Travel insurance: Features explained

Travel insurance basics

Go on holiday prepared with an independent travel insurance policy

Travel insurance can cover you for a range of problems when travelling abroad, from the catastrophic to the merely inconvenient.

When you buy a holiday or a flight, you'll almost certainly be offered insurance to go with it.

It's all too easy to say yes, and add the cost to the bill, but you're probably better off shopping around and taking out a policy independently.

Single trip or annual?

You need to decide if you should take out a travel insurance policy that will cover you just for one holiday, or take out an annual policy that will cover you for all the trips you take (within limits) for a whole year.

You don't have to be a very frequent holidaymaker to save with an annual policy – for example, an adult travelling within Europe would need to take only three holidays in a year to make it worthwhile.

An annual travel insurance policy is particularly convenient if you're the type of person who likes to take advantage of last-minute deals as you won't have to remember to take out insurance, even if you decide to take off on the spur of the moment.

However, whichever type you go for, use our guide to check for policy features and also common exclusions to make sure there aren't any nasty surprises should you wish to make a claim.

Baggage and money

Travel insurance normally covers you if your baggage and belongings are lost or stolen or damaged – up to a certain limit. Our Best Buy policies all have a limit of at least £1,500.

Cover for valuables

As well as an overall limit, travel insurance policies have a limit on individual valuable items such as digital cameras, usually of between £200 and £500.

Policies often have a pay-out cash limit if you've been robbed

New for old

There's usually a limit on the amount of cash a policy will pay out for if you're robbed.

Such limits (between £200 and £500, depending on the policy) also include travellers' cheques.

The Best Buy travel insurance policies all offer at least £1,500 of baggage and belongings cover plus additional cover for money.

Medical cover

All Which? Best Buy travel insurance policies offer at least £1 million of medical cover in Europe, and £2 million in the USA and the rest of the world. This cover includes the cost of an air ambulance to get you home, should this be necessary.

One of the main issues with travel insurance is whether the insurer will cover pre-existing medical conditions. Some policies will automatically exclude any pre-existing condition; others, such as Travelplan Direct, Intune and Karma, take a more sympathetic approach offering cover for a range of serious medical problems.

Either way, you should always discuss any pre-existing medical condition with an insurer before buying a policy – and answer any questions they ask you about this honestly.

It's worth remembering some policies will waive the excess for medical claims if you use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111 in 2006, to get medical treatment while travelling in the European Union.

Cancellation and curtailment

Travel insurance will usually also pay you compensation if you have to cancel or cut short your trip, because of illness, for example, or the death of a close relative. Our Best Buy policies all have a limit of at least £3,000.

Tailored cover

It is possible to tailor Which? Best Buy travel insurance quotes to better match your needs, and save money in the process. If you travel light and don't intend to buy expensive gifts while abroad, or if you got a cheap deal on your flight, it may be worth waiving baggage and/or cancellation cover on the policy. 

Waiving cancellation cover may not be suitable if you are going on an expensive trip, but could  be worth considering if you are just hopping over the Channel, for instance.