Best Travel Insurance: How to Compare Like a Pro

Travel insurance is the only purchase you hope to waste money on - and the right policy is worth radically more than anything you will read here. This guide covers what to require of any policy, and how to compare without drowning in fine print.

The four clauses that matter

• Medical cover: 50k+ USD for most of the world, and read the exclusion list twice
• Cancel-for-any-reason or at least trip cancellation: the clause that actually pays
• Baggage and delay limits: aim for useful, not maximal - they matter less than medical
• Emergency evacuation: rare but the single most expensive thing insurance can cover

How to compare policies properly

1. Fix your trip dates, destination and traveller ages before you compare
2. Read the medical exclusions: pre-existing conditions and adventure sports top the list
3. Check the 'events wind' rule for your destination - storms matter for islands and coasts
4. Price the total trip, not just the flights - cancellation covers the whole spend

Short trips vs annual multi-trip

If you travel two or three times a year, an annual multi-trip policy almost always undercuts separate trips. Buy it before the first departure and remember cover starts from the purchase or the date you choose, not your flight.

What most people get wrong

• Buying at the airport desk or app last-minute: same product, worse price
• Assuming the cheapest policy covers your hobby sports
• Not keeping the 24/7 assistance number saved before you go
• Insurance first, flights second: dates should be covered before you commit money

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