6 questions to ask yourself before buying travel insurance

Whether you're planning a few days on the beach or a bracing trek across Alaska, getting the right travel insurance in place is vital. 

Insurers present you with hundreds of options, but navigating them can be trickier than it at first appears. 

We've analysed over 150 policies – and here we've revealed six things you must check before buying cover.

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1. What does this policy exclude?

Insurers will often make a song and dance about the things they'll cover – but typically less so what they rule out.

In reality, insurance exclusions are at least as important as cover limits, especially when it comes to large events that can disrupt travel at scale. 

Of the 153 policies we trawled through, 71% excluded cancellation claims made because of pandemics, while 61% wouldn't cover claims relating to war.

Meanwhile, nearly half (46%) left out terrorism, and 21% wouldn't cover claims relating to volcanic ash.

The big exclusions will usually be found in the densely worded 'General Exclusions' sections of their policy wording documents, which makes for tedious but critical reading. 

As the name implies, these exclusions apply across the policy unless it's also explicitly stated that they don't apply in particular scenarios or sections of the policy.

• Find out more: unexpected events cover.

2. Does the cover include the things it 'says' it does?

Feeling skeptical? A second question to keep in mind when comparing cover is what's actually meant by the names of different sections of cover.

For example, the average headline amount covered in the 'baggage' or 'luggage' sections of policies we reviewed was £2,206.

For many, this sum would seem more than suitable for a week's getaway if you're travelling light.

However, if some of your luggage consists of gadgets or jewellery, these will typically fall under the category of 'valuables' – which tend to have lower limits. In our analysis, the average valuables limit was less than a third of luggage cover, at £698.     

So if you're carrying a pricey tablet or laptop that you want protected, you might need to pay for additional cover or buy a better policy.

Other areas where the devil can be in the details include 'travel documents'. Most policies cover these, but the kinds of documents covered are generally stipulated in the policy, and can exclude items such as driving licences.

3. Have I added my medical conditions?

It appears that an increasing number of people have medical conditions that are relevant to their travel insurance. 

When we spoke to Protectif, a company that evaluates medical risk for insurers, it told us that between 2016 and 2019, on average, 56% of people declared a pre-existing medical condition when applying for their cover.

Fast forward to more recent, post-pandemic years of 2022 to 2025 and this figure has soared to 82%. According to Verisk, another medical screening company, disclosures of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety have risen noticeably, though the most common are high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

However, while this trend indicates that more people in general are reporting conditions, insurers have raised the alarm that significant numbers of holidaymakers are still holding back giving the full picture, placing their cover more broadly at risk. 

In a survey commissioned by Staysure, 22% of travellers admitted to withholding information while buying insurance, while a third were unsure which medical conditions needed to be declared.

If you don't tell your insurer about a condition, as a rule of thumb it won't be covered – meaning you won't be able to claim for anything linked to it. This could cost you dearly if a medical issue prevents you from travelling or if you fall ill overseas.

• Find out more: Our guide on covering your medical conditions explains how you can find the most affordable prices and best cover.

4. Which policy offers the right level of cover for me?

Most people think insurers tend to provide similar levels of cover. But this assumption could prove expensive. 

When we analysed cover from 55 providers, we gave one policy a score of 88% and another a score of 19%, showing the huge gulf between policies. One policy can provide cancellation cover of £500, while another might lay on £20,000.

There isn't anything intrinsically wrong with a policy that has comparatively basic levels of cover – provided you know what you're (not) getting. 

For example, depending on the cost of your holiday and your budget, you might not need baggage cover in the tens of thousands, nor unlimited medical expenses cover if you're spending a few days in Wales.

But if you have a lot to lose if something goes wrong with your holiday, or if you need specialist cover such as for going on a cruise, you'll need insurance that's up to the job. 

5. Do I need single-trip or annual cover?

It might seem self-explanatory where single-trip and annual (multi-trip) cover are most suitable, but it can be worth checking both options as a way of covering your travel plans. 

Because of quirks in how insurance is priced, in certain scenarios it can actually prove cheaper to cover multiple journeys with separate single-trip policies, or to buy an annual policy for just one trip.

Checking both options can also be the best way to ensure you're seeing what deals are on offer from the broadest range of providers. 

Our analysis found that over half of policies offering both single-trip and annual cover have higher maximum age limits for single-trip customers. This means if you're older, some providers will still cover a single holiday where they wouldn't cover your travel plans over a year.

• Find out more: Best travel insurance for older travellers

6. Am I happy with the excess?

The policy's excess – an amount you must pay towards the cost of a claim – could be a compromise you're satisfied with to help reduce the policy's premium, or a nasty surprise when you come to claim.

We found that 83% of policies come with excesses and they ranged from £25 to £500. 

Mostly, they apply per person per claim – meaning that if a group of you are insured (e.g. your family), the excess costs will multiply depending on the number of people covered (though with some policies they won't be charged more than twice). 

Only 5% of policies apply one excess per claim.  

Check our reviews

For most people, buying a travel insurance can take little more than a few minutes, but finding the right travel insurance policy is a tougher task. 

While we can't give you the definitive answer for you, we're here to help. We've assessed scores of policies from across the market based on how well each fares in 67 different areas, and singled out 22 Best Buys that stood out in our analysis. 

Meanwhile, our in-depth reviews of 15 providers give our detailed verdicts on what each has to offer.       

• Find out more: our travel insurance insurance reviews