Travel insurance that actually has your back

For short European hops if you're a UK resident, your GHIC card covers emergency medical treatment. But it doesn't cover cancellation, lost baggage, or repatriation. For anything outside Europe, or any trip with non-refundable bookings, yes, you need it. The question isn't really if you need it, it's if you can afford to lose the money when something goes wrong.

As early as possible, ideally the same day you make your first booking. Cancellation cover only kicks in from the day you take out the policy. If you wait until a week before you travel and then get ill, you're not covered for the cancellation.

Single trip covers one specific journey. Annual multi-trip covers every trip you take within 12 months, up to a maximum trip duration per journey (usually 31 to 45 days). If you travel more than twice a year, annual is almost always cheaper. Annual policies typically cost around £40-80 / $50-100 / €47-95 per year versus £15-35 / $19-44 / €18-41 per single trip.

It depends entirely on the policy and the condition. Some insurers cover declared conditions as standard, others charge a premium, others exclude them entirely. Always declare every pre-existing condition. If you don't and you need to claim, the insurer can void the whole policy.

Acute illness or injury requiring immediate treatment. It does not typically cover routine check-ups, elective procedures, or conditions you knew about before travelling that weren't declared. If in doubt, call your insurer's 24/7 line before going to a clinic. They'll advise and can pre-authorise treatment.

Some providers will cover you after departure, others won't. EKTA and a few others do offer post-departure policies, but the coverage may be reduced and prices go up. Don't rely on this as a plan. Get covered before you leave.

Especially for budget trips, yes. When you're spending less, you can afford a disruption even less. A £500 / $630 / €590 trip that gets cancelled with no insurance means you've lost everything. A policy for that trip typically costs £15-30 / $19-38 / €18-35. The maths aren't complicated.

Often yes, because they cover different things. Airline compensation under UK and EU rules is a statutory payment for the disruption itself, while your insurance covers your out-of-pocket costs like missed accommodation. You can't claim the same expense twice, but you can claim the airline payout and separate insured losses. Our travel compensation hub walks through how to do both.