Introduction

Given the costs, the temptation to skip travel insurance is high, thinking nothing will happen and that finding the best travel insurance is too complicated, right?

Or you might try to save as much as possible by choosing the cheapest option without really considering what the policy covers.

Unfortunately, unexpected events are always around the corner, and for those who say, “But I’m a cautious person,” my response is, “So am I, but unfortunately, we can’t control the people around us.”

Travel insurance is the most important thing to have before setting off on a trip, with the hope that you’ll never need to use it.

It will reimburse medical expenses in case of illness or injury, cover theft, canceled flights, and lost luggage. In the most extreme cases, it will pay for repatriation in the event of death or cover the cost of returning home if a family member passes away.

I understand that discussing these things is unpleasant, and in 99% of cases, they remain hypothetical scenarios. But if you unfortunately find yourself in that 1%, you certainly won’t regret having chosen a good travel insurance policy.

Insurance is undoubtedly one of the most complex and intricate aspects of travel. Let’s break it down and find the most suitable and beneficial coverage.

What Does a Good Travel Insurance Policy Cover?

Two essential aspects:

• Reimbursement of medical expenses: Typically, all hospitalization expenses, expenses for medical or pharmaceutical visits, transportation costs to the medical center, and medical repatriation expenses are covered.
• Civil liability: Covers damages caused unintentionally to third parties.

As we will see, there are other advantages to having travel insurance, such as reimbursement in case your flight is delayed or your luggage is stolen. What can truly be frightening are the extremely high costs in case of hospitalization in countries like the United States, or reimbursement in case you accidentally injure someone causing severe injuries. This is why I do not compromise on medical expenses and civil liability.

Other key aspects to consider before choosing the best travel insurance

1. Work

There are many restrictions. From work that is exclusively non-manual to unpaid work (volunteering). If you plan to work or even just volunteer, make sure you are covered.

2. Search and rescue expenses

They can be extremely costly, but it should also be noted that as long as you stick to well-trodden paths and don’t venture into extremely remote areas, this cost is negligible. Sometimes they are included in medical expenses, while other times they are a separate item, and in some cases, they are excluded. Keep this in mind if you are going on an adventure trip to extremely remote areas or walking trails off the main paths.

3.Reimbursement for stolen or lost luggage and items

This is especially useful in case of theft, as it is usually the airline that provides reimbursement if luggage is lost at the airport. Electronic devices are not always covered.

Although often the only geographical distinction is made between the USA/Canada and the rest of the world, be careful because sometimes the Caribbean and Japan are also included in the USA/Canada geographical area. Always check.

4. What is not usually included?

• Being aware of what your policy does not include is just as important.
• Treatment for pre-existing conditions/illnesses
• Extreme sports like paragliding and bungee jumping
• Winter sports like skiing
• Damages to rented vehicles
• Accidents under the influence of alcohol or drugs

FAQs– Frequently Asked Questions About Best Travel Insurance

1. Health assistance for travel within the European Union?

If the trip is within the European Union, I recommend not purchasing a travel insurance policy that includes health assistance. As you can see here, as an Italian citizen, you have the same rights as insured people in the country you’re in.

If you want some extra coverage, make sure to choose an insurance that offers the “Europe” option as the geographical area, so the cost won’t be high. In this case.

2. How much does travel insurance cost?

The cost varies greatly depending on the chosen destination, the type of coverage, and the duration of the trip. Insuring a trip to Europe is much cheaper than one to the United States. Similarly, the average daily cost drops significantly if you purchase insurance for an entire year instead of two weeks.

For example, the True Value policy offered by True Traveller, one of the cheapest on the market, costs about €3.5 per day for a two-week trip, but you end up spending just over €1 per day for a one-year trip.

3. How far in advance should you purchase travel insurance?

If you intend to purchase a policy that includes reimbursement in case of trip cancellation, then do it as soon as possible to save yourself expenses that you could have been reimbursed for in case of unforeseen events. If, on the other hand, you’re interested in more basic coverage, you can purchase your policy on the same day as your departure, but ideally, it’s better to do so at least a couple of days in advance.

This is because some companies may impose 24/48 hours of “partial coverage” to prevent people from purchasing the policy on the same day they incur potentially reimbursable expenses. This is almost always true for policies purchased while already traveling.

4. Are medical expenses paid in advance, or do I have to pay out of pocket and submit a reimbursement request later?

Different companies have different policies, but if it’s a real emergency and involves prolonged/expensive hospital stays, the insurance company will almost always cover the expenses directly, provided that the situation is something covered by the policy.

In any case, in the event of an accident, I strongly recommend contacting your insurance company as soon as possible to expedite the procedures for payments/reimbursements and avoid any issues.

5. What are annual or multi-trip policies?

These policies are offered by many insurance companies and provide coverage for all the trips you take within a 365-day period. However, there is usually a maximum duration for each individual trip, typically around 30 days. Essentially, these types of policies can be useful for those who make several short trips throughout the year.

As far as I know, the only policies that make an exception are the “Single Annual Trip” policy from AIG, which covers up to 45 days, and the “Nostop Vacation Multi-trip” policy from Europe Assistance, which covers up to 90 days.

6. Is it possible to purchase a travel insurance policy to cover one-way or open-ended tickets?

Unfortunately, this is a problem that many long-term travelers don’t even consider. In fact, most insurance companies only cover trips with a specific start and end date. Essentially, you must be able to prove that you had a return ticket at the time of departure. It’s also important to remember that the trip must start and end in the place where you reside. Otherwise, the insurance is considered invalid.

7. Are there travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing, chronic, or past illnesses?

Although most travel insurance policies do not cover this type of condition, there are some exceptions. In the Excel sheet, you will find a dedicated row with information and useful links to consult for each individual insurance.

8. Is there an age limit for purchasing travel insurance?

I often receive requests from older people, especially those over 75, who have difficulty finding travel insurance without age limits. However, there are some exceptions.

• Europ Assistance: has no age limits, but for those over 70, it does not cover chronic illnesses (coverage is only valid for medical services related to illness and/or injury during the trip).
• Allianz: seems to have no age restrictions.
• Globelink: offers coverage up to 89 years old.
• AIG: allows you to select the 85+ age group.
• Holins: allows you to choose the 75+ age group.
• Intermundial: allows you to choose the 68+ age group.

9. How to file a claim?

First of all, when you purchase a policy, you will usually receive a copy of the general terms or at least a summary document with the policy number. I recommend downloading both and creating a nice folder on your preferred cloud storage to save them.

Remember, no matter how good an insurance is, they will always try to reimburse as little as possible, which is why I recommend the following practices. First, as mentioned earlier, it is always advisable to contact customer support as soon as possible to make them aware of the situation. After that, it’s crucial to keep all receipts for any expenses incurred, as well as any police reports in case of theft. In short, all documentation that supports your case should be saved and, most importantly, digitized. Take photos and save everything in the same cloud folder created earlier. If you rely solely on physical copies, you risk losing any possible reimbursement if they get lost. This also means keeping copies of your departure and return flight tickets, any internal flights, and various bookings. In this case, I simply recommend archiving confirmation emails in a specific section of your email inbox and deleting everything only after the trip is completed.

All of this is important because in case of reimbursement, the travel insurance may want proof of when you actually left your home country or at least reconstruct your movements to ensure everything is in order. This is something I’ve learned the hard way, as for years I always deleted everything along the way, and when I had to request reimbursement for expenses incurred, I wasted a lot of time getting the documentation that proved my presence on certain flights.

I also recommend creating a simple travel journal for the days when you are experiencing a situation that may require travel insurance intervention. Take note of times, dates, places, people, phone calls, and emails. Don’t rely too much on your memory. Supporting your claim with as much evidence and detail as possible is the best way to avoid disputes and speed up the process.

Finally, remember that most travel insurance policies have an excess, which is the minimum amount of each damage or expense that remains the responsibility of the insured. For example, if your excess for medical expenses is €50, an hypothetical doctor’s visit costing €40 would be entirely at your own expense, while a visit costing €80 would be reimbursed €30, which is the cost of the visit minus the excess.

Best travel insurance of 2025

1. Coverwise

It’s a great low-cost option for trips up to a month (prices spike after a month). Medical expenses are unlimited, it covers civil liability up to €25,000.00, and search and rescue expenses up to €5,000.00. Essentially, it’s perfect for those looking for an affordable solution for a short trip without too many “risky” activities.

2. Globelink

For trips longer than a month, with the same coverage, True Traveller offers unbeatable prices in all its versions, but even for trips under a month, the prices are extremely competitive. I have used it personally on a couple of occasions, and for what it’s worth, my experience when I had to request a significant reimbursement was positive. The website is entirely in English, but in this case, the company assured me that the emergency assistance team is “multi-lingual.”

3. SafetyWing

It’s not the cheapest or the most comprehensive, but it remains a competitive product and, above all, unique in its kind. If you’re traveling indefinitely and want the security of being covered without worrying about your travel insurance expiring, then this is the best option. Recently, for new policies, the deductible has been completely removed, and at the same time, a convenient app has been introduced to manage any type of request directly from your smartphone.

There is also the option to include the “Adventure Sports” package in the coverage for just $10 more per month. Among many things, trekking up to 6,000 meters is covered, which is really interesting for anyone wanting to do the classic Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, but not only.

An interesting alternative with the same subscription system and competitive prices (especially if you’re 29 or younger) is Genki. I believe these two options are also the two best travel insurance policies for digital nomads.

4.True Traveller

For long-duration trips, along with Globelink, it is by far the most affordable option on the market, especially in the “True Value” version. However, True Traveller not only offers competitive prices but also an extremely customizable insurance that can include coverage for “extreme” activities like high-altitude trekking and much more.

The website is entirely in English, but the company has assured me that the emergency assistance team is “multilingual.” I also want to emphasize that just because an insurance is affordable, it doesn’t mean the service is bad.

On the contrary, if you look at the reviews of True Traveller on TrustPilot, I believe many other more well-known and expensive insurance companies have a lot to envy. Furthermore, it was pointed out to me by a blog reader that pre-existing medical conditions can also be included if desired.

To do so, you just select exactly which condition or illness, answer some targeted questions, and by paying a small extra fee, you are then covered even in the case of a relapse or worsening. It does not cover terminal illnesses or situations where the doctor has expressed a contrary opinion about the trip, but for the rest, it seems to be quite inclusive.

5.Columbs

It offers more competitive prices, especially for short trips, but it’s not as comprehensive. However, it remains a good option that I feel comfortable recommending. The only “downside” is that to have civil liability, you need to choose the assistance and luggage option, which, however, does not cover smartphones and tablets. Also, be careful because all the countries in Central America are part of the USA, Canada, and Caribbean geographical area. By paying a small extra fee, you can also remove the deductible if you’re interested.

6. World Nomads

I believe it is one of the best long-term travel insurances, offering truly comprehensive coverage and the flexibility to be extended as desired. The only two “negative” points are that reimbursement requests are handled in English, which could be a problem for some, but the company has assured me that the emergency assistance team is “multilingual” and therefore speaks Italian.

This was further confirmed by a friend who wrote to me as follows: “I used the Facebook assistance service (i.e., wrote on Messenger) while I was in Singapore, and they were super helpful, and yes, they wrote in Italian! However, the website is almost entirely in English.” The second negative point is that search and rescue expenses are excluded, but regular transportation costs, including the use of helicopters, are included, with a maximum coverage of €350,000.

READ MORE –