Insurance
The cover that actually matters.
Most people buy travel insurance on price and find out what it excludes in a hospital. These are the numbers worth comparing — and the exclusions that get claims refused.
Compare the main options
Prices are indicative for a 30-year-old European on a short trip. What you actually pay depends on your age, destination, trip length and where you live, so treat these as a starting point rather than a quote.
| Provider | Best for | Emergency medical | Evacuation home | Cancellation | Baggage | Adventure activities | Excess | Indicative price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafetyWing Nomad Insurance | Long or open-ended trips | $250,000 | $100,000 | Not included | $3,000 | Limited — many activities excluded | $250 | €10–15 / week | Check |
| World Nomads | Adventure activities | $5,000,000 | Included in medical | Up to $10,000 | $3,000 | 200+ activities covered as standard | $100 | €25–45 / week | Check |
| Heymondo | Straightforward holidays | Up to €10,000,000 | Included, unlimited on top tiers | Up to €5,000 | €1,500 | Add-on for sports and adventure | €0 on most tiers | €15–30 / week | Check |
| Allianz Travel | Cancellation and trip disruption | Up to $1,000,000 | Up to $1,000,000 | Up to 100% of trip cost | $2,000 | Standard activities only | Varies by plan | €20–40 / week | Check |
| Genki | Living abroad long term | Unlimited on Explorer plan | Included | Not included | Not included | Most sports included | €50 | €12–20 / week | Check |
| True Traveller | Adventure sports on a budget | Up to £10,000,000 | Included in medical | Up to £5,000 | Up to £3,000 | Wide activity packs, bought as add-ons | £50–100 | €12–25 / week | Check |
| battleface | Destinations other insurers decline | Up to $500,000 | Up to $500,000 | Optional add-on | Optional add-on | Configurable per trip | Varies by build | €15–40 / week | Check |
| Insured Nomads | Remote workers and long trips | Up to $2,000,000 | Included, plus security evacuation | Up to $5,000 | $1,000 | Many activities included | $250 | €15–30 / week | Check |
| IMG Global | Older travellers and pre-existing conditions | Up to $8,000,000 | Up to $1,000,000 | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Add-on available | From $0 | Varies widely with age | Check |
| Faye | Fast claims and app-based support | Up to $250,000 | Up to $500,000 | Up to 100% of trip cost | $2,500 | Standard activities only | $0 on most plans | €20–35 / week | Check |
| Cigna Global | Living abroad for a year or more | Unlimited on higher tiers | Included | Not included | Not included | Most activities included | Choose your own | €25–60 / week | Check |
| VisitorsCoverage (comparison) | Comparing many insurers at once | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Filterable | Varies | Depends on plan | Check |
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
Subscription rather than a fixed trip. You can start it while already abroad, which almost no one else allows. Thin on cancellation cover.
World Nomads
The widest activity list of the mainstream insurers. Check whether motorbike cover needs a licence — it usually does.
Heymondo
Zero excess on most plans and a 24/7 doctor chat in the app. Adventure sports need the paid add-on.
Allianz Travel
Strongest on getting your money back if the trip collapses. Weaker if your plan involves anything energetic.
Genki
Closer to health insurance than travel insurance — monthly, renewable, no trip end date. No baggage or cancellation cover.
True Traveller
Consistently cheaper than World Nomads for similar activity cover, and will sell to you after you have already left. Residency requirement rules out most non-Europeans.
battleface
Builds a policy per trip rather than selling tiers, and covers countries most insurers refuse. The realistic option if you are going somewhere with an active advisory — read the territorial limits closely.
Insured Nomads
Unusual in including security and political evacuation, not just medical. Aimed at people living abroad rather than holidaymakers.
IMG Global
One of the few that will quote sensibly past 65 and has a defined process for declaring pre-existing conditions rather than excluding them outright.
Faye
Pays many claims to a prepaid card within hours rather than reimbursing weeks later, which matters when you are stuck somewhere. Weak on adventure activities.
Cigna Global
Proper international health insurance rather than travel insurance: routine care, maternity and chronic conditions are covered. Overkill and overpriced for a holiday.
VisitorsCoverage (comparison)
A marketplace rather than an insurer. Useful when you have an unusual requirement — high age, pre-existing condition, or a country others decline.
What to check before you buy
The medical limit, not the price
A broken leg in Thailand runs into thousands; a serious accident in the United States can pass six figures. Anything under about €1,000,000 in medical cover is thin for travel outside Europe. If you're going to the US, treat that as a floor.
Whether getting you home is included
Medical evacuation — an air ambulance, or a repatriation with a medical escort — is the cost that genuinely ruins people, and it's often a separate line from medical treatment. Check it's there and check the limit.
The activity exclusions
This is where most refused claims come from. Standard policies exclude riding a motorbike without the licence category your home country requires, off-piste skiing, trekking above a stated altitude, and diving below a stated depth. If you plan to rent a scooter in Thailand, Vietnam, Bali or the Greek islands, read this clause before anything else.
Government advisories void your policy
Almost every insurer voids cover for travel to areas your own government advises against. This is the single most important link between this site and your policy: the shaded areas on our country maps are usually the areas your insurer won't cover. Check the current official advisory, not our summary of it.
Pre-existing conditions
Anything you've seen a doctor about recently probably needs declaring, including conditions that feel resolved. Undeclared conditions are the second most common reason a claim fails.
The excess
A cheap policy with a €500 excess is not cheap if you lose a phone. Some insurers charge the excess per claimed item rather than per incident — worth checking if you're travelling as a family.
We don't sell insurance and we're not brokers. This page summarises published policy documents to help you ask better questions. Always read the actual policy wording — it is the only thing that binds the insurer, and it changes.