Admiral travel insurance review

Admiral launched in 1993, initially as a car insurance specialist.

It offers three policies: Admiral (least comprehensive), Admiral Gold and Admiral Platinum (most comprehensive).

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

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Does Admiral offer the best travel insurance?

See our full list of the best travel insurance.

What does Admiral travel insurance cover?

'Admiral's top policies narrowly fell short of being Best Buys'

Dean Sobers, Which? travel insurance expert, says:

Admiral's Platinum and Gold policies impressed in our analysis.

Platinum's 71% score placed it in the top 20% of policies we rated, while Gold's 68% also placed it comfortably in the top half of our table (above the average score of 62%).

Unfortunately, Admiral's claims acceptance rates and complaints record blocked its products from receiving our Best Buy badge.

The Platinum policy has good levels of cover for baggage (£3,000) with £400 thrown in for valuables. And it offers a generous £500 if your passport is lost or stolen.

However, if you're on a driving holiday you won't be able to claim if your licence goes missing. Also, while it has missed departure cover that will cover outgoing or returning flights, the policy doesn't cover missed connecting legs of your journey. 

War cover

Admiral's policies are a rare exception to the rule in as far as they don't exclude war altogether as a reason for making a cancellation claim. 

Provided you're not an 'actively involved' in war, you can make a claim if an outbreak of hostilities in an area has led to the FCDO advising against travel to it. Only 13% of policies we looked at include this cover.

Most policies will have broad exclusions for certain large-scale events that can disrupt travel or make it impossible, such as war, terrorism, natural disasters or pandemics.

Admiral Gold and Admiral policies

Admiral Gold scored 68%, and Admiral's lowest-level policy – named 'Admiral' – scored 56%, in the bottom fifth of our table.

Both these policies offer mostly the same features as Platinum but with lower levels of cover and higher excesses.

Is Admiral good if you have a medical condition?

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you'll need to let Admiral know about it when you obtain your quote. This may lead to a higher premium.

Admiral works with a medical screening company called Verisk to assess customers' medical conditions.    

Admiral isn't a specialist provider for customers with pre-existing medical conditions, but this doesn't necessarily mean it won't be able to cover your medical condition at a reasonable price.

However, if you are struggling to obtain cover, check our guide on travel insurance if you have a medical condition.

How good is Admiral at handling claims?

Admiral uses a company called CEGA to handle claims.

• According to the most recently published data from the Financial Conduct Authority, covering 2024, EUI Limited (Admiral's underwriter) paid 80-85% of claims on annual European policies that year. This was below the average of 86.3%.
• It accepted 75-80% of annual worldwide claims, below the average of 84.5%.
• For single trip claims, its acceptance rate was also 75-80%, still slightly lower than the average of 80%.

Admiral travel insurance: how can I claim?

For emergency medical assistance, call +44 (0)292 010 7777.

To make non-emergency claims, call 0333 234 9914. You can also claim online by logging in to your account. 

Insurers will usually expect you to try recouping lost costs (such as deposits) elsewhere before claiming with them – for example, checking with the travel provider if you're entitled to a refund or can move a cancelled trip. However, you can still call the insurer to let them know if there's a chance you will need to claim.    

You'll need to provide your policy number when you call.

• Find out more: how to claim on your travel insurance

How does Admiral compare with other providers?

Admiral's Platinum policy scored 71%. This placed it just behind Travel Insurance Saver's Backpacker Gold policy on 72%.

Behind it were All Clear's Platinum policy (a Best Buy), Co-op's Platinum policy (a Best Buy), Cedar Tree's Platinum policy, Covered2Go's Gold policy (a Best Buy), Holidaysafe's Platinum cover (a Best Buy), Leisure Guard Premier, Tesco's Gold policy, and Travel Insurance Saver's Gold policy. These each scored 70%.  

Should you buy Admiral travel insurance?

Admiral's top policies did very well in our analysis, but our concerns about its service mean we can't fully recommend them.

How we rate travel insurance

Find out how Admiral compares for other products

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