Travel insurance
Trip cancellation, emergency medical, and evacuation coverage for a specific trip — priced as a small percentage of what you prepaid.
What travel insurance covers
A comprehensive travel policy bundles: trip cancellation/interruption (reimburses prepaid, non-refundable costs if you cancel for a covered reason), emergency medical (critical abroad, where U.S. health plans often do not follow), medical evacuation, baggage loss/delay, and travel delay benefits. Medical-only plans strip out cancellation and cost far less. “Cancel For Any Reason” (CFAR) is an optional upgrade that typically reimburses 50–75% for literally any reason — at roughly 40–50% more premium.
Who needs it
- Anyone with large prepaid, non-refundable costs: cruises, tours, vacation rentals, safaris.
- Anyone travelling internationally whose health coverage stops at the border (most U.S. plans, including Medicare).
- Older travellers and anyone travelling far from good hospitals — evacuation is the catastrophic line item.
- Driving two states away with refundable bookings? You can probably skip it — the estimator context will show how small the number gets.
What it typically costs
Comprehensive plans typically cost 4–6% of the prepaid, non-refundable trip cost; across the whole market, published 2026 data (InsureMyTrip; Squaremouth) puts comprehensive plans at about 4–10%, averaging roughly 6%. Age is the strongest single driver: InsureMyTrip’s 2026 buyer data shows travellers 77+ paying an average premium of $782, versus $119 for Gen Z travellers.
What moves your price
- Total prepaid, non-refundable trip cost (the base of the percentage)
- Oldest traveller’s age — premiums step up steeply after 65
- Trip length and destination (U.S. healthcare costs price in for inbound trips)
- Comprehensive vs. medical-only
- CFAR and other upgrades (CFAR typically +40–50%)
- When you buy — some benefits (CFAR, pre-existing-condition waivers) require buying within ~14–21 days of your first trip payment
How to shop it
- Insure only the prepaid, non-refundable amount — insuring refundable costs buys nothing.
- Buy soon after your first trip payment if you want CFAR or a pre-existing-condition waiver.
- Check what your credit card already covers before duplicating it — then cover the gaps (usually medical/evacuation).
- Compare the same plan type across a marketplace and one direct insurer.
- If you travel 3+ times a year, price an annual plan against per-trip policies.
Start here
Travel insurance cost estimator
Trip cost and oldest traveller’s age band in; a 4–6%-based estimate range out, with the age math labelled.
Best travel insurance
Marketplaces vs. direct insurers vs. the adventure-travel specialist — by how you book.
Sources: Squaremouth, “How Much Is Travel Insurance in 2026?” (comprehensive typically 4–10% of trip cost; average ≈ 6%); InsureMyTrip 2026 buyer data (average premium ≈ 6% of trip cost internationally; age-band averages); AXA Travel Insurance cost guide (5–6% rule of thumb).