cost Examples

Average costs are based on rates for seven different trips with a variety of traveler ages, trip costs and destinations. Note that policies have different levels of benefits, which can account for price differences.

Key factors that affect travel insurance cost are your trip cost, age and how much coverage you buy.

• Trip cost: The more trip cost you insure, the higher your travel insurance cost. Your trip cost includes any prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, such as airfare, hotel accommodations, tours, event tickets, excursions and theme park passes.
• Age: Your age is also taken into account in travel insurance pricing. That’s because older travelers tend to make more claims, such as medical claims.
• Coverage: The more protection you buy, the more you’ll pay for travel insurance. For instance, if you opt for a “cancel for any reason” upgrade and generous travel medical expense coverage, you’ll pay more.

Your destination, trip length and prior travel insurance claims history generally don’t influence how much you pay for travel insurance.

Buying travel insurance is relatively easy. You can typically buy a travel insurance policy online within a few minutes by entering your:

• Age
• Destination
• Trip cost
• Travel dates
• State of residence

You’ll typically be presented with a selection of policies, usually at different price points, with the more expensive ones providing more protection. Once you select a policy, you can buy it online.

If you’re unsure of your trip cost, you can estimate the amount, and then update it later, as long as it’s before your departure date. You don’t have to insure the total amount of your trip to buy travel insurance. But note that some add-on benefits require you to insure 100% of your trip costs for you to be eligible to file a claim, such as a “cancel for any reason” claim.

You usually have two weeks or so to review your policy. If you change your mind, you can get a refund, as long as it’s during the specified review period.

You’re asked for your state because laws regulating travel insurance vary by state—it doesn’t affect your cost.

You can also usually buy travel insurance through a travel agent or from a travel supplier like an airline or cruise company.

It’s best to buy travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. That way you get the maximum length of coverage for trip cancellation benefits. Buying a policy shortly after you make your first deposit also makes you eligible to buy upgrades, such as “cancel for any reason” coverage, and to get other time-sensitive benefits, such as a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver.

Here are some reasons you may need travel insurance.

You’re Traveling Overseas and Your Health Plan Doesn’t Have Global Coverage

Many health plans lack robust global coverage, or impose high out-of-network deductibles for care outside the U.S. Check your health plan details to see what it provides. Travel medical insurance fills the gap.

You’re Going to a Remote Area

If you won’t be near any quality medical facilities, even a small injury could turn into a major medical event. Medical evacuation coverage will pay to medevac you to an adequate facility.

You Want Emergency Backup

The 24/7 travel assistance lines that are included with travel insurance can assist you with finding a pharmacy, language translation, replacing a lost passport and much more.

You Will Lose a Lot of Money in Non-Refundable Deposits if You Cancel the Trip

You want trip cancellation coverage you’re worried about the money you will lose if you have to cancel the trip.

The average trip cost for Americans traveling within the U.S. increased 46% from 2019 to 2022 and is now slightly over $4,000, based on data from Squaremouth. So having trip cancellation insurance to safeguard your trip investment can be a smart move.

Trip cancellation will cover 100% of the prepaid money you’ll lose, as long as you cancel for a reason listed in the policy. Problems typically covered for trip cancellation insurance claims include sickness, injury, severe weather, natural disasters, jury duty and more.

Here are key considerations for choosing the best travel insurance policy that will match your needs.

Where You’re Going

If you’re traveling outside of the U.S., a plan with travel medical insurance is important because you may have little to no coverage under your U.S. health plan. If you’re taking a domestic trip, you likely don’t need it, or you may want to buy low coverage amounts as a back-up.

If you’re taking an international trip, emergency medical evacuation coverage is important to have, especially if you’re visiting a remote area that doesn’t have top-quality medical facilities.

If you’re traveling to a hurricane-prone destination, travel insurance can also be beneficial if you’re worried about severe weather spoiling your vacation plans.

If you’re concerned about weather woes affecting your travel plans, you’ll want to make sure to buy a travel insurance policy that has trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance for hurricanes and other weather events.

If your trip is interrupted or canceled due to severe weather, you can file a claim and be reimbursed 100% for prepaid, non-refundable deposits.

To be eligible to file a travel insurance claim because of a storm, you must have bought your policy before the storm was named. Also, generally one of the following requirements must be met:

• Your destination is under a hurricane warning.
• Your destination is uninhabitable due to severe weather.
• Your (common carrier) airline is delayed for a specified amount of time listed in your policy—for example, six hours.

How You’re Getting There

Travel plans can be derailed by weather, airplane mechanical issues or any number of other unexpected circ*mstances. If you’re worried about paying extra money for costs due to a delay, you may want to look for a plan that has a generous amount of travel delay insurance.

What You’re Doing

If you have lots of pre-paid, non-refundable deposits for activities, lodging and tours, it is especially important to have trip cancellation coverage. This holds true for trip interruption insurance as well.

Travelers who plan to participate in extreme sports or adventure excursions should consider buying a plan that covers these activities, as they’re often excluded.

How Much Flexibility You Want

If you want the freedom to cancel a trip no matter what, opt for a “cancel for any reason” upgrade. You generally have to buy it within the first few weeks of making your first deposit. Similarly, you can also buy an “interruption for any reason” upgrade that allows you to cut a trip short and return home for any reason.

These upgrades are especially good for the traveler who has put down substantial prepaid, non-refundable deposits.

Concerns About Covid and Variants

If Covid is a travel concern for you, look for a travel insurance plan that covers Covid-related cancellations and medical costs. The best Covid travel insurance plans will also include “cancel for any reason” coverage.

If you test positive for the virus during your trip, travel delay insurance can cover extra costs for accommodations during a quarantine. This coverage can also compensate you for expenses up to a week past your original return date if you’re forced to stay beyond your return date due to a quarantine.

If you miss portions of your trip because you’re forced to quarantine after a positive Covid test, trip interruption insurance can allow you to recoup non-refundable expenses that you paid for in advance.

In order to make a claim you’ll need documentation that you tested positive for Covid.

Americans are ready to take trips abroad in March: 88% of travel insurance purchases for trips taking place from February 1 to 29, 2024, are for international trips, based on Forbes Advisor’s analysis of policy sales.

Mexico is the top international destination for trips this month, followed by Costa Rica and the Bahamas. In addition:

• The average trip cost being insured for people traveling outside the U.S. in February is $7,359.
• The average trip cost being insured for folks traveling within the U.S. this month is $3,545.
• Americans traveling internationally are paying an average of $343 for their travel insurance policies for February trips and domestic travelers are paying an average of $201.

Average Trip Cost for Popular Destinations

Average trip costs for Mexico peaked in January of last year ($4,190) and dipped to a low in June ($2,710). Spending on Mexico trips in January 2024 averaged $3,627. (These numbers reflect the non-refundable trip costs being insured.)

Average spending on trips to France was the highest for trips in May 2023 ($6,900). Spending on France trips in January 2024 averaged $978, the lowest cost in the past 13 months.

In addition:

• The average spending on travel to Italy in 2023 spiked to a high of $10,585 for trips in June, while the lowest average cost for Italy trips last year was in December ($2,659). January 2024 trips to Italy averaged $4,546.
• After a 13-month high of $10,000 in December, Japan trip spending in January ($978) dipped to the lowest average cost during the same period.
• The highest average spending on trips to Great Britain (U.K.) was in August ($6,455) and the lowest was in January 2023 ($2,420). Great Britain trip costs in January 2024 were averaging $2,867.

Increasing trip costs and flight delays top the list of concerns for many vacationers, and these worries are likely to continue plaguing travelers in 2024.

More than half of the respondents in a recent survey cited rising trips costs and fear of flight cancellations or delays as their top reasons to purchase travel insurance more frequently in 2024, says Carol Mueller, spokesperson for Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.

These concerns are valid. Nearly a quarter (23%) of all flights last year arrived at their destination later than expected, according to the Department of Transportation. And travelers have more to lose when things go wrong: The average spending on 2024 trips is 110% higher than the average cost for 2023 trips, based on Forbes Advisor’s analysis of travel insurance policy sales. These trip costs are based on the non-refundable deposit amounts being insured under travel insurance policies.

Inflation, high jet fuel prices and more expensive airline tickets are contributing to the uptick in travel costs.

Despite spiking trip expenses and snafus at the airport, the majority of Americans who are buying travel insurance are eager to travel internationally in 2024: 89% of travel insurance purchases for trips taking place January 1 to December 31, 2024, are for international trips, according to Forbes Advisor data.

Forbes Advisor researched and analyzed 39 policies to find the best travel insurance. When companies had more than one travel insurance policy we used the highest-scoring plan. Ratings are based on the following metrics.

Cost (25% of score): We analyzed the average cost for each travel insurance policy for trips to popular destinations:

• Couple, age 30 for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
• Couple, age 40, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
• Family of four for an Italy trip costing $15,000.
• Family of four for a France trip costing $15,000.
• Family of four for a U.K. trip costing $15,000.
• Couple, age 65, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
• Couple, age 70, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.

Missed connection coverage (10% of score): Travel insurance policies were awarded more points if they include missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more.

Medical expenses (10% of score): Travel insurance policies with travel medical expense benefits of $250,000 and up per person were given the highest points.

Medical evacuation (10% of score): Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 and up per person were given the highest points.

“Cancel for any reason” upgrade (10%): Travel insurance policies received points if “cancel for any reason” upgrades are offered. More points were awarded for “cancel for any reason” upgrades with reimbursem*nt levels of 75%.

Baggage delay required waiting time (5%): Policies with baggage delay benefits kicking in at 12 hours or less were given points.

Cancel for work reasons: (5%): Travel insurance plans that allow cancellations for work reasons were awarded points.

Hurricane and weather (5%): Policies received points if the required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage was 12 hours or less.

“Interruption for any reason” upgrade (5%): Policies were awarded points if they offered an “interruption for any reason” upgrade.

Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver (5%): Points were given to policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions (if purchased within a required timeframe after the first trip deposit).

Travel delay required waiting time (5%): Policies with travel delay benefits kicking in after six hours or less were given points.

Trip interruption travel insurance (5%): Points were given if trip interruption reimbursem*nt is 150% or higher.

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