Travel Insurance That Actually Has Your Back

Because hospitals abroad aren’t cheap, delays happen, and luggage goes missing more than you’d think. Don’t travel without cover.

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Medical Cover

Hospital bills abroad are brutal

Cancellation

Hospital bills abroad are brutalGet your money back if plans change

Lost Baggage

Stolen or lost gear, covered

Emergency Evacuation

Yes, even helicopter rescues

24/7 Support

Someone to call when it goes wrong

Why We Never Travel Uninsured

Travel insurance is one of those things that feels optional right up until it absolutely isn’t.

A single hospital night in the US can cost £15,000 / $19,000 / €18,000. A helicopter evacuation in a remote area? Upwards of £30,000 / $38,000 / €35,000. And if your trip gets cancelled last minute and you’re not covered, that’s usually just… gone.

We’ve been travelling for years and we’ve had cameras fall into oceans, flights cancelled, bags delayed for three days. Insurance didn’t make those things less annoying — but it did mean we weren’t also out of pocket when they happened.

Below you’ll find the providers we actually recommend, the coverage types worth understanding, and a breakdown of what to look for before you buy.

Our Recommended Travel Insurance Providers

We only recommend providers we’ve actually used or thoroughly researched. No nonsense.

EKTA Travel Insurance

EKTA has been our go-to for a few years now. Competitive prices, straightforward claims process, and solid coverage for most trip types. They’re particularly good for single-trip policies.

  • Medical cover included as standard
  • Cancellation & curtailment
  • Baggage & personal belongings
  • 24/7 emergency assistance
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Visitors Coverage

A comparison marketplace rather than a single insurer — which means you can browse and compare plans from providers like IMG, GeoBlue, and Cigna in one place. Particularly good if you want to customise your cover or find something more niche.

  • Compare plans from multiple A-rated insurers
  • Customisable cover including CFAR & pre-existing conditions
  • Medical, cancellation & baggage all available
  • 24/7 support + claims assistance team
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What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

We only recommend providers we’ve actually used or thoroughly researched. No nonsense.

What's Usually Included

  • Emergency medical treatment
  • Hospitalisation costs
  • Emergency dental treatment
  • Emergency evacuation / repatriation

Typical Cover Limits

  • Medical: up to £5M / $6.3M / €5.9M
  • Dental: up to £300 / $380 / €350
  • Evacuation: up to £500K / $630K / €590K

Covered Scenarios

  • You fall ill before departure
  • A family member dies or is hospitalised
  • Your flight is cancelled by the airline
  • Natural disaster makes travel impossible

What to Watch For

  • Most policies cover delays over 12 hours
  • Cancellation cover up to £5,000 / $6,300 / €5,900
  • Check if “change of mind” is excluded (it usually is)

What's Covered

  • Lost, stolen or damaged luggage
  • Personal electronics (check limits)
  • Cash (usually capped low)
  • Passports and travel documents

Common Limits

  • Total baggage: up to £2,500 / $3,150 / €2,950
  • Single item limit: typically £300–£500 / $380–$630 / €350–€590
  • Cash: usually capped at £200–£300 / $250–$380 / €235–€350

Usually Covered (Standard)

  • Swimming and snorkelling
  • Hiking on marked trails
  • Cycling
  • Most water sports

Usually Needs Extra Cover

  • Skiing and snowboarding
  • Scuba diving beyond 30m
  • Motorbike riding (even as passenger)
  • Extreme or adventure sports

What Standard Policies Miss

  • Working abroad while on a trip
  • Trips over 30 days (often excluded)
  • Regular travel (multiple trips per year)

What to Look For Instead

  • Annual multi-trip policies for frequent travellers
  • Long-stay or backpacker policies
  • Digital nomad specific cover (check providers like SafetyWing)

Travel Insurance Guides

Everything you need to know before you buy — from what to look for to common mistakes to avoid.

FAQs

Do I really need travel insurance for every trip?

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 whether you need it — it’s whether you can afford to lose the money if 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 31–45 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 vs. £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.

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and services I genuinely think are useful for travellers, and your support helps keep The Travel Tinker running (and lets me keep making free planning tools and guides).

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