best long travel insurance

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Travel Insurance

Best travel insurance companies of April 2024

Amy Fontinelle

Heidi Gollub

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 8:41 a.m. UTC April 12, 2024

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Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy .

WorldTrips is the best travel insurance company of 2024 , based on our in-depth analysis of travel insurance policies. Its Atlas Journey Preferred and Atlas Journey Premier plans get 5 stars in our rating because of the extensive coverage they provide for the price. Both plans come with high limits for important benefits such as emergency medical and evacuation, travel delay and missed connections. WorldTrips travel insurance also offers a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver if you buy a plan within 21 days of making your first trip deposit.

Best travel insurance of 2024

Why trust our travel insurance experts

Our travel insurance experts evaluate hundreds of insurance products and analyze thousands of data points to help you find the best trip insurance for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content . You can read more about our methodology below.

• 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
• 567 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

Travel insurance quotes comparison

Best travel insurance companies, best travel insurance.

Top travel insurance plans

Average cost, medical limit per person, why it’s the best.

If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel, WorldTrips has two top-rated travel insurance plans in our rating:

• Atlas Journey Preferred provides $100,000 per person in emergency medical benefits as secondary coverage, with the option to upgrade to primary coverage. Primary coverage means you don’t have to first file a medical claim with your health insurance company. Atlas Journey Preferred is also the best travel insurance for cruises with $1 million in coverage for emergency evacuation.
• Atlas Journey Premier costs more but gives you $150,000 in travel medical insurance with primary coverage. This plan is a good option if health insurance for international travel is a priority. It also has $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage.

Pros and cons

• Atlas Journey Preferred is the cheapest of our 5-star travel insurance plans.
• Atlas Journey Premier has $150,000 in primary medical coverage.
• Both plans have top-notch $1 million per person in medical evacuation coverage.
• Each plan includes travel inconvenience coverage of $750 per person.
• 12 optional upgrades, including destination wedding and rental car damage and theft.
• No non-medical evacuation coverage.

Customer reviews

WorldTrips has a rating of 4.27 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 411 reviews of policies purchased through the travel insurance comparison site since 2008.

Best travel insurance for emergency evacuation

Travel insured international.

Top travel insurance plan

If you’re traveling to a remote area, consider Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector. It has the best travel insurance for emergency evacuation of travel insurance policies in our rating. This top travel insurance plan provides up to $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits.

• Only plan in our rating that offers $150,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
• Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
• Missed connection benefit of $500 per person is only available for cruises and tours.

Travel Insured International has a rating of 4.39 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 3,402 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Best travel insurance for missed connections

If you’re looking for good travel insurance for missed connections , it’s worth considering TravelSafe. Its Classic plan includes $2,500 in missed connection coverage for each person on the plan. Some travel insurance companies only provide missed connection coverage for cruises and tours, but TravelSafe doesn’t impose that restriction.

• Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
• Most expensive of our best-rated travel insurance plans.
• No “interruption for any reason” coverage option.
• Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.

TravelSafe has a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,506 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Best trip insurance for traveling with a pet

Go Ready Choice by Aegis has the most affordable travel insurance of the best-rated travel insurance companies in our rating. It’s also the best trip insurance for pet parents , with an optional Pet Bundle add-on that includes pet medical, pet kennel and pet return benefits.

• Cheapest of our best trip insurance plans.
• Optional pet bundle adds pet medical expense and pet return benefits.
• Low emergency medical and evacuation limits.
• Low missed connection benefit of $500 per person for cruises and tours only.
• Low baggage and personal items loss benefit of $500 per person.

Aegis has a rating of 4.06 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 1,111 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2013.

Best travel insurance for families

Top-scoring plan

Travelex Insurance Services has the best travel insurance for families because you can add kids aged 17 and younger to your Travel Select plan at no additional charge.

• Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
• Robust travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
• Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
• Low emergency medical coverage of $50,000 per person.
• Non-medical evacuation is not included.
• Low baggage delay coverage of $200 requires a 12-hour delay.

Travelex has a rating of 4.43 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 2,048 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2004.

Best travel insurance for add-on coverage options

Travel Guard Preferred from AIG allows you to customize your policy with a host of available upgrades, making it the best traveler insurance for add-on options . These include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings.

There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million. This is a good option if you’re looking for foreign travel health insurance.

See our full AIG travel insurance review

• Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your travel insurance policy.
• Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
• Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
• $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
• Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.

Best travel insurance for cruise itinerary changes

Nationwide’s Cruise Choice plan is good travel insurance for cruises . It has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion.

Cruise Choice also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay when you’re taking a cruise or tour. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.

• Benefits for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
• Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
• Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.
• Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
• Travel medical coverage is secondary.
• Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
• No “cancel for any reason” upgrade available.

Nationwide has a rating of 4.02 stars out of 5 on Squaremouth, based on 570 reviews of policies purchased on the travel insurance comparison site since 2018.

What is the best travel insurance?

The best travel insurance for international travel is sold by WorldTrips, according to our in-depth trip insurance comparison.

The best travel insurance plan for you will depend on the trip you are planning and the coverage areas that are most important to you.

• Best cruise travel insurance
• Best COVID travel insurance
• Best “Cancel for any reason” travel insurance
• Best senior travel insurance

Best travel insurance for cruises

The best cruise travel insurance is Atlas Journey Preferred sold by WorldTrips . This plan offers solid travel insurance for cruises for a low rate.

Via TravelInsurance.com’s website

Best travel insurance for COVID-19

The best COVID travel insurance is the Trip Protection Basic plan sold by Seven Corners . It is a relatively low cost travel insurance plan with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.

Best travel insurance for “cancel for any reason” 

The best “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) travel insurance is Seven Corners’ Trip Protection Basic. Adding CFAR coverage to a RoundTrip Basic plan only increases the cost by about 40%, which is lower than other plans we analyzed. For the extra cost, you get coverage of 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Best travel insurance for seniors

The best senior travel insurance is the Gold plan sold by Tin Leg . It is an affordable travel insurance plan with travel medical primary coverage of $500,000 and a pre-existing conditions waiver if you insure the full amount of your trip within 14 days of your first trip deposit.

How much is travel insurance?

The average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs . 

How much you pay for travel insurance will depend on:

• The cost of your trip.
• Your destination.
• The length of your trip. 
• The ages of travelers being insured.
• Your state of residence.
• The travel insurance policy you choose.
• The total coverage amounts in your policy.
• Any travel insurance add-ons you select. 

Here are average travel insurance rates for a 30-year-old female who is insuring a 14-day trip to Mexico.

How much travel insurance should I buy?

Travel insurance companies typically offer several plans with varying maximum limits. The higher the coverage limits, the more you’ll pay for travel insurance. 

Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends the following coverage limits for international travel: 

• Emergency medical coverage: At least $50,000. 
• Medical evacuation coverage: At least $100,000. 

If you’re going on a cruise, or to a remote location, Squaremouth recommends: 

• Emergency medical coverage: At least $100,000. 
• Medical evacuation coverage: At least $250,000.

When evaluating travel insurance plans, our team of insurance analysts considered the best medical travel insurance policies to have at least $250,000 in emergency medical coverage and at least $500,000 in medical evacuation coverage. 

When should I buy travel insurance?

The best time to buy travel insurance is within two weeks of making your first nonrefundable travel payment, whether it’s for a plane ticket, hotel stay, cruise or excursion. 

Travel insurance costs the same whether you buy it early or last minute, and buying it early has added benefits: 

• You may be able to add on “ cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , an upgrade that is typically only available for a limited time after you’ve started paying for your trip. 
• You may qualify for a pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver, meaning your pre-existing conditions will be covered by travel insurance. This waiver is generally added to your policy automatically, provided you buy the travel insurance within a certain window after your first trip deposit.  
• You will be covered over a longer period of time for unforeseen events that could cause you to cancel your trip, such as medical emergencies, inclement weather and natural disasters. 

Expert tip: You can buy travel insurance up to the day before you leave on your trip, but waiting may cost you the opportunity to qualify for a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver or to buy a “cancel for any reason” upgrade.

Where can I buy travel insurance?

You can buy a travel insurance plan:

• Online. Visit a travel insurance company’s website to buy a policy directly or use a comparison website like Squaremouth or Travelinsurance.com to see your options and compare plans. You may also be able to purchase travel insurance online through an airline, cruise, hotel, rental car company or other provider you book a ticket with.
• In person. A travel agent or insurance agent may be able to assist you in buying travel insurance.

Travel insurance trends in 2024

Americans are changing the way they travel and this includes buying travel insurance when they might have skipped it in the past. As spending on trips continues to rise , travelers have more to lose if their plans are disrupted. 

Based on travel insurance searches from Jan. 1 to April 1, 2024, here are the main benefits travelers are looking for. 

Source: Squaremouth.com

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance of 2024. For companies with more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan.

Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:

• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 30.
• $3,000, 8-day trip to Mexico for two travelers age 70.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 40.
• $6,000, 17-day trip to Italy for two travelers age 65.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to Italy for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to France for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• $15,000, 17-day trip to the U.K. for four travelers ages 40, 40, 10 and 7.
• Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
• Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
• Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
• Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.

Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.

Best travel insurance FAQs

According to our analysis, WorldTrips has the best trip insurance. Two of its plans — Atlas Journey Preferred and Atlas Journey Premier — get 5 stars in our rating.

The best travel insurance policy for you will depend on what type of coverage you need. With so many different policies and carriers, the policy that was best for your friend’s trip to California might not be ideal for your trip to Japan. If you’re looking for the best travel insurance for international travel, you may be willing to pay more for higher coverage levels.

A comprehensive travel insurance plan bundles several types of travel insurance coverage, each with its own limits. To ensure you have adequate financial protection for your trip, your travel insurance policy should include the following travel insurance coverages:

• Trip cancellation . With trip cancellation insurance , you’re covered if you need to call off your trip because of a reason listed in your policy, such as unexpected illness, injury or death of you, a family member or a travel companion, severe weather, jury duty and your travel supplier going out of business. 
• Travel delay. Once your trip has started, travel delay insurance reimburses you for unexpected expenses you incur after a minimum delay, such as five hours. It can cover needs like airport meals, transportation and even overnight accommodation. 
• Trip interruption. If you need to cut your trip early for a reason listed in your policy, trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for any prepaid, nonrefundable payments you’ll lose by leaving early. It can also pay for a last-minute one-way ticket home. 
• Travel medical . Emergency medical benefits are especially important if you need international health insurance for travel outside of the country. Your domestic health insurance may provide limited coverage once you leave the U.S. The best travel medical insurance pays for ambulance service, doctor visits, hospital stays, X-rays, lab work and prescription medication you may require while traveling. 
• Emergency medical evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote area, or planning excursions such as boating to an island, emergency medical evacuation coverage is a good idea. This coverage pays to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility if you are injured or sick while traveling. 
• Baggage delay. After a certain waiting period, such as six or 12 hours, this coverage will reimburse you for necessities you need to buy to tide you over while you wait for your bag to arrive. Be sure to save your receipts and look at your coverage limit, as some caps are low, like $200. 
• Baggage loss. Baggage insurance can reimburse you if your bag never arrives, or if your personal belongings are stolen during your travels. Coverage limits apply here, as well as exclusions for certain items such as electronics.  

“Typically, travelers are expected to pay their expenses out of pocket, and then file a claim for reimbursement,” said James Clark, spokesperson for Squaremouth. “However, there are medical situations in which a provider may be required to pre-authorize payment to make sure the policyholder receives the treatment they need.”

According to Clark, “Providers can pre-authorize payment for medical care and emergency evacuations. With that said, every circumstance is unique, and providers will handle each situation on a case-by-case basis.”

Travel insurance covers your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs — as well as extra money you may need to spend due to unforeseen circumstances and emergencies — both before and during your trip.  

Travel insurance coverage varies by plan, but in general travel insurance covers costs associated with these problems: 

• Bankruptcy of a travel insurance company, such as your airline or tour operator. 
• Dangerous weather conditions.
• Delayed and lost luggage.
• Illness or death in your family that requires you to stay home or cut your trip short.
• Illness that needs medical attention.
• Injury requiring medical evacuation.
• Jury duty. 
• Travel delays and missed connections.
• Theft of your personal belongings while traveling.
• Unexpected job loss. 

Travel insurance policies often exclude or limit “foreseeable” losses. Typical travel insurance exclusions include:

• Accidents or injuries caused by drinking or drug use.  
• Canceling your trip because you changed your mind.
• Ending your trip early because you changed your mind.
• Losses caused by intentional self harm, including suicide.
• Losses due to war, civil disorder or riots.
• Medical tourism.
• Medical treatment for pre-existing conditions.
• Mental health care.
• Natural disasters that begin before you buy travel insurance.
• Non-medical evacuation.
• Normal pregnancy. 
• Medical treatment related to high-risk activities.
• Routine medical care, such as physicals or dental care.
• Search and rescue.

Your U.S. health insurance may provide little or no coverage in foreign countries. Check with your health insurance company to see if you have any global benefits and ask how they work. If your health care does extend across the border, the benefits it provides abroad may not be the same benefits it provides domestically. 

Medicare usually won’t pay for health care outside of the United States and its territories, so older travelers planning an international trip should look into the best senior travel insurance with robust medical benefits. 

The best time to buy travel insurance is immediately after booking your trip and making a nonrefundable payment — in other words, as soon as you’re at risk of losing money. This way, you’ll know the total cost that you need to insure and you’ll have the longest window to take advantage of your policy’s benefits if something goes wrong.

You can’t wait until something goes wrong and then buy travel insurance to get reimbursed for your loss. Travel insurance only covers unexpected losses.

Travel insurance companies can decline to cover travel to certain countries. For example, you may find that some trip insurance companies don’t offer coverage to countries with a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory from the U.S. State Department. 

Travel insurance policies also frequently exclude certain risks that you’re more likely to encounter in Level 4 or Level 3 countries. For example, your policy may not cover losses related to declared or undeclared wars or acts of war or losses related to known or foreseeable conditions or events. 

Some credit cards , such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , offer benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement when you use your card to pay for your trip.

Ask your credit card issuer for your card’s benefits guide to see what coverage you may have. Keep in mind that it may not cover all the risks you want to protect against, such as the cost of international health care or emergency medical evacuation .

Business travel insurance makes sense if you are self-employed and paying for your own travel expenses, or if you are traveling internationally and want medical coverage abroad.

You might also consider buying travel insurance for a business trip if your company won’t cover extra expenses if your flight is delayed or you need to head home early.

Cruise travel insurance can help protect you financially if you need emergency medical care in a remote location, or if a delayed flight causes you to miss embarkation and you need to pay extra to catch up to your cruise.

Experts caution that travel insurance you buy through a cruise line may not be as comprehensive as plans you can buy directly from travel insurance companies.

Some travel insurance plans cover rental cars as an optional upgrade, for an additional cost. The 5-star rated travel insurance companies in our rating offer these optional rental car benefits:

• Travel Insured International — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000.
• WorldTrips — Rental car damage and theft coverage of $50,000 with a $250 deductible. 

Travel insurance typically only covers a single trip, although your insured trip can have multiple destinations. 

If you’re looking to insure several trips in the same year, annual travel insurance may be a good option for you.

Travel insurance may be required, depending on the country you plan to visit. But it’s smart to consider buying a travel insurance policy for international travel, even when it is not required. A good travel insurance policy can protect you financially if you need emergency medical assistance when traveling, or if you need to cut your trip short and buy a last-minute plane ticket home because an immediate family member is ill. 

Wondering if travel insurance is worth it? What travel insurance covers

Editor’s Note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:

• Spirit Airlines scrubs 60% of its Wednesday flights, says cancellations will drop ‘in the days to come.’
• ‘Just a parade of incompetency’: Spirit Airlines passengers with ‘nightmare’ stories want more than apology, $50 vouchers
• ‘This is not our proudest moment’: Spirit Airlines CEO says more flight cancellations expected this weekend
• Hurricane Irma: Flight cancellations top 12,500; even more expected
• Is an annual travel insurance policy right for you?
• How 2020 and COVID-19 changed travel forever – and what that means for you
• COVID-19 or delta variant have you ready to scrap your trip? Here’s how to cancel like a pro
• Sunday: Snow is over, but flight cancellations top 12,000
• After nearly 13,000 Harvey cancellations, Irma is new threat to airline flights
• What’s the difference between travel insurance and trip ‘protection’?
• How to choose the right travel insurance for your next vacation
• Travel insurance can save the day
• Angry passengers brawl after Spirit cancels flights
• What to do when travel insurance doesn’t work
• How lockdowns, quarantines and COVID-19 testing will change summer travel in 2021
• Travelers will pay and worry more on summer vacation this year. But they won’t cancel
• How to find a hotel with COVID testing and quarantine facilities wherever you travel
• Yearning to travel in 2022? First, figure out your budget – then pick a destination
• Pro tips for surviving a long flight during a pandemic: Get the right mask, bring a pillow
• Want to steer clear of contracting COVID-19 on your next vacation? Follow these guidelines
• Post-pandemic travel: Is it OK to ask another passenger’s vaccine status or request they mask up?
• These days, forgetting these important travel items could cost you thousands of dollars
• International travel hacks: When to book flights and hotels, how to deal with COVID-19 rules
• Traveling post-coronavirus: How do you book your next trip when so much remains uncertain?
• The COVID-19 guide to holiday travel – and the case for why you shouldn’t go this year
• Should you travel during the holidays? Americans struggle with their decision
• ‘There’s still pent-up demand’: What you should know about fall travel
• Planning for life after coronavirus: When will we know it’s safe to travel again?
• ‘Busiest camping season’: Travelers choose outdoor recreation close to home amid COVID-19 pandemic
• Considering a camping trip this summer? Tips to make sure your gear is good to go
• RVing for the first time? 8 tips for newbies I wish I’d known during my first trip
• Five myths about travel agents
• Should I buy travel insurance?
• Is travel insurance stacked against you?
• Five myths about travel insurance and terrorism
• These eight things could get your travel insurance claims rejected
• There’s a good chance that your credit card already gives you some kind of travel insurance coverage
• How to avoid a hotel cancellation penalty
• Change fees and travel insurance continue to rise

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Amy Fontinelle has more than 15 years of experience helping people make informed decisions about their money, whether they’re refinancing a mortgage, buying insurance or choosing a credit card. As a freelance writer trained in journalism and specializing in personal finance, Amy digs into the details to explain the products and strategies that can help (or hurt) people seeking greater financial security and wealth. Her work has been published by Forbes Advisor, Capital One, MassMutual, Investopedia and many other outlets.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

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The best travel insurance policies and providers

It's easy to dismiss the value of travel insurance until you need it.

Many travelers have strong opinions about whether you should buy travel insurance . However, the purpose of this post isn't to determine whether it's worth investing in. Instead, it compares some of the top travel insurance providers and policies so you can determine which travel insurance option is best for you.

Of course, as the coronavirus remains an ongoing concern, it's important to understand whether travel insurance covers pandemics. Some policies will cover you if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and have proof of illness from a doctor. Others will take coverage a step further, covering additional types of pandemic-related expenses and cancellations.

Know, though, that every policy will have exclusions and restrictions that may limit coverage. For example, fear of travel is generally not a covered reason for invoking trip cancellation or interruption coverage, while specific stipulations may apply to elevated travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interested in travel insurance? Visit InsureMyTrip.com to shop for plans that may fit your travel needs.

So, before buying a specific policy, you must understand the full terms and any special notices the insurer has about COVID-19. You may even want to buy the optional cancel for any reason add-on that's available for some comprehensive policies. While you'll pay more for that protection, it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and still get some of your costs back. Note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has other eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

In this guide, we'll review several policies from top travel insurance providers so you have a better understanding of your options before picking the policy and provider that best address your wants and needs.

The best travel insurance providers

To put together this list of the best travel insurance providers, a number of details were considered: favorable ratings from TPG Lounge members, the availability of details about policies and the claims process online, positive online ratings and the ability to purchase policies in most U.S. states. You can also search for options from these (and other) providers through an insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip .

When comparing insurance providers, I priced out a single-trip policy for each provider for a $2,000, one-week vacation to Istanbul . I used my actual age and state of residence when obtaining quotes. As a result, you may see a different price — or even additional policies due to regulations for travel insurance varying from state to state — when getting a quote.

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard receives many positive reviews from readers in the TPG Lounge who have filed claims with the company. AIG offers three plans online, which you can compare side by side, and the ability to examine sample policies. Here are three plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

AIG Travel Guard also offers an annual travel plan. This plan is priced at $259 per year for one Florida resident.

Additionally, AIG Travel Guard offers several other policies, including a single-trip policy without trip cancellation protection . See AIG Travel Guard's COVID-19 notification and COVID-19 advisory for current details regarding COVID-19 coverage.

Preexisting conditions

Typically, AIG Travel Guard wouldn't cover you for any loss or expense due to a preexisting medical condition that existed within 180 days of the coverage effective date. However, AIG Travel Guard may waive the preexisting medical condition exclusion on some plans if you meet the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of your initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage you purchase equals all trip costs at the time of purchase. You must update your coverage to insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements that you add to your trip within 15 days of paying the travel supplier for these additional arrangements.
• You must be medically able to travel when you purchase your plan.

Standout features

• The Deluxe and Preferred plans allow you to purchase an upgrade that lets you cancel your trip for any reason. However, reimbursement under this coverage will not exceed 50% or 75% of your covered trip cost.
• You can include one child (age 17 and younger) with each paying adult for no additional cost on most single-trip plans.
• Other optional upgrades, including an adventure sports bundle, a baggage bundle, an inconvenience bundle, a pet bundle, a security bundle and a wedding bundle, are available on some policies. So, an AIG Travel Guard plan may be a good choice if you know you want extra coverage in specific areas.

Purchase your policy here: AIG Travel Guard .

Allianz Travel Insurance

Allianz is one of the most highly regarded providers in the TPG Lounge, and many readers found the claim process reasonable. Allianz offers many plans, including the following single-trip plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

If you travel frequently, it may make sense to purchase an annual multi-trip policy. For this plan, all of the maximum coverage amounts in the table below are per trip (except for the trip cancellation and trip interruption amounts, which are an aggregate limit per policy). Trips typically must last no more than 45 days, although some plans may cover trips of up to 90 days.

See Allianz's coverage alert for current information on COVID-19 coverage.

Most Allianz travel insurance plans may cover preexisting medical conditions if you meet particular requirements. For the OneTrip Premier, Prime and Basic plans, the requirements are as follows:

• You purchased the policy within 14 days of the date of the first trip payment or deposit.
• You were a U.S. resident when you purchased the policy.
• You were medically able to travel when you purchased the policy.
• On the policy purchase date, you insured the total, nonrefundable cost of your trip (including arrangements that will become nonrefundable or subject to cancellation penalties before your departure date). If you incur additional nonrefundable trip expenses after purchasing this policy, you must insure them within 14 days of their purchase.
• Allianz offers reasonably priced annual policies for independent travelers and families who take multiple trips lasting up to 45 days (or 90 days for select plans) per year.
• Some Allianz plans provide the option of receiving a flat reimbursement amount without receipts for trip delay and baggage delay claims. Of course, you can also submit receipts to get up to the maximum refund.
• For emergency transportation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Allianz, and Allianz must then make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, most Allianz policies provide an option if you cannot contact the company: Allianz will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Allianz Travel Insurance .

American Express Travel Insurance

American Express Travel Insurance offers four different package plans and a build-your-own coverage option. You don't have to be an American Express cardholder to purchase this insurance. Here are the four package options for my sample weeklong trip to Turkey. Unlike some other providers, Amex won't ask for your travel destination on the initial quote (but will when you purchase the plan).

Amex's build-your-own coverage plan is unique because you can purchase just the coverage you need. For most types of protection, you can even select the coverage amount that works best for you.

The prices for the packages and the build-your-own plan don't increase for longer trips — as long as the trip cost remains constant. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit is only available for your first 60 days of travel.

Typically, Amex won't cover any loss you incur because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. However, Amex may waive its preexisting-condition exclusion if you meet both of the following requirements:

• You must be medically able to travel at the time you pay the policy premium.
• You pay the policy premium within 14 days of making the first covered trip deposit.
• Amex's build-your-own coverage option allows you to only purchase — and pay for — the coverage you need.
• Coverage on long trips doesn't cost more than coverage for short trips, making this policy ideal for extended getaways. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit only covers your first 60 days of travel.
• American Express Travel Insurance can protect travel expenses you purchase with Amex Membership Rewards points in the Pay with Points program (as well as travel expenses bought with cash, debit or credit). However, travel expenses bought with other types of points and miles aren't covered.

Purchase your policy here: American Express Travel Insurance .

GeoBlue is different from most other providers described in this piece because it only provides medical coverage while you're traveling internationally and does not offer benefits to protect the cost of your trip. There are many different policies. Some require you to have primary health insurance in the U.S. (although it doesn't need to be provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield), but all of them only offer coverage while traveling outside the U.S.

Two single-trip plans are available if you're traveling for six months or less. The Voyager Choice policy provides coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger and already have a U.S. health insurance policy.

The Voyager Essential policy provides coverage (including medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger, regardless of whether they have primary health insurance.

In addition to these options, two multi-trip plans cover trips of up to 70 days each for one year. Both policies provide coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for preexisting conditions) to travelers with primary health insurance.

Be sure to check out GeoBlue's COVID-19 notices before buying a plan.

Most GeoBlue policies explicitly cover sudden recurrences of preexisting conditions for medical services and medical evacuation.

• GeoBlue can be an excellent option if you're mainly concerned about the medical side of travel insurance.
• GeoBlue provides single-trip, multi-trip and long-term medical travel insurance policies for many different types of travel.

Purchase your policy here: GeoBlue .

IMG offers various travel medical insurance policies for travelers, as well as comprehensive travel insurance policies. For a single trip of 90 days or less, there are five policy types available for vacation or holiday travelers. Although you must enter your gender, males and females received the same quote for my one-week search.

You can purchase an annual multi-trip travel medical insurance plan. Some only cover trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days, but others provide coverage for longer trips.

See IMG's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Most plans may cover preexisting conditions under set parameters or up to specific amounts. For example, the iTravelInsured Travel LX travel insurance plan shown above may cover preexisting conditions if you purchase the insurance within 24 hours of making the final payment for your trip.

For the travel medical insurance plans shown above, preexisting conditions are covered for travelers younger than 70. However, coverage is capped based on your age and whether you have a primary health insurance policy.

• Some annual multi-trip plans are modestly priced.
• iTravelInsured Travel LX may offer optional cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason coverage, if eligible.

Purchase your policy here: IMG .

Travelex Insurance

Travelex offers three single-trip plans: Travel Basic, Travel Select and Travel America. However, only the Travel Basic and Travel Select plans would be applicable for my trip to Turkey.

See Travelex's COVID-19 coverage statement for coronavirus-specific information.

Typically, Travelex won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 60 days of the coverage effective date. However, the Travel Select plan may offer a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, the insured traveler must meet all the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage purchased equals all prepaid, nonrefundable payments or deposits applicable to the trip at the time of purchase. Additionally, you must insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements added to the same trip within 15 days of payment or deposit.
• All insured individuals are medically able to travel when they pay the plan cost.
• The trip cost does not exceed the maximum trip cost limit under trip cancellation as shown in the schedule per person (only applicable to trip cancellation, interruption and delay).
• Travelex's Travel Select policy can cover trips lasting up to 364 days, which is longer than many single-trip policies.
• Neither Travelex policy requires receipts for trip and baggage delay expenses less than $25.
• For emergency evacuation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Travelex and have Travelex make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, both Travelex policies provide an option if you cannot contact Travelex: Travelex will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Travelex Insurance .

Seven Corners

Seven Corners offers a wide variety of policies. Here are the policies that are most applicable to travelers on a single international trip.

Seven Corners also offers many other types of travel insurance, including an annual multi-trip plan. You can choose coverage for trips of up to 30, 45 or 60 days when purchasing an annual multi-trip plan.

See Seven Corner's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Typically, Seven Corners won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition. However, the RoundTrip Choice plan offers a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You buy this plan within 20 days of making your initial trip payment or deposit.
• You or your travel companion are medically able and not disabled from travel when you pay for this plan or upgrade your plan.
• You update the coverage to include the additional cost of subsequent travel arrangements within 15 days of paying your travel supplier for them.
• Seven Corners offers the ability to purchase optional sports and golf equipment coverage. If purchased, this extra insurance will reimburse you for the cost of renting sports or golf equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed by a common carrier for six or more hours. However, Seven Corners must authorize the expenses in advance.
• You can add cancel for any reason coverage or trip interruption for any reason coverage to RoundTrip plans. Although some other providers offer cancel for any reason coverage, trip interruption for any reason coverage is less common.
• Seven Corners' RoundTrip Choice policy offers a political or security evacuation benefit that will transport you to the nearest safe place or your residence under specific conditions. You can also add optional event ticket registration fee protection to the RoundTrip Choice policy.

Purchase your policy here: Seven Corners .

World Nomads

World Nomads is popular with younger, active travelers because of its flexibility and adventure-activities coverage on the Explorer plan. Unlike many policies offered by other providers, you don't need to estimate prepaid costs when purchasing the insurance to have access to trip interruption and cancellation insurance.

World Nomads offers two single-trip plans.

World Nomads has a page dedicated to coronavirus coverage , so be sure to view it before buying a policy.

World Nomads won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition (except emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains) that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. Unlike many other providers, World Nomads doesn't offer a waiver.

• World Nomads' policies cover more adventure sports than most providers, so activities such as bungee jumping are included. The Explorer policy covers almost any adventure sport, including skydiving, stunt flying and caving. So, if you partake in adventure sports while traveling, the Explorer policy may be a good fit.
• World Nomads' policies provide nonmedical evacuation coverage for transportation expenses if there is civil or political unrest in the country you are visiting. The coverage may also transport you home if there is an eligible natural disaster or a government expels you.

Purchase your policy here: World Nomads .

Other options for buying travel insurance

This guide details the policies of eight providers with the information available at the time of publication. There are many options when it comes to travel insurance, though. To compare different policies quickly, you can use a travel insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to search. Just note that these search engines won't show every policy and every provider, and you should still research the provided policies to ensure the coverage fits your trip and needs.

You can also purchase a plan through various membership associations, such as USAA, AAA or Costco. Typically, these organizations partner with a specific provider, so if you are a member of any of these associations, you may want to compare the policies offered through the organization with other policies to get the best coverage for your trip.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

Is travel insurance worth getting?

Whether you should purchase travel insurance is a personal decision. Suppose you use a credit card that provides travel insurance for most of your expenses and have medical insurance that provides adequate coverage abroad. In that case, you may be covered enough on most trips to forgo purchasing travel insurance.

However, suppose your medical insurance won't cover you at your destination and you can't comfortably cover a sizable medical evacuation bill or last-minute flight home . In that case, you should consider purchasing travel insurance. If you travel frequently, buying an annual multi-trip policy may be worth it.

What is the best COVID-19 travel insurance?

There are various aspects to keep in mind in the age of COVID-19. Consider booking travel plans that are fully refundable or have modest change or cancellation fees so you don't need to worry about whether your policy will cover trip cancellation. This is important since many standard comprehensive insurance policies won't reimburse your insured expenses in the event of cancellation if it's related to the fear of traveling due to COVID-19.

However, if you book a nonrefundable trip and want to maintain the ability to get reimbursed (up to 75% of your insured costs) if you choose to cancel, you should consider buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy and then adding optional cancel for any reason protection. Just note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

Providers will often require CFAR purchasers insure the entire dollar amount of their travels to receive the coverage. Also, many CFAR policies mandate that you must cancel your plans and notify all travel suppliers at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Likewise, if your primary health insurance won't cover you while on your trip, it's essential to consider whether medical expenses related to COVID-19 treatment are covered. You may also want to consider a MedJet medical transport membership if your trip is to a covered destination for coronavirus-related evacuation.

Ultimately, the best pandemic travel insurance policy will depend on your trip details, travel concerns and your willingness to self-insure. Just be sure to thoroughly read and understand any terms or exclusions before purchasing.

What are the different types of travel insurance?

Whether you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or rely on the protections offered by select credit cards, you may have access to the following types of coverage:

• Baggage delay protection may reimburse for essential items and clothing when a common carrier (such as an airline) fails to deliver your checked bag within a set time of your arrival at a destination. Typically, you may be reimbursed up to a particular amount per incident or per day.
• Lost/damaged baggage protection may provide reimbursement to replace lost or damaged luggage and items inside that luggage. However, valuables and electronics usually have a relatively low maximum benefit.
• Trip delay reimbursement may provide reimbursement for necessary items, food, lodging and sometimes transportation when you're delayed for a substantial time while traveling on a common carrier such as an airline. This insurance may be beneficial if weather issues (or other covered reasons for which the airline usually won't provide compensation) delay you.
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection may provide reimbursement if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason, such as a death in your family or jury duty.
• Medical evacuation insurance can arrange and pay for medical evacuation if deemed necessary by the insurance provider and a medical professional. This coverage can be particularly valuable if you're traveling to a region with subpar medical facilities.
• Travel accident insurance may provide a payment to you or your beneficiary in the case of your death or dismemberment.
• Emergency medical insurance may provide payment or reimburse you if you must seek medical care while traveling. Some plans only cover emergency medical care, but some also cover other types of medical care. You may need to pay a deductible or copay.
• Rental car coverage may provide a collision damage waiver when renting a car. This waiver may reimburse for collision damage or theft up to a set amount. Some policies also cover loss-of-use charges assessed by the rental company and towing charges to take the vehicle to the nearest qualified repair facility. You generally need to decline the rental company's collision damage waiver or similar provision to be covered.

Should I buy travel health insurance?

If you purchase travel with credit cards that provide various trip protections, you may not see much need for additional travel insurance. However, you may still wonder whether you should buy travel medical insurance.

If your primary health insurance covers you on your trip, you may not need travel health insurance. Your domestic policy may not cover you outside the U.S., though, so it's worth calling the number on your health insurance card if you have coverage questions. If your primary health insurance wouldn't cover you, it's likely worth purchasing travel medical insurance. After all, as you can see above, travel medical insurance is often very modestly priced.

How much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance costs depend on various factors, including the provider, the type of coverage, your trip cost, your destination, your age, your residency and how many travelers you want to insure. That said, a standard travel insurance plan will generally set you back somewhere between 4% and 10% of your total trip cost. However, this can get lower for more basic protections or become even higher if you include add-ons like cancel for any reason protection.

The best way to determine how much travel insurance will cost is to price out your trip with a few providers discussed in the guide. Or, visit an insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to quickly compare options across multiple providers.

When and how to get travel insurance

For the most robust selection of available travel insurance benefits — including time-sensitive add-ons like CFAR protection and waivers of preexisting conditions for eligible travelers — you should ideally purchase travel insurance on the same day you make your first payment toward your trip.

However, many plans may still offer a preexisting conditions waiver for those who qualify if you buy your travel insurance within 14 to 21 days of your first trip expense or deposit (this time frame may vary by provider). If you don't need a preexisting conditions waiver or aren't interested in CFAR coverage, you can purchase travel insurance once your departure date nears.

You must purchase coverage before it's needed. Some travel medical plans are available for purchase after you have departed, but comprehensive plans that include medical coverage must be purchased before departing.

Additionally, you can't buy any medical coverage once you require medical attention. The same applies to all travel insurance coverage. Once you recognize the need, it's too late to protect your trip.

Once you've shopped around and decided upon the best travel insurance plan for your trip, you should be able to complete your purchase online. You'll usually be able to download your insurance card and the complete policy shortly after the transaction is complete.

Related: 7 times your credit card's travel insurance might not cover you

Bottom line

Not all travel insurance policies and providers are equal. Before buying a plan, read and understand the policy documents. By doing so, you can choose a plan that's appropriate for you and your trip — including the features that matter most to you.

For example, if you plan to go skiing or rock climbing, make sure the policy you buy doesn't contain exclusions for these activities. Likewise, if you're making two back-to-back trips during which you'll be returning home for a short time in between, be sure the plan doesn't terminate coverage at the end of your first trip.

If you're looking to cover a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition, select a policy with a preexisting condition waiver and fulfill the requirements for the waiver. After all, buying insurance won't help if your policy doesn't cover your losses.

Disclaimer : This information is provided by IMT Services, LLC ( InsureMyTrip.com ), a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 5119217) and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. IMT's services are only available in states where it is licensed to do business and the products provided through InsureMyTrip.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not create or modify any insurance policy terms in any way. For more information, please visit www.insuremytrip.com .

• Best overall
• Best for cruises
• Best for reputation
• Best for preexisting conditions
• Best for digital nomads
• Best low-cost
• Best for road trips

How we reviewed travel insurance companies

Ultimate guide to choosing the best travel insurance.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Traveling is an adventure, a leap into the unknown, a story waiting to unfold. But every story needs a safety net, and that's where travel insurance comes in. In this guide to the best travel insurance, we'll embark on a journey to help you better understand travel insurance and uncover the benefits that make it an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Our top picks for the best travel insurance companies

Best Overall: Nationwide Travel Insurance

Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA

Best for Cruises: Travel Guard

Best Reputation: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Best for Preexisting Conditions:   Tin Leg Travel Insurance

Best for Digital Nomads:   WorldTrips Travel Insurance

Best Low-Cost Option:   Trawick International Travel Insurance

Best for Road Trips: Travelex Travel Insurance

Best overall: Nationwide

Nationwide Travel Insurance is of the largest players in the travel insurance space, offering nearly endless options for any customer on the travel spectrum, including annual travel insurance plans which can offer frequent travelers the flexibility to "set it and forget it" on their travel insurance coverage.

Nationwide Essential also offers some of the most affordable policies in the market compared to similar plans from competitors, which makes it a great pick for just about anyone. Buyers can discuss bundling options as Nationwide also sells homeowners, auto, pet, and other insurance products. Its travel insurance quoting is just as easy as it has been with other Nationwide insurance products.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Runner-up: AXA Assistance USA 

AXA Assistance USA  offers consumers a great option for no-stress travel insurance: low-priced plans, generous coverage limits on key categories including primary insurance on lost luggage, and up to 150% reimbursement for qualifying trip cancellations.

While add-ons are limited and rental car coverage is not included by default on cheaper plans, AXA is a perfect fit for travelers who don't plan to drive (or who already hold a travel credit card with rental car coverage), and don't need any additional bells and whistles.

Read our AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance review here.

Best for cruises: AIG Travel Guard

Travel Guard is well-known insurance provider, and a great fit for travelers who want to ensure that they can get their money back in the event of canceled or interrupted travel plans.

While the company's policies can be pricey compared to its competitors, the high medical and evacuation limits make AIG a solid choice for older travelers who value peace of mind and simplicity over highly customizable plans that may be bolstered with medical upgrades.

Read our AIG Travel Guard review here.

Best for reputation: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection  helps travelers make the best of bad situations by simplifying the process of filing a claim down to a simple photo snap and some basic paperwork submitted directly through a dedicated app.

Approved claims are also paid out very rapidly, making it easier to carry through with a trip when luggage has been lost or alternative travel plans need to be made on the fly.

Read our Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance review here.

Best for preexisting conditions: Tin Leg Travel Insurance

Tin Leg Travel Insurance is a great fit for travelers with medical issues in particular. Thanks to coverage for preexisting medical conditions as well as for potential COVID-19 infection while traveling, this company offers some of the best financial investment options for travelers who are or will be exposed to higher health risks and issues.

Read our Tin Leg Travel Insurance review here.

Best for digital nomads: WorldTrips Travel Insurance

WorldTrips Travel Insurance has affordable premiums, highly customizable add-ons, and generous coverage for core categories of travel insurance. All this makes it a great option for digital nomads, students studying abroad and backpackers.

However, travelers should keep in mind that plans are not particularly flexible, and coverage amounts are limited unless you plan ahead to pay for the areas and amounts that you need.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Best low-cost option: Trawick International

Trawick International Travel Insurance is another insurance provider with robust medical travel insurance  that can help higher-risk and anxious travelers find peace of mind while on the road. This company offers one of the most generous medical evacuation policies in the market, although travelers will need to remember to add on rental car coverage if they need it.

Read our Trawick Travel Insurance review here.

Best for road trips: Travelex

Travelex Travel Insurance  offers three plans:

• Travel Basic
• Travel Select
• Travel America

The Travelex America plan is meant for trips limited to the US, but it has the highest coverage limits in many areas compared to its other programs. If you're flying somewhere, the lost baggage limits are higher. Its natural strengths shine for road trippers, though. Travelex America adds coverage for roadside service and rental car coverage for unexpected accidents. It also covers pets should you be involved in an accident while on the road.

While your standard auto insurance does extend to car rentals within the US for a limited time, any accident would affect future rates. Travelex would eliminate the risk of reporting to your auto insurance provider for minor incidents within its purview.

Read our Travelex Travel Insurance review here.

Introduction to Travel Insurance

Why travel insurance is a must-have.

The unpredictable nature of traveling – from flight cancellations to medical emergencies – can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance acts as a personal safeguard, ensuring that unexpected events don't drain your wallet or ruin your trip.

Understanding Different Types of Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. From single-trip travel insurance policies to annual travel insurance plans , from minimal coverage to comprehensive protection, understanding the spectrum of options is your first step in finding the right fit for your journey.

Key Features to Look for in Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for medical emergencies.

Imagine falling ill in a foreign country; daunting, right? A robust travel insurance plan ensures you don't have to worry about the financial aspect of receiving medical care while traveling , even in the most remote corners of the globe.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Benefits

Life is full of surprises, some less pleasant than others. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage ensures that you're not left out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel or cut your trip short.

Coverage for Personal Belongings and Baggage Loss

Losing your belongings is more than an inconvenience; it's losing a piece of your world. Insurance that covers personal belongings and baggage loss ensures that you're compensated for your loss, helping you to rebound and continue your adventure.

Support and Assistance Services

In times of trouble, having a lifeline can make all the difference. Look for insurance that offers 24/7 support and assistance services, giving you peace of mind that help is just a phone call away.

Choosing Travel Insurance

Reputation and reliability of the travel insurance provider.

A provider's reputation is not just about being well-known; it's about reliability, customer satisfaction, and the ability to deliver on promises. Researching and choosing a reputable provider is a cornerstone in ensuring your safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the Policy's Fine Print

The devil is in the details, and understanding the fine print of what your travel insurance policy covers is crucial. Be aware of coverage limits, exclusions, and the process for filing a claim to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

In the age of information, customer reviews and feedback are goldmines of insight. Learn from the experiences of others to gauge the reliability and customer service of the insurance provider you're considering.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Insurance

Knowing your policy inside out.

Familiarize yourself with every aspect of your policy – what it covers, what it doesn't, how to file a claim, and who to contact in an emergency. Being informed means being prepared. 

Steps to Take When a Problem Arises

If you face an issue during your travels, knowing the immediate steps to take can make all the difference. Keep important contacts and your policy details handy, and remember, your insurance provider is there to assist you.

How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance Company for You

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy that works perfectly for every traveler. Young, healthy solo travelers can opt for much cheaper plans that offer bare-bones coverage, while families juggling complex itineraries will do best by investing in a robust policy that can help defray any costs associated with lost baggage, delayed transportation or other trip-impeding obstacles.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a travel insurance provider that boasts a reputable history and offers a wide range of customizable plans. In some cases, you may be comparing plans that are only a few dollars' apart from each other. In such situations, you should generally opt for the insurance company that offers the strongest customer service. It's also worth considering whether or not the travel insurance provider has been reviewed by other travelers with similar itineraries to your own. 

An insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth is one of the best tools for searching travel insurance policies. Once you input the specifics of your travel itinerary, you'll be able to see hundreds of search results to compare the ones that catch your eye. If the options are too overwhelming, use the filters to the left of your search page to eliminate as many irrelevant plans as possible.

To come up with our list of the best travel insurance companies, we evaluated each insurer based on the following factors:

Guide Methodology: What We Considered

Policy Types

Travel insurance is essential, but often underused partly because people aren't getting what they want. Business Insider's 2023 travel study showed 10.65% of travelers surveyed bought cancel for any reason insurance. Cost may be a factor, but in many cases, the coverage is more affordable than you might think. Regardless, companies must offer a diverse range of coverage options. We award five stars to companies offering all standard coverages and additional options like pet and sports equipment protection.

Our 2023 travel study indicated the majority of purchases were made through the travel provider (ex: flight protection insurance when you're purchasing your airline tickets). While these may be sufficient for some customers, we look for companies offering a more comprehensive range of services.

According to the US Travel Insurance Association, the average cost of travel insurance will be between 4% and 8% of total travel expenses. Anything beyond that price point should include additional benefits beyond the standard inclusions, such as CFAR protection or upgraded medical coverage. Anything below that 4% threshold may leave you lacking important or sufficient coverage in an emergency.

Convenience and Flexibility

Whether you're an infrequent traveler or a suitcase warrior, a good travel insurance company should have you covered. In many cases, you might not even have to talk to a person in order to purchase your policy.

Many people think of travel insurance in context with specific trips, but most of these top contenders sell both single-trip and multi-trip policies, also known as annual travel insurance. Some companies also offer plans specifically designed for cruisers, students abroad, and business travelers. (Read our guide to the best cruise travel insurance companies for more details.) Finally, all of these providers offer multiple options for getting the specific areas and amounts of coverage that you want.

Claims Handling

Most travelers never have a large claim. Premiums are low, and it provides peace of mind for the just in case situations. So they leave reviews based on their reduced stress levels. But what happens if you lose your luggage or have to stay a few extra days due to an unexpected accident? Will your insurance carrier cover your claim without all the hassle? We check real customer reviews to sort this out for you.

Ease of Use and Support

When purchasing, during your trip, and throughout the claims process, you may need extra support. Does the company have a 24/7 help line? Does it have an online or mobile system allowing you to self-manage? Essentially, what are the options when you need help? We look at the big picture to evaluate the average customer experience with each company.

You can read our full insurance rating methodology for even more details.

Yes, travel insurance typically offers some coverage of canceled flights, but if this benefit is important to you, make sure you read the fine print of your policy to make sure it offers adequate reimbursement. If you think you may need to cancel your travel plans, you should consider purchasing cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance .

There isn't one best travel insurance company; there are many great providers on the travel insurance market today. Our overall winner was Nationwide for its breadth of coverage options. AIG Travel Guard, AXA, Berkshire Hathaway, Tin Leg, WorldTrips and Trawick also made the cut. The best pick for you will depend on what features you value the most, like a low premium or high coverage limits.

The average cost of travel insurance is 5% to 10% of your total trip cost, so it could vary widely depending on where you're traveling and the length of your trip. Your age, the number of people in your group, and other factors can also influence how much you'll pay.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include medical coverage that can come in handy if an emergency occurs and you need medical evacuation. Some travel insurance plans offer more specialized coverage for travelers with preexisting conditions , so shop around if medical coverage is a top priority for you. 

$100,000 should be a sufficient medical coverage limit for travel insurance. If you're planning on doing extreme sports or anything particularly risky on your trip, you may want to increase your coverage level. A high medical coverage limit is especially useful when you're purchasing cruise travel insurance, since medical evacuations are more involved at sea.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Best Long-Term Travel Insurance | Money

Travel insurance offers financial protection from sudden expenses that can arise during vacations or business trips. However, most insurers offer coverage for trips of up to 30 days. If you’re planning a long trip or want to live abroad as a digital nomad, you may want to look into a long-term travel insurance policy, which we define as any policy covering trips more than 90 days in length.

We reviewed dozens of options to find the best long-term travel insurance providers. Read on to find out a travel insurance plan that matches your long-term trip needs.

Our Top Picks for Best Long-Term Travel Insurance

• Allianz Travel Insurance – Best Long-Term Travel Insurance for Families
• Faye Travel Insurance – Best Long-Term International Travel Insurance
• IMG – Best Long-Term Travel Insurance for Seniors
• World Nomads Travel Insurance – Best Long-Term Travel Insurance for Adventurous Travelers
• USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services – Best Long-Term Medical Coverage for Travelers

Best Long-Term Travel Insurance Reviews

• Two plans with free coverage for children under 17
• Trip interruption coverage includes family emergencies
• Can purchase coverage for up to 366 consecutive days of travel
• Cancel for any reason add-on reimburses 80% of pre-paid non-refundable cost, a higher percentage than other companies
• Other plans limit trips to 45 days; must purchase higher-tiered plans for long-term coverage
• Travel change reimbursement only available with higher-tiered plans

Why we chose it: Allianz is our choice for the best long-term travel insurance for families because of its competitively priced plans that offer free coverage for children under 17.

Allianz Travel Insurance offers two plans that may be especially helpful for families: OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premiere. With either plan, children under 17 are covered at no extra cost so long as they’re traveling with a parent or grandparent.

Another benefit for families is Allianz Travel’s policy on trip interruptions caused by family emergencies. So, if you need to abandon your trip to tend to a family member who’s been seriously injured back home, your coverage extends up to the limit outlined in your plan. Similarly, the cost of having your family travel to your destination because you’ve been hospitalized is covered up to your plan limits.

Allianz’s SmartBenefits feature is applicable to both plans, offering the choice of fixed inconvenience payments at a rate of $100 per insured person per day, with no receipts required. Additionally, all of the company’s travel insurance plans include 24-hour customer service through Allianz Global Assistance, as well as concierge services to assist with arranging entertainment, such as booking event tickets and restaurant reservations.

Trips can last up to 180 days with OneTrip Prime. For even longer trips, OneTrip Premier is the ideal option, with coverage of up to 366 days. However, the plans differ significantly in coverage amount maximums per insured person — you can compare the two plans in the table below.

• Telemedicine available anytime at no extra charge
• Up to $250,000 for emergency medical expenses on international trips
• Travel cancellation covers up to 100% of nonrefundable trip costs; trip interruption covers up to 150%
• Pre-existing medical conditions automatically covered
• Trip length maximum is 180 days; some companies we evaluated cover longer trips
• Cancel for any reason add-on covers only 75% of trip expenditures, which is less than other companies on our list
• Telemedicine not available in Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia or Yemen

Why we chose it: Faye is our pick for best long-term international travel insurance because its international protection plan covers trips up to 180 days long and provides 24/7 access to doctors via telemedicine appointments.

Faye’s Travel Protection International plan offers plenty of attractive features for U.S. residents traveling abroad. Travel snafus are thoroughly covered, including up to $300 per day in the event of trip delay, plus an extra $200 if your flight is delayed or if you missed your trip connection.

Medical evacuation coverage is also extensive, with up to $500,000 for emergencies and $100,000 for non-emergencies. For medical expenses due to accidents or illness, Faye reimburses up to $250,000. Additionally, pre-existing medical conditions are automatically covered, so long as your plan is purchased within 14 days of your trip.

Moreover, travelers insured by Faye get telemedicine services at no extra cost. Both audio and video consultations are included in the price of your travel insurance plan. If a doctor prescribes you medicine, Faye directs you to the nearest local pharmacy and reimburses you for the expense.

Optional add-ons include vacation rental damage protection (up to $3,000) and adventure/extreme sports protection for risky activities like high-altitude mountain climbing and deep-sea scuba diving.

• No upper age limit
• Coverage maximums of $50,000 to $1,000,000
• Up to 12 months of continuous coverage for single trips
• Pre-existing condition reoccurrence coverage of up to $2,500
• Coverage maximums may be limited depending on age of insured person
• Non-emergency medical evacuation costs extra with multi-trip plan

Why we chose it: IMG’s GlobeHopper Senior plan wins best long-term travel insurance for seniors because it’s designed specifically for travelers ages 65 and up. Its medical coverage is comprehensive and has a high maximum of up to $1,000,000.

The GlobeHopper Senior plan from IMG caters specifically to people aged 65 years or older traveling outside the U.S. To qualify, you must also be eligible for or be actively enrolled in Medicare. There is no maximum age restriction on the GlobeHopper Senior plan.

Single-trip coverage lasts up to 12 months, and you can elect to extend coverage another 12 months. The multi-trip plan offers coverage for several trips of 30 days or less within a one-year period.

GlobeHopper Senior allows you to choose a deductible minimum (between $0 to $2,500) and plan maximum (from $50,000 to $1,000,000). Medical coverage includes around-the-clock access to IMG’s multilingual customer service reps for help coordinating medical services, and there are over 17,000 providers in the company’s network. Covered services include hospitalization, diagnostic procedures, emergency room visits, medical equipment and physician visits. Prescription medications are also covered up to the plan limit.

Coverage maximums for reimbursement of costs incurred due to a sudden recurrence of a pre-existing condition are $2,500 on the single-trip plan and $5,000 on the multi-trip plan. Local ambulance expenses are covered up to $5,000 by the former and 100% (with no cap) by the latter.

Additionally, coverage for medical evacuations is $250,000 for emergencies and $25,000 for non-emergencies. However, non-emergency medical evacuation is included only in the single-trip GlobeHopper plan. For coverage with a multi-trip GlobeHopper plan, you’ll need to purchase the corresponding rider.

• Explorer plan covers high-risk sports and activities
• Up to 180 days of continuous coverage
• You can buy coverage while already traveling
• Emergency medical assistance available 24/7
• No customization beyond trip length
• No family plans

Why we chose it: World Nomads is our choice for best long-term travel insurance for adventurous travelers because its Explorer Plan covers more than 150 activities and sports, including rock climbing, rafting, scuba diving, surfing and bungee jumping.

World Nomads’ Explorer Plan makes long-term travel insurance possible for people who participate in high-risk activities, such as skydiving or windsurfing, while traveling abroad. The company has dedicated posts with information about many of these activities and how coverage works.

Unlike with many travel insurance options, you can purchase a plan from World Nomads even if your trip has already started. However, there is a waiting period of 24 to 48 hours before coverage takes effect.

Emergency assistance is available 24/7 through the Explorer Plan. The coverage maximum is $100,000 for emergency accidents or expenses incurred because of sickness and $750 for dental. Evacuation in case of an emergency is covered up to $500,000.

Lost baggage is covered up to $3,000 or $1,500 per article. Costs paid due to baggage delays are capped at $750 total or $150 per day.

However, there are a few drawbacks to consider. Firstly, World Nomads doesn’t offer any plans designed for families, so you must purchase an individual policy for each family member. Secondly, you can only choose from two available plans: Standard or Explorer.

Lastly, aside from choosing the plan and length of coverage, you cannot customize your travel insurance plan. This means you may end up paying for features you don’t need.

• Two customizable international medical insurance plans available
• Plan pricing starts at $1 per day
• You can purchase coverage while already traveling
• Deductible options as low as $0
• WorldMed plan is only available for travelers up to 64 years old
• Hazardous activities add-on costs an additional 20% of your premium

Why we chose it: USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services earns the title of best long-term medical coverage for international travelers because its customizable plans allow travelers to select a lower-cost medical insurance option or pay more for higher coverage maximums.

USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services offers medical insurance for people traveling abroad for any purpose, including business and education. There are two plan options: InterMedical Insurance and WorldMed Insurance. Both plans allow for trip lengths from five to 364 days.

InterMedical is USI Affinity Travel Insurance Service’s lower-cost plan, while WorldMed is slightly more expensive and offers additional features. Both plans include World Wide Assistance Services for help with translation services, medical referrals and other traveler needs. However, in terms of coverage, the plans differ greatly. See our table below to compare the two plans.

In addition to medical insurance, Travel Insure also includes standard travel insurance features. Checked baggage loss coverage is $500 at most with InterMed, and up to $1,000 with WorldMed. Reimbursement maximums for costs incurred from trip interruptions are $5,000 (InterMed) and $10,000 (WorldMed).

Note that, unlike with many travel insurance plans, USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services allows you to purchase either plan even if your trip has already started. Coverage may begin as soon as 24 hours after you enroll.

Other long-term travel insurance companies we considered

Many of the dozens of long-term travel insurance companies we evaluated weren’t included in our top picks. Below you’ll find short reviews, including pros and cons, of companies that didn’t make the cut.

• Offers coverage for two children under 10 at no additional charge
• Lets you buy insurance while already abroad
• Offers insurance for remote teams of employees
• Costs nearly double if you include U.S. travel coverage
• Must sign up for an account to see personalized plan pricing
• No coverage for adults over 69 years old

SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance offers international medical and travel insurance designed for digital nomads and remote teams. It has some nice features, including coverage for two children under 10 at no additional price. Plans start at $48.08 a month for up to $250,000 in medical coverage.

Why SafetyWing didn’t make the cut: You can’t choose your deductible amount; SafetyWing only offers a $250 option.

• Offers 24/7 medical support from doctors, including chat via mobile app
• Free assistance calls through mobile app
• All plans include adventure sports coverage
• Only offers single-trip insurance
• No coverage for people over 68 years old
• Limited customization options

Much of Heymondo’s appeal is in its easy-to-use mobile app, through which you can file a claim, chat with a doctor or make a free international call for assistance. Coverage maximums include $3,000 for luggage theft or damage, up to $10,000 for trip cancellation and $200,000 for medical expenses. Certain benefits many travel insurance companies offer as add-ons, such as adventure sports and electronic equipment coverage, are included in all plans.

Why Heymondo didn’t make the cut: Heymondo doesn’t offer coverage for individuals over 68 years old, and the company doesn’t offer any multi-trip plans either.

GeoBlue Travel Insurance

• 24/7 telemedicine support
• Helps with medical appointment scheduling
• Offers multi-trip and long-term plans for frequent travelers
• Doesn't cover unexpected expenses related to trip delays or cancellations
• Deductibles apply to some medical claims

GeoBlue offers strong international medical insurance with some basic coverage for travel snafus, such as baggage delays. However, it lacks coverage for unexpected expenses related to trip delays or cancellations, which means you may need to pair it with standalone travel insurance policies to feel fully secure.

Why GeoBlue didn’t make the cut: Other long-term travel insurance companies we evaluated offer more comprehensive coverage for traveling abroad.

Long-Term Travel Insurance Guide

Shopping for long-term travel insurance can be complicated given how many factors there are to consider. This guide takes a closer look at that process to help you make a more informed decision.

What is long-term travel insurance?

Long-term travel insurance is much like typical travel insurance in terms of coverage, as it includes items such as medical expenses and lost baggage. However, long-term travel coverage is designed for trips lasting more than several weeks. Some plans cover trips up to 90 days long, while others offer year-long coverage.

The specific types of coverage that you get from long-term travel insurance can vary based on the plan you choose. Some benefits may include:

• Medical expense coverage
• Emergency evacuation
• Repatriation of remains
• Prescription drug coverage
• Reimbursement of pre-paid costs, plus additional funds for trip cancellations and delays
• Reimbursement for lost baggage or expenses incurred from baggage delays

We also have a guide — What is Travel Insurance? — if you’re looking for more details about how travel insurance works in general. You can also review our explainer on what travel insurance covers to learn more.

How does long-term travel insurance work?

Long-term travel insurance works similarly to other types of insurance in that you pay a premium in advance for insurance coverage. If a covered event occurs during the dates of your scheduled trip, your provider will cover those costs per the terms of your contract.

However, there are several types of long-term travel insurance. The type of plan you choose can alter the coverage terms available to you.

For example, you can buy an annual travel insurance plan, which allows for an unlimited number of domestic and international trips throughout the year without losing coverage. Some providers restrict the number of trips you can take during your travel insurance contract. Others set limits on how long your trip can last.

Like health insurance, international medical insurance for travelers may require you to pay a deductible before coverage kicks in. Additionally, benefits and maximum coverage amounts vary across providers, so it’s important to carefully examine plan features before purchasing coverage.

How to choose a long-term travel insurance provider

When choosing a long-term travel insurance provider, reference these step-by-step instructions to ensure you don’t miss any details.

1. Assess your travel insurance coverage needs

Consider the types of coverage that you want from long-term travel insurance. There are many options available, including coverage for:

• Trip cancellations and interruptions
• Medical expenses incurred during travel
• Baggage delays and lost or stolen personal belongings
• Travel delays
• Cancellations you initiate
• Emergency assistance services, including emergency evacuation coverage
• Coverage for children traveling with you

Once you identify the types of coverage you want, decide on the scope of each coverage option. For example, you may need to decide how long you want coverage for medical expenses or the plan’s benefit limits for lost baggage.

If you’re traveling with your children, look for plans that offer free coverage for children under a certain age. If other family members are with you, you may be able to save money with a travel insurance provider that offers a family plan.

2. Research multiple travel insurance companies

Be sure to review several providers to ensure you get the best travel insurance at the best possible price. If you have questions about a plan that aren’t answered through the information available on the travel insurance provider’s website, contact the company by phone, email or chat. A representative can provide the details you need.

3. Thoroughly review coverage details and exclusions

Always check the plan’s fine print before enrolling. For example, you should know the maximum benefit amounts for hospital stays and emergency medical situations. You should also know if deductibles or copays are required, so you can estimate your potential out-of-pocket expenses.

Exclusions also matter. For example, if you have coverage for lost baggage, you would probably want to make sure that this includes coverage for lost electronics. Similarly, if you purchase trip cancellation insurance, find out if there are any trip cancellation reasons that would be excluded, such as work-related cancellations.

For some travelers, it will be especially important to research how potential policies treat pre-existing medical conditions. There are travel insurance plans that include coverage so long as you pay for your plan in full within 14 days of your initial trip deposit. Other companies require a pre-existing conditions waiver, which may increase the cost of your plan. Eligibility may also vary based on age and conditions.

4. Check for additional benefits and optional add-ons

Many companies offer add-on options, also known as riders. You may be able to purchase additional coverage for:

• Adventure sports
• High-value items (such as expensive cameras or jewelry)
• Missed flight connections
• Pet care while abroad
• Identity theft
• Enhanced rental car coverage

You can typically add these types of optional benefits to a base policy for an additional fee. Fees can vary by provider, which is another reason to shop around before making a final purchasing decision.

5. Choose the travel insurance provider that best suits your needs and budget

Compare quotes from multiple companies by visiting their websites or calling them directly and choose a policy that offers the coverage you need at a reasonable price.

Note that, while some companies allow you to purchase travel insurance once you’re already on your trip, it’s recommended you purchase a plan in advance. Additionally, some travel insurance benefits, such as pre-existing condition coverage, may only be available if you pay your plan in full a set number of days (typically 14) before your scheduled departure.

Read our guide on when to buy travel insurance to learn more about the optimal timeframe to purchase a travel insurance plan.

Long-Term Travel Insurance FAQ

Which travel insurance is the best for long trips, can i buy travel insurance after booking a long-term trip, what is considered long-term travel, how long does travel insurance last, can travel insurance be extended, how we chose the best long-term travel insurance.

While creating this list of the best long-term travel insurance providers, we considered each of the following factors:

• Coverage: We considered the types of travel coverage and maximum coverage amounts each company offered.
• Pricing: We looked at the cost of different long-term travel insurance plans and considered the value they offer in relation to the types of coverage included.
• Support: We evaluated the availability of support services to travelers who need help accessing their policy, filing claims and finding medical support while abroad.
• Customization: We considered the flexibility of different plan options to assess how easy it is for customers to build their ideal plan and only pay for what they need.
• Family options: We also evaluated whether each long-term insurance provider had options that could meet the needs of families under a single policy.

These factors may not be the only ones that matter to you when choosing a long-stay travel insurance plan. If you have other priorities, you may need to conduct further research to make a decision. Companies’ websites are typically a good place to start, but it may also be helpful to call companies directly if you have particular questions.

Summary of Money’s Best Long-Term Travel Insurance

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This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Money’s full disclaimer .

This article may contain affiliate links that Microsoft and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

4 Best Long-Term Travel Insurance in 2024 (w/ Prices)

Home | Travel | 4 Best Long-Term Travel Insurance in 2024 (w/ Prices)

When traveling abroad, get a policy from one of the  best travel insurance companies . Y ou can get a  5% discount   on Heymondo , the only insurance that pays medical bills upfront for you, HERE!

Planning on taking an extended trip soon? Long-term travel insurance is the perfect choice for travelers who are embarking on a long-term trip and need medical- and travel-related coverage.

Of course, insurance for long-term travel isn’t necessary for every traveler, particularly if you don’t take trips that are longer than three months. However, long-stay travel insurance is useful for anyone who is studying abroad, working abroad temporarily, taking a gap year, or simply traveling for a long period of time.

When I first moved to the US, I wasn’t sure if I would stay permanently, so I purchased a long-term travel insurance policy from Heymondo , knowing that it would save me money and give me coverage if I experienced any medical emergencies. It was exactly what I needed at the time.

5% OFF your travel insurance

As soon as I decided to live in the US permanently, I switched to insurance with more medical coverage beyond emergency situations since extended-trip travel insurance is not suitable for expats who want routine medical care.

If extended-stay travel insurance is what you need, keep reading, because we have compared the best long-term travel insurance plans (Heymondo, World Nomads, Travelex, and SafetyWing) and can help you choose which of these is best for your trip.

What is long-term travel insurance?

Long-stay travel insurance coverage comparison

• Long-stay travel insurance price comparison
• Best long-term travel insurance companies

Long-term travel insurance is insurance for anyone taking a long-term trip who needs medical expenses and trip-related coverage. Any trip that lasts a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of one or two years (depending on the long stay travel insurance company) is considered a long-term trip.

Like other travel insurance, insurance for long-term travel provides medical- and travel-related coverage for incidents like emergency medical care, trip delays, baggage loss, and repatriation. It is not suitable, however, for anyone who is permanently living abroad, especially because it only covers emergency medical expenses and not routine medical care.

Long-term travel insurance vs. annual, multi-trip travel insurance

So, is long-trip travel insurance the same thing as annual, multi-trip travel insurance ? They might sound similar, but actually, insurance for long-term travel and annual travel insurance is completely different.

Long-term travel insurance is insurance for long trips that last three months or more, while annual travel insurance covers multiple shorter trips that happen within one year. With annual travel insurance, trips are restricted to 30-90 days, so it’s not a useful option if your trip will last any longer than that. Annual travel insurance is also only helpful if you’ll be taking at least four or more trips a year.

If you are going on a single, long-term trip or are taking multiple trips within a year that will last longer than 90 days, long-stay travel insurance is the best choice for you.

Who is insurance for long-term travel for?

There are several reasons you might need insurance for long-term travel . You might be taking an extended trip, working abroad, embarking on a gap year, or more. Below are the most common and useful reasons for buying travel insurance for long-term travel :

Extended stay travel insurance for long trips

If you’re about to take a long trip that will last at least three months, you will definitely want to have travel insurance coverage, particularly for emergency medical expenses.

Long-term travel insurance will work out to be the most affordable option for your trip, especially if you don’t plan on returning to your home country before 90 days have elapsed. If you plan on going back home before 90 days have passed, then annual, multi-trip travel insurance might be more helpful for you.

Long stay travel insurance for working abroad

Are you about to be working from another country for an extended but temporary period? Having travel insurance for working overseas is a must, as it’s very possible that you’ll need emergency medical care at some point during your time abroad.

Remember to put your country of residence as your home country, not the country you will be working in temporarily. Otherwise, you will not be covered since long-term travel insurance usually does not provide coverage in your designated country of residence.

Travel insurance for expats

Although it may seem like a great idea to use long-term travel insurance as travel insurance when moving abroad , long-stay travel insurance is not intended for expats. Long-stay travel insurance only covers emergency medical expenses, so it’s not suitable for someone who lives abroad permanently and will need routine medical care and check-ups.

On top of that, whatever country you move to will now be your country of residence. Insurance for long-term travel does not generally provide coverage in your designated country of residence, so you may not be eligible for coverage anyway.

Long-stay travel insurance for students

It’s incredibly exciting to study abroad, but accidents and mishaps can and do happen, so avoid paying for emergency medical expenses and replacing stolen valuables with your own money by getting extended-stay travel insurance .

Having long-term travel insurance coverage will be especially useful if you plan on taking weekend trips to other countries that are close to the country where you are studying abroad; you can still receive the same coverage for those smaller trips (just make sure to select worldwide coverage or, if you’ll just be traveling in Europe, Europe/EU coverage).

Round-the-world trip insurance

Taking a long-term trip around the world is many people’s dream. If you are lucky enough to get to live out that dream, it’s easy to make sure your extended-stay travel insurance worldwide will cover you everywhere you want to visit.

Just make sure you select “worldwide” or “around the world” coverage when you purchase your extended-trip travel insurance . That way, you won’t have to buy individual long-term travel insurance policies for each country you visit. Best of all, you’ll be covered for any spontaneous stops you make while traveling the world.

One-way travel insurance, the best gap year travel insurance

If you’re planning on spending a full year traveling the world, travel insurance for long trips abroad is exactly what you need. You’ll benefit from worldwide emergency medical coverage, so you can receive treatment if you get injured or fall ill, as well as travel-related coverage for baggage loss and trip delays.

I recommend purchasing a one-way travel insurance plan from Heymondo or SafetyWing since both companies allow you to renew your plan from month to month. That way, if you end up coming home unexpectedly early, you won’t lose out on any money.

Insurance for digital nomads

ith so many jobs transitioning to working from home right now, it’s easier than ever to work remotely from anywhere in the world. If you have the opportunity to travel the world while working, take it, but make sure you purchase digital nomad travel insurance before you leave.

You’ll want your insurance coverage to include electronics (laptop, tablet, etc.) so that you can easily replace these crucial pieces of technology for working remotely if they get lost or stolen. Additionally, if you’ll be trying to check a lot of places off your travel bucket list, choose worldwide coverage so that you’ll have the freedom and insurance coverage to go wherever you want.

There can be many considerations to keep in mind when purchasing long-term travel insurance , but coverage is certainly the most important aspect to consider when selecting the long-stay travel insurance you want to buy.

Below, you’ll find a long-stay travel insurance comparison that shows you the differences in coverage among the Heymondo, World Nomads, Travelex, and SafetyWing plans.

Long-term travel insurance price comparison

If you want a better idea of how much long-term travel insurance costs based on the length of your trip and/or the specific coverage you choose, below is a chart comparing the prices of 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 8-month, and 1-year long-term travel insurance as well as the prices of long-stay travel insurance, annual multi-trip travel insurance, and cancellation insurance.

The price of long-term travel insurance will be impacted by several different factors, including your age, nationality, and state of residence (if you live in the US).

To give you an idea of how much insurance for long-term travel costs, I’ve used the example of a 30-year-old American citizen who lives in Pennsylvania and needs worldwide coverage to generate quotes for this long-stay travel insurance price comparison .

Best long-term travel insurance

As you can see from the charts above, each of the four long-term travel insurance plans I compared has its merits.

Heymondo offers the highest emergency medical expense coverage, plus it’s the only insurance for long-term travel that pays your medical expenses upfront, so you don’t need to file a claim after your trip to get reimbursed. I will say, however, that it’s not the cheapest long-haul travel insurance and it does have a deductible of $100 for emergency medical expenses. Still, I do think it is the best long-term travel medical insurance if you want ease and convenience.

SafetyWing ’s Nomad Insurance also provides very good coverage, but their deductible for emergency medical expenses is $250. In spite of this slight drawback, SafetyWing stands out as the best insurance for digital nomads since you can sign up for a plan and it will automatically be renewed every four weeks.

Travelex , on the other hand, has the cheapest travel insurance for long-term travel (for trips of six months or more). For shorter trips, there are other, cheaper options. Travelex’s plan has no deductible, but its emergency medical coverage is also very limited, so I would think twice before going on a long-term trip with such a small amount of coverage.

Last but not least, World Nomads offers the best gap year travel insurance. The emergency medical expense coverage is perhaps a little low, but it is at least higher than Travelex’s medical coverage. There is no deductible for medical expenses, but you will need to pay out of pocket and then file a claim to get reimbursed if you receive emergency medical treatment.

As you can see, the best long-stay travel insurance for you will depend on your needs and type of trip, so keep reading to learn more about each plan.

1. Heymondo , the best long-term travel medical insurance

Personally, I consider Heymondo the best long-term travel medical insurance since its Top plan provides the highest amount of emergency medical expenses and evacuation and repatriation coverage. It’s also one of the only types of travel insurance with COVID coverage that covers COVID testing required by a doctor. Moreover, you can easily extend your plan by anything from two weeks to eight months whenever you want to.

Best of all, you won’t have to worry about waiting to get reimbursed for medical expenses since Heymondo pays your medical expenses directly and upfront for you, removing the hassle of the claim-filing process. Heymondo also makes it easy to tailor your insurance for long-term travel to fit your needs since you can add optional electronic and/or adventure sports coverage to your plan.

Heymondo’s Top plan does have its limitations, though. There is a $100 deductible for medical expenses, which means you’ll have to pay $100 towards any medical bills before Heymondo pays the rest for you. This long-stay travel insurance also lacks trip cancellation coverage; you will need to buy that coverage independently here.

If you want cheap long-term travel insurance , Heymondo is ideal; its plans already provide very good value for the money, plus you can save an extra 5% on their insurance with the discount link below.

Heymondo is also the best travel insurance company for single trips. We currently have their travel insurance and have used their assistance app more than once. Heymondo has always been there to help us when things go wrong during our trips.

2. World Nomads , the best gap year travel insurance

If you’re taking a gap year, you’re probably interested in breaking out of your comfort zone and having a real adventure. In that case, World Nomads is the perfect travel insurance for living abroad for a year and trying new things.

Its Standard plan includes adventure sports and activities coverage, so you can try everything from trekking and ice fishing to hockey and horseback riding and still be covered for accidents and injuries. Moreover, you’ll benefit from solid overall coverage for emergency medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation, trip cancellation, trip delay, and baggage loss.

Even better, there’s a $0 deductible for medical expenses, so you won’t have to pay a cent out of pocket toward your medical bills. However, World Nomads’ long-term travel insurance is the most expensive out of all the ones I compared, so if you want to save a lot of money and get similar or better coverage, Heymondo may work better for you.

3. Travelex , the best travel insurance for long-term travel

Travelex ’s Travel Select long-trip travel insurance has a lower amount of emergency medical coverage than the other insurance plans I have compared, and I personally wouldn’t feel protected traveling with such a low amount of medical coverage on a long-stay trip. However, Travelex is a viable option if you’re traveling on a budget for more than six months because it’s really cheap (and has a $0 deductible for medical expenses)!

Travel-related coverage is another story since Travelex has the highest amount of trip cancellation and trip delay coverage of all the plans I compared. It’s the best plan to choose if you anticipate experiencing any travel mishaps. You’ll also enjoy great baggage loss and evacuation and repatriation coverage.

If you would rather benefit from more medical coverage for a similar price, Heymondo is the best choice for you.

4. SafetyWing , the best insurance for digital nomads

SafetyWing ’s Nomad Insurance lives up to its name by being the best insurance for digital nomads . Not only is Nomad Insurance a cheap long-stay travel insurance , but it also provides a high amount of medical-related and baggage loss coverage.

On top of that, you can choose to have your insurance renew itself automatically every 28 days. Automatic renewal will save you time and money; ensure you don’t forget to renew so you’re always covered; and provide you with more flexibility if you haven’t decided when to end your trip yet. Just select a start date (but not an end date) when you buy Nomad Insurance and keep renewing until you want to go home, at which time you can select an end date.

Nothing’s perfect, however, and unfortunately, SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance is no exception. There’s a $250 deductible for medical expenses, which means you’ll have to pay $250 out of pocket for medical treatment before SafetyWing will cover medical expenses for you.

SafetyWing also lacks trip cancellation coverage, which can be very useful if you have to cancel a trip due to weather, illness, injury, or many other reasons. If you want a lower deductible, go with Heymondo instead, and if trip cancellation coverage is important to you, choose World Nomads or Travelex .

What does long-term travel insurance cover?

The best travel insurance for long-term travel will usually include the following types of coverage:

• Emergency medical expenses : This is probably the most important type of coverage as well as the coverage you are most likely to need while traveling. Accidents, injuries, and illnesses can happen at any time, so having emergency medical expense coverage will ensure that you don’t have to pay out of pocket for hospitalization or medical transportation.
• Evacuation and repatriation : Hopefully, you’ll never have to use evacuation and repatriation coverage, but it is useful to have. Insurance for long-term travel with evacuation and repatriation coverage will pay for the transportation costs of taking you from a remote area to the nearest hospital or sending you back to your home country if you fall seriously ill or have an accident.
• Trip delay : Unfortunately, travel does not always go smoothly; your flight could be delayed due to inclement weather or an airline issue. If that does happen, long-stay travel insurance ’s trip delay coverage will cover expenses, such as meals and accommodation, that are incurred because of a several-hour delay.
• Baggage loss : Even when you take precautions to keep your belongings safe, there’s still a chance an airline could lose or damage your bags, or a pickpocket could take your purse. In any case, long-term travel insurance with baggage loss coverage will reimburse you for any valuables that are lost or damaged, so you won’t have to replace them with your own money.

Is long-term travel insurance worth it?

Ultimately, yes, long-term travel insurance is worth it for extended trips, working abroad temporarily, and taking a gap year. It’s also a great alternative for international student insurance . In all of these situations, insurance for long-term travel will ensure that you get the medical- and travel-related coverage you need without having to break the bank.

As you’ve seen in the long-term travel insurance comparison chart above, Heymondo is the best long-stay travel insurance in terms of medical coverage. It offers the highest amount of emergency medical expense and evacuation and repatriation coverage.

Heymondo’s extended-stay travel insurance also provides the convenient flexibility of being able to renew your policy for periods from two weeks to eight months, which is perfect if you haven’t yet decided when you’ll end your trip. To top it all off, you can even get 5% off their insurance just for being a Capture the Atlas reader.

If you’ll be traveling for more than six months and you’re looking for the cheapest long-stay travel insurance, then Travelex may be better for you. Just be aware of their plan’s lower amount of medical coverage.

If you have any questions about long-term travel insurance, feel free to comment below and I will happily help you out!

Don't miss a 5% discount on your HeyMondo travel insurance  

and the only one that pays all your medical bills upfront for you!

Ascen Aynat

22 replies on “ 4 Best Long-Term Travel Insurance in 2024 (w/ Prices) ”

Hi Ascen, we are US citizens and plan to spend about 6 months of the year in California and 6 months abroad. We have lived in California and in the past had insurance with our jobs which will now be no more. So the question is when we are are in California what is our insurance option so we can visit doctors, dentists etc. Thank you

Hi Sonu, you need standard health insurance for California and travel insurance for traveling out of the States. Travel insurance won’t cover routinary medical appointments.

Let me know if you have any questions, Ascen

Good day. Could I get overlapping coverages to address different issues? Does any of these cover rental car collision insurance during any portion of the stay? If not, what do you recommend for that?

Yes, you can hire different travel insurance to get different coverages. That is no problem.

Hi my husband was diagnosed with mestatic melonma in 2021, Weve been traveling back and forth to Moffitt overvs year now. Weve paid out over $7000 just in lodging. Do you have a plan for this??

I’m sorry about that but there is no insurance that can cover that. That is not an unforeseen issue that occurred during a trip that is mostly what travel insurance cover.

Hi There is an age limit on Heymondo 49+ not included. I am 60. Can you recommend any long stay travel insurance for this age group? Thanks Karan

Hi Karan, I recommend checking our article on senior travel insurance for the best options for you.

Hi! Do you know if you need basic medical coverage from your home country before purchasing any of these insurance plans presented above? My situation is a bit complex. I am a Canadian citizen currently living abroad (non-resident of Canada), therefore I have no basic Canadian health coverage. I am currently covered by the country I reside in (Qatar), however, once I leave, I will no longer have a residency permit and therefore no coverage here either. So when I leave, I won’t have coverage anywhere. I am planning on leaving to travel for a year, so I need long-term travel and medical coverage.

Hi Marisas, please take into account that these long-term travel insurance are travel insurance. That means that they don’t cover routine health checks or chronic diseases. They only cover you under unforeseen problems. For example, if you hire one of these long-term travel insurance and have a car accident during a trip and need surgery, the travel insurance will cover but it won’t cover cancer treatment, for example.

Hi can you recommend a travel insurance for a 7 month European trip for wife and self age 59 CA residents- many thanks

Please check the coverage for the insurance recommended in this article and choose the one that is best for you.

Hi Were planning to travel continuously for one year to Europe, Asia & med cruise. Is there a travel insurance that can cover this? Most insurances will require you to go back to your home country (US) after 60 to 90 days. Thanks

Hi Nate, I don’t believe you need to get back to the US with the Heymondo Long-Term Travel Insurance. Have you checked it out?

Hi Ascen We are a male 57years and female 58 years and we are travelling to south Africa to include Botswana Namibia Mozambique,Angola Zambia and Lesotho, we are shipping our car from Australia into south africa and will be travelling for two years we both hold Australian and UK passports Could you please recommend a medical insurance for this trip , we are not to bothered about trip cancellation baggage etc any help would be appreciated We have used world nomads previously but would consider others as well Thank you ag and rg

Hi Antony, that trip sounds amazing! If you’re doing a long-term trip like that one, I recommend Heymondo since they pay all medical expenses in advance. Just be aware of the 100$ deductible per claim.

Said that their price is very competitive and they have very high coverage.

Looking for long term insurance for cancel for any reason plus Covid coverage.

I recommend purchasing separately a long term travel insurance with Covid Coverage (I recommend this one ), and a cancel for any reason policy.

Interesting that this features Travelex and then notes: “Can get similar or better coverage for a more affordable price” From whom?

As you can see in the different comparison charts (coverage comparison chart and price comparison chart), Travelex is the one with the lower coverage, by far, and it’s only worth checking for 6-month insurance or more.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Hi! Do you know if you need basic medical coverage from your home country before purchasing any of these insurance plans presented above? My situation is a bit complex. I am a Canadian citizen currently living abroad (non-resident of Canada), therefore I have no basic Canadian health coverage. I am currently covered by the country I reside in (Qatar), however, once I leave, I will no longer have a residency permit and therefore no coverage here either. So when I leave, I won’t have coverage anywhere. I am planning on leaving to travel for a year, so I need long-term travel and medical coverage. Thanks!

Hi Melanie, no you don’t need it. You will need just long-term travel insurance and you will be covered wherever you go. Also in your home country as long that you’re traveling there and use the insurance just for emergencies (not regular checks, ongoing problems, chronic diseases, and things like that). In your situation, I think the long-term travel insurance of MONDO is your best bet.

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The World's Best Travel Insurance for Long-Term Travelers

Updated: Jan 13, 2023 • by Thomas K. Running

While there are many types of insurance you might buy as a digital nomad or long-term traveler, the most essential is usually travel insurance—specifically a comprehensive “travel health insurance” policy.

Some of us may also need global primary health insurance (often called expat health insurance).

To help you determine the right type of insurance for your situation, I’ve created a short, interactive quiz. No personal data or contact details required!

In short, as long as you’re covered for long-term health care in your “home country” or somewhere else where you have the legal right to live indefinitely, a travel health insurance plan that covers medical costs in case of accidents and serious illness abroad is what you’ll need. And that’s what I’ll cover in this article.

Coronavirus update 🦠 Due to the novel coronavirus and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic, I want to provide some resources related to travel, insurance coverage, and how to stay safe and avoid disruptions to your travel plans. Insurance coverage of COVID-19: It’s very common for insurance policies to contain general exclusions regarding epidemics and pandemics, meaning it’s not a given that expenses related to the coronavirus outbreak will be covered by your policy. Check with your insurance provider to be certain what’s covered. SafetyWing now fully covers COVID-19 related illness as of August 1, 2020. They even cover PCR tests if deemed medically necessary by a doctor. Read more here . World Nomads do not cover anything related to the COVID-19 (or any other) pandemic for customers from most countries (their insurance policies vary depending on where you’re from). US residents are the one exception to the rule that I spotted. Read more in their FAQ (make sure to select the same country of residence you used when signing up). Changed travel plans It also varies what insurance providers will cover if your travel plans were affected by the pandemic (so check with them). However, many airlines (as well as hotels, cruise companies, car rental agencies, etc) are allowing you to make changes to your reservations free of charge. In many cases, they’ll even refund tickets you no longer need, want, or can use. Helpful resources: Worldwide travel restrictions (IATA) Information on country-specific measures (US State Department) WHO’s COVID-19 pages CDC’s coronavirus pages

Table of Contents ↺ Coronavirus update Should you insure your stuff? The alternative: Self-insure for the little things Getting the right insurance Travel Health Insurance Emergency Evacuation Travel Insurance Things to note when picking your policy The Showdown SafetyWing World Nomads True Traveller IMG Travel Health Insurance Other insurance providers worth looking into Common questions (FAQ)

Should you insure your stuff? 🎒

While some insurance is important, I’d recommend against getting too much insurance. Keep in mind that, on average, getting insurance doesn’t pay off financially. The insurance companies need to collect enough in premiums to cover not only claims (legit and fraudulent) but also their own staff, marketing, and profit margins.

My personal policy is to insure against the unlikely events that would ruin me financially.

Yes, it sucks having to pony up $2000 for a new MacBook Pro if it were to get stolen or destroyed. But is it worth paying $500 dollars for certain every year, just in case? Only if you cannot possibly manage to save up a few thousand dollars as a buffer or make do with a less expensive laptop for a while in case it breaks and can’t be fixed at a reasonable price.

If someone stole all the belongings that I travel with—including the clothes I was wearing and the phone in my pocket—it would cost me about $6000 to replace it all with brand new items.

While painful, I have enough of a buffer that it wouldn’t put me in debt. And the likelihood of it happening in the first place is quite slim. Hence, I won’t waste any money insuring my possessions.

The alternative: Self-insure for the little things 💰

Most people are paying way too much in insurance premiums. I can appreciate that you might value the extra peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re covered no matter what happens.

But if you start doing even rudimentary back-of-the-envelope calculations, it becomes clear that you’re throwing money out the window.

Instead, consider this approach.

Get quotes for insuring everything you instinctively want to insure. Missed flight connections. That camera you bring along but almost never use. Your smartphone. Your laptop. Baggage delays. Petty theft. And, of course, emergency travel health insurance.

Get quotes for everything with zero deductibles if possible.

Let’s say your total yearly premium comes to $3000.

Then look at what you would be paying if you only get insurance for the stuff that would ruin you financially. In other words, probably only emergency health insurance.

Pick the highest deductible you’re comfortable with. At the very least a couple of hundred dollars per year. Remember, your goal is to never actually have to use the insurance, so it’s better to pay less every year and potentially a bit more in the year where you actually need to rely on your policy.

Say you end up with a premium of about $500 per year. As you’ll see later, that’s a very easily attainable number.

Now, buy the cheap insurance with the high deductible. Every year, put the money you saved ($2500 in this example) on a high interest savings account (or even better, a low-cost index fund or ETF ) earmarked for situations where you would have relied on the expensive, all inclusive insurance.

Now sit back and watch your own personal insurance fund grow ever larger year by year. Whenever you need to pay for something that would have been covered by the more expensive insurance (including deductibles), just withdraw the money to cover it from your own insurance fund.

As an added bonus, you don’t even have to fill out lengthy claims forms, go hunting for old receipts for your valuables, and fight with claims agents that are trying their very best to find loopholes to avoid paying you what you’re rightfully owed.

Getting the right insurance

Let’s take a look at the different types of insurance you should consider getting for your trip.

Travel Health Insurance 🏥

Even if you’re covered for health expenses in your home country, it’s important to be covered for emergencies abroad.

What would happen if you’re in the US, or Japan, or Australia (or even countries where health care is cheaper), and you get a debilitating disease or end up in an accident that has to be treated locally?

You’ll very quickly end up with medical bills in the tens if not hundreds of thousands. Unless you have insurance, that is.

A good emergency medical travel insurance will take care of any costs of any life-threatening treatment you get locally.

It’s important to note that most travel health insurance policies are not “primary” health insurance policies. They rely on you being entitled to treatment somewhere and will ship you there if needed for long-term care.

So even if you get travel health insurance, it’s important that you make sure you’re covered for long-term treatment at “home”.

If that’s not the case, you should check out our article on worldwide primary health insurance .

Emergency Evacuation 🚁

Many travel health insurance policies come with built in emergency medical transportation or emergency medical evacuation as it’s often called. There are also standalone evacuation memberships, which tend to be quite a bit more expensive for similar coverage.

What exactly is covered by such policies, what limit is sufficient for your needs, and do you actually need it?

Usually, an emergency evacuation policy will kick in when the initial hospital or medical facility is not suited to provide the appropriate care for your medical emergency.

The decision to move you elsewhere will usually be made by the local doctor and your insurance company’s medical advisor.

While the policy will cover transportation to a suitable hospital, the medical costs on arrival are not covered—unless part of a travel health insurance policy . In other words, the standalone evacuation memberships usually only cover you until you’ve reached the hospital.

Due to their nature, emergency evacuation policies are most essential if you’re often hiking in remote areas, traveling or staying long-term in less developed countries, etc. If you’re spending most of your time in large cities in developed countries, it’s less important. In that case you should just make sure you’re covered for individual trips you make where it can come in handy.

The policy limits usually range from $25,000 up to millions or even unlimited . Since evacuation costs can get really high in extreme cases, I’d recommend a policy with at least a $100,000 limit. Perhaps even more if you’re traveling in very remote and underdeveloped areas.

Travel Insurance 🛫

Although all the different types of policies we have covered so far could fit under the umbrella term travel insurance , in this section I am referring to things like delayed or lost baggage, missed flight connections, car rental insurance, and so on.

If you have it included in a credit card or similar for free, then of course it’s worth having. Rental Car insurance can save you some money as well, but make sure to read the fine print.

Many travel health insurance policies include some coverage for these things as well, so if you’re anyway getting that kind of insurance (which you should) and the price differential is small, it can be worth to get it bundled. As you’ll see below, my recommended all-in-one insurance (SafetyWing) is actually cheaper than the already affordable health-only insurance from IMG.

If on the other hand you’re not covered through your credit cards or other insurance you already have, spending money on a dedicated travel insurance is usually a terrible deal bordering on pointless. There are a few reasons why this is the case:

• It’s very unlikely that anything will happen, and if it does the insurance policy probably has an exclusion
• If something happens, it will be relatively cheap to deal with on your own
• In many cases you can get compensation from airlines or others, even without insurance

Let’s take one example; missed flight connection insurance . Most policies require from two to four (!) hours in between flights to be valid.

Ask yourself, how often are you traveling with connecting flights on separate tickets? Perhaps some times, but likely not that often.

And how many flights are more than two to four hours delayed? Only about 0.1% to 1.5% of flights, depending on airlines (US airlines generally coming out behind).

Assuming you mostly fly on through tickets and only have a handful of risky connections on separate airlines per year, that’s a very slim chance (perhaps 1-2%) that you will miss a flight connection on separate tickets in a given year. And even if you did, the expected cost of an average replacement ticket is only a few hundred dollars.

That means, even with as much travel as most nomads do, the expected financial loss of missed connections is only a few dollars per year. So skip the insurance, and put the money saved into your own self-insurance fund .

Things to note when picking your policy

• Usually whenever you extend your policy (technically, when you enter a new period of coverage ) any things that happened before the extension will now be treated as pre-existing conditions , and will often no longer be covered.
• You’re a legal (tax) resident of that country. If you’re traveling long term you might not be.
• For trips of a certain length (often 30 or 60 days, but I’ve also seen 90 days) before you have to return to your home country. Many even require you to have purchased round trip flight tickets before embarking on your trip for your coverage to kick in.
• If it’s a credit card policy, if at least 50% or even 100% of the trip costs have been pre-paid with the card in question.
• Many insurance policies (even some of the ones included in this article) limits the number of visits you might make to your home country during the lifetime of the policy. Say you purchase a typical one-year policy, and you happen to visit your home country for any reason more than once in that period, the rest of your policy will be canceled with no refund given.
• When it comes to deductibles, look out for if the deductible is per incident or per policy period (which can typically extend to a year). The latter is clearly better, since if you already had to pay the deductible once, you don’t have to pay it for the rest of the period/year.

The Showdown 🥊

In the rest of this article I will compare some of the most popular and well-suited insurance policies for digital nomads and long-term travelers who already have some sort of primary health insurance cover at home.

I’ve included policies that meet these basic requirements:

• It should be possible to buy and renew the insurance while already traveling.
• They should be available to the residents of many if not most or all countries.
• There should not be any upper limit for how long you can travel before returning home.

Note that all prices are rounded to the nearest dollar.

This relative newcomer is my personal top choice , and what I’m personally using. And while SafetyWing is still a startup (launching about two years ago), their insurance policy is backed by Tokio Marine, one of the most solid insurance companies in the world. So in the unlikely event that something were to happen to SafetyWing, you would still be taken care of by Tokio Marine.

Their long term goal is to offer a complete suite of products to build a country-independent social safety net for freelancers and digital nomads , which I think is really cool! In addition to the travel health insurance described here, they also recently launched a complete worldwide primary health insurance called Remote Health , so if you don’t have health coverage in your home country, check that out! However, their first product (which is what I describe in this article) is marketed as a “ digital nomad travel insurance ”.

And compared to the alternatives, it is both a really good value and offering some genuinely useful features that I know many of you will appreciate.

In many ways it’s even more comprehensive than the competitors, but still only a fraction of the price.

Some highlights:

• Recurring billing . Pay monthly just like you would for Spotify or Netflix without having to decide upfront for how long you need the policy. Why other companies don’t offer this is to me a complete mystery.
• The lowest cost of any company in this comparison. For a worldwide excluding the US policy you’ll pay about $37 per month, while most comparable companies charge over $100 for a less convenient product.
• A yearly deductible . While most companies charge a deductible for each claim, SafetyWing will cap your deductible at $250 per policy period (which—as long as you keep your subscription running—equals 364 days).
• No deductible at all for many types of claims , including emergency dental, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, crisis response, emergency reunion, bedside visit, trip interruption, accidental death and dismemberment, lost checked luggage, travel delays, personal liability and a bunch more.
• Home country coverage . While most of the competitors might even void the rest of your policy if you visit your home country, SafetyWing’s policy will even cover you in your home country for up to 30 days per 90 days of insurance.
• The same low daily price no matter how short cover you buy. Perfect for nomads who have other health coverage in the countries they spend most of their time (e.g. EU/EEA residents spending a lot of time in Europe), and only need cover for part of the year while traveling elsewhere.
• Covers private health care . No need to go to a public hospital or doctor in a third world country when there’s a much better private one available.
• They support direct billing to most hospitals and clinics in their extensive, worldwide network (searchable on your online account page). You can still opt for a different medical provider, but you’d generally have to pay out of pocket and be reimbursed later.

Some things to note:

• A bit high price if you order their US inclusive policy for a long time. If you are planning on visiting the US, you’re better off getting the US cover only while you’re in the country and switch back to the non-US cover as soon as you leave.
• After 364 days of coverage, the insurance will lapse if you don’t actively renew it. Luckily that’s as simple as clicking a link in an email that will be sent to you before your current policy expires.

Pricing for a 35 year old nomad who’s already traveling:

For recurring policies longer than 28 days, payment is only due every 4 weeks , so you don’t have to pay for a long policy in advance , unlike virtually any other insurance company.

Full policy wording

World Nomads

They might have been innovative a decade ago, but today I sincerely believe most bloggers are only recommending them due to financial incentives (they pay bloggers—including me—for referrals) or plain ignorance. Or perhaps a combination of both?

What they offer might have been revolutionary 10 years ago (travel insurance that could be purchased and renewed while already traveling), but today there are better alternatives available.

I’m really not sure what World Nomads offer that can justify the more than triple price, but my hunch is that it’s mostly due to brand recognition rather than any tangible benefits to you as a customer.

If you get their most expensive package, you do get pretty good extreme sports cover, although they have recently become much more restrictive here than before—without that being reflected in the price.

Highlights:

• They support direct billing , at least in some circumstances. In my only experience being hospitalized while covered by their Explore plan, I still had to pay the hospital myself and got the settlement about 6 weeks later. But they do claim that they can arrange direct billing, so I assume they would help out if the claim was a bit bigger (mine was only about $1300).
• Decent extreme sports cover in their most expensive package (although not as good as it used to be).

Things to note:

• Since World Nomads use different insurance providers depending on your country of residence the insurance price, terms, limits and benefits vary from one country to another . Be extra careful to read the full policy wording for your country of residence.
• Extensions are expensive . Say you take out and pre-pay for a long-term policy, you would pay about $75 to extend your policy with a mere week (assuming you’re from the US and on the Explorer plan).
• You’re only allowed return home once during the entire duration of your policy. If you’re a nomad with a home base, or you tend to return home to visit friends or family on occasion, you’re effectively not able to buy a long term policy to save money. Instead you’ll have to buy a series of short and expensive policies.

I’ve used World Nomads a bit in the past (with BUPA Global as the insurance provider) and while the claims involved lots of paperwork they usually were handled fairly. Payouts aren’t super quick, and I had to send them a few reminders before the claims were settled.

The only time I had an issue (which was at least partly my fault) was when I waited until only a few days before the expiry of my current insurance policy before extending it. In that brief time window a close relative first got very ill and later passed away. Since the relative became ill before I had ordered the extension (even though I was unaware of it until a few days after and she only passed away into my new policy period, since it was no longer “unexpected”), they refused to cover my round trip tickets back to Europe so I could attend the funeral.

According to the policy wording they were of course in the right, although someone more understanding could have used their discretion to decide otherwise. Anyway, with the auto-renewal feature that SafetyWing offers this would have been a non-issue.

Note that pricing for World Nomads depend on your country of residence. To get the long term discounts you have to order and pay for the whole period in advance . Extensions are charged at non-discounted prices and will start a new policy period. If you’re at all unsure about how long you need your policy, you’re much better off using SafetyWing’s subscription feature or another insurance provider with cheap extensions (also like SafetyWing, and IMG below).

Base price of a Standard/Explorer plan for a 35 year old traveler from the UK (prices converted from GBP at the time of writing):

Base price of a Standard/Explorer plan for a 35 year old traveler from the US :

The policy wording varies depending on your country of residence . To see the full policy wording, you have to request a quote where you enter your country of residence. On the next page look for the section “View full description of coverage,” and click the View button under the heading of the plan you are interested in.

True Traveller

This is a popular provider, particularly in the UK. Their insurance is only available to residents of the UK and other countries in the EEA.

Their cheaper plans are quite affordable—especially if you pre-pay for a year or more—but they are also quite limited and restrictive in what they cover. Adding various extras will quickly increase your premium.

• No limit on home visits , however you are not covered while in your home country .
• They have lots of good reviews on Trustpilot , for what that’s worth.
• They will strive to arrange direct billing for covered medical treatment surpassing £500. Below this you’ll generally pay out of pocket and be reimbursed once your claim is processed.
• Extensions cost a lot . E.g. if you had a 52-week policy (costing $462 with no extras) you would pay a whopping $50 to extend your policy by a mere week.
• Only available to current EEA residents . If you are a full-time nomad or have a base outside of the EEA, you likely won’t qualify even if you’re from the EEA.
• Does not cover private medical treatment unless no public treatment is available. Personally, I was really happy that my insurance covered private hospital stays when I got hospitalized in India a few years ago. Just saying. Update: True Traveller responded below , clarifying what this policy means in practice.

Base price* for a 35 year old nomad who is already traveling (prices converted from GBP at the time of writing):

* Their pricing changes massively depending on which extras you include. A 7 day policy ranges from £34 to £361 depending on your selections. A 52 week plan can get as pricy as £1511 with all extras selected. In this table I’ve included their mid-range package (“Traveller”), with zero extras and a £75 deductible per claim.

Policy wording

IMG Travel Health Insurance

This is an affordable travel health insurance, which does not include any non-health related benefits (unlike the previous options).

IMG is a financially solid company, with some of the best prices out there. For a reasonable health-only policy it’s a popular budget option, but be aware that they have a reputation for slow claims handling and sticking to the letter of the policy wording beyond what some people would find reasonable.

• Flexible deductibles , so you can select a high one and reduce your premiums.
• The deductible is only payable once per 12 months of continuous coverage (like SafetyWing ).
• Extending and renewing your policy is a lot cheaper than e.g. World Nomads and True Traveller, so if you find yourself needing your policy a bit longer than expected, it won’t break the bank. Extending this way will start a new policy period, however, (unlike SafetyWing’s subscription) which means issues that already arose while traveling will be treated as pre-existing and no longer covered.
• This is a travel health only policy , and will not cover things like trip interruption, travel delays, lost luggage, etc. It is still more expensive than the SafetyWing insurance , which includes those things. Also note that it’s still not primary health insurance , so you still need to be covered in your home country.
• Your insurance will be terminated if you return to your home country for more than 14 days, or at all if your home country is the United States or you returned home for medical reasons.
• They generally don’t support direct billing (i.e. the hospital or doctor billing them directly), which mean you might have to pay pretty hefty medical bills out of pocket and then wait for your claim to be processed before you will be reimbursed.
• The plan which includes travel in the US is not available to US residents .

Pricing for a 35 year old single traveler ( travel health only , $500,000 limit, $250 deductible):

Policy documents:

• Patriot International (excluding travel to the US)
• Patriot America (including travel to the US)

Other insurance providers worth looking into

While not available everywhere, Allianz is an insurance company with a good reputation and (sadly also) premium prices. They tend to be a bit pricier than the options we’ve looked at so far.

Click here to see if they offer their travel insurance product in your home country.

Note that they often require you to purchase your insurance before departing on your trip, making it a poor choice for most nomads.

Genki is a travel health insurance product, so it doesn’t come with any typical non-health-related insurance benefits, however we feel it deserves a mention as it is designed specifically for digital nomads.

While it still has few public reviews on websites like trustpilot.com, it is backed by both Dr-Walter and Allianz, so we see it as a trustworthy newcomer to the travel health insurance market.

They offer their product for travel to every country on the planet – upon questioning them on this, they said “Even North Korea” 😆.

It is based on a monthly subscription, and you can choose to be covered with their “Worldwide” plan or “Worldwide excluding Canada and the US”.

It’s a little more expensive than some of the travel insurance products available starting at €35.70 per month, however it has quite extensive coverage. Covid-19, travel costs for family members to visit your hospital in case of a medical emergency, mental ilness, sports-related injuries (only one’s that are not considered dangerous activities – hiking, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, biking, kayaking etc. are covered), pregnancy (except pre-existing), and emergency dental care are all included in their list of benefits.

Finally, in most cases there is no overall limit in medical cost cover, and they offer 24/7 emergency assistance and direct billing. They will cover emergencies in your home country as well for up to 6 weeks per 180 days.

Common questions (FAQ)

• Q: Will airlines compensate me for lost or delayed luggage?

A: Yes, up to certain limits which depend on the route you fly. For lost luggage on international flights, usually it’s limited to about $1,600 (or 1,131 Special Drawing Rights , to be exact). The limit is $3,500 for domestic flights in the US. For delayed luggage , the practice varies a bit from airline to airline, but generally they either give you a one-off payment to cover essentials or reimburse you based on reasonable and necessary expenditures resulting from the baggage delay when seeing receipts. They will also reimburse you for damaged luggage on the same basis (on seeing receipts documenting expenses).

• Q: Why do I have to fill in my country of residence when purchasing travel insurance? I’m traveling full time, with no fixed address anywhere.

A: While each insurer’s definition of “country of residence” will differ, they generally want to know where to send you in case of serious injury or if you need long-term treatment. So you should choose a country where you have (1) a place to stay (perhaps with family or friends), (2) will be covered by either private or public health insurance to take care of your long term medical bills, and (3) somewhere you have unlimited and unrestricted access (i.e. you don’t need a visa to enter, so typically where you’re a citizen, permanent resident, or—for EU/EEA citizens—all of the EU/EEA). While most of the providers listed in this article won’t require you to be a legal resident you should still read your policy wording carefully, exceptions do occur for certain nationalities with certain providers. Note that many insurance providers offering insurances to citizens or residents of a specific country will require you to be a legal resident there, and also in some cases part of the national social security or health insurance scheme.

• Q: When should I buy the insurance? Can I wait until I depart or already traveling?

A: While the providers listed above all allow you to purchase your policy while traveling, it is better to get it ASAP —ideally as soon as you have your departure flights booked or at least know your departure date. The insurance won’t cover anything that happens until after you buy the policy. So if you for some reason (e.g. medical) you can’t depart when scheduled, and you haven’t purchased the insurance before the issue arises, you won’t be covered. Typically there are also quite a few exclusions to the insurance cover in the first few days after you buy the policy (to combat insurance fraud), so that’s another good reason not to wait.

• Q: How do I know if a plan is good enough for a visa application?
• A: Some countries require you to have travel health insurance before applying for certain visas or entering the country as a visitor. This includes Australia, Canada, the United States, Ecuador, and the entire Schengen area (most of Europe)—among others. Usually the requirements include emergency health cover with varying limits, emergency repatriation to your home country, and a few more things. The providers listed in this article should be good enough for most—if not all—visa applications around the world, but if you’re unsure you can always reach out to the insurance company to make sure. To learn about the visa and entry requirements for various countries, check out the free services listed in the visa section of my travel tools article —particularly Timatic and TravelDoc.

Tips that will make your life a lot easier in a pinch

• Get in the habit of scanning all receipts , medical docs, etc, with your smartphone, and add it all to Evernote, Google Keep or a similar application that can be accessed on both your phone and online. Also do this for any expenses you have as a result of delayed luggage or flights, plus receipts when purchasing anything you will travel with (e.g. clothes, electronics, travel gear, valuables) in case you have to submit a claim at for it at a later date.
• Keep digital (and optionally paper) copies of your essential travel and financial documents , such as passport, driver’s license, visas, entry stamps, etc. Store your debit and credit card information in an encrypted password manager (like LastPass).
• Always bring both a travel-friendly debit and credit card , plus ideally leave a backup credit card at home or with some trusted friends, which you can use to make online purchases in case the cards you bring with you are lost or stolen. Accommodation (which can include breakfast), flight tickets, etc can usually be booked and paid for online.
• Keep a paper copy of your insurance card in your wallet and/or passport. In case of an accident, it’s good to have the relevant contact and policy information on hand. You might not even be conscious yourself, so then the emergency response personnel can still find your information.
• Use the ICE (in case of emergency) feature on your smartphone . That way emergency response or medical personnel can contact your specified ICE contacts without unlocking your phone, and also see potential allergies, blood type, and any other information you have included. It’s a good idea to also include a paper copy of this information in your wallet or on the back of your insurance card.

I hope you enjoyed the article! Hopefully it can save you both money, hassle, and maybe even your life.

Feel free to add any questions and comments (particularly your own first-hand experiences with different providers) in the community thread or below.

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The 5 Best Annual Travel Insurance Plans of 2024

Allianz Travel Insurance »

AIG Travel Guard »

Seven Corners »

GeoBlue »

Trawick International »

Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Annual Travel Insurance Plans.

Table of Contents

• Allianz Travel Insurance
• AIG Travel Guard

Buying travel insurance can be a smart move for most trips, but those who travel more than a few times a year should consider an annual travel insurance policy. Whether you regularly travel for business and/or take several vacations a year, annual travel insurance plans can help you get the coverage you need without having to price out and purchase protection every time you leave home.

If you find yourself in a situation where an annual plan makes sense, know that not all travel insurance companies offer this kind of coverage. You'll also want to consider the available annual travel insurance plans to see which options make sense for your travel style and the level of coverage you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

Annual travel insurance plans all work in their own way, but the majority let travelers pay one annual premium for coverage that lasts for up to 364 days. These plans often limit the length of individual trips that are covered within the coverage year. Per-trip and annual limits on coverage can also apply.

In some cases, annual travel insurance plans require a deductible or coinsurance for certain types of coverage. If you're considering an annual travel insurance plan because you take multiple trips each year, make sure you read over the policy details and understand all coverage limits and trip limits that apply.

The cost of annual travel insurance typically varies based on factors like the age of the travelers applying, included benefits and coverage limits. You will want to shop around to compare plans across multiple providers using a platform like TravelInsurance.com or Squaremouth before you settle on a travel insurance policy.

To provide an example of the cost of annual travel insurance, U.S. News applied for a quote for two 40-year-old travelers seeking coverage for eight trips over a 12-month period. The Squaremouth travel insurance portal quoted policies with costs that range from $206 for the GeoBlue Trekker Essential plan to $610 for the Safe Travels Annual Deluxe plan by Trawick International.

Annual travel insurance can be worth it if you take multiple trips each year and want to make sure you always have coverage in place. After all, the alternative to having a multitrip policy is buying a new travel insurance plan for every vacation you take. That's not always feasible for frequent travelers who are always jetting off somewhere new – often at the last minute.

Just keep in mind that annual travel insurance plans tend to come with lower coverage limits than plans for single trips, and that you'll pay a premium for coverage that comes with comprehensive benefits and high limits for medical expenses and emergency evacuation.

• Allianz Travel Insurance: Best Overall
• AIG Travel Guard: Best for Basic Coverage
• Seven Corners: Best for Medical
• GeoBlue: Best for Expats
• Trawick International: Best for the Cost

Tailor your annual travel insurance plan to your needs

Most plans include coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, travel delays, medical expenses, and more

Lowest-tier plans (AllTrips Basic and AllTrips Prime) come with no or relatively low coverage limits for trip cancellation

Most annual plans (except for AllTrips Premier) do not cover trips longer than 45 days

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to between $2,000 and $15,000
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to between $2,000 and $15,000
• Emergency medical coverage worth up to $50,000
• Up to $500,000 in emergency medical transportation coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for lost or damaged baggage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage delays
• Travel delay coverage worth up to $1,500 ($300 daily limit)
• Rental car coverage worth up to $45,000
• Up to $50,000 in travel accident coverage
• 24-hour hotline assistance and concierge service

Annual Travel Insurance Plan offers year-round travel insurance protection

Relatively high limits for medical expenses ($50,000) and emergency evacuation ($500,000)

No trip cancellation coverage and relatively low limit ($2,500) for trip interruption coverage

No coverage for preexisting medical conditions

• Up to $2,500 in coverage for trip interruption
• Up to $1,500 in coverage for trip delays of five-plus hours ($150 per day limit)
• Missed connection coverage worth up to $500
• Up to $2,500 in baggage insurance
• Baggage delay coverage worth up to $1,000 for delays of at least 12 hours.
• Up to $50,000 for emergency medical expenses ($500 for emergency dental sublimit)
• Up to $500,000 for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains
• Up to $50,000 in accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Up to $100,000 in protection for security evacuation

Provides coverage worth up to $250,000 for emergency medical expenses

Tailor other included benefit levels to your needs

Coverage only applies to trips up to 40 days

Deductible up to $100 applies for emergency medical coverage and baggage and personal effects

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to between $2,500 and $10,000
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to 150% of the trip cancellation limit
• Up to $2,000 in trip delay coverage ($200 daily limit)
• Up to $1,000 in protection for missed connections
• Up to $250,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses ($50,000 in New Hampshire)
• $750 dental sublimit within emergency medical coverage
• Up to $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage and personal effects
• Baggage delay coverage worth up to $1,000 ($100 daily limit)
• 24/7 travel assistance services

Get annual coverage for medical expenses and routine medical care

High limits for medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation

GeoBlue plans don't offer comprehensive travel protection

Deductibles and copays apply

• Ambulatory and therapeutic services
• Inpatient hospital services
• Emergency medical services
• Rehabilitation and therapy
• Preventive and primary care

Choose among three tiers of annual travel protection

Option for basic protection with affordable premiums

No coverage for preexisting conditions

Maximum trip duration of 30 days per trip

• Trip cancellation coverage up to $2,500 maximum per year
• Trip interruption coverage up to $2,500 maximum per year
• $200 per trip for trip delays (up to $100 per day for delays of 12 hours or longer)
• Up to $500 in coverage per trip for baggage and personal effects
• Baggage delay coverage up to $100 per trip
• Up to $10,000 for emergency medical expenses per trip
• Up to $50,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage per trip
• Up to $10,000 in AD&D coverage
• 24-hour travel assistance services

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a travel expert who has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world. On a personal level, her family uses an annual travel insurance policy from Allianz. Johnson works alongside her husband, Greg – who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states – within their family media business and travel agency .

You might also be interested in:

The 5 Best Family Travel Insurance Plans

Holly Johnson

Explore the options to protect your family wherever you roam.

8 Cheapest Travel Insurance Companies Worth the Cost

U.S. News rates the cheapest travel insurance options, considering pricing data, expert recommendations and consumer reviews.

The 6 Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance Plans

Protect your trip and give yourself peace of mind with the top options.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It? Yes, in These 3 Scenarios

These are the scenarios when travel insurance makes most sense.

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Best Annual Travel Insurance in 2024

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If you’re a frequent traveler, annual travel insurance may be something you’ve been considering. Unlike single-trip insurance, annual travel insurance plans can cover you for an entire year, no matter how often you’re on the road.

Let’s look at the best yearly travel insurance companies, why we choose them and the coverage you can expect.

Factors we considered when picking travel insurance companies

We used the following criteria when choosing which companies we thought were best:

Cost . Annual plans can be expensive — depending on the type of coverage you choose — so we wanted ensure that they stayed affordable. 

Types of coverage . Travel insurance for annual travelers can be limited in its coverage. We picked the ones with the broadest range of coverage for possible travel disruptions.

Coverage amounts . Annual trip insurance isn’t worth much if your limits are too low. Instead, we wanted plans with reasonable coverage amounts. 

Customizability . If your travels take you to different places, you’ll want the ability to customize your plan. The best annual travel insurance plans can provide this. 

» Learn more: What does travel insurance cover?

An overview of the best annual travel insurance

We gathered quotes from various travel insurance companies to determine the best annual travel insurance policies. In these examples, we used a year-long trip by a 22-year-old from Alabama. We indicated the main countries of travel as France and Malaysia, and when asked, put the total trip costs at $6,000.

The average cost for an annual travel insurance plan came out to $220. The plans ranged from $138-$386.

Let’s take a closer look at our top recommendations for annual travel insurance.

1. Allianz Travel

What makes Allianz travel insurance great:

Lower than average cost.

Provides health care and travel insurance benefits.

Includes rental car insurance up to $45,000. 

Here’s a snippet from our Allianz Travel insurance review :

“AllTrips Basic (annual plan) is suitable for those who would like emergency medical coverage while abroad but don't need trip cancellation and interruption benefits. The AllTrips Prime, Executive and Premier plans provide an entire year of comprehensive travel insurance benefits.

The Executive and Premier plans offer various levels of trip cancellation and interruption benefits. The Executive plan is specifically designed for business travelers since it offers protection for business equipment.”

2. Seven Corners

What makes Seven Corners great:

Offers up to $20,000 for acute coverage of pre-existing conditions. 

Includes up to $1 million for emergency medical evacuation. 

Optional add-on for adventure sport activities.

$0 deductible available. 

Here’s a snippet from our Seven Corners review :

“Seven Corners offers one annual policy called Travel Medical Annual Multi-Trip. The policy can be customized depending on how long you plan to be away from home for any one trip. You can travel as much as you like during the 364 days, so long as any one trip doesn’t exceed the option selected — 30, 45 or 60 days.”

What makes IMG great:

Good customizability with medical evacuations and sports coverage. 

Low $250 deductible.

Includes coverage for semi-private hospital rooms. 

Here’s a snippet from our IMG review:

“Some policies provide emergency medical evacuation coverage, while others skip this benefit entirely. This benefit may be more important to you if you travel to a remote location or engage in physical activity such as trekking.

More comprehensive plans may include other benefits such as assistance with acquiring a new passport, reimbursing reward mile redeposit fees or coverage for pre-existing conditions. If these are something you’re interested in, be sure to check that your policy includes these options.”

4. Trawick International

What makes Trawick International great:

100% coverage for trip cancellation and trip interruption. 

Emergency medical evacuation included. 

Trip delay reimbursement coverage. 

Here’s a snippet from our Trawick International review :

“Trawick International is a comprehensive travel insurance provider that offers trip delay and cancellation insurance, baggage delay coverage, medical coverage and medical evacuation, rental car damage protection, and even COVID-19 coverage among its various policies.

Trawick covers trips for worldwide destinations, including for foreign nationals coming to the U.S.”

What does travel insurance cover?

You’ll find a wide variety of coverage types offered by travel insurance policies. This is true whether you're purchasing a single-trip or annual travel insurance plan. Here are some common types you can expect to find:

Accidental death insurance .

Baggage delay and lost luggage insurance .

Cancel for Any Reason insurance .

Emergency evacuation insurance .

Medical insurance .

Rental car insurance .

Trip cancellation insurance .

Trip interruption insurance .

How to choose the best annual travel insurance policy

While we’ve highlighted some of the best annual travel insurance companies, the truth is that the best plan for you isn’t going to be the best plan for someone else. If you’re interested in buying annual travel insurance, you’ll want to collect a variety of quotes to see which policy best fits your needs.

This may mean opting for a plan that covers pre-existing conditions or one that specifically includes high-risk activities. Or, if you’re in a country where health care is notoriously expensive, you may want to choose a policy with higher maximums.

Many credit cards come with complimentary travel insurance .

Whatever the case, do your research first and review all the plan details before making your purchase.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

If you want to buy annual travel insurance

Annual travel insurance can be a great option if you’re often out of town. With such a wide range of policies available, selecting a plan that fits your needs is easy. We’ve done some of the work for you by choosing the best annual travel insurance companies, all of which made the top of the list for their cost, customizability, types of coverage and plan maximums.

Like any travel insurance policy, the cost of your plan is going to vary. Factors that may affect the cost of your annual travel insurance include your age, where you’re going, how long you’ll be traveling, your policy maximums and whether preexisting conditions are included.

Although not all travel insurance providers offer annual travel insurance, many of them do. We’ve gathered together the five best, including Allianz Travel, World Nomads, Seven Corners, IMG and Trawick International.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

June 1, 2020

Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with travel dates on or after

Due to travel restrictions, plans are only available with effective start dates on or after

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How to Buy Travel Insurance for Long Trips

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Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please see your plan for full details. Benefits/Coverage may vary by state, and sublimits may apply.

Insurance benefits underwritten by BCS Insurance Company (OH, Administrative Office: 2 Mid America Plaza, Suite 200, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181), rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best Co., under BCS Form No. 52.201 series or 52.401 series, or Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office: 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233), rated “A+” (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., under Jefferson Form No. 101-C series or 101-P series, depending on your state of residence and plan chosen. A+ (Superior) and A (Excellent) are the 2nd and 3rd highest, respectively, of A.M. Best's 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Plans only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are marks of AGA Service Company dba Allianz Global Assistance or its affiliates. Allianz Travel Insurance products are distributed by Allianz Global Assistance, the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Any Non-Insurance Assistance services purchased are provided through AGA Service Company. Except as expressly provided under your plan, you are responsible for charges you incur from third parties. Contact AGA Service Company at  800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or [email protected] .

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Secure Your Journey: Exploring the Best Long-Term Travel Insurance Options

Have you ever considered long term travel insurance? There are various kinds of travel insurance for you to choose from. So, when travelling far away from home, what is the best long term travel insurance ? How do you know whether it is the right one for you?

Travelling around the world is an exciting experience. However, it can be tiring and stressful at times. And to deal with all these challenges, one needs to prepare well in advance.

Travelling for a month or a year requires different kinds of preparations. For instance, long-term travellers need to make sure that they have taken care of their passport, visas and other documents and secured them in a safe place. Moreover, they should be prepared to handle any medical emergencies that may arise while travelling.

Thus, getting the best travel insurance becomes very important before you set off on your travels. And this is where Best Long Term Travel Insurance comes into the picture! The following guide will help you understand what long term travel insurance is and why it is needed by travellers travelling abroad.

WHAT IS COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE?

What is the best long term travel Insurance?

Long term travel insurance is a particular type of travel insurance designed to meet the needs of individuals planning to be away from home for an extended period.

Purchasing a long term travel insurance policy can be an essential step in preparing for an extended trip. It can provide peace of mind, knowing that you are covered while travelling abroad, and it will assist you in the event of an emergency or illness while on your trip.

When purchasing long term travel insurance, it is essential to understand what is included in the policy and what coverage options are available. Many long term plans can be customized to fit your needs by adding additional coverage to suit your requirements.

Why is long term travelling different?

Travelling for an extended period is completely different from travelling for a few days or weeks. You are in a foreign country, and you have to be so much more careful. You have to buy travel insurance as an organized traveller. Living abroad can be very dangerous, especially if you haven’t planned.

The best thing you can do is get yourself the best long term travel insurance you can find. If you aren’t sure what to look for, continue reading for more information.

Why do I need travel insurance?

There are many reasons you need to obtain travel insurance before you leave. Travelling without first getting travel insurance can be a dangerous thing to do. If something untoward happens during your vacation, you need to know that there is a safety net for you to fall back on.

The money you have saved up for your holiday doesn’t cover the cost of medical care abroad or the flight home. Your travel insurance should be able to cover any expenses that arise, such as repatriation, medical treatment and emergency assistance.

Who should get long term travel insurance?

Long-term travel insurance is ideal for people travelling internationally for at least 9 months or those who plan to do a lot of travelling within a given time frame. If you’re taking a 3-4 month trip worldwide, don’t buy long term travel insurance. It doesn’t make sense to pay for it.

If you are planning on travelling abroad for less than three months and your primary reason for buying travel insurance is coverage while you’re there, you will most likely be better off avoiding long-term plans.

Long term travel insurance plans can also be purchased by a person who travels extensively to various countries in one year. Yes – it’s possible to get a single policy that works across these regions.

If you love to travel and plan to do a lot of it in the upcoming year, then long term travel insurance is a wise choice. Rates may vary based on where you’re going, but in general, they’ll be much lower than annual policies because they only have to cover you for up to nine months.

What kind of insurance do you need as a long term traveller?

In general, there are 5 different types of policies that cover your needs as a long term traveller: 1) Trip Cancellation Insurance – Covers if you need to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances. 2) Trip Interruption Insurance – Cores if you need to cut your trip short due to unforeseen circumstances. 3) Medical Insurance – Covers medical expenses and medical evacuation if necessary. 4) Emergency Evacuation – If something wrong happens on your trip requiring an emergency evacuation, this policy will help you get home safely. 5) Accidental Death & Dismemberment – If something wrong happens on your trip resulting in severe injury or death, this policy will help you financially.

Travel insurance vs Health insurance

Travel insurance is generally much more comprehensive than health insurance. It covers a wide range of risks, such as cancellation due to sickness or injury, lost or delayed baggage, inadequate seating on an aircraft, loss of passport and even death.

Travellers are also covered for medical expenses and emergency repatriation. Some policies will cover your costs for dental care and dentures during the trip.

Another critical area is legal protection. This can cover you for anything from personal liability to accidents while abroad.

On the other hand, health insurance only covers you for specific ailments and procedures related to your pre-existing conditions – it doesn’t protect against accidents. There are several exclusions – any pre-existing condition you have before buying a policy could be excluded from the cover plan, even if it was diagnosed after you bought it.

So if you’re travelling with a pre-existing condition and decide to get travel insurance instead of health insurance, make sure you check your policy carefully first.

Review travel insurance options based on your budget

For many travellers, deciding on the best travel insurance policy is essential before booking their trip. Travel insurance companies often offer a variety of plans that vary in terms of coverage and cost. Comparing plans will help you choose the right plan for your trip based on your budget and needs.

The policies differ vastly from one company to another, so consumers should carefully review their options to find policies with the best combination of coverage, price, and benefits.

Travellers on a budget will want to pick an affordable travel insurance plan that covers their needs. Find out your options, know what to look for and which features you should prioritize when picking the best travel insurance policy for your trip.

Here is Top 10 Long Term Travel Insurance Companies where you can compare their packages.

1. safetywing.

This company provide a range of options for all types of travellers, including gap year students, backpackers and long stay travellers. They are reputable and offer great value policies at reasonable prices. They have an online quotation system to check exactly what is covered and get an instant quote.

2. World Nomads

This is an extremely popular option with travellers because they offer a wide variety of policies at very competitive prices. They have been around for many years and have great customer service.

3. Travelex Insurance Services

Travelex Insurance Services specializes in providing extensive travel insurance for your journey. They have a wide range of travel insurance plans that can meet your trip’s needs and budget. They provide coverage for medical emergencies, lost luggage, trip cancellations, trip interruption, and much more. Check out their website today to get a quote!

4. Allianz Global Assistance

Allianz Global Assistance offers some of the most flexible policies on the market, and its support staff is available 24 hours a day via phone and email. The company also has offices worldwide, so you can seek help from a local agent if necessary. As you’d expect from a company with such a global reach, Allianz offers policies that cover travellers all over the world.

5. IMG WorldWide

IMG provides its clients with multiple coverage options, including trip interruption/cancellation, emergency evacuation and more. This company is a great option for international travellers exploring the world while staying safe and secure.

6. AIG Travel

AIG Travel Guard is the best long term travel insurance company. It covers everything from medical emergencies to stolen baggage and even cancellation. This travel insurance company offers coverage for up to a maximum of 12 months at a time, and you can renew your plan when it runs out without requiring you to reapply. The protection that the AIG Travel Guard provides is truly global, as it covers all your trips around the world. It also provides a 24-hour assistance hotline for any claims that you may have during your time of need.

7. AXA Assist

AXA Assist offers policies for single, multiple, and annual multi-trip policies. The medical coverage includes emergency medical evacuation and repatriation and healthcare expenses, including treatment at private clinics. In addition, there is cancellation cover, lost or damaged baggage, personal liability and legal expenses cover, journey interruption, baggage delay or loss and even some legal assistance if you have an accident or get taken ill while abroad.

There is also a range of optional extras for those who need it, such as mobile phone insurance, family travel cover, winter sports cover, and specialized plans such as backpacking, gap year travel, and safari. Most customers who have reviewed the company say that it is great value for money and that claims are easily processed. They also say that the staff are friendly and helpful.

8. HTH Travel Insurance

HTH Worldwide provides comprehensive travel insurance plans to travellers around the world. With HTH, you can rest assured that you are protected against any possible circumstances that may arise while travelling.

Travelling has never been safer, but it is prudent to be prepared for anything that could go wrong. HTH is a leading provider of travel insurance in the U.S. and offers a variety of plans to best fit your needs.

9. Seven Corners

Seven Corners Travel Insurance is a specialist travel insurance for backpackers and adventure travellers. They provide personal and group travel insurance for your backpacking trip, gap year, working holiday and overseas work assignment.

10. Generali Global Assistance USA

Generali Global Assistance USA offers a flexible policy that gives you the coverage you need at a price you can afford. They have some of the best rates and benefits and 24/7 customer service available in many languages.

Trip cancellation coverage and emergency medical assistance are included for free! Other benefits include 100% coverage for lost or damaged luggage, trip interruption, baggage delay, rental car collision and delays, and more.

Explore what is covered and what isn’t

Most travel insurance policies will not cover your trip if you have pre-existing medical conditions that require care and medication while travelling. For example, if you have a heart condition and take daily medication, your policy will not pay medical bills associated with hospitalization or accident treatment if it’s related to this condition.

Get travel insurance before your trip

One of the most important things you can do before travelling abroad is to find a good travel insurance plan. Long term travel insurance gives you peace of mind knowing that if you injure yourself while on your trip, you’ll be able to get medical attention without having to pay out of pocket.

Travelling overseas without long term travel insurance is a risky business because it’s likely that something terrible will happen during your trip. You could fall ill and need medical attention, get into an accident, or experience a robbery.

Where to buy a long term travel insurance

If you want peace of mind when travelling abroad, make sure that you are fully covered with comprehensive travel insurance from SafetyWing . They offer comprehensive travel insurance policies designed to protect you from accidents, illness and injury without putting a strain on your budget.

There are many factors to be considered when purchasing a long term travel insurance policy, including: Deductible: A higher deductible will lower your premium. However, if you have an accident or illness and have a claim, you will pay more out of your pocket. Necessary Coverage: This is usually where the best companies differ from the rest! They will cover what you need and give you back some control of your expenses. Country Restrictions: Some countries don’t allow coverage from any company. Read the fine print closely in your policy. Your Medical History: If you have a medical condition that could cause complications with your trip, it’s essential to find a plan that will cover your specific needs without charging an arm and a leg for it!

You should research each of these areas and make sure the plan you choose is right for you .

Like everything else in life, travel insurance is not to be taken lightly. It’s not something that you switch without rhyme or reason. You need to take the time and find out everything you can about your travel insurance before making your final decision.

What’s more, you must know what to look for in a policy, along with all of the features included in each plan. Once you know what type of travel insurance is best for your situation, you’ll be glad that you took the time to take the necessary precautions.

Related Posts

How to become a safetywing ambassador – how affiliate marketing works, top 10 reasons why travel insurance is important., your ultimate guide to finding the best travel insurance, top 5 things you must know before buying a travel insurance.

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The best travel insurance companies to make sure your next trip is covered

Travel insurance can protect you against a range of unforeseen events, from lost bags to medical emergencies..

Whether you're taking a family vacation to Disney World or a romantic cruise through the Mediterranean, travel insurance could help protect your trip from the unexpected. From trip cancellations and flight delays to medical emergencies, travel insurance could protect you financially and give you peace of mind.

There are several different types of travel insurance plans to choose from when shopping for a policy. Here are a few of the common coverage types:

• Trip cancellation coverage : Helps you recoup travel expenses if you can't travel, though generally limited to specific reasons.  
• Travel delay coverage: Helps you cover expenses if your travel is delayed due to a covered reason. 
• Trip interruption coverage: Helps if you need to cut your trip short. Covered reasons may include an injury or illness on the trip, or a family emergency at home. 
• Medical expenses and emergency evacuation coverage: This covers unforeseen medical expenses when traveling outside of the U.S. where your health insurance may not work. Emergency evacuation could help get you home if medically needed while overseas. 
• Baggage loss: Covers baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen during your trip.

You'll also want to consider the prospective insurer's epidemic-related coverage. Each insurance company covers epidemic-related issues, such as Covid-19, differently, so it's worth checking the fine print on a policy you're considering.  

CNBC Select analyzed dozens of different U.S. travel insurance products and narrowed down the top six for all sorts of travelers. (Read more about our methodology below.)

Best travel insurance companies

• Best for lost baggage and personal belongings: AXA Assistance USA travel insurance  
• Best for customization: Travel Guard travel insurance
• Best for cancellation coverage: Allianz travel insurance
• Best for travel medical plans: USI Affinity travel insurance
• Best for cruise insurance: Nationwide travel insurance
• Best for luxury travel: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

Best for lost baggage and personal belongings 

Axa assistance usa travel insurance.

The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote

Policy highlights

AXA Assistance USA offers several travel insurance policies that include travel interruption, trip cancellation, and the option of cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage.

24/7 assistance available

• Three tiers of plans available
• Highly rated for financial strength
• Cancel for any reason only available on highest-tier coverage

AXA Assistance USA ’s travel insurance offers three different plans for travelers to choose from, with the most basic plans including trip interruption and cancellation and baggage and personal effects coverage. The platinum plan offers coverage for lost ski days and golf rounds, ideal for trips centering around those activities. 

Best for customization

Travel guard® travel insurance.

Travel Guard offers a variety of plans to suit travel ranging from road trips to long cruises. For air travelers, Travel Guard can help assist with tracking baggage or covering lost or delayed baggage.

• A variety of plans are available to help cover different types of trips
• Not all products are available for purchase online

For those wanting to cover an upcoming trip, Travel Guard is a strong option because of its variety of coverage types. With three base packages available online and more options available through a representative, there are a variety of ways to customize your policy. The deluxe, preferred and essential plans include coverage for one related child age 17 or younger.

Best for trip cancellation coverage

Allianz travel insurance.

10 travel insurance plans make it possible to customize your coverage. For families, Allianz's OneTrip Prime package covers children age 17 and younger when traveling with a parent or grandparent.

• Trip cancellation benefits can reimburse your prepaid, nonrefundable trip payments if you have to cancel your trip for one of the covered reasons stated in your plan documents. 
• Limited coverage for risky sports

Travelers who want the ability to cancel their trips will find 10 different travel insurance policies through Allianz . You can either purchase coverage for a specific trip or purchase an annual plan that covers an entire year's worth of trips. Instead of basic cancel for any reason coverage, Allianz offers a Cancel Anytime policy that can reimburse up to 80% of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, while many other companies we reviewed cap "cancel for any reason" (CFAR) coverage at 75%. 

Best for travel medical plans

Usi affinity travel insurance.

USI Affinity has travel medical policies in addition to trip cancellation policies. Travel medical plans include an option for frequent travelers to cover multiple trips. Trip cancellation options include coverage for road trips and group travel.

• Wide variety of plans for both trip cancellation coverage and travel medical insurance
• CFAR only covers up to 70% of non-refundable trip costs

People who are traveling out of the country can find medical plans from USI Affinity to cover them during their travels. Frequent travelers can get an annual medical plan that covers them on multiple trips of 30 days or less. This company also has trip cancellation insurance policies in addition to global travel medical plans. 

Best for cruise insurance

Nationwide travel insurance.

Nationwide's wide coverage for travel insurance allows many different types of travelers to find coverage that fits their needs. Three levels of cruise insurance coverage gives extra options to cruise passengers.

• 10-day review period on cruise insurance policies to make sure the plan meets your needs (not available in NY or WA)
• Most basic cruise plan doesn't offer CFAR coverage

Those planning a cruise in the future might find cruise-specific travel insurance helpful. Nationwide offers cruise-specific insurance that can cover things like emergency accidents, sicknesses, itinerary changes and trip interruption to start. Nationwide offers three tiers of cruise insurance (universal, choice and luxury) to get the right level of coverage for every type of trip. Nationwide offers a 10-day review period on its cruise policies (though unavailable in NY or WA), giving you extra time to look over the policy and ensure it’s a good fit. 

Best for luxury travel 

Berkshire hathaway travel protection.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has multiple plans to cover vacations from luxury travel to adventure travel. The brand's LuxuryCare offers the highest limits of travel insurance coverage offered by the company. Quotes and policies are available online.

• Wide variety of policies available
• Strong financial strength rating by AM Best
• Cancel for any reason only provides reimbursement for up to 50% of non-refundable trip payments

Since a luxury vacation is a large investment, insuring it could make sure that cost is covered if you have to cancel or have your trip interrupted. Berkshire Hathaway ’s LuxuryCare travel insurance has high limits of coverage for trip interruption coverage, medical expenses, and coverage for things like sporting equipment. Berkshire Hathaway also covers cruises and adventure travel with other separate plans. 

Travel insurance FAQs

How do i choose the best travel insurance .

The best travel insurance is one that will meet your needs, cover the type of travel you’re doing (and the experiences you’re planning) and will give you the peace of mind you need. 

Shopping around for travel insurance can help you make sure that you get the best deal possible. Since policies and coverage can vary by company, it could be helpful to get several quotes and compare the coverage limits and types available from several companies to find the best deal for your specific needs and trip. 

To simplify the shopping process, a travel insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth could help you get an idea of how much you’ll spend and what types of insurance coverage are available for your trip. 

Is travel insurance worth it? 

Whether or not travel insurance is worth it could depend on the types of coverage you already have, including whether or not an existing travel credit card you hold could provide similar coverage, and whether that would cover your concerns. 

Some travel credit cards offer car rental insurance , baggage insurance, trip delay insurance, and trip cancellation and interruption insurance. In addition, others offer more coverage like travel accident insurance. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, for example, offers travel accident insurance, emergency evacuation insurance, and coverage for baggage delays and lost luggage reimbursement. Several of CNBC Select’s top travel credit cards also offer some credit card travel insurance that could cover potential travel issues.

How much does travel insurance cost?

The average travel insurance costs between 4% and 10% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs, according to travel insurance marketplace InsureMyTrip . 

However, travel insurance costs vary based on the cost of the travel you’re insuring, as well as the age of the travelers and any extra coverage that’s added to the policy. 

Bottom line

Travel insurance can cover a variety of unexpected events on your trip, from lost baggage to emergency medical expenses. While costs vary based on age, type of coverage and trip costs, it can be useful if you need to cancel or cut your trip short.

Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.  Sign up here .

Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every travel insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of travel insurance products . While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel insurance.

Our methodology 

To determine the best travel insurance companies, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of U.S. travel insurance companies that come with a wide variety of policies and offer coverage for a number of situations. 

When narrowing down the best travel insurance companies, we focused on the coverage available, including the number of plans available, 24/7 assistance availability and cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage availability. We also considered financial strength ratings from AM Best and Better Business Bureau ratings for customer satisfaction. 

From there, we sorted our recommendations by the best overall and runner-up, best for cancellation coverage, best for travel medical plans, best for cruise insurance and best for luxury travel.

Note that the premiums and policy structures advertised for travel insurance companies are subject to fluctuate in accordance with the company’s policies.

Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards , banking and money . And follow us on TikTok , Facebook , Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

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Personal Finance

Best term life insurance for 2024.

Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partners’ links. This content is created independently from TIME’s editorial staff. Learn more about it.

Life insurance is one of the pillars of financial planning. It’s essential for the head of a household or anyone who has people depending on them for their financial needs. Term life is the most common and simplest type of coverage.

There are many term life insurance providers in the U.S., so this review is not intended to be comprehensive. By providing profiles of both leading insurance brands and lesser-known upstarts, we aim to highlight a cross section of the choices you have when you shop for coverage.

Compare the best term life insurance companies

(1) Policies underwritten by Legal and General America Insurance Company (2) Policies underwritten by Western and Southern Insurance Company (3) Policies underwritten by MassMutual (4) Policies underwritten by Allianz

Our recommendations for the best term life insurance companies

Best for young families: fabric by gerber life.

Fabric by Gerber Life offers a fully digital insurance experience: The application and policy access are only available online or through the company’s app. The app offers additional financial-planning tools, including those to create a will or set up college savings for your children. This makes it an intriguing choice for young families with broader financial planning needs.

Most term life insurance applicants don’t need to submit to a medical exam, thanks to Fabric’s automated underwriting system. Coverage terms are 10 to 30 years, in amounts ranging from $100,000 to $5 million.

We noticed that the company offers a live chat option for customer service. It also offers a phone number, but that number goes straight to voicemail and instructs you to leave a message.

• Fully digital experience.
• Mobile app offers additional financial planning tools.
• Minimum coverage level of $100,000 may not be ideal for some.
• Live customer service is available by online chat but not by phone.

Best for minimum coverage amounts: Ethos Life

Ethos Life offers term life insurance with 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-year terms , in coverage amounts ranging from $20,000 to $2 million. It’s a good option for those with minimal insurance needs.

Ethos provides quotes online, including simplified issue coverage that typically does not require a medical exam. Those aged 20 to 65 are eligible for coverage (those aged 66 to 85 can get whole life insurance). The company also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Ethos Life policies are underwritten by companies such as Legal and General America, which has an A+ rating from A.M. Best.

• Coverage starts at $20,000.
• No medical exam necessary for most customers.
• Does not have agents.

Best for flexible terms: AIG Direct

AIG Life Insurance

AIG Direct is part of AIG, one of the world’s largest insurance companies, providing various types of coverage to millions of people. It offers term life policies with options ranging from 10 to 30 years. Those terms are offered in five-year increments , providing flexibility in how long your policy stays in force. The eligible age range is 20 to 80 years old . Available policies range from $100,000 to $2 million of coverage.

Note that AIG ranked number 19 out of 22 companies in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study . Its 762 points was well below the study’s average score.

• Five-year increments for terms.
• Online quotes available.
• Coverage available up to age 80.
• One of the lowest-ranked companies, according to J.D. Power.
• Lowest available coverage is $100,000, so it may not be ideal for those with minimal life insurance needs.

Best for policy choices: Everyday Life

Most of the providers in this review are insurance companies that underwrite their own policies. Everyday Life is actually an online broker, so it doesn’t underwrite policies; instead, it offers term life policies from insurance companies that do. These include Fidelity Life (an A.M. Best A- rated company), Legal and General America (an A.M. Best A+ rated company), SBLI (an A.M. Best A+ rated company), and others.

The bottom line is that Everyday Life gives you a choice, providing online tools and recommendations to help match you with the policy and coverage you need. Perusing the available policies , you’ll see term life coverage levels ranging from $5,000 to $2 million, for applicants up to age 75. No-medical-exam policies are available as well.

• Multiple options for policies. 
• No medical exam coverage is available.
• Highest available coverage level is only $2 million.
• Does not appear to offer in-person support to discuss insurance options.

Best for flexible coverage amounts: Ladder Life

Ladder Life Insurance

Ladder Life offers term life insurance policies from 10 to 30 years, with coverage amounts ranging from $100,000 to $8 million. The eligible age range for an application is 20 to 60 years .

Like some of the other companies in our review, Ladder offers a largely digital experience and no medical exam for policies up to $3 million , just health questions are asked. What sets Ladder apart, however, is its flexible coverage levels. In other words, if you decide in the future that you need less coverage, you can do so with a click of a button online. If you decide later that you need more coverage, you can apply for more as well. The company claims it offers the only term life policy in the industry with this feature.

• Adjust coverage levels as needed throughout the policy term.
• No medical exam for policies up t $3 million.
• Minimum coverage level of $100,000 may be too high for some.
• Maximum application age is 60.

Best for convertible policies: New York Life

New York Life

Founded in 1845, New York Life is one of the country’s oldest and largest insurance companies. It offers a variety of policy types, including term life up to 20 years. We could not find a coverage amount range on the company website, and the company offers quotes only through its network of agents.

New York Life term policies are convertible, meaning they can be converted into permanent life policies, such as whole life. This gives you flexibility as you get older and your needs change.

• Term life policies can be converted into whole life or other permanent life insurance types.
• Multiple life insurance riders are available.
• No online quotes.
• Must speak with an agent for information about individual coverage options.

Best for financial planning: Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual is the country’s largest life insurer, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) . The company sells term life policies with terms of 10 or 20 years or until you turn 80. You can convert a policy into a whole life one as your needs change. The company does not appear to state available coverage levels for term life. For that information you’ll need to talk to a Northwestern Mutual agent.

Northwestern could be a great choice if you have advanced financial planning needs. The company offers not only term and permanent life insurance but also disability insurance, long-term care insurance, annuities, investment brokerage and advisory services, private wealth management services, and estate planning.

• Wide variety of financial planning services.
• A.M. Best A++ rating.
• Term life is convertible to whole life policies.
• Ranked number 10 in J.D. Power, right at the study-average score of 790.

Best for customer satisfaction: State Farm

State Farm Life Insurance

Many people recognize State Farm as one of the country’s largest insurers of automobiles and homes. The company also happens to be one of the largest life insurance companies, according to the NAIC.

State Farm offers term life policies for 10, 20, or 30 years. A 10-year policy is available for applicants up to age 75. Coverage amounts start at $100,000 (the company does not state a maximum coverage amount).

State Farm came out on top of the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study. Its number one ranking beat out 21 other competitors in this influential study of the industry.

• Top-ranked company by J.D. Power.
• Multiple coverage riders available, including waiver of premium for disability.
• No-medical-exam insurance available .

Best for U.S. military: USAA

USAA Life Insurance

USAA offers two term life policies. Its Essential Term plan is available for those age 21 to 35, with no medical exam and $100,000 of coverage. The term ends on the policyholder’s 39th birthday. The company’s Level Term plan is available for those aged 18 to 70, with available terms of 10 to 30 years and coverage amounts ranging from $100,000 to $10 million. Level Term does require a medical exam.

A USAA Level Term policy includes features tailor-made for members of the U.S. military . These include expedited coverage for deployments, coverage during wartime, severe injury benefits, and guaranteed replacement of the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) upon separation or retirement.

Here's one more thing to note. Unlike USAA auto or homeowner’s insurance, which is available only to USAA members, USAA life insurance is available to any U.S. citizen or permanent resident .

• Level Term includes benefits ideal for military service members.
• Available to any U.S. citizen.
• Minimum coverage of $100,000 might be more than some members need.

Methodology

We gathered information on a number of life insurance companies, from some of the country’s largest to lesser-known brands that sell directly to consumers, relying on company websites for detailed information about coverage levels and eligibility. We used third-party ratings and rankings, such as A.M. Best’s Financial Strength Ratings and the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study, to complete our analysis. We also looked at companies’ Trustpilot scores (accessed Nov. 28, 2023). Finally, we determined our “best for” designees based on each company’s strengths.

How to select the best life insurance company

When shopping for a life insurance policy and evaluating companies, consider the following:

The company’s financial stability

It would be a shame to buy a policy and pay its premium for several years only for the company to fail financially and not be there when your family needs it. A history of financial stability gives you confidence that a company will be able to pay your claim. Check the company’s A.M. Best rating to get an idea of its ability to meet that obligation.

The company’s reputation

You want to buy from a company that provides responsive service and has a reputation for customer satisfaction. Sites such as Trustpilot offer consumer reviews. You can also get an idea of a company’s reputation from J.D. Power’s annual study of the life insurance industry.

The company’s policy offerings

There are multiple types of life insurance, including term, whole, universal, variable universal, and indexed universal. Not all companies offer all types, however. You may need to check with several companies to find a policy type and coverage details that work for you.

Getting help

Life insurance can be a complex product to understand and purchase. This is especially true for permanent life insurance with a cash value component. Consider contacting an independent insurance agent for help. Independent agents represent multiple insurance companies and can help you find the best combination of coverage and price.

More on term life insurance

What is term life insurance.

A term life insurance policy provides coverage for a set period: usually 10, 20, or 30 years. If you pass away during that period, your beneficiaries receive a monetary death benefit.

When you buy a term life policy, you make three decisions.

• Length of the term (how long the policy will be in effect).
• Amount of the death benefit.
• Beneficiaries (typically a spouse and children).

Once the policy goes into effect, the insurance company will charge you an annual premium, which will be based on the term length and death benefit amount along with factors such as your age, health, and occupation.

If you pass away while the policy is in effect, your beneficiaries will receive the death benefit. The money is commonly used to pay off a mortgage or other debts or to provide funding for a child’s education. However, beneficiaries may use it however they see fit.

Pros and cons of term life insurance

• Costs less than permanent life insurance
• Simpler to understand than permanent life insurance
• Level premiums (premium does not change during the life of the policy)
• Policy expires at the end of the term
• No cash value component

TIME Stamp: You have many choices for term life insurance

Life insurance is one of the pillars of financial planning, and you have many choices of companies from which to purchase it. If you’re in the market for term life, make it a point to review policy offerings from multiple companies to be sure you get the coverage that’s best for you.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the best amount of term life insurance.

The best amount of term life insurance will depend on your family’s needs. To get a rough estimate, use the 10X formula.

• Multiply your annual income by 10.
• Add $100,000 per child to cover the cost of college.

So, if you earn $80,000 annually and have two children, your estimate would be as follows:

$80,000 X 10 = $800,000

$100,000 X 2 = $200,000

$800,000 + $200,000 = $1 million

Using the 10X formula, you’d thus want to consider a policy with $1 million of coverage.

Of course, this is only a rough estimate. With all that’s at stake, you should consider discussing your life insurance needs with a financial advisor or an insurance agent.

Which is better: term life or whole life?

Term life and whole life insurance are made for people with different financial needs, so it’s difficult to say which is “better.” Term life is simpler and less costly, but it lacks some of the features of whole life.

Whole life costs more, and policies are more complex, but it stays in force until your death. Policies also include a cash value feature that earns interest, which you may be able to access while you’re still living.

What are the negatives of buying term life insurance?

Term life insurance lacks some of the features of whole life and other types of permanent life insurance. For example, a term life policy stays in force only for a set amount of time; after the term ends, you no longer have coverage. Term life also does not have a cash value feature.

At what age should you stop paying term life insurance?

There’s no set age at which you should stop having life insurance. Understand, however, that needs do change as we get older. By the time most people are in their 60s or 70s, their mortgage is paid off, and their children are independent. That’s a point at which they can consider dropping life insurance altogether or reducing insurance to cover final expenses only.

The information presented here is created independently from the TIME editorial staff. To learn more, see our About page.

Protect Your Trip »

The best checked luggage of 2024, tested by editors.

A checked bag is just as essential as a good carry-on.

The Best Checked Luggage

Leilani Osmundson | U.S. News

Every traveler can use a solid piece of checked luggage that can fit enough clothing, accessories and shoes for a long trip. Durability, plenty of storage and wheels that can handle rolling a full bag easily are just a few things to look for in a reputable piece of luggage.

If it's time to purchase a checked bag that can accommodate your belongings and handle the rigor of being tossed around, read on to discover your best options. All of our recommendations have top ratings and have also been personally tested and reviewed.

Best Overall: DELSEY PARIS Sky Max 2.0 Large Expandable Spinner

• Jump to features and expert insights ↓

Best Hard-sided: Samsonite Freeform Large Spinner

Best soft-sided: travelpro crew classic large check-in expandable spinner, best medium: away the medium, best large: lojel cubo large, best trunk: july checked trunk, best lightweight: lipault plume very long trip, best organization: solgaard check-in closet original – medium.

(Note: Prices and stock availability were accurate at the time this article was updated; they may fluctuate due to demand or other factors.)

Erin Evans | U.S. News

Price: $209.99 or less

Dimensions: 31 x 20 x 13.25 inches | Weight: 8.25 pounds Packing capacity: 14-21 days; 117 liters | Colors: Black, green or blue Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: 3-year limited

The soft-sided DELSEY PARIS Sky Max 2.0 Large Expandable Spinner is our top overall pick for the Best Checked Luggage thanks to its durability and excellent handling. This piece of checked luggage features double-spinner wheels; a collapsible handle for use on two or four wheels; a TSA-approved lock; and cushioned top, bottom and side handles. The bag has one large interior compartment with tie-down straps to keep everything in place and a medium zippered side pocket, plus a large zippered mesh pocket on the inside of the top of the bag, perfect for holding toiletries (or dirty clothes as your trip unfolds).

There are two large front pockets on the exterior of the bag for stashing last-minute or smaller items. The exterior of this checked bag is constructed of a polyester fabric with a twill pattern, and the bag expands quite a bit to fit in any additional souvenirs you may want to bring home with you.

What our editors say:

I am obsessed with this soft-sided checked bag – it fits an absurd amount of stuff. You can easily pack enough clothes, shoes, accessories and gear for a two- to three-week trip, and even when it's filled to the brim, the wheels and handle make it easy to maneuver the suitcase across many types of terrain. Mine has been checked numerous times, and the darker-colored fabric with its subtle design means any scuffs are pretty impossible to see and it hasn't scratched or dented at all. – Erin Evans, Managing Editor

Catriona Kendall | U.S. News

Price: $279.99 or less

Dimensions: 31.1 x 20.9 x 13.8 inches | Weight: 9.6 pounds Packing capacity: 14-21 days | Colors: Navy, white, gray, black or purple Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: 10-year limited

The Samsonite Freeform Large Spinner is a traveler favorite for good reason. This hard-sided polypropylene suitcase is impressively lightweight for its size and made to last. A built-in TSA lock protects your luggage, and it expands by 1.5 inches when you need more room. There are two main packing compartments separated by a zippered panel on one side and compression straps on the other. The double wheels will allow you to navigate any airport or destination with ease. The Freeform also comes in medium and carry-on sizes, as well as a two-piece set.

I used to only use soft-sided luggage, but I've been won over by this suitcase. I love how easy it is to maneuver and lift such a large bag during my travels. You also can't go wrong with the Samsonite Outline Pro Large Spinner , which comes in a few other colors and has a slightly different compression system inside. – Catriona Kendall, Editor

Price: $349.99 or less

Dimensions: 30.75 x 18 x 13.25 inches | Weight: 10.4 pounds Packing capacity: 14-21 days; 130 liters | Colors: Black, gray or blue Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: Limited lifetime

Like many Travelpro luggage pieces, the Travelpro Crew Classic Large Check-in Expandable Spinner comes with a plethora of handy features. A TSA-approved lock keeps your belongings safe, and the self-aligning wheels make for easy rolling across a range of surfaces. Inside, you'll find a removable fold-out suiter for protecting clothes against wrinkles – so you won't need to bring an extra garment bag for a formal affair. There are also interior pockets (including a water-resistant one) and hold-down straps for keeping your belongings organized and secure.

This Travelpro spinner can hold plenty at 130 liters, but if you need something even bigger, the Travelpro Platinum Elite Large Check-In Spinner is a great alternative with many of the same features and 143.5 liters of space.

I was shocked at how lightweight this suitcase was for its size. The fold-out suiter is a game-changer for business travel or travel that requires formal attire, like a cruise or destination wedding . – Leilani Osmundson, Senior Digital Producer

Amanda Norcross | U.S. News

Price: $365 or less

Dimensions: 26 x 18.5 x 11 inches | Weight: 10.4 pounds Packing capacity: 7-14 days; 68 liters | Colors: Several options, including black, sea green, olive or white gloss Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: Limited lifetime

The Medium by Away is surprisingly large, with enough storage for about two weeks' worth of clothing. An interior compression panel and mesh pockets help maximize space, and an included laundry bag allows you to easily separate dirty and clean clothing in your suitcase. This checked bag also comes with a color-matched luggage tag. For the inevitable scratches, you can use a magic eraser to wipe the bag clean.

The Medium is so spacious that I can't imagine using a larger checked bag. I also appreciate all of the grab handles that make it easy to load on to the airport scale or pull off the baggage claim belt. – Amanda Norcross, Senior Content & SEO Strategist

Rachael Hood | U.S. News

Price: $430 or less

Dimensions: 30.5 x 21.7 x 13.4 (14.6 when extended) inches | Weight: 11.7 pounds Packing capacity: 14-21 days; 120 liters (130 when extended) | Colors: 9 options, including burgundy, black, yellow or navy Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: 10-year

The flat-top opening on this large suitcase really makes it stand out from the crowd. Given its size, the top opening makes it easy to pack and close the suitcase when you have limited space. Constructed with 50% recycled polycarbonate, this style has a durable and sustainable design. The interior of the expandable suitcase has a lid with two spacious mesh compartments and a third with a privacy panel. For added organization, there's a zip pocket and a compression divider with four zip pockets, which keeps small items organized and helps you compartmentalize your belongings while in transit.

If you're looking for a large checked suitcase that is sturdy, easy to wheel and can hold a lot of contents, this is it. I really like the variety of zip pockets on the interior to keep smaller items easy to find, and the flat-top opening is a real game changer in small hotel rooms or tight spaces. – Rachael Hood, Senior Editor

Tips on Trips and Expert Picks

Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

Price: $545 or less

Dimensions: 28.35 x 16.34 x 14.5 inches | Weight: 13.2 pounds Packing capacity: 10-14 days; 95 liters | Colors: 11 gloss and matte options, including dark green, red or black Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: Limited lifetime with 100-day trial

This trunk is constructed with a rivetless anodized aluminum frame and crush-proof German polycarbonate shell. The trunk design has an 80/20 lid opening, and it closes with twin integrated TSA latch locks. On the inside, the bag has stain- and water-resistant nylon lining, a hidden laundry bag and a Y-strap compression system to keep contents secure. For easy maneuvering, it has a multi-height adjustable soft handle, top and side carry handles, and dual-spinner wheels.

From its sleek exterior to its space-maximized interior, this trunk makes packing for a long trip a breeze. The handle is extremely comfortable to pull, and the silent wheels glide effortlessly on an array of surfaces. – Rachael Hood

Price: $329 or less

Dimensions: 31.1 x 18.1 x 12.2 inches | Weight: 8.6 pounds Packing capacity: 10-21 days | Colors: Maroon, navy or khaki green Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: 3-year limited

Weighing in at less than 9 pounds, this checked bag doesn't sacrifice quality or features. Its durable nylon construction wipes off easily, so you won't be too troubled by white winter salt marks or spilled coffee. The interior features two fold-down shelves, allowing you to pack it like a trunk or a traditional suitcase. There's also a mesh separation net to keep all of your belongings in place when you open the case, as well as two large interior zippered pockets.

On the front of the bag, you can make use of a spacious front zip pocket, a coordinating luggage tag and a zippered compartment that conceals and protects the telescoping handle when not in use. The spinner wheels glide easily on any surface, and if you want a coordinating carry-on, the Lipault Plume Cabin Size Spinner – U.S. News' top soft-sided luggage pick – can be stowed inside this bag when not in use.

While I try to stick to carry-on luggage, this checked suitcase is extremely impressive and perfect for when I need more space. I absolutely love the shelves that can be folded down flat when I don't want them, but also the ability to pack so I can just use the suitcase like a rolling closet. It's really lightweight, and I love that it coordinates with one of my favorite personal item bags, the Lipault City Plume 24H 2.0 . – Rachael Hood

Sharael Kolberg

Price: $355 or less

Dimensions: 24.8 x 14.5 x 11.8 inches | Weight: 10.7 pounds Packing capacity: 10-15 days; 91 liters | Colors: 13 options, including black, red, purple or precious metals Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: Lifetime

If you're the type of person that likes to transfer your clothes from your suitcase to the hotel dresser upon arrival to keep things organized, this Solgaard suitcase is for you. With its built-in shelving system, you don't have to unpack – just pack your clothes into the five shelves and, when you get to the hotel, hang the removable shelving system for easy access. The suitcase is made with a durable polycarbonate shell. It comes with a TSA-approved three-digit lock, and the frictionless wheels paired with its comfortable handle make this checked bag easy to maneuver.

What our contributors say:

Not only does this suitcase make it easier to travel, but I also love that it is designed with sustainability in mind. Each one is made from 100% recycled plastic that is collected in coastal communities, in order to prevent it from going into the ocean. The one downside is that the shelving does take up some room, so you might be trading convenience for maximum capacity. – Sharael Kolberg

How we tested

Taking into account durability, capacity and features, our team tested more than a dozen checked bags from a variety of brands at a range of price points. We tested to see how the overall structure of the bag works for travel needs, along with the maneuverability of the wheels and comfort of the handle on a range of surfaces from moving walkways to cobblestones. After taking these suitcases on a variety of journeys, we've selected these checked suitcases as the best for 2024.

You might also be interested in:

• The Best Luggage Sets

The Best Luggage Brands

The best carry-on luggage.

• The Best Hard-sided Luggage
• The Best Travel Insurance

Tags: Travel , Travel Gear

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