What to look for in a travel insurance policy
A good travel insurance policy will support you if you experience a medical emergency abroad, unexpectedly need to cancel your trip, or if your belongings are lost or stolen.
Before you buy insurance, get to grips with the key elements of cover you'll see on offer across the board, and the less common aspects that you might find useful.
Before you travel
Needing to cancel your holiday is one of the most common reasons for making a claim. A Which? analysis of 263 policies in April/May 2021 found that three quarters offered at least £2,000 worth of cancellation cover. You'll need to study the small print, as almost all cover is written on a 'specified risks' basis, so you'll only be covered for issues that are listed in the policy document.
Missed departure cover gets you back on track if you miss a flight through no fault of your own - for example your train to the airport breaks down or you're stuck in tailbacks on the motorway. Most policies Which? analysed included some form of protection, but less than half covered the full journey.
If you've booked your flights directly with the airline, you could be left out of pocket if it goes bust. This is where airline failure insurance comes in, but it's by no means widely available. Which? found that cover was only included in just over half of policies.
While you're away
Medical cover funds treatment costs and care, as well as emergency transportation and rescue services if required. Every policy Which? analysed included medical cover, and 97% offered coverage of at least £5 million. Policies should also cover the costs of getting you back to the UK for treatment.
This compensates you if you need to cancel or cut short your trip for reasons such as illness or bereavement. The amount of cancellation cover you'll need will depend on what you'd stand to lose if your holiday fell through.
Holiday supplier failure protects you if your accommodation or hotel operator goes bust, but again, you'll need to study your policy documents. We found that suitable cover was only included in around a third of policies.
Cover for lost belongings is a mainstay of travel insurance policies, but limits vary. Some policies offer as much as £5,000 cover, while others provide as little as £200. Insurers also place limits on single items (which you'll need to pay attention to if you're carrying anything especially expensive) and it's common for the cover to come with an excess - which will eat into how much you can claim.
Disclaimer: If you proceed with an application, Which? will receive a commission to help fund their not-for-profit mission and their campaigns work as a champion for the UK consumer.
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