Travel insurance is a policy that may help cover certain costs if something unexpected happens before or during a trip. This may include emergency medical treatment abroad, cancellation of a pre-booked holiday, lost or stolen belongings, travel delays and legal expenses. What’s covered and the limits that apply depend on the provider and the policy level you choose. Always read the policy wording before you buy.

Travel insurance can cover a range of things, depending on the policy you choose. This can include emergency medical expenses, cancellation and curtailment, personal belongings, travel delays, personal liability and legal assistance. Some policies also include cover for travel documents, money and missed departures. Cover limits, benefits and exclusions vary between policies.

Travel insurance does not cover every situation. Depending on the policy, exclusions may include cancelling a trip because you’ve changed your mind, certain claims relating to medical conditions that were not declared when required, or loss of belongings that were left unattended. Check your policy wording for the full list of exclusions and conditions.

There is no legal requirement to have travel insurance for many European trips, but without insurance you could be responsible for costs that are not covered elsewhere (via your airline, hotel or tour operator for example). A GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) can give you access to state-provided healthcare in EU countries, but it doesn’t cover repatriation to the UK, cancellation costs, lost belongings or travel delays. Travel insurance and a GHIC can work alongside each other. Travel insurance may include sections that a GHIC does not, depending on the policy selected.

UK travel insurance may include cover for cancellation, curtailment, lost belongings and legal expenses on domestic trips. If you have an annual multi trip you must have booked and paid for 2 nights’ accommodation for UK cover to apply. Emergency medical treatment is handled by the NHS, so medical cover is less of a factor. If you’ve paid for accommodation, transport or event tickets and need to cancel for a reason listed in your policy, the cancellation section may apply. Whether UK travel insurance is worth comparing will depend on your trip cost, and what you have booked.

You can get a travel insurance quote through Holidaysafe’s smart quote journey. Tell it about your trip destination, dates, and who’s travelling. You then declare any pre-existing medical conditions through our online medical screening and add any optional extensions relevant to what you’re planning (cruise cover, enhanced flight delay and so on). At the end, you’ll see a shortlist of available options from across the product range, with the price for each, so you can compare cover levels, limits and policy wording before you buy. There’s no obligation to buy at the end, and you can start your quote here.

It is worth considering travel insurance once your trip is booked. The cancellation section typically starts when you pay your premium, subject to the policy terms. If you need to cancel before you have bought a policy, you may not be able to claim for pre-paid costs.

Travel Insurance policies available on Holidaysafe consider over 11,000 medical conditions through the Protectif online medical screening service. You declare your conditions during the quote process. Common conditions include high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, high cholesterol and food allergies. Any additional premium is shown before you buy. Undeclared medical conditions may affect your cover, so it’s important to provide accurate information during screening.

A Single Trip policy covers one holiday. An Annual Multi Trip policy can cover multiple trips across 12 months, provided each trip starts and ends in the UK, falls within the region selected, stays within the per-trip duration limit and meets the policy terms. If you travel once or twice a year, a single trip policy means you only pay for the cover you need. If you travel more often, a multi trip policy saves you the admin of buying a new policy each time, it is always worth comparing the options available to you.

No. There’s no UK law requiring you to have travel insurance. Some tour operators, cruise lines or visa applications may require proof of insurance, but it’s not a legal obligation. The decision to buy is yours alone. Travel insurance may help cover certain costs you would otherwise need to pay yourself, subject to the policy terms, limits and exclusions.

You can buy a policy after booking your holiday, provided you have not already travelled. The cancellation section typically starts when you pay your premium, subject to the policy terms. If you need to cancel before you have bought a policy, you may not have cover for that period.

The level of cover available can vary between policies and providers. A lower-priced policy may have different cover limits, excesses or exclusions. When comparing policies, consider the cover you need as well as the price, and check the policy wording for the full terms, limits and exclusions.

Most travel insurance policies include a cancellation section. This can cover pre-paid costs you can’t recover from any other source (such as your airline, hotel or tour operator) if you need to cancel for a reason listed in your policy. Covered reasons may include illness, injury, bereavement or jury service, depending on the policy selected. Cancelling because you’ve changed your mind is not usually covered. The amount you may be able to claim depends on your cover level and the terms of your policy. Check your policy wording for the full list of covered cancellation reasons and limits.

Without travel insurance, you would usually be responsible for costs that are not covered elsewhere, which could include medical treatment, repatriation, lost belongings or money lost on cancellations. Travel insurance may help cover certain costs up to the limits in your policy, subject to the terms and exclusions. Whether to buy a policy is your decision. There is no legal requirement to have travel insurance for most destinations.