bmc annual travel insurance

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Family membership includes up to two adults and three children (under 18) living at the same address.

Club members are eligible for upgrading to full BMC membership at a reduced price. Additional benefits include getting all four issues of Summit, a membership card, Combined Liability insurance and Personal Accident insurance.

Proof of status is required for U18s, fulltime students and the unemployed. For those living outside the UK there is an additional postal charge of £20 for each magazine subscription and £10 for Summit.

*Discounted Direct Debit prices are only available once per individual/family

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR MOUNTAINEERING SCOTLAND MEMBERS

“The BMC works really hard to ensure that we all have access to the wild places that we love. They support conservation projects and footpath maintenance, they represent us to the people in charge, and when you join, you become part of a like-minded community.”

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If we can’t offer you the travel insurance you want, or your premium is higher than you expected because you have serious medical conditions, you may be able to get help by accessing the MoneyHelper Travel Insurance Directory .

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£10 MILLION EMERGENCY MEDICAL EXPENSES Includes search and rescue up to £100,000

24 HOUR EMERGENCY HELPLINE Your case will be managed by our assistance company who have multi-lingual staff and medical expertise to coordinate your care and if necessary your repatriation

HOSPITAL FEES AND REPATRIATION Provides cover for the costs of emergency medical care and arrangements for bringing you home

PERSONAL BAGGAGE AND BELONGINGS Including cover for your mountaineering equipment if it gets lost, stolen or damaged

CANCELLATIONS COSTS Includes cover if you cannot travel or participate due to illness or injury, however the cover does not include cancellation due to failure of the mandatory medical test

COVID COVER Includes cover if you cannot travel because you test positive for Covid-19 within 14 days of departure

BMC Travel Insurance is designed for people who love adventure, and if just one of the many benefits available to you as a member of Mountaineering Scotland or an affiliated MS club. 

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COVER YOU CAN TRUST

BMC Travel Insurance covers all your needs whether you walk, climb or ski. It includes cover for basic travel insurance, backpacking, trekking, rock, alpine, winter and ice climbing, on and off-piste skiing, ski mountaineering, backcountry skiing, all the way up to high altitude expeditions. Whatever kind of trip you're planning, you'll find competitive prices and cover you can rely on.

WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF COVER?

BMC Travel Insurance provides cover under five different policy levels: Travel, Trek, Rock, Alpine & Ski and High Altitude & Remote Areas. 

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Any profits made from our policies go right back into funding vital projects run by the BMC, including our access, environment and conservation work; as well as safety and training projects.

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bwell - your well-being matters

The bmc business travel hub, your one-stop source for information about benefits that cover you while traveling away from home on bmc business..

• BMC Travel Services. Book travel and access other travel desk resources
• Business Travel Medical Insurance. BMC-Paid plan for illness or injury during business travel outside your home country
• Travel Assistance Services. Get help for emergencies while away from home
• Business Travel Accident Insurance. BMC-paid plan for accidents during business travel
• Don't Leave Home Withouts... Must-have info every BMC business traveler needs
• Need More Help? Open a My Requests ticket

Disclaimer:

This website describes the Business Travel Accident Plan arranged for your benefit but it is not considered an insurance contract. For simplicity, this Plan is described in a general and brief manner in on this website. The complete terms of the Business Travel Accident Plan are set forth in the original policy issued to BMC Software, Inc.

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Life and Accident Insurance

BMC Software provides you with a firm foundation of income protection benefits. In addition, you can supplement your company-provided coverage to further protect your income should you die or become disabled. Life and Supplemental Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance are administered by Lincoln. 

Business Travel Accident Insurance

Offered through Chubb, Business Travel Accident (BTA) insurance is provided to all employees free of charge. BMC Software provides business travel accident insurance to you automatically – you do not need to enroll in this coverage.

BTA is a type of Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, so it pays a benefit if you die or become disabled as a result of a covered accident while traveling on business for BMC. The BTA insurance benefit is paid in addition to benefits paid from the Life and Optional AD&D insurance you may have.

The plan pays three times your salary up to a maximum of $1.5 million to your beneficiary in the event of your death while traveling on business. For family members who travel with you on an authorized trip or relocation, the plan provides $100,000 coverage for your spouse and $50,000 coverage for each child.

Learn more about this benefit.

Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

You can purchase optional AD&D insurance in an amount equal to one, two, three, four or five times your annual earnings, up to a maximum of $500,000. If the amount purchased is not a multiple of $1,000, this amount will be rounded to the next higher multiple of $1,000.  

Levels of Coverage

Employee only, provider(s).

Plan Details

Basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, machine readable files.

The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (the Departments) have issued the Transparency in Coverage final rules (85 FR 72158) on November 12, 2020. The final rules require non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers in the individual and group markets (plans and issuers) to disclose certain pricing information. Under the final rules a plan or issuer must disclose in-network negotiated rates and billed and out-of-network allowed through machine-readable files posted on an internet website. Plans and issuers are required to make these files public for plan policy years beginning in 2022. This material is for information only. Health information programs provide general health information and are not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by a physician or other health care professional. You can access the BMC machine readable files here .

All you need to know about annual travel insurance policies

As demand for travel soars and everything from weather to staffing issues leads to higher prices and cancellations, it's more important than ever to protect your trip arrangements with travel insurance .

However, it's not always easy figuring out which type of plan to pick. There are standard policies that cover general delays, interruptions and cancellations; "cancel for any reason" plans that account for personal whims in addition to unforeseen circumstances; and lesser-known annual options.

In this article, I'll go over what you need to know about the third type: annual travel insurance coverage.

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What is annual travel insurance?

Annual travel insurance plans (also known as multi-trip plans) last for one year and generally cover all trips taken within that period until either the policy expires or the maximum payout amounts are reached. The policy usually kicks in for trips that take you more than a certain distance from home.

For example, my Allianz AllTrips Prime annual plan remains in effect for one year following the purchase date of my policy. I'm covered on all trips during which I'm at least 100 miles from my residence.

This differs from standard travel insurance, which is purchased on a per-trip basis and covers only one specifically insured journey per policy. Standard policies begin when travel for the insured trip begins and end when the insured trip ends, rather than covering multiple travel experiences within a specific period of time.

What does annual travel insurance cover?

Coverage depends on the plan you purchase. There are usually several tiers from which to choose, with the lowest offering the least coverage and the highest offering the most.

Using my policy as an example, I'm covered for up to $3,000 per year in trip interruption expenses, including hotel room coverage at $250 per night, which I used when I was recently isolated for 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19.

My policy also offers a $3,000 annual trip cancellation benefit, $20,000 in emergency medical coverage, $100,000 in emergency transportation (including medevac services), $45,000 in rental car theft and damage protection, $25,000 in travel accident coverage and $1,000 for essentials in the event of baggage loss or damage, along with a handful of other small benefits.

Note that many annual policies do not include things like "cancel for any reason" coverage or trip interruption benefits. If those items are important to you, check with your provider before making a purchase.

How much is an annual travel insurance policy?

Sure, an annual travel insurance policy may sound great, but how much does one cost? I was surprised to find that insuring your trips for a whole year with an annual policy is often not much more expensive than insuring one or two trips individually, depending on the options you select.

A decent annual travel insurance plan will likely set you back a couple hundred dollars. The more coverage you add, the more expensive the plan will become. The cost also changes depending on variables like your age and where you live.

The best thing to do is contact your preferred provider for a quote or check out an aggregator like InsureMyTrip to compare premiums.

Which companies offer annual travel insurance plans?

The Points Guy recommends the following travel insurance providers , all of which sell annual or semi-annual policies:

• Allianz Travel Insurance .
• Seven Corners .
• Travel Guard .
• World Nomads .

When should I purchase annual travel insurance?

There are several reasons why annual travel insurance might be better for you than separate policies for individual trips. If you travel a lot — more than two or three times annually — it could be more cost-effective than purchasing separate policies for each journey.

For me, it makes sense because I travel for a living, often taking a dozen or more trips each year. Also, much of my travel is comped, which makes insurance more difficult to acquire. (If I haven't paid for a cruise, flight or hotel, I can't attach a dollar amount to it and, therefore, often can't insure it. I also wouldn't be able to provide purchase receipts in the event something went wrong and had to file a claim.)

Other factors to consider include your health, how adventurous your travels might be, whether you have coverage as a credit card perk and how much your travel arrangements cost versus how much coverage you can get with an annual plan versus individual policies.

Another consideration right now is COVID-19. For me, the annual plan made sense because most of Allianz's individual plans don't cover issues linked to COVID-19. However, the annual coverage I purchased does.

Other things to know about annual travel insurance policies

Here are a few additional tidbits I learned after filing a trip interruption claim under my annual travel insurance policy. Keep them in mind when deciding if an annual policy is right for you.

• Before committing to the purchase of any travel insurance plan, make sure to inquire about specific components that are important to you. For me, those were COVID-19 coverage, trip interruption benefits and medevac coverage.
• Know that your coverage does not reset each time you travel when you opt for an annual policy. So, if you have a trip that goes awry, you file a claim and you max out the benefit allowed by your plan, you won't have that benefit available to you for the remainder of your policy year.
• Depending on your policy, you might have to return home between travel sessions in order for each trip to be covered. Taking several back-to-back trips could prevent them from qualifying for coverage under your annual insurance plan, so be sure to read the fine print, and plan accordingly.
• If you purchase annual or multi-trip travel insurance, keep your policy card and provider phone number with the other important documents you bring when you travel so they're easily accessible in a pinch.
• If you find yourself in a covered situation for which you'd like to seek reimbursement, keep all receipts and take photos that will help to support your claims when they're submitted.
• Don't assume all your expenses will be reimbursed, even if you think they'll be covered. It doesn't hurt to try, but in my case, my Allianz plan only partially covered the hotel expenses I submitted.

U.S. News takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

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

SEE FULL REVIEW »

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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For the Frequent Traveler: The 11 Best Annual Travel Insurance Policies

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Table of Contents

The 11 best annual travel insurance policies, what is annual travel insurance, is annual travel insurance worth it, how much do annual travel insurance policies cost, does credit card travel insurance apply annually, choosing an annual travel insurance policy, final thoughts.

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If you take multiple trips every year, insuring each one can be a hassle. There are forms to fill out, comparison shopping over and over again, and then remembering the policy documents for each specific trip. And then there’s the risk you might forget to take out travel insurance for one of your trips.

Plus, those costs add up. There must be a better way.

Enter annual travel insurance. Also known as multi-trip travel insurance, taking out an annual policy covers you for a whole year of travel. Not only is it simpler, it may be cheaper than taking out multiple single-trip policies. But is it right for you?

Annual travel insurance policies aren’t exactly the same as the trip insurance you’d buy for a weeklong holiday with your family. Here are the best annual travel insurance policies, what they do and don’t cover, and how to decide whether taking out a yearly policy might be right for you.

GeoBlue Trekker Choice

GeoBlue offers 2 Trekker plans for annual coverage, which are unique in several ways. These plans cover preexisting conditions, COVID-19, and all travel outside the U.S.

However, they don’t cover any trips inside the U.S. or provide any coverage for canceled, delayed, or interrupted trips. Instead, these are travel medical insurance plans . With the GeoBlue Trekker Choice plan , you’ll get higher maximum payouts in all categories and pay a lower deductible ($100). However, note that this is still secondary coverage .

You’ll get unlimited access to telemedicine and coverage for trips up to 70 days in length . Additionally, coverage is available up to age 95, which isn’t offered on most other policies.

GeoBlue Trekker Essential

The GeoBlue Trekker Essential plan offers the same pros and cons as the Choice plan. The main differences are the lower maximum payout values and the higher deductible ($200 instead of $100). You also won’t get the Choice plan’s lost baggage and personal effects coverage, which can provide up to $500 per trip. Again, this secondary medical insurance policy is only valid on trips outside the U.S.

Trawick International Safe Travels Annual Basic

Trawick International offers 2 annual plans, and the Safe Travels Annual Basic plan is more economical. You’ll have coverage for everything you expect in a trip insurance policy , such as 100% coverage for trip cancellation or interruption (up to a $2,500 annual maximum) and coverage for delays, lost luggage, delayed luggage, and even medical expenses. To make up for the lower cost of the plan, coverage limits are lower than what you’ll find elsewhere . However, if you want peace of mind while traveling, you can get it for a year and cover trips up to 30 days in length.

Trawick International Safe Travels Annual Deluxe

While Trawick International’s Safe Travels Annual Deluxe plan offers higher maximum coverage limits than the Basic plan, its maximum payouts for medical and evacuation benefits are lower than what you’ll find with competitors . Where this plan shines is in the coverage for change fees, lost deposits on tours, and coverage for lost items if an airline misplaces your luggage.

You’ll be covered for up to $300 per trip for prepaid excursions, up to 100% of your trip cost (with an annual maximum of $5,000) for trip cancellations or interruptions, and up to $150 per item and $750 per trip for personal effects. After signing up for a plan, you’ll also get a 10-day free look period.

Allianz Travel AllTrips Basic Plan

If you want an annual plan with a low price tag , this could be what you’re looking for. The Allianz Travel AllTrips Basic plan covers you for unlimited trips up to 45 days each over the course of a year. Coverage includes emergency medical, emergency medical evacuation, baggage loss and delays, travel delays, rental car theft and damage, and travel accident coverage.

However, there’s a fair list of exclusions from this plan . That includes trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed connections, and change fees. As the name implies, you’ll get basic coverage at a basic price.

Allianz Travel AllTrips Prime Plan

The Allianz Travel AllTrips Prime option covers 365 days of trips, though the maximum trip length is just 45 days. While you’ll get coverage for all the standard travel insurance benefits, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical, delays, and baggage mishaps, there are limits you should know about with this plan.

The travel accident coverage, which applies to death or the loss of a limb, maxes out at $25,000 per trip, baggage delay maxes out at $200, and baggage loss or damage maxes out at $1,000. The maximum coverage for emergency medical is $20,000, and costs can exceed that quickly in a true emergency.

However, this is a decent option if you want a fair amount of coverage across numerous categories without a high price tag.

Allianz Travel AllTrips Executive Plan

For those worried about expensive business equipment or losing points and miles, this plan has you covered. On top of higher maximum payouts in categories such as trip cancellation, emergency medical transportation, or travel delays, you’ll also get rental car damage and theft coverage, change fee coverage, and reimbursement for renting business equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged, or delayed during a trip.

Moreover, you can be reimbursed up to $500 to cover fees for reinstating your points and miles if a covered trip is canceled or interrupted. The Allianz Travel AllTrips Executive plan also provides coverage for preexisting medical conditions if you meet certain criteria and buy at least 14 days before the first trip.

Allianz Travel AllTrips Premier Plan

Allianz also has a customizable AllTrips Premier plan , allowing you to choose between several payout tiers for trip cancellation and interruption. You’ll pay more when choosing higher maximums, but this allows you to choose exactly what you want in coverage and not pay for more than you need. Another positive is coverage for preexisting medical conditions if you meet certain criteria and buy your policy at least 14 days before your first trip.

You’ll also get rental car damage and theft coverage , $500,000 of emergency medical transportation coverage, $50,000 of emergency medical, and coverage for travel delay expenses after a delay of 6 hours or more. The baggage delay coverage is up to $2,000, but it requires a delay of 12 or more hours. The maximum trip length allowed is 90 days.

AIG Travel Guard Annual Travel Insurance Plan

The AIG Travel Guard Annual Travel Insurance plan isn’t available to Washington state residents. Still, it provides coverage for trip interruption, trip delay, lost baggage, delayed baggage, and missed connections, as well as both medical and security evacuation, accidental death and dismemberment, and travel medical expenses. However, the coverage limit for dental is just $500, and the maximum coverage for travel medical expenses is just $50,000. Those are lower limits than other plans. Additionally, trip cancellation isn’t included.

However, Travel Guard has some strengths. Trip delay coverage applies for up to 10 days and requires a delay of just 5 hours, and the missed connection benefit applies after just 3 hours. You get a “free look” period of up to 15 days to cancel for a refund, so long as you haven’t started your trip or filed a claim. Maximum coverage for any particular trip is 90 days.

USI Affinity Voyager Annual Travel Insurance

USI Affinity’s Voyager plan has a Silver and Gold option , and pricing is easy to determine from the chart. Simply find your age bracket and the associated cost. The key differences between the plans are in the higher maximum payouts for nearly every coverage type with the Gold plan, other than emergency dental and accidental death and dismemberment. However, the Gold plan also includes coverage types the Silver plan doesn’t: political and natural disaster evacuation, airline ticket change fees, and trip interruption. However, trip cancellation isn’t included with either plan .

The maximum trip length is 90 days, and coverage for Silver and Gold plans lasts for 364 days. An unlimited number of international and domestic trips are covered, and you’re covered for trips as little as 100 miles from home. That’s a lower requirement than most other plans (which tend to require 150 miles).

Seven Corners Travel Medical Annual Multi-Trip

This plan is ideal for those who don’t live in the U.S., as other plans on this list are only available to U.S. residents and citizens. While the plan technically lasts for 364 days, Seven Corners’ Travel Medical Annual Multi-Trip plan is customizable. It lets you choose a maximum trip length of 30, 45, or 60 days and include or exclude coverage for the U.S. Note U.S. citizens and residents cannot add coverage for inside the U.S.

Seven Corners also provides coverage for travelers aged 14 to 75 years, though maximum payouts decrease in some categories for those aged 65 and older. If you receive medical care in the U.S., Seven Corners will pay 90% of the first $5,000 of covered expenses and 100% of the cost afterward. You’re covered 100% outside the U.S. Note that coverage doesn’t apply to your home country (which includes the U.S. if you’re a citizen, even if you live in another country) and isn’t available in Antarctica, Cuba, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Russia, Syria, or Ukraine.

A Plan That Didn’t Make Our List

We considered another plan. Here’s why this annual travel insurance policy didn’t make our “best of” list.

IMG Patriot Multi-Trip International : For trips inside the U.S., you may be on the hook for 20% of your medical expenses if you visit a provider outside IMG’s PPO network. Additionally, the maximum trip length is 30 days, and coverage limits are quite low in multiple categories. These include $50,000 for emergency medical evacuation and $10,000 for political evacuation, a maximum of $50 per item and $250 overall for lost luggage, a $100 maximum for dental treatment, and $25,000 for accidental death and dismemberment 24/7 coverage.

Annual travel policy plans vary considerably. Most provide secondary medical insurance, so you may need to submit to your other coverage (home healthcare plan, credit card insurance provider, etc.) first and then submit to your travel insurance provider for any remaining expenses or deductibles. If you won’t have other coverage, you may want to look for a plan that provides primary health coverage instead. Also, understand that most plans provide reimbursement, so you would pay out of pocket for overseas hospital visits and then submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement after the fact.

Annual travel insurance covers you for many trips over the course of a year (or sometimes 364 days). Rather than needing to buy a travel insurance policy for each trip separately — which can add up — you can buy a single policy that covers all your trips for the next year. It’s important to understand the terms of these policies, though. Some may require buying coverage in advance, such as 14 days before your first trip, while that requirement normally doesn’t exist on single-trip travel insurance.

It’s also important to note which types of trips and destinations are covered by your policy — and which aren’t. Look for how far from home you must travel to be covered and whether domestic trips are included. Moreover, consider what benefits you’re looking for. These can vary from medical-only to all the bells and whistles, such as baggage delay and medical evacuation. Once you know the type of coverage you want, you can find a policy or policies that align with your needs, helping you narrow down your options to conduct a more effective comparison.

How Annual Travel Insurance Works

Annual travel insurance works as an umbrella policy, covering all your trips during the policy period. You don’t need to inform the policy provider about each trip’s start and stop dates or destinations. You simply buy a policy, and then you’re protected for every trip that meets the conditions while your policy is in effect. Some regions may be excluded from coverage, and you may be subject to a maximum trip length.

Trip length is an important element to pay attention to. Annual travel insurance doesn’t cover you for a year-long trip. It covers you for a year for many small trips within that time, typically up to 30 or 45 days per trip. If you’re looking for a plan to cover you during a year-long trip to another country, you should look for specialized plans for study abroad, mission work, or other situations that apply to you. Traveling full-time? You may need a policy geared toward digital nomads and backpackers.

When To Buy an Annual Travel Insurance Policy

You should buy your annual travel insurance policy as soon as you know you’ll have multiple trips in the next year and determine that the cost of insuring each alone would be higher than that of a single multi-trip plan. What’s the break-even point on that cost? It depends on the coverage you want.

Considering that single-trip plans can sometimes be found for $10, yet an annual trip is likely to cost $150 or more per adult, you’d need 15 trips to justify the annual policy. However, that’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison, as a $10 basic travel insurance policy won’t provide as much coverage as you’re likely to find on even the most basic of annual policies.

It’s also not just about the number of trips you take but the types of trips, the complexity of the trips, and money at risk in nonrefundable costs. The more of these you foresee in your next year of travels, the more likely an annual plan would be good for you.

What Annual Travel Insurance Policies Do and Don’t Cover

We already highlighted that annual policies don’t cover traveling nonstop for a year due to their restrictions on the maximum trip length. Annual travel insurance policies also restrict how far you must travel for coverage to kick in. Driving to the next town over may be a trip in your kids’ eyes, but it’s probably not far enough for your travel insurance to kick in.

While coverage varies by policy, you’ll typically have coverage for sickness, accidental death and dismemberment, lost or delayed luggage, trip cancellation, and possibly injuries during skiing or snowboarding. However, it’s important to read the terms of each policy because coverage maximums and inclusions vary widely. Some policies only provide medical coverage, while others offer robust coverage across the board.

Understanding Trip Length Rules

Each policy specifies a maximum trip length. How trips longer than that are treated can vary. Most policies won’t cover any expenses related to a trip longer than the maximum trip length. Suppose you take a trip of 41 days on a policy with a maximum of 40 days. In that case, claims for delayed luggage or medical expenses may be rejected when the claim evaluator asks for your trip confirmation details.

However, GeoBlue covers the first 70 days of any particular trip. If something goes wrong during that time, you’re covered. You’re on your own for anything that happens on days 71 or beyond. Still, you’re covered on those first 70 days, despite taking a longer trip.

If you foresee long trips in the future, make sure you understand these rules.

For some travelers, yes, annual travel insurance is worth it. For others, it’s not.

Annual travel insurance is worth it when it costs less than what you’d pay to insure each trip individually. It’s also worth it if you think you might forget to purchase some of those individual policies throughout the year and would prefer to be done with them for another 365 days.

However, annual travel insurance isn’t worth it if you only take a few trips a year, they’re mostly domestic, and you don’t have major nonrefundable expenses. If you’re traveling within the U.S. with your standard health insurance policy in effect and you have credit cards that provide trip insurance for delays or cancellations, that coverage may be sufficient.

Costs will vary by your home state, age, and number of people included in the policy. Here are the “starting at” costs for our best annual travel insurance policies, sorted from lowest to highest:

Yes and no. Using a credit card to pay for your trip can provide some built-in protections. However, you should be mindful of annual maximums on any policy. You may run into limitations such as a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period or similar exclusions. If you take many trips, that could be an issue.

To better understand what is and isn’t covered, check out our complete guide to credit card insurance .

To choose the right policy, look beyond the cost alone. Rather than immediately choosing the cheapest policy, find the policy or policies that provide the coverage types you want with payout maximums that cover your travel plans for the next year — both confirmed bookings and likely plans.

Consider your coverage needs. Will you be carrying expensive items such as scuba equipment for a trip to the Galapagos or top-notch camera lenses for a bird-watching tour in Papua New Guinea? How many extreme sports will you participate in?

Conversely, how many “never heard of this airline before” flights will you take to get off the beaten path? These are flights where you may be worried about cancelations that lead to extra costs or a misplaced suitcase.

Consider the types of trips you’ll take and the up-front money at risk if something goes wrong or you get delayed, then look at which plans align with your travels. From there, choose the best plan that aligns best with your needs, which may or may not be the cheapest one.

As an annual travel policy holder myself, I promise you that having the right plan is important when you wind up in a remote hospital in Tanzania with malaria.

Annual travel insurance isn’t right for everyone. However, it makes sense for those who travel often and could save money by taking out a single policy instead of many separate policies. It also makes sense if you’d prefer to avoid filling out paperwork numerous times throughout the year for each trip.

Annual travel insurance policies aren’t great for those who tend to travel closer to home, don’t have major nonrefundable travel expenses, or need to customize coverage for each trip because their travels tend to vary. For example, you might need different coverage for a backcountry ski trip with friends versus a 2-hour drive with your family.

Look at what annual policies do and don’t cover and see if these align with your travel goals and needs. Then, consider the prices for the plans that align well with your situation. After taking an informed look, you should have a good idea of whether an annual policy is right for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is yearly travel insurance worth it.

For some, yes. For others, no. Annual travel insurance is worth it when the cost is less than what you’d pay to insure each trip separately or you would prefer to just sign up once then be done for a year. However, annual travel insurance isn’t worth it if you only take a few, mostly domestic, trips a year where your healthcare coverage works, and you don’t have major nonrefundable expenses.

How much does annual trip insurance cost?

Costs vary greatly depending on the type of coverage you want. Annual travel insurance plan costs range from $140 to $500 for a single person. If you take a lot of trips, the cost can be worth it over the course of a year, but each person’s situation is different.

When should I take out annual travel insurance?

You should buy your annual travel insurance policy as soon as you know you’ll have multiple trips in the next year and that the cost of insuring each alone would be higher than the cost of a single multi-trip plan. What’s the break-even point on that cost? It depends on the coverage you want. Look at the different types of coverage and your expected costs for insuring each trip separately, then see if it makes sense for you.

Does annual travel insurance automatically renew?

It varies by policy provider, but some companies have an auto-renew feature to ensure you don’t have gaps in coverage.

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About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.

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Expedition insurance: why I’m ditching BMC for another provider

Insurance? Yawn, it must be time to watch another cookery show on TV. Yes, a boring subject, I know, but bear with me. For one reason or another I’ve talked quite a bit about insurance for climbing Sherpas this year, but how about expedition insurance for good old western climbers – is that up to the job?

For several years now Christmas has been the time to renew my annual travel insurance, and since I do two or three mountaineering expeditions every year it’s felt natural to insure myself with the British Mountaineering Council (BMC). This year I won’t be, and this post is all about why and where I’ll be shopping around .

Every year I’ve checked the level of cover provided and paid my renewal fee, confident I will be covered should anything go wrong with my trip. But the thing about insurance is, you never really know how good the policy is until you have to make a claim. Most of the time you pay for a service that you don’t receive, and only when it’s time to call upon the service do you find out whether it’s any good.

For years I haven’t had to make a claim, but this year I had to claim twice for things I believed I was covered for. Despite providing the necessary proof and paperwork, both times BMC’s insurance broker CSAL, who act on behalf of their insurer ACE Europe, refused my claim due to clauses in the small print I wasn’t aware of, though one of these was later overturned after appealing to BMC.

BMC issues  two documents when you take out a policy with them:

• A 2 page policy schedule listing the circumstances (cancellation, accident, medical expenses, loss of property, etc.) and amount of cover for each.
• A 35 page policy document written in legalese which contains the small print about precisely when the cover will be paid.

As I discovered this second document (written in language too impenetrable for customers to read) contains a treasure trove of clauses which enable them to wriggle out of paying . To put it more simply, many of the things I thought I was covered for after reading document 1, I really wasn’t. While this may put BMC and their underwriters in a strong legal position, it’s a bit like making a promise with your fingers crossed behind your back. In my opinion it’s fundamentally dishonest and misleading , and unsurprisingly I’m not keen to give money to people I find deceitful.

Does this sound harsh, and are other insurers any better? Here are my two case studies, and you can judge for yourself .

Earlier this year I paid $20,000 USD to join a two month expedition to climb 8516m Lhotse in Nepal. I paid BMC around £900 GBP for a separate insurance policy to cover me for the expedition (BMC’s annual policy only covers altitudes up to 6500m). A few days after trekking to base camp, a fatal avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall led to a strike by climbing Sherpas, and all expeditions were cancelled . On 26 April, less than halfway through the expedition, having not set foot on the mountain, we packed up and went home.

According to my BMC policy schedule I was covered for curtailment up to £5000 GBP. Although this was only a fraction of the cost of the expedition, it was some consolation. I filled in the necessary paperwork and filed my claim, but a few days later CSAL wrote back saying they wouldn’t provide a single penny . Page 22 of the policy document listed all the situations where I was covered for curtailment and – bugger me backwards with a curtain rod – Sherpa strike wasn’t mentioned, so they didn’t have to pay.

A month or so later I needed to buy more insurance for my expedition to Peru , since I was again hoping to climb above 6500m. Since I’d already paid £1200 to BMC that year (for my annual policy and for my Lhotse expedition) and their service was found wanting, I didn’t want to pay them any more, and I wrote and told them why I would be insuring with one of their competitors. They said they were reviewing my claim and, much to my surprise, a few days later I received another letter from CSAL to say the £5000 would be paid after all.

What happened? This year’s Sherpa strike on Everest was high profile, attracting much attention in the media and on mountaineering websites. Hundreds of climbers were affected, many of whom were insured with BMC. I expect I wasn’t the only person who complained: to refuse all of us would have been very bad business for them, and to lose BMC as a client would have been bad business for their insurer (or so I thought). Business reasons then, but I was grateful for the outcome and would have been happy renewing my BMC policy had it ended there.

In September I was climbing Mulanje in Malawi when Ethiopian Airlines rescheduled our flight from Lilongwe to Lusaka two days before it was due to depart. They tried to contact me, but there was no phone reception or internet connection in the mountain huts we were staying in (mountaineers have this problem often). We turned up for our flight in good time, only to learn it had departed that morning and there would not be another for two days. As Edita and I both had international flights from Lusaka back to Europe the following day we had no option but to hire taxis and travel overland across Malawi and Zambia to get there in time.

No problem, I thought. I was insured for a missed departure up to £500, and as long as I had receipts for the taxis we were covered. The second taxi from Chipata on the Zambian border back to Lusaka was a somewhat hair-raising experience (not that I have much hair to raise). On learning I needed a receipt for my insurance claim the driver’s eyes lit up and he tried to charge us $1000. We didn’t have many options, but we managed to negotiate him down to $580 for an eight hour night-time journey along unlit roads that saw us arriving in Lusaka at 2am. Often he was driving with one hand on the wheel and another on his phone as he argued with another potential customer, driving a few metres behind a big truck spewing up dust onto our windscreen. I tried to sleep and forget about where I was, but the noise and the emergency braking didn’t make it easy. But we made it back to Lusaka without getting squished in a remote part of Zambia, and caught our international flights a few hours later.

Back home in the UK I put in my insurance claim, and a few days later CSAL replied with their get-out clause . Page 26 of the policy document said the following:

“We will pay up to the amount stated in the Policy … to enable you to reach … Your Home Country if You arrive too late at Your final point of international departure to Your Home Country on Your return Journey to board the Public Transport on which You are booked to travel to Your Home Country [sic].”

Yes, I know it sounds like it was written by an inebriated leprechaun and contains a number of unnecessary capitals, but if you’ve just nodded off you can WAKE UP NOW. In plain English it’s saying I was only covered for flights to or from the UK . Had I made my leisurely way across Zambia and missed my flight back home they would have paid in part for that flight, if not for the flight from Lilongwe.

But why would I only need to be covered for flights out of the UK? I bought a worldwide insurance policy because I travel all over the world on flights that go to and from all sorts of different countries. In my search for compensation I learned about the EU Denied Boarding Regulation which would have obliged Ethiopian Airlines to compensate me for the missed flight had we been flying to any airport in the European Union. In other words I was covered by law for flights in and out of the UK, so the missed flight clause in my insurance policy was actually worthless. To charge me for something I get for free anyway is alarmingly close to being a scam.

Although I’ve found BMC’s staff helpful and well-intentioned, and I can see the sense in a dedicated insurance policy for mountaineers, their policy document cannot be trusted , and gives their underwriter too many excuses for not paying . The prospect of having a get-out clause thrown back at me if I’m faced with a bill in thousands for medical expenses or helicopter evacuation doesn’t bear thinking about.

Are changes afoot?

As things transpired this was no hollow fear on my part. I reached this conclusion entirely based on my own experience, but in the course of researching this post I came across this thread in the UKClimbing Forums from April this year about two climbers who called out the mountain rescue services while they were climbing in the Alps. One was insured by the Austrian Alpine Club (AAC) and the other by BMC. While AAC paid the claim promptly, BMC’s insurer refused , and the climber was faced with a £2500 bill. The reason? The wording in BMC’s policy which meant most genuine rescues wouldn’t fit the criteria.

In a recent interview with the outdoor website Grough, BMC’s chief executive Dave Turnbull said the incident caused BMC to fall out “big time” with their insurer to the extent that they are ending their relationship and intend to change the wording in the policy to match that of AAC’s.

This is good news, and means BMC will be worth considering again in the future , but until it happens, insure yourself with someone else!

Other mountaineering insurance providers

So what are the alternatives? Next year is likely to be a work year for me, without too many expeditions, so I have a few months to find a suitable annual policy to replace the one I used to have with BMC. In any case, BMC limiting their annual policies to mountains under 6500m meant I was often having to pay for a separate single trip policy anyway. These weren’t easy to apply for and required me to complete a long questionnaire about expedition logistics that, being a commercial client, I rarely knew how to answer.

I would be grateful for feedback from any of you about your own expedition insurance . Here are some of the alternatives I’ll be researching over the coming months. Sorry if this is a bit UK-centric. I would also be interested in hearing about providers further afield.

• Dogtag . UK travel insurance provider who cover a range of adventure sports, including high altitude mountaineering. I’ve used them a couple of times, both in Peru and for my expedition to the north side of Everest in 2012. Quite cheap, and quick and easy to obtain insurance online, but I never had to put in a claim, so I don’t know whether they’re any better than BMC. They also offer an annual multi trip high altitude policy.
• Snowcard . UK travel insurance provider primarily covering winter sports. More expensive than Dogtag for mountaineering insurance, but a little cheaper than BMC. Also offer an annual multi trip high altitude policy.
• World Nomads . Worldwide travel insurance provider for adventure activities, though mountaineering is limited to 4500m. Currently no annual multi trip cover available, but according to their website they will be introducing it in the future.
• Allianz . Worldwide travel insurance provider. Their standard cover does not include mountaineering, but I know of at least one person who insured their Everest expedition with them and received compensation after the Sherpa strike, so it seems coverage is available, if not via an online quote.
• Global Rescue . US company who have been recommended by many people for emergency rescue, evacuation and medical services (and why wouldn’t they, with a name that makes them sound like the Thunderbirds). They do not provide standard travel insurance cover such as trip cancellation, missed flights, loss of property, etc. so you would need to buy an ordinary non-mountaineering policy in addition.
• Austrian Alpine Club (UK) . Despite their origin the AAC is open to climbers outside Austria and even have a UK branch. One of the benefits of membership, which costs a maximum of £43.50 a year depending on your age, is worldwide mountain rescue insurance. Like Global Rescue you need to buy separate travel insurance to cover other circumstances, but definitely worth considering.

For the benefit of UK climbers I’ve done a little comparison of prices for the three main UK mountaineering insurance providers. These have been obtained by submitting the online forms on their websites, but are only indicative. Not all policies are like-for-like and you may get slight variations in price if you submit the forms yourself. For example, amount of cover may differ; some require your age; BMC and Snowcard both define high altitude as over 6500m, while Dogtag defines it as over 4000m.

And in next week’s post I’ll be comparing accountants specialising in tax advice for mountain guides … no, I’m only joking … come back!

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25 thoughts on “ Expedition insurance: why I’m ditching BMC for another provider ”

I have just returned from Nepal where we trekked the Manaslu Circuit and I also decided to ditch my BMC Insurance which seemed very high ue to my age (70). I eventually found a company Globelink who were half the price. Anyway off we set , me confident of a rescue if things went wrong and low and behold things did. As we started to cross the Larke La Pass (5190m) I became ill my speech was slurred and I did not have any inner body strength. I do not know whether it was altitude sickness or my diabetes playing up, but after a mars bar my speech did become better. Santhos, our guide wanted us to return to Samdo so that he could arrange help I said no we would carry on and descend to Bimthang because there was only a two day walkout from there. Anyway as luck would have it there was a climbing team in the local mountains and their porters were resting in a nearby hut. One of these guys offered to carry me across after a short while I told him I would walk and he supported me. Once we got to the end of the pass I was able to descend unaided. I paid the guy the 100dollars that he requested, but my point being that no matter how much Insurance I would have paid there was no help available in my hour of need. We did suggest to the trekking company in Kathmandu that we thought trekkers would be willing to pay more in order that their guides could carry satellite phones but he said that it was doubtful if even satellite phones would work in that area.

This is a great post, Mark. On Broad Peak, when my partner was severely injured, we awaited evacuation for 6 long days but eventually Global Rescue came through with two Pakistani Army Helicopters and evacuated both of us. They considered me his caregiver, and eventually they bought first class tickets for both of us to return to the States. I will admit those were long and dark days and I questioned whether or not we had wasted our money. In the end, I can confirm it was well spent. I can’t speak to their policy on expedition cancellation for reasons mentioned above, though.

Great post Mark. I intend to renew my Global Rescue insurance and bear any costs due to travel problems. The flight change fees and such sting but it beats the insurance premiums and hassle dealing with crooked travel insurance companies. Your post highlighted some if those hassles. Well done and great decision on your part. See you in Nepal this spring?

Thanks, guys. I’ve heard a lot of good feedback about Global Rescue and you’ve both provided some more. Definitely worth considering, even for those of us outside the US. I’m unsure of my travel plans for next year, but I made it to Nepal twice this year so it’s unlikely I’ll be there in the spring, mainly because I need to work and earn money again to pay for all these travels and insurance premiums! Good luck if you’re going to be back on Everest again, Patrick.

Regarding assistance in remote places, I don’t know all the details of your particular story, Mike, but while your guide should have carried a sat phone to use in emergencies (they certainly work as far as Samagaon!) it sounds like your trekking agency behaved appropriately by evacuating you on foot. Calling out mountain rescue services should only ever be used as the option of last resort and for genuine emergencies. Altitude sickness on its own is not a good enough reason, since in most cases you can solve the problem simply by descending. IMHO there are far too many helicopter evacuations in Nepal for instances where it really isn’t necessary. This pushes up insurance premiums for everyone and increases the chances of claims being refused for genuine cases.

Mark, we regularly run trips in the Khumbu with clients needing cover to 6000m. Since 2010 I have used and recommended AAC. Another global option is iSOS. (International SOS). Great post.

Hi Mark, very interesting! Not that I am ever likely to need it, I get altitude sickness looking out from my balcony! But I think with any insurance you have to look around, the longer you stay with a company the more they charge you. For some reason they cannot offer you a better deal unless you are a new customer. Hurry up and get travelling again I love reading your blogs, and of course am waiting for the “big book”! take care Bev x

A super interesting read. I am currently trying to find insurance for a trip, and have been hitting many road blocks. Just as I was thinking that the BMC may have a policy that could be suitable I come across your blog post. I would never have thought that connecting flights would not have been covered. So, this is something else that I can add to my long list of things I need to ask another insurance company. As far as I have been able to find out, DogTag also do not cover connecting flights. Plus, they use Mondial which after a google search seems to have universally bad reviews and claims experiences. Snowcard and Allinaz don’t offer cover for what I need. I need to investigate the wording on World Nomad’s policies, but I am not hopeful. A quick google search has brought up many complaints in regard to insurance claims that we poorly handled and wriggled out of.

I think what you’re saying is they all seem to be as sneaky as each other when it comes to claiming anything back!

I’ve decided to join the Austrian Alpine Club, so for my next trip I just have a bog standard Easyjet (Allianz) travel insurancy policy to cover me for the basics, with the AAC rescue cover in the event of an emergency. This covers to 6000m, so I’ll still need to find something else for my next big high altitude expedition.

Whether any of this proves to be any good only time will tell, and fingers crossed I don’t need to put it to the test. Good luck with your own search – it sounds like you’re being much more diligent than I ever was!

An interesting post Mark, and I will be looking more carefully. I’ve always used BMC as their policies “seemed” to offer the right cover at a good cost.

Interestingly, I was surprised to find that for Aconcagua the same 6,500 limit applied and the BMC solution? Take out their skiing policy which didnt have that limit. I was doubtful, but I did have to claim on this policy after becoming unwell. I was able to claim for the unscheduled trip out of the park, and the extra hotel days I had to pay for.

My own experience was that the BMC policy paid out quickly, but there was a nervous few days waiting for the payment.

With all UK insurers, you always have the option of complaining to the FCA if you feel a claim has been rejected unfairly. This is always worth a go if you think that a normal individual would expect to be covered.

I would have renewed no questions asked with BMC, but I think I will be checking out the actual insurer behind the policy before my next trip.

It may very well be that BMC’s new Insurers/Underwriters aren’t any better than the ones replaced. Acting on the FCO’s advice against all but essential travel to Nepal (and when was trekking essential?)I cancelled my trip to Nepal and managed to recover most of the monies already paid to airlines, Trekking Company etc. Then I submitted a claim for the irrecoverable expense to Fogg Travel Insurance Services Ltd. who are currently handling such claims. My claim was denied on the basis of an entirely irrelevant Section of the policy that referred to illness, incarceration, stolen passports etc. Apparently the staff at Fogg’s had no idea that the BMC had published information on the internet that persons insured through them who were already in Nepal and anxious to leave would have their curtailment expenses covered which made it crystal clear, surely, that persons like me who decided not to go there at all would also be covered as indeed it is under a different Section, number eight. I have asked for my claim to be reconsidered and await the decision. This is a simple, clear cut matter and the only aspect for discussion should have been regarding detail of the exact amount to be paid out.Speaking generally, it is a common tactic for insurers to both misrepresent and refute the initial claim made in the presumption, often accurate, that the claimant will ‘throw in the towel’ and this has all the appearance of what happened with my claim.I’ve written a letter of complaint to the BMC President to make him aware of the situation and to suggest that he constructively intervene because there will be many more similar claims being made and the reputation of the BMC is at stake.

Thanks for the heads up, Ian. Sorry to hear about your bad experience and I hope you get it resolved on appeal.

I didn’t know BMC had changed their underwriter already. I notice they’re promoting the fact on their website. I feel a bit sorry for them, as I’m sure they want to provide an honest service to their members, but it seems their reputation is being tarnished by less scrupulous suppliers. I hope they have an exit clause for their latest one if your experience is typical. Sadly the strapline they are using “Insurance you can trust” doesn’t ring true for me.

I’ve been looking for expedition insurance for my trip to Pik Lenin next month. I’ll hold off on using BMC again until I hear good feedback about them.

To update my previous comments, the Fogg Travel Insurance Service that I referred to and who were dealing with my claim on behalf of the BMC Insurance and their underwriters ProSight have finally paid up. This was after two prior rejections of my claim and after, they say, obtaining legal advice, and before I had submitted the matter to the FSO for adjudication. There may well be hundreds, perhaps thousands of people insured with the BMC and like me act on the FCO advice against all but essential travel to Nepal. So the only advice that I can give is not to expect that any initial insurance claim will be met but rather the opposite and that persistence will be required to successfully resolve matters.

Thanks for providing an update, Ian. I’m glad you got your cover eventually, and sorry to hear it was so much hassle.

Luckily I don’t have to claim very often, so I don’t know how typical this scenario is of the insurance industry, but IMHO it’s pretty dishonest. The conclusion as far as this blog post is concerned is that for mountains and mountaineering activities BMC appears to be no different from any other insurance provider.

Great blog, I myself am now looking for a new insurer after dealing with my second claim in two years (this is the first time I have ever claimed on any insurance in my life!). Last year I was also on Everest (in fact I think we met on the trail walking in). Whilst I was unlucky enough to be there during the Avalanche, sherpa strikes etc, the BMC insurance paid out to my team very promptly and without fuss. I think this was because one of my teams Sherpas died in the Avalanche and five others were evacuated injured, so there was no chance of us carrying on. After this I had absolute faith in the BMC insurance.

This year I returned to Everest on the basis that lightning shouldn’t strike twice in the same place. No such luck. This year was even worse. I found myself, along with the rest of my team, right in the middle of the Avalanche that destroyed base camp. One of my team mates died, three were badly injured and 5 of our Sherpas were also injured and evacuated by helicopter and we lost the majority of our gear. I hope this is the worst experience I will ever have to live through. I am still arguing with Fogg travel, the insurers behind the BMC insurance for a pay out under the curtailment clause of my policy. After last year it appears they tightened this clause up, so now if a team mate or guide dies or is injured you are not allowed to curtail your trip unless said person is from the same country as you. This seems crazy, if your guide was to die, surely it would be dangerous to carry on and quite frankly I don’t care what nationality my team mates are, if someone passes away I can’t imagine carrying on. They have paid out after a lot of pressure under the journey disruption clause (£2,500) but are still seeking legal advice on the curtailment section, having rejected my claim twice to date. The max they will ever pay out is £5,000 anyway, but given I paid almost £900 for my policy I would expect it to pay out. I am saddened by this experience, I would note the new insurers do seem to be more relaxed about pre existing medical conditions (up front at least). i know other members of my team have had issues with Fogg but that is their tale to tell. Obviously you only hear about insurers when they refuse to pay out and people kick up a fuss, I have to say though I am very surprised by the report on the BMC website at the moment about a girl who got her pay out under curtailment while she was in the Khumbu valley. As far as I am aware EBC suffered the worst atrocities in the valley that day so am currently confused how she got such special treatment that none of my team seem to of successfully managed. Sorry rather a long winded report, but I will watch your blog with interest to figure how where to find insurance for my next climb. I know a lot of people use Global Rescue combined with medical insurance, whilst that doesn’t provide the cancellation and baggage cover, I am not sure it’s worth paying the extra for a clause that may or may not pay out.

Very sorry to hear you were one of the many people to go through it all twice, Selina. I know it was a much more frightening experience this year than last. I remember meeting you with Denis as we were leaving Lobuche. I’m guessing that you were climbing with Jagged Globe again, and that the fatality in your team was therefore the Google engineer Dan Fredinburg.

Do I understand from your comment that BMC’s policy does not cover curtailment in the event of natural disaster, hence the reason you are having to quibble with the insurer over the nationality of one of the victims?

If this is true then it’s another example of a misleading one-page policy summary causing people to believe they are covered when they are not. You wouldn’t know about this important information unless you read a 30-page policy document written in language that is very difficult for ordinary customers to understand.

It would also make a mockery of BMC’s recent attempts to convince us they are able to provide insurance for the autumn trekking season in Nepal ( https://www.thebmc.co.uk/autumn-trekking-in-nepal-will-bmc-travel-insurance-cover-me ). With aftershocks still occurring most people would want to ensure they are covered in the event of an earthquake.

On the other hand, if the policy does cover natural disasters, then they should just pay up the £5,000 and stop compounding your misery, since you paid a large premium and clearly had your trip curtailed through no fault of your own. It does their reputation no good to make things so difficult.

Good luck with pursuing your claim. Keep trying, and it’s worth rating both BMC and Fogg on Trustpilot, as quite a few people take notice of their ratings.

Based on your and Ian’s feedback my advice to anyone else would be not to trust BMC to insure them for the autumn trekking session in Nepal unless they are able to settle their claims for the spring one.

I have insured myself with Dogtag for my forthcoming expedition to Peak Lenin. I don’t know whether they are any better, but they charge considerably less for more or less the same cover, and BMC have been a disappointment.

And good luck with your dream of climbing Everest. I hope you get another chance some day.

Yes Mark you are correct, I was climbing with Dan. As a small team we all become good friends so the loss of a team member hits the team harder than say if I was climbing with one of the big American teams, hence this whole shenanigans with the insurers being so ridiculous. In answer to your question, no the BMC don’t cover cancellation as a result of natural disasters – only if you or your Travelling Companions (as narrowly defined) die or get injured. They should actually probably include a cover in the instance that the Foreign office change their travel recommendations on a country. Very interesting that Ian managed to get his claim settled. Will have to see if I can find the information on the internet about the BMC covering curtailment expenses! Would be very interesting to hear from people who were insured with other insurers on Everest this year and how their claims went. I know that all the Brits on our team were covered by BMC and we were the worst hit British team in camp as far as I am aware, but I some of the guys up at Camp One may of been covered by others (I think we were the only Brits under the Avalanche).

Enjoy Peak Lenin!

Thanks, Selina. Good luck with your claim and let us know how you get on.

Peak Lenin has also had its share of earthquakes. Fingers crossed for several reasons!

So by way of update thought I would let you know how I have got on….The bad news is that the BMC policy underwritten by Fogg Travel have refused to pay out finally after 2.5 months for cancellation and told me I need to go through their formal complaint procedure. They have paid out under travel disruption, this is £2,500 rather than £5,000 for cancellation. My point here is one of my team mates died, there was no way we would of carried on our expedition regardless of whatever else was going on around us. A couple of points to note for anyone considering taking out BMC insurance – 1. If you are climbing with a guide or a team mate that you do not have a very strong connection to (even if they are of the same nationality as you) and they die or are injured, the BMC policy will not pay out. 2. I have lost a lot of faith in them paying out under other conditions if a claim under these was required.

Looking on the bright side I don’t want everyone to think all insurers are bad. I have had the easiest experience possible with Aviva who have paid out for the missing baggage which was not covered by the BMC policy without any deductions within 5 days of my claim going in. Aviva are my home insurer so to be honest I would expect their understanding of what happened and the ease with which they should of paid out to be worse than BMC, not the case. Thank you Aviva!

Thanks for coming back. I’m really sorry and disappointed to hear that. It looks like I will be staying with Dogtag and Austrian Alpine Club for now then.

It’s a shame we have such a dearth of mountaineering insurance providers here in the UK. I have heard favourable reports about Allianz and Travelex too, but unfortunately they do not insure in the UK. I’m also told BUPA used to provide a good policy which included mountaineering, but have recently terminated this service.

Best of luck with your future adventures!

Regards, Mark.

Hello, I am currently researching insurance options for a climbing trip to Greenland and I’ve found your post and everyone’s comments very interesting and informative. Like a lot of people I’ve used BMC for years (and taken out annual alpine level insurances without claiming), trusting (ha, ha!) that the policy they promoted would deliver as expected. (‘Trust’ was a key reason for ignoring other much cheaper options). The Greenland trip has given me particular reason to look around and be more diligent. It seems that considering separate Search and Rescue and ordinary travel insurance may be the way to go. Thanks very much (to all) for putting this information out.

I insured via BMC. They refused to pay my claim using small print, so I issued proceedings and they paid up What annoyed me is their attitude and then the fact that they carried out credit checks on me after i made a claim I spoke to them asking why? they refused to answer my request or give me the chairman’s details to write to him directly. I am referring the matter to the Information commissioners Office. They are a disgrace !

I found this page with the help of Google… I though Canadian Alpine Club insurance – which just got a brand new rider of 300CAD for mountaineering trip was expensive…. So for under 200 pounds per high altitude trip with 500k in emergency founding.

Looks like all you guys are overpaying a LOT. And I am a cheapskate.

On the other hand I have no clue about claim payout – ACC advertises that they do pay out in case of emergency but that is something I don’t actually ever want to use.

Thanks to you all……most helpful comments and food for thought. Down the years I have always lnsured with BMC . Thankfully I have not had to claim……yet!

A trekker here, I have the AAC cover which believe takes me up to 6,000 m and includes heli rescue, but what standard insurance should i couple it with? Does the standard one have to also include trekking cover, or not necessary as covered by AAC?

Sorry am confused…

If I remember rightly, the Austrian Alpine Club covers search and rescue only, as long as you stay below 6,000m, but it’s best to check these things with AAC themselves.

Closing these comments now as the post is an old one and somewhat out of date.

Comments are closed.

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11 Best Travel Insurance Companies in July 2024

Sean Cudahy is a freelance reporter specializing in coverage of airlines, travel, loyalty programs and public policy. A journalist of nine years, Sean most recently served as a general assignment reporter at The Points Guy, following an eight-year run as a local television news reporter. He lives with his wife and their French Bulldog outside Raleigh, North Carolina.

Giselle M. Cancio is an editor for the travel rewards team at NerdWallet. She has traveled to over 30 states and 20 countries, redeeming points and miles for almost a decade. She has over eight years of experience in journalism and content development across many topics.

She has juggled many roles in her career: writer, editor, social media manager, producer, on-camera host, videographer and photographer. She has been published in several media outlets and was selected to report from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

She frequents national parks and is on her way to checking all 30 Major League Baseball parks off her list. When she's not on a plane or planning her next trip, she's crafting, reading, playing board games, watching sports or trying new recipes.

She is based in Miami.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that travelers need to be prepared for the unexpected — from a pandemic to flight troubles to the crowded airport terminals so many of us have encountered.

If you don't have sufficient travel insurance coverage via your credit card , you can supplement your policies with third-party plans.

Whether you’re looking for an international travel insurance plan, emergency medical care or a policy that includes extreme sports, these are the best travel insurance providers to get you covered.

How we found the best travel insurance

We looked at quotes from various companies for a 10-day trip to Mexico in September 2024. The traveler was a 55-year-old woman from Florida who spent $3,000 total on the trip, including airfare.

On average, the price of each company’s most basic coverage plan was $126.53. The costs displayed below do not include optional add-ons, such as Cancel For Any Reason coverage or pre-existing medical condition coverage.

Read our full analysis about the average cost of travel insurance so you can budget better for your next trip.

However, depending on the plan, you may be able to customize at an added cost.

As we continue to evaluate more travel insurance companies and receive fresh market data, this collection of best travel insurance companies is likely to change. See our full methodology for more details.

Best insurance companies

Types of travel insurance

What does travel insurance cover, what’s not covered, how much does it cost, do i need travel insurance, how to choose the best travel insurance policy, what are the top travel destinations in 2024, more resources for travel insurance shoppers.

Top credit cards with travel insurance

Methodology

Best travel insurance overall: berkshire hathaway travel protection.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection

• ExactCare Value (basic) plan is among the least expensive we surveyed.
• Speciality plans available for road trips, luxury travel, adventure activities, flights and cruises.
• Company may reimburse claimants faster than average, including possible same-day compensation.
• Multiple "Trip Delay" coverage types might make claims confusing.
• Cheapest plan only includes fixed amounts for its coverage.

Under the direction of chair and CEO Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection has been around since 2014. Its plans provide numerous opportunities for travelers to customize coverage to their needs.

At $135 for our sample trip, the ExactCare Value (basic) plan from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection offers protection roughly $10 above the average price.

Want something cheaper? Air travelers looking for inexpensive, less comprehensive protections might opt for a basic AirCare plan that includes fixed amounts for its coverage .

Read our full review of Berkshire Hathaway .

What else makes Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection great:

Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers available at nearly all plan levels. 

Plans available for travelers going on a cruise, participating in extreme sports or taking a luxury trip.

ExactCare Value (basic) plan was among the least expensive we surveyed.

Best for emergency medical coverage: Allianz Global Assistance

Annual or single-trip policies are available.

• Multiple types of insurance available.
• All plans include access to a 24/7 assistance hotline.
• More expensive than average.
• CFAR upgrades are not available.
• Rental car protection is only available by adding the One Trip Rental Car protector to your plan or by purchasing a standalone rental car plan.

Allianz Global Assistance is a reputable travel insurance company offering plans for over 25 years. Customers can choose from a variety of single and annual policies to fit their needs. On top of comprehensive coverage, some travelers might opt for the more affordable OneTrip Cancellation Plus, which is geared toward domestic travelers looking for trip protections but don’t need post-departure benefits like emergency medical or baggage lost.

For our test trip, Allianz Global Assistance’s basic coverage cost $149, about $22 above average.

What else makes Allianz Global Assistance great:

Annual and single-trip plans.

Plans are available for international and domestic trips.

Stand-alone and add-on rental car damage product available.

Read our full review of Allianz Global Assistance .

Best for travelers with pre-existing medical conditions: Travel Guard by AIG

Travel Guard by AIG

• Offers last-minute coverage.
• Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Exclusion Waiver available at all plan levels.
• Plan available for business travelers.
• Cancel For Any reason coverage only available for higher-level plans, and only reimburses up to 50% of the trip cost.
• Trip interruption coverage doesn't apply to trips paid for with points and miles.

Travel Guard by AIG offers a variety of plans and coverages to fit travelers’ needs. On top of more standard trip protections like trip cancellation, interruption, baggage and medical coverage, the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available on certain Travel Guard plans, which allows you to cancel a trip for any reason and get 50% of your nonrefundable deposit back as long as the trip is canceled at least two days before the scheduled departure date.

At $107 for our sample trip, the Essential plan was below average, saving roughly $20.

What else makes Travel Guard by AIG great:

Three comprehensive plans and a Pack N' Go plan for last-minute travelers who don't need cancellation benefits.

Flight protection, car rental, and medical evacuation coverage, as well as annual plans available.

Pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver available on all plan levels, as long as it's purchased within 15 days.

Read our full review of Travel Guard by AIG .

Best for those who pack expensive equipment: Travel Insured International

Travel Insured International

• Higher-level plan include optional add-ons for event tickets and for electronic equipment
• Rental car protection add-on for just $8 per day, even on lower-level plan.
• Many of the customizations are only available on the higher-tier plan.
• Coverage cost comes in above average in our latest analysis.

Travel Insured International offers several customization options. For instance, those going to see a show may want to add on event ticket registration fee protection. Traveling with expensive gear?Consider adding on coverage for electronic equipment for up to $2,000 in coverage.

Be sure to check which policies are available in your state. You will need to input your destination, residence, trip dates and the number of travelers to get a quote and see coverages.

What else makes Travel Insured International great:

Comprehensive plans include medical expense reimbursement accidents, sickness, evacuation and pre-existing conditions, depending on the plan.

Flight plans include coverage for missed and canceled flights and lost or stolen baggage.

Read our full review of Travel Insured International .

Best for adventurous travelers: World Nomads

World Nomads

• Travelers can extend coverage mid-trip.
• The standard plan covers up to $300,000 in emergency evacuation costs.
• Plans automatically cover 200+ adventurous activities.
• No Cancel For Any Reason upgrades are available.
• No pre-existing medical condition waivers are available.

Many travel insurance plans contain exclusions for adventure sports activities. If you plan to ski, bungee jump, windsurf or parasail, this might be a plan to consider.

Note that the Standard plan ($72 for our sample trip), while the most affordable, provides less coverage than other plans. But it can be a good choice for travelers who are satisfied with trip cancellation and interruption coverage of $2,500 or less, do not need rental car damage protection, find the limits to be sufficient and do not need coverage for certain more adventurous activities.

What else makes World Nomads great:

Comprehensive international travel insurance plans.

Coverage available for adventure activities, such as trekking, mountain biking and scuba diving.

Read our full review of World Nomads .

Best for medical coverage: Travelex Insurance Services

Travelex Insurance Services

• Top-tier plan doesn’t break the bank and provides more customization opportunities.
• Offers a plan specifically for domestic travel.
• Sells a post-departure medical coverage plan.
• Fewer customization opportunities on the Basic plan.
• Though perhaps a plus for domestic travelers, keep in mind the Travel America plan only covers domestic trips.

For starters, basic coverage from Travelex Insurance Services came in at $125, almost exactly average for our sample trip.

Travelex’s plans focus heavily on providing protections that are personalized to your travel style and trip type.

While the company does offer comprehensive plans that include medical benefits, you can also choose between cheaper plans that don’t provide cancellation coverage but do offer protections during your travels.

Read our full review of Travelex Insurance Services .

What else makes Travelex Insurance Services great:

Three comprehensive plans available, two of which cover international trips.

Offers a post-departure plan geared exclusively toward disruptions after you leave home.

Two flight insurance plans available.

Best if you have travel credit card coverage: Seven Corners

Seven Corners

• Annual, medical-only and backpacker plans are available.
• Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available for the cheapest plan.
• Cheapest plan also features a much less costly Interruption for Any Reason add-on.
• Offers only one annual policy option.

Each Seven Corners plan offers several optional add-ons. Among the more unique is a Trip Interruption for Any Reason, which allows you to interrupt a trip 48 hours after the scheduled departure date (for any reason) and receive a refund of up to 75% of your unused nonrefundable deposits.

» Jump to the best cards with travel insurance

The basic coverage plan for our trip to Mexico costs $124 — right around the average.

What else makes Seven Corners great:

Comprehensive plans for U.S. residents and foreigners, including travelers visiting the U.S.

Cheap add-ons for rental car damage, sporting equipment rental or trip interruption for any reason.

Read our full review of Seven Corners .

Best for long-term travelers: IMG

• Coverage available for adventure travelers.
• Offers direct billing.
• Claim approval can be lengthy.

While some travel insurance companies offer just a handful of plans, with IMG, you’ll really have your pick. Though this requires a bit more research, it allows you to search for coverage that fits your travel needs.

However, travelers will want to be aware that IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel Lite is expensive. Coming in at $149.85, it’s the costliest plan on our list.

Read our full review of IMG .

What else makes IMG great:

More affordable than average.

Many plans to choose from to fit your needs.

Best for travelers with unpredictable work demands: Tin Leg

• In addition Cancel For Any Reason, some plans offer cancel for work reason coverage.
• Adventure sports-specific coverage is available.
• Plans have overlap that can be hard to distinguish.
• Only one plan includes Rental Car Damage coverage available as an add-on.

Tin Leg’s Basic plan came in at $134 for our sample trip, adding about $8 onto the average basic policy cost. Note that you’ll pay a lot more if you shop for the most comprehensive coverage, and there are eight plans to choose from for trips abroad.

The multitude of plans can help you find coverage that fits your needs, but with so many to choose from, deciding can be daunting.

The only real way to figure out your ideal plan is to compare them all, look at the plan details and decide which features and coverage suit you and your travel style best.

Read our full Tin Leg review .

Best for booking travel with points and miles: TravelSafe

• Covers up to $300 redepositing points and miles on eligible canceled award flights.
• Optional add-on protection for business equipment or sports rentals.
• Multi-trip or year-long plans aren’t available.

Selecting your travel insurance plan with TravelSafe is a fairly straightforward process. The company’s website also makes it easy to visualize how optional add-on elements influence the total cost, displaying the final price as soon as you click the coverage.

However, at $136, the Basic plan was among the more expensive for our trip to Mexico.

What else makes TravelSafe great:

Rental car damage coverage add-on is available on both plans.

Cancel For Any Reason coverage available on the TravelSafe Classic plan.

Read our full TravelSafe review .

Best for group travel insurance: HTH Insurance

HTH Travel Insurance

• Covers travelers up to 95 years old.
• Includes direct pay option so members can avoid having to pay up front for services.
• A 24-hour delay is required for baggage delay coverage on the TripProtector Economy plan.
• No waivers for pre-existing conditions on the lower-level plan.

HTH offers single-trip and multitrip medical insurance coverage as well as trip protection plans.

At around $125, the Trip Protector Economy policy is at the average mark for plans we reviewed.

You can choose to insure group trips for educators, crew, religious missionaries and corporate travelers.

What else makes HTH Insurance great:

Medical-only coverage and trip protection coverage.

Lots of options for group travelers.

Read our full review of HTH Insurance .

As you shop for travel insurance, you’ll find many of the same coverage categories across numerous plans.

Trip cancellation

This covers the prepaid costs you make for your trip in cases when you need to cancel for a covered reason. This coverage helps you recoup upfront costs paid for flights and nonrefundable hotel reservations.

Trip interruption

Trip interruption benefits generally involve disruptions after you depart. It helps reimburse costs incurred for flight delays, cancellations and plenty of other covered disruptions you might encounter during your travels.

This coverage can cover the costs for you to return home or reimburse unexpected expenses like an extra hotel stay, meals and ground transportation.

Trip delay coverage helps cover unexpected costs when your trip is delayed. This is another coverage that helps offset the costs of flight trouble or other travel disruptions.

Note that many policies have a total amount a traveler can claim, with caps on per diem benefits, too.

Cancel For Any Reason

Cancel For Any Reason coverage allows you to recoup some of the upfront costs you paid for a trip even if you’re canceling for a reason not otherwise covered by your standard travel insurance policy.

Typically, adding this protection to your plan costs extra.

Baggage delay

This coverage helps cover the costs of essential items you might need when your luggage is delayed. Think toiletries, clothing and other immediate items you might need if your luggage didn’t make it on your flight.

Many travel insurance plans with baggage delay protection will specify how long (six, 12, 24 hours, etc.) your luggage must be delayed before you can make a claim.

Lost baggage

Used for travelers whose luggage is lost or stolen, this helps recoup the lost value of the items in your bag.

You’ll want to make sure you closely follow the correct procedures for your plan. Many plans include a maximum total amount you can claim under this coverage and a per-item cap.

Travel medical insurance

This covers out-of-pocket medical costs when travelers run into an emergency.

Because many travelers’ health insurance plans don’t cover medical care overseas, travel medical insurance can help offset out-of-pocket health care costs.

In addition to emergency medical coverage, many plans have medical evacuation or repatriation coverage for costs incurred when you must be taken to a hospital or return to your home country because of a medical situation.

Most travel insurance plans cover many trip protections that can help you be prepared for unexpected travel disruptions and expenses.

These coverages are generally aimed at protecting the money you put into your trip, expenses you incur because of travel trouble and costs incurred if you have a medical emergency overseas.

On top of core coverages like trip cancellation and interruption and travel medical coverage, some plans offer add-on options like waivers for pre-existing conditions, rental car collision damage waivers or adventure sports riders. These usually cost extra or must be added within a specified timeframe.

Typical travel insurance policies offer coverage for many unforeseen events, but as you research to select a plan, consider your needs. Though every plan differs, there are some commonly excluded coverages.

For instance, you typically can’t get coverage for a named storm if you bought the coverage after the storm was named. In other words, if you have a trip to the Caribbean booked for Sept. 25 and on Sept. 20 a hurricane develops and is named, you generally won’t be able to buy a travel insurance plan Sept. 21 in hopes of getting your money back.

Many plans also don’t cover activities performed under the influence of drugs or alcohol or any extreme sports. If the latter applies to you, you might want to consider a plan with specific coverages for adventure-seekers.

For numerous plans, a few other situations don’t qualify as an acceptable reason to cancel and make a claim, such as fear of travel, medical tourism or pregnancies (unless you booked a trip and bought insurance before you became pregnant or there are complications with the pregnancy). This is where a Cancel For Any Reason add-on to your coverage can be helpful.

You can also run into trouble if you give up on a trip too soon: a minor (or even multihour) flight delay likely isn’t sufficient to cancel your entire trip and get reimbursed through your plan. Be sure to review what requirements your specific plan has when it comes to canceling a trip, claiming trip interruption, etc.

Travel insurance costs vary widely. The final price of your plan will fluctuate based on your age, length of trip and destination.

It will also depend on how much coverage you need, whether you add on specialized policies (like Cancel For Any Reason or pre-existing conditions coverage), whether you plan to participate in extreme sports and other factors.

In our examples above, for instance, the 35-year-old traveler taking a $2,000 trip to Italy would have spent an average $76 for a basic plan to get coverage for things like trip cancellation and interruption, baggage protection, etc. That’s a little less than 4% of the total trip cost — lower than average.

If there were multiple members in a traveling party or if they were going on, say, a rock-climbing or bungee-jumping excursion, the costs would go up.

On average, travel insurance comes to about 5% to 10% of the trip cost. However, considering many of the plans reimburse up to 100% of the trip cost (or more) for disruptions like trip cancellation or interruption, it can be a worthwhile expense if something goes wrong.

It depends. Consider the following factors that might affect your decision: You’re young and healthy, all your bookings are refundable or cancelable without a penalty, your flights are nonstop, you’re not checking bags and a credit card you carry offers some travel protections . In that case, travel insurance might not be necessary.

On the other hand, if you prepaid a large chunk of money for a nonrefundable African safari, you’re going on a Caribbean cruise in the middle of a hurricane season or you’re going somewhere where the cost of health care is high, it’s not a bad idea to buy a travel insurance plan. Here’s how to find the best travel insurance coverage for you.

If you’re thinking of booking a trip and not planning to buy travel insurance, you may want to consider at least booking refundable airfare and not prepaying for hotel, rental car and activity reservations. That way, if something goes wrong, you can cancel without losing any money.

Selecting the best travel insurance policy comes down to your needs, concerns, preferences and budget.

As you book, take a few minutes to consider what most concerns you. Is it getting stranded because of flight trouble? Having the ability to cancel for any reason you see fit without losing money? Getting sick or injured right before departure and needing to postpone the trip? Injuring yourself or falling ill while overseas?

Ultimately, you want a plan that protects you, your money and the large investment in your trip — but doesn’t cost too much, either.

Medical coverage. If your priority is having adequate medical coverage abroad, you might want to look for plans with high limits for medical emergencies and medical evacuation.

Complex travel itinerary. If your itinerary has lots of flight connections, prepaid hotels and deposits for activities you can’t get back, prioritizing a plan with the best coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions may land at the top of your list.

Travel uncertainty. If you’re on the fence about a trip and have nonrefundable reservations, you may want to select a plan with a Cancel For Any Reason coverage option, which can help you recoup about 50% to 75% of the costs. This helps provide peace of mind, placing the decision on whether to travel entirely in your hands.

Car rentals. If you’re renting a car, a collision damage waiver is often worth looking into.

The following destinations are the top insured destinations in 2024, according to Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner).

The Bahamas.

Costa Rica.

Antarctica.

In 2022, travelers spent about 25.53% more on trips than they did before the pandemic.

As of December, NerdWallet analysis determined travel prices are 10% higher than pre-pandemic. Each statistic makes a strong case for protecting your travel investment as you plan your next trip.

Bookmark these resources to help you make smart money moves as you shop for travel insurance.

What is travel insurance?

CFAR explained.

Is travel insurance worth getting?

10 credit cards that provide travel insurance.

We used the following factors to choose insurance providers to highlight:

Breadth of coverage: We looked at how many plans each company offered plus the range of their standard plans. 

Depth of coverage: We considered two data points to get a sense of how much each company pays out for common travel issues — the maximum caps for trip cancellation and trip interruption claims.

Cost: By looking at the costs for basic coverage across multiple companies, we determined an average cost for shoppers to benchmark plan prices against.

Customizability: While standard plans can cover a lot of ground, sometimes you need something a little more personal.

Customer satisfaction. Using data from Squaremouth when available, and Google Reviews as a backup, we can give kudos to companies with better track records from their clients.

No, it doesn’t necessarily get more expensive the longer you wait to purchase. However, as you put off buying insurance, you may lose access to potential plans and coverage options.

In general, buying travel insurance within a few days to two weeks of prepaying or making an initial deposit for your trip is your best bet. Assuming you’re not booking last-minute, this will provide you with access to the widest possible range of coverage options. It also helps prevent any medical conditions or storms that pop up between booking and buying a plan from ending up as excluded situations, which won’t be covered by your plan.

But, generally, many plans do allow you to buy coverage quite close to your departure date.

To get the most out of your travel insurance plan, buy it soon after making your initial prepayment or deposit to ensure you have access to the biggest menu of plans possible.

Select a plan that’s comprehensive enough to cover the travel scenarios you’re most concerned about or likely to encounter but not too expensive or laden with protections you’d never likely need.

Whatever your coverage, thoroughly review the plan so you understand what’s covered and what’s not, plus how to adhere to the plan’s rules for making a claim.

Travelers frequently use phrases like “trip insurance” and “travel insurance,” as well as “trip protection,” interchangeably, but they do mean different things, according to Stan Sandberg, founder of insurance comparison site TravelInsurance.com.

Trip insurance, or trip protection, generally refers to predeparture (or preevent) coverage if you need to cancel. You may see these plans sold by airlines, online travel agencies or even ticketed event sellers.

“You could refer to it as the portion that protects the investment in the trip,” Sandberg says.

A travel insurance plan typically includes that — plus more comprehensive benefits to protect you during your trip, from medical coverage to trip delay and lost baggage protections, and many more elements, depending on the plan.

Though travel insurance is typically not required for international trips, your personal circumstances will play a key role in whether it’s a good investment.

For instance, young, healthy travelers with few prepaid trip expenses embarking on a relatively risk-free trip may not see a need to buy a plan.

Older travelers with complicated itineraries who are visiting destinations where they could potentially fall ill or get injured — or who could encounter bad weather or some other disrupting factor along the way — may want to buy coverage.

Consider a few key questions:

How well would your health insurance plan cover you if you needed to visit a hospital overseas?

How much did you prepay for a hotel or rental car?

How much money would you be out if weather or some other flight issue derailed your itinerary?

Could you afford an unexpected night in a city where you have a connecting flight?

Do you already have a credit card that provides some travel protections?

Your answers to these questions can help you decide whether you need travel insurance for your international trip.

In general, buying travel insurance

within a few days to two weeks of prepaying or making an initial deposit

for your trip is your best bet. Assuming you’re not booking last-minute, this will provide you with access to the widest possible range of coverage options. It also helps prevent any medical conditions or storms that pop up between booking and buying a plan from ending up as excluded situations, which won’t be covered by your plan.

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On a similar note...

Do I need travel insurance for my summer vacation? It's complicated.

• Travel insurance can be complicated, but it's worth it if you have travel expenses that insurance would cover.
• You might not need travel insurance if you're taking a driving vacation and staying in a place where lodging is free.
• If you're leaving the country, you'll likely need travel insurance.

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If you're planning to travel somewhere this summer, you're probably thinking of buying travel insurance.

Kingsley Hopkins is. He's headed to Portugal and Iceland with his girlfriend, and he wants to make sure he's covered for things like medical emergencies or trip disruptions, "or if a volcano erupts," he said.

Check out   Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!

But getting the right travel insurance can be complicated. There's no one-size-fits-all policy, and Hopkins, an assistant editor at a book publishing company in New York, has been spending a lot of time thinking about how to protect his summer vacation.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Chances are, so have you.

Why finding the right travel insurance is so hard

Most surveys suggest this will be a record summer for travel. How much of a record? Demand is so high that some airlines are afraid they will run out of planes. Now that's busy.

At the same time, danger and uncertainty are lurking everywhere – wars in Europe and the Middle East, the usual slate of natural disasters like hurricanes and maybe a volcano or two. It's no wonder people are giving some serious thought to insurance. 

Older travelers are particularly worried. And they should be, said PK Rao, CEO of INF Visitor Care . Claims by travelers over age 50 spike during the summer months.

Warning: American tourists are being profiled. Don't be one of them.

Try this pro trick for an affordable and stress-free summer vacation

"According to our claim data, medical emergencies tend to uptick during the summer, especially for those going on trips that involve outdoor activities," he said.

But there are so many choices out there, including credit card coverage, medical evacuation membership programs and stand-alone travel insurance. What should you get?

You need peace of mind 

But don't just reflexively start shopping for a travel insurance policy this summer. Instead, look for peace of mind – knowing that if something goes wrong, you'll be taken care of.

"Knowing you're protected from unforeseen travel mishaps – like delays, lost baggage and even medical emergencies – can make the trip that much more enjoyable,” said Daniel Durazo, a spokesman for Allianz Partners USA .

As it turns out, there are several ways to get the peace of mind you need. And there are times when you can safely skip travel insurance.

This is when you don't need insurance

Here's when you can skip travel insurance, according to experts:

◾ If you already have coverage. "You may already have travel coverage through your benefits at work, your credit card, or through group benefits with an organization," said Jiten Puri, CEO of PolicyAdvisor.com. If you do, there's no need to buy more coverage. You're all set.

◾ If you're not traveling far. If you're taking a driving vacation and staying in a place where lodging is free, like a relative's sofa, then there's not much to insure. "If you already have health insurance, it may cover you for a domestic trip, so you don't need to think about health insurance coverage," said Joe Cronin, CEO of International Citizens Insurance .

◾ If your trip isn't insurable. Traditional travel insurance covers conventional trips with prepaid, nonrefundable components like airline tickets and hotel stays. You might find that you either already have coverage through your medical insurance, or the trip is essentially uninsurable.

So think twice before saying "yes" to optional travel insurance that your online travel agency may offer you when you're booking a trip. You might not need it.

Here's when you need travel insurance

But most travelers should consider some kind of travel insurance coverage this summer. Here's when you need the extra coverage:

◾ If you have travel expenses that insurance would cover. "If you have many prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, it's best to take out travel insurance," said Lauren Gumport, a spokeswoman for Faye Travel Insurance ."This includes things like flights, hotel rooms, tickets and activities." The more conventional your vacation, the likelier travel insurance is to cover almost every aspect of your summer vacation.

◾ If you're leaving the country. "Your regular medical insurance might not extend coverage beyond your home borders," said John Rose, chief risk and security officer at ALTOUR . Also, many countries require travel insurance for entrance. They include Bermuda, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and some European countries.

◾ If you can't afford to lose your trip. "When considering travel insurance for your summer trip, evaluate whether you can afford to lose your vacation investment due to unforeseen circumstances like illness, weather disruptions, or emergencies," explained Robert Gallagher, president of the US Travel Insurance Association (USTIA). "Can you afford the financial risk if you miss your cruise departure because of covered flight delays? What if you have to cut your trip short because of illness?"  

One of the most common mistakes travelers make is assuming their credit card will cover them. For example, I found that my credit card only covered my rental car as secondary insurance, which made it completely useless when I rented a car in Tampa recently. I had to buy a standalone policy from Allianz to cover the vehicle.

Should you repeat your vacation? Let's settle this once and for all.

Junk fees: Travelers are drowning in junk fees during the summer of surcharges

How one traveler insured his summer vacation

So, how did Hopkins handle his travel insurance needs? Well, as I mentioned – it's complicated.

Hopkins said he always buys some travel insurance before he takes a trip, "but how much, and what I cover, varies," he explained.

He decided that his path to peace of mind in this case was to spend a few extra dollars: He made fully refundable flight and hotel reservations, just in case something went wrong. That would eliminate a lengthy claim with his travel insurance company or credit card.

But he still needed at least $50,000 in medical coverage with emergency evacuation because of his active schedule.

"We’re going to be doing a lot of hiking in Iceland," he said. "And you just never know." 

At the beginning of the year, he decided to buy an annual Medjet Horizon plan, a membership that would get him from a hospital in Portugal or Iceland to a hospital at home, in case something happened. 

For insurance, Hopkins checked TravelInsurance.com to find an affordable travel insurance policy. He found coverage through Trawick International that pays up to $50,000 in medical expenses and up to $200,000 for an evacuation.

"I’ve heard good things about them," he said. "Hopefully, we won’t need any of it."

How do I insure my trips?

I'm on the road about 360 days a year, so I'm always thinking about peace of mind. I currently use a Wells Fargo credit card with lots of travel benefits, and I have long-term policies through Faye and Cigna, which have worked fairly well. I also am a long-time Medjet Horizon member. If I rent a car, I turn to Allianz for my primary coverage.

I know – that's a lot of peace of mind. 

But I've also run into trouble and had to use many of those benefits. Medjet got me back home during the pandemic. Cigna covered me after a serious ski accident in Switzerland. My old Allianz policy took care of my medical expenses when I had to see a doctor in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a few years ago.

Like I always say, when it comes to having enough insurance, better safe than sorry.

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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How does Coronavirus (COVID-19) affect your BMC Travel Insurance policy?

Now with Covid Cover. Travel has been disrupted around the world since Coronavirus hit the headlines at the beginning of 2020. As travel restrictions to certain countries are being lifted, BMC Travel Insurance is adapting to ‘the new normal’. If you’re planning a trip and have BMC Travel Insurance, what should you know about Coronavirus?

Emergency Medical Expenses

BMC Travel Insurance continues to INCLUDE cover for COVID-19 related claims for emergency medical expenses and repatriation.

New cover for policies bought after 1 st September 2021

Additional covid cancellation cover.

The latest BMC Travel Insurance policies now have cancellation cover if an insured person has to cancel their trip due to them or their travelling companion being tested positive for COVID-19 (within 14 days of departure). This cover only applies where it is you or a travelling companion who has received a Positive Test for Covid-19 and not if a Close Business Associate, Close Relative or anyone else is suspected of contracting Covid-19 or receives a Positive Test for Covid-19.

There shall be no cover if you or your travelling companion have refused or not taken up an offer of vaccination for Covid-19 (this means both doses) for any reason other than genuine medical grounds.

Additional Covid missed departure or missed connection cover

This section of the cover now includes up to £1,000 for extra transport or accommodation costs to continue your journey, if you miss your outbound or return transport, or you are denied boarding your return flight due to symptoms of an infectious disease (including Covid-19)

As with the cancellation cover, there won’t be any cover if you or your travelling companion have refused or not taken up an offer of vaccination for Covid-19 (this means both doses) for any reason other than genuine medical grounds.

No cover for Quarantine, Isolation and Testing

We have worked steadily throughout the pandemic to put the best cover in place for our members. Unfortunately, we are still unable to offer cover for the costs of quarantine, isolation or the costs of PCR and lateral flow tests for Covid-19.

What about new travel restrictions?

If travel restrictions mean that your trip can no longer go ahead then you will need to contact your airline, rail or ferry company about a change of date, or refund. The same applies to accommodation providers. BMC Travel Insurance cannot offer cover for trip cancellation, or curtailment due to Covid-19 related travel restrictions.

📥  DOWNLOAD:  Evidence of Cover

📥  DOWNLOAD:  Insurance Product Information Document

For policies bought 1 st December 2020 – 31 st August 2021

These policies do not cover claims for cancellation, curtailment, delays or journey disruption in any way caused by or resulting from:

a) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19);

b) Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2);

c) any mutation or variation of SARS-CoV-2;

d) any fear or threat of a), b) or c) above.

This exclusion does NOT apply to Emergency Medical Expenses.

All BMC Travel Insurance policies include cover for COVID-19 related claims for emergency medical expenses and repatriation.

For policies bought before 1 st December 2020 please contact the BMC office: [email protected]

Questions and answers

Q: Will BMC Travel Insurance cover me for places where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advise against travel?

A: It is important to always check the FCDO has not advised against “all” travel to your destination.

BMC Travel Insurance does not cover any Trip to a destination, which is an area where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has advised against 'all travel'. However, there is cover for travel to areas there the advice is against ‘all but essential travel’.

Q: I’d rather not go on my trip because of coronavirus, can I make a claim? Or can I get a refund of the premium?

A: Where FCDO advice against travel has been lifted, unfortunately you wouldn’t be able to make a claim because you no longer wish to travel.

Q: I’d rather not go on my trip because of coronavirus, can I get a refund of the premium?

A: If you bought your policy less than 14 days ago, we can cancel your policy and refund the premium in full. If you bought your policy more than 14 days ago, you are not entitled to a refund but special circumstances could be considered.

Q: What happens to Travel Insurance when travel restrictions are lifted?

A: As travel restrictions are eased more people will be looking book trips abroad. BMC Travel Insurance is ready when you are! Enhanced cover for cancellation and missed departure are included in the latest polocies, as well as all of the usual benefits are in place for your walking, climbing, skiing and mountaineering plans.

Q: Will my policy cover medical treatment for Covid-19?

A: Yes, All BMC Travel Insurance policies include cover for COVID-19 related claims for emergency medical expenses and repatriation. However, there won’t be any cover if you have refused or not taken up an offer of vaccination for Covid-19 (this means both doses) for any reason other than genuine medical grounds.

Q: What happens if I get locked down overseas due to coronavirus and my policy expires before I can get home?

A: If you have to remain in a ‘locked down’ region or country, cover will be automatically extended until it is possible for you to return to the UK (for up to 60 days of extension).

Q: Where can I get more information about travel and the coronavirus?

A: The best and most up to date information can be found of the website of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

If you're still unsure about your own BMC travel insurance coverage please email our team at: [email protected]

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Rock up abroad with bmc travel insurance.

Wherever the hot rock calls, make sure that you go prepared with our travel insurance before you head off.

You can get cover with a BMC Rock policy from just £56* for a week. 

BMC Travel Insurance comes in five policies: Travel, Trek, Rock, Alpine and Ski and High Altitude. 

*Policy details: £55.21 for 7 days European Rock policy, price for up to age 69.  

For full terms and conditions see our  Evidence of Cover

Europe by Train

Seat61   has a plethora of information, ready-planned for you to make your train journeys to Europe plain sailing. We fully recommend checking out the routes available and booking in advance to get the best deals on cheaper tickets.

PLAN YOUR TRAVEL:  Use public transport routes from Seat61 to help you plan your low-impact travels

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Travel Insurance Statistics: Business Insider's Travel Insurance Survey

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.

Business Insider conducted a travel insurance survey of 971 US adults in December 2023 through Momentive AI Audience.

• It found that most travelers who bought travel insurance were concerned about their travel provider or their health.
• The survey also uncovered that most travelers would be willing to pay for insurance in the future.
• Compare the best travel insurance companies .

About 80% of those surveyed traveled for non-business reasons in the past year. Those travelers were most likely to travel internationally, by airplane (24%), or across state lines, by car (24%) or by airplane (18%). About 15% of respondents had traveled within their own state, by car. Of travelers surveyed, most (56%) paid $1,000 or less for their trip, while the vast majority (77%) paid $2,000 or less for their trip.

Among those travelers:

• The largest group of insured travelers (35%) bought insurance primarily because they feared issues like delayed flights or moved reservations, while about 29% were worried about a health emergency
• When researching travel insurance options, many buyers (28%) used suggestions and recommendations from family and friends
• The majority of insured travelers (55%) purchased their policy through a travel provider
• Of travelers who did not purchase insurance, 35% said their primary reason was because they'd never needed it on previous travels, and 19% said they didn't think their trip was expensive enough to insure
• Most people surveyed (68%) say they would be willing to pay some amount for travel insurance in the future

Why people buy travel insurance

Roughly 38% of surveyed travelers purchased insurance for their trip. About 13% of overall respondents purchased cancellation insurance, and 11% purchased cancel for any reason insurance (CFAR) . Another 14% said they purchased travel insurance, but were unsure what kind. The average cost of travel insurance varies by trip cost, destination, and age, but typically falls between $80 and $160 for a $2,000 trip.

The largest group of travelers (35%) who bought insurance did so primarily because they were concerned about the travel provider they booked with, and feared issues like delayed flights or moved reservations. About 29% were worried about having a potential health issue, and about 18% found the value or overall price to be appealing. About 11% said they always buy travel insurance out of habit, and just 5% said a friend had recommended it.

However, the largest percentage (28%) of travelers who purchased insurance researched their options by asking a friend or family member, followed by a review site, blog, or social media influencer (24%). Another 22% of respondents researched their options through a travel agent, and about 19% said they didn't do research at all.

Where travelers purchase their policies

The majority of insured travelers (55%) purchased a policy through a travel provider such as a booking engine like Expedia, or through an airline, a cruise provider, a tour group, or similar. The next most common place to purchase insurance was a travel agent (17%), followed by an insurance marketplace (13%).

Of those who responded to the survey, about 18% had purchased travel insurance and made a claim, while 24% had not made a claim on their coverage. Of those who made a claim, about half were satisfied with the outcome, and half were not.

When asked if they use any travel insurance features from their credit card — like trip delay coverage, baggage delay coverage, or rental car coverage — 33% of overall respondents said they did. However, more than a third of respondents whose credit cards carry these features said they still purchased separate travel insurance. Another 33% didn't know whether their cards come with this type of coverage.

Many travelers still don't see the need for insurance

About 62% of travelers surveyed did not purchase travel insurance; of those travelers, 35% said their primary reason to forgo insurance was because they'd traveled before and never needed it. About 19% said they didn't think their trip was expensive enough for insurance, and about 14% said they were trying to save money. About 13% said travel insurance never occurred to them. Only about 5% said they get travel insurance elsewhere, like through a credit card.

Travelers whose trips went as planned were largely happy with their decision not to purchase travel insurance: Over 70% said they didn't regret their decision to pass on a policy because nothing went wrong on their trip. Another 24% said they don't regret their choice simply because they never thought about travel insurance. About 6% of respondents felt differently: Nearly 4% wish they had purchased insurance because it would have given them peace of mind, and 2% regret their choice because something went wrong on their trip.

Most travelers would be willing to pay for insurance in the future

This holiday season, thousands of travelers experienced cancellations and delays and were even stranded at airports when Southwest airlines canceled 60% of its flying schedule , leaving travelers with little recourse. 

About 68% of travelers surveyed by Insider — both those who had and hadn't purchased travel insurance in the past year — said they'd be willing to pay for travel insurance in the future to protect a weeklong, non-business trip. Most (49%) were willing to pay up to $150 for coverage, and some (13%) were willing to pay up to $250. Only about 5% were willing to pay more than $250, and about 32% were not willing to pay at all.

As we continue to see travel delays and disruptions, travel insurance will become more important and will be viewed as a necessity and not just an expense. The cost of travel insurance is small relative to the trip costs you can protect.

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Watch: Marriott International's Tina Edmundson tells Insider that the travel mindset has changed since the pandemic

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