Compare Travel Insurance in Minutes

Travel insurance is a short-term policy that protects the money you've put into a trip and your health while you're on it. A typical comprehensive plan bundles four things: trip cancellation (reimbursement if you can't go), trip interruption (reimbursement if you have to come home early), emergency medical and evacuation (coverage for illness or injury abroad), and baggage and delay protection (for lost luggage or extended delays).

The policies are priced as a percentage of the total trip cost — usually 4-8%. A $5,000 trip insures for roughly $200-$400. The trade-off is one of the clearest in insurance: a small, known premium against potentially catastrophic out-of-pocket exposure.

Expect to pay 4-8% of your total non-refundable trip cost for a comprehensive policy. A $3,000 trip typically runs $120-$240; a $10,000 trip runs $400-$800.

Four factors move the price:

• Trip cost. The biggest driver — higher prepaid costs mean higher premium.
• Traveler age. Travelers over 60 pay 2-3x more because medical claim risk rises sharply with age.
• Trip length. Longer trips cost more, roughly proportional to the duration.
• Destination. High-medical-cost destinations (US for foreigners, remote locations with expensive evacuation) can add 10-20%.

An annual multi-trip policy usually pays off if you take 3+ international trips a year. Plans start around $250/year and cover unlimited trips up to a set length (typically 30-90 days each).

Four main categories cover most travelers:

• Single-trip comprehensive. The default for most vacationers — bundles cancellation, medical, baggage, and delay. One trip, one policy.
• Annual multi-trip. One policy, unlimited trips for 12 months. Pays off at 3+ trips per year.
• Travel medical. Emergency medical and evacuation only — no cancellation coverage. Good for trips where you've used credit card or other benefits for cancellation protection.
• Specialty (adventure, cruise, student). Tailored coverage for specific risks — mountaineering, scuba, cruise missed-port, long-term study abroad.

Buy it within 14-21 days of your first trip deposit. This window unlocks two important benefits most travelers don't realize they need until it's too late:

1. Preexisting condition waiver. Insurers will cover stable preexisting conditions if you buy early. Outside the window, they're excluded.
2. Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade. Only available within the early-purchase window, usually 14-21 days of first deposit.

If you're past the window, you can still buy a policy — you'll just lose those two optional benefits. The base trip-cancellation and medical coverage are still available anytime before departure.