Travel insurance is something I know I should probably have, but never actually end up purchasing. Which is wild coming from someone as risk averse as I am! I’m not traveling 100% unprotected though – I rely on the travel insurance coverage on my credit cards (which is a big reason why I’m willing to pay the yearly fees for them). The main problem with this strategy is that generally credit cards don’t cover medical expenses, and if you forget to pay for something like your flight with said card then it won’t be covered if something happens. My gambles have paid off so far, but I don’t want to keep pushing my luck. If you’re in the same boat then you’re in luck I’ve done most of the leg-work in researching travel insurance and popular companies below.
Why Get Travel Insurance?
Regardless of what my brain believes, you can’t predict every scenario that may happen while traveling. What would you do if your bags went missing at the start of a 2 week Italy trip and you needed to buy an entirely new wardrobe? Or if you break your leg falling down some stairs in Greece? Are these things super likely to happen? Probably not. But who wants to take those chances? Most people can’t afford to eat the costs associated with things going wrong on a trip.
These are the types of things you can expect to be covered when you purchase even the most basic travel insurance policy:
- Trip delays, interruptions, or cancellations (for covered/eligible reasons).
- Lost or delayed luggage
- Emergency medical expenses
What Generally Isn’t Covered
Like with any kind of insurance policy, there are a number of things that are generally excluded from most basic travel insurance policies. This obviously isn’t a full/exhaustive list:
- Foreseeable events (ex. forecasted hurricanes),
- War/civil unrest,
- Dangerous/illegal activities (ex. extreme sports, alcohol/substance abuse),
- Pre-existing medical conditions (including pregnancy)
Most policies have the option to purchase waivers or add-ons for commonly excluded items including: rental car damage, adventure sports activity coverage, and pre-existing conditions. For the most flexibility, some carriers provide things called ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ policies. As long as the cancellation is done at least 48-72 hours (depending on the policy) before the scheduled trip, you’ll be reimbursed 50-75% of your expenses regardless of why you cancelled.
Top Travel Insurance Options
There are three main types of policies I came across in my research: flight only, single trip, or continuous/annual for people who travel multiple times a year. To get an idea of pricing and included coverages for comparison purposes, I got quotes from 8 travel insurance companies using the following trip example: a 36-year old Pennsylvania couple who spent $3,000 on a week-long trip to the Netherlands in late October 2026.
(Don’t live in the US? Skip the first 2 options – they’re only available to US residents.)
Travelex
One of the first results that came up when I started researching travel insurance was Travelex Insurance. And they just kept being repeated by a number of news and review outlets as one of the best options for travelers. For example, anything financial or tech related I tend to look up reviews on Nerd Wallet which gave Travelex 5.0 stars. While I don’t have children myself (nor do I plan to), I found that Travelex were recommended most for families with children or pregnant travelers.
Pros:
- Has three standard coverage levels: Essential, Advantage, and Ultimate.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
- One child under 17 (per covered adult) is included on the Ultimate plan at no additional cost.
Cons:
- Only available to US Residents.
- Emergency medical limits on the basic (Essential) plan are a bit low: just $25,000.
- Interested in adding ‘Cancel for any Reason’ coverage? Expect your cost to almost double. All the optional add-ons really add up.
Squaremouth
If you prefer to have more options and be able to compare them all in one place, then the Squaremouth platform is your best bet. Instead of solely providing their own insurance plans, Squaremouth acts as an insurance marketplace with policies available from dozens of different carriers. They do also have their own brand in the mix – TinLeg.
Pros:
- Provides quotes from 30+ different travel insurance companies.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
- Website is user-friendly and its easy to compare different policies and coverages.
Cons:
- Only available to US Residents.
- Policies/Claims aren’t handled by Squaremouth, but directly through the third-party insurer.
- Tin Leg always seems to be at the top of the list. As the in-house brand, take that ‘most popular’ badge with a grain of salt.
Travel Guard
Formerly an AIG brand, Travel Guard was acquired by Zurich Insurance Group in late 2024 to step up their travel insurance portfolio. Unlike many of the other providers which generally require you to purchase a policy within 14 to 21 days of your first trip-related deposit, Travel Guard offers a unique last minute option great for procrastinators. They also offer policies to a small number of non-US residents living in: Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the UAE.
Pros:
- Has three standard coverage levels: Essential, Preferred, and Deluxe.
- Offers last minute coverage (Pack N’ Go) as well as annual year-round coverage for frequent travelers.
- A pre-existing conditions waiver is included on all standard plans, as long as insurance is purchased within 15 days of your first trip payment.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address
Cons:
- Cancel for Any Reason add-on is exclusively available on higher-level plans, and only reimburses 50% of trip cost.
- Unlike their standard plans, the Pack N’ Go plan doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions.
- One of the most expensive of all the companies quoted.
- Not available in all EU countries (including the Netherlands).
Trawick International
If you’re looking for coverage for something super niche or specific, I’d start with a quote from Trawick International. They have the most variety in terms of their types of policies, including ones specifically for students, cruises, Schengen travel (with a visa letter included), and even the hyper-specific ‘Indian Parents Visiting USA’ insurance. Like with Travelex, Nerd Wallet gave Trawick 5 stars in 2026.
Pros:
- Most policy options from a single provider, with plenty of additional add-ons as well.
- Offers annual year-round coverage for frequent travelers.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
Cons:
- Can only select 3 of the policies to compare at a time.
- Online reviews state that getting your claim reimbursed can sometimes be a bit of a hassle.
- Less policy options available for non-US residents (3 vs 7).
Allianz
One of the more internationally known brands I came across was Allianz, a financial services company based out of Munich. They have a US based arm as well as policies available to non-US residents through local and regional partners like Allianz Direct in the Netherlands. According to their website, over 55 million people purchase one of their policies every year!
Pros:
- Epidemic coverage is provided on even the Basic plan.
- One child under 17 (per covered adult) is included for free under some plans.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
- Available to both US residents and those residing in other countries.
Cons:
- One of the most expensive of all the companies quoted.
- Medical coverage on the Basic plan is very low compared to the other companies – only $10,000.
- Cancel Anytime is not available as an upgrade for the Basic plan.
AXA Travel Insurance
Another Europe-based insurance brand is AXA Travel Insurance, whose headquarters is in Paris, France. They’ve been providing insurance to people around the world for over 40 years. Similar to Allianz, non-US residents can purchase policies using local and regional partners like AXA Schengen in Europe. While they have a decent range of policies to choose from, the customization on said policies is a bit lacking which can be a problem for some.
Pros:
- High medical coverage even on the Standard/Budget policy.
- Generous baggage loss/damage reimbursement coverage per person.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
Cons:
- Not the most budget-friendly quotes of the group.
- Children aren’t automatically covered like with some other providers.
- There aren’t as many customization options/add-ons as some other carriers.
World Nomads
Have a more adventure or sport activity-based trip planned? Then check out World Nomads. They are a popular option for backpackers, winter sports enthusiasts, rock climbers, hikers, etc. because even their most basic plan offers some coverage automatically. As of posting (August 2026) they are in the process of finalizing a sale to International Medical Group (IMG), so we’ll see how that affects their pricing/offerings in the future.
Pros:
- The standard plan includes coverage for some adventure sports and activities, unlike with many other providers.
- Ability to extend coverage mid-trip.
- Includes a higher baggage delay coverage than some of the other carriers.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
Cons:
- Not the most expensive, but definitely not the best option for budget travelers.
- Cancel for Any Reason can’t be added to the standard plan, just Explorer and Epic.
- No option to add a pre-existing conditions waiver. Not much in terms of policy customization in general.
Globelink International
While I did say the majority of you reading this are US residents, I still opted to include a carrier that only provides coverage to Europeans – Globelink International. Since their policies are only available to UK, EU, and EEA residents, the quote I got was for a trip in the opposite direction than the original scenario. So this one should probably get an asterisk. (Also note the prices are listed in Euros instead of USD, so they look even higher).
Pros:
- Cruise coverage is automatically included on single-trip policies.
- Highest emergency medical/repatriation limit, even with the economy plan.
- Large variety of coverage options across the 5 policy types.
- Can get an initial quote without having to provide your e-mail address.
Cons:
- The only one of the group that is not available to US residents.
- Most expensive of all the options for even the most basic economy plan.
- No baggage or personal items coverage with the economy plan, and no delayed baggage coverage with the regular plan.
Insurance Comparison Summary
If I was still living in the US I’d probably start with Squaremouth, if for no other reason than the amount of options you have to choose from. But then once I’d found a policy I liked I’d probably go directly to the chosen carrier’s website to make the final purchase and cut out the middleman.
Now that I’m in the EU and planning to travel a lot more, I’m planning to go with an annual plan – just not 100% sold on with who yet. It likely would end up being AXA or Allianz, but I still need to do a bit more research. Honestly, after seeing all the pricing I don’t know why I was so anti-travel insurance for so long. With how much most people spend on trips (myself included), the small additional cost of travel insurance is just a no brainer!
What do you think is the best travel insurance company to use? Let me know in the comments!
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