Travel insurance

Going on holiday? Take our Defaqto 5 Star rated travel insurance with you*

*Defaqto 5 Star rated Premier policy

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What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance is there if something doesn’t go to plan. Like having to cancel your holiday, a medical emergency abroad, or losing your luggage.

Emergency medical treatment in another country can prove incredibly costly and having travel insurance means you can relax on your holiday with the peace of mind that you’re covered even if the worst should happen.

And, before your holiday’s even started, if you find you can’t travel and have to cancel your trip, at least you’ll be covered for the cost of cancellation. 

An important thing to remember is to take out insurance ASAB – as soon as you book – to get the full benefit of cover.
Getting the right cover to suit your needs is essential so it’s worth considering additional benefits, often available as optional extras, such as:
  • Baggage cover for lost or stolen bags including personal items of value

Why is travel insurance important?

One important reason for having travel insurance is to cover you for the potentially very high cost of treatment if you fall ill while you’re away.
 
Most countries don’t have the same sort of medical provision we enjoy in the UK (free treatment at the point of need) and having to receive treatment in a foreign country can quickly become very expensive, especially in countries like the USA where even a short stay in hospital can land you a bill running into tens of thousands of pounds.
 
If you’re visiting EU countries or Switzerland, the UK has reciprocal health care agreements which can be accessed using your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (if still valid) but not all treatment’s covered and your GHIC won’t cover the cost of your travel if you need to return to the UK sooner than planned.
 
Another reason travel insurance is important is it can cover the cost of your holiday if you’re unable to travel due to certain circumstances, for example if you or a close relative (or someone you were planning to stay with) fell ill unexpectedly.
 
Some policies also cover reasons like jury service, armed forces and NHS call up, or damage to your home that means you can’t leave, e.g. fire.

Travel insurance with coronavirus cover

Our travel insurance includes some cover for coronavirus as standard..

Some examples of what we'll cover:

  • Medical and repatriation costs if you become unwell with any coronavirus (including COVID-19) or contagious disease
  • If your trip has to be cancelled because you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with any coronavirus (including Covid-19) or contagious disease and are too unwell to travel
  • Emergency repatriation costs to bring you home if the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) impose travel restrictions (while you're at your destination), either in the UK or at your destination, and has requested you to return to the UK

Some examples of what we don't cover:

  • Costs because you decided to cancel your trip or holiday if you don’t want to travel due to any coronavirus (including COVID-19) or contagious disease
  • Costs because the FCDO or public authorities have imposed travel restrictions or a lockdown
  • Additional transport or accommodation costs after you left home because the FCDO imposed travel restrictions or lockdown either in the UK or at your destination.

However you like to holiday, we've got travel insurance policies and a range of cover options to suit you

Single trip travel insurance

This cover is ideal if you're only going away once this year. We’ll cover you for a single trip of up to: 366 days if you’re under 65 years of age, 90 days if you’re between 65 and 79 years old and 31 days if you’re aged 80 or over.

Annual multi trip travel insurance

Fancy a few mini breaks? So do we! This cover is ideal if you're going away twice or more this year. We'll cover you for up to 90 days away at a time and it may even save you time and money. So, grab the calendar and get planning!

Family and group travel insurance

Going in a group or as a family? We'll cover up to ten people per travel policy and we'll even treat you to a 10% online discount. So all you need to do is decide who to invite!

Winter sports and ski cover

Hitting the slopes? If you add our winter sports and ski cover as an optional extra to your travel insurance, you can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, sledging and more! 

Cruise cover

We actually include cruise cover as standard on our annual multi-trip policy, but we can add cruise cover to your single trip policy too if you only need cover for a one off. Sea legs at the ready? All aboard!

Baggage cover

You can relax knowing your baggage, belongings and cash are covered for damage or theft. Off on a golfing holiday? We'll cover your golf clubs or hired equipment too! So, what time's tee off?

More about long stay travel insurance

Whether you're off on a round-the-world backpacking adventure or spending winter in the sun, long stay travel insurance covers you for up to 12 months.

Staycation insurance

Cover in case your holiday is cancelled, your baggage is stolen or you're too unwell to get home. You'll also be covered for accidental damage or injury to people or property.

Travel insurance with medical conditions

To make sure you get the cover you need, you'll need to let us know about any existing medical condition when you set up your policy.

Find out what you’re covered for with our Essential and Premier travel insurance policies:

Section of cover Essential policy max limit per person Premier policy max limit per person Excess per claim
Maximum trip length on annual multi-trip policy 31 days per trip 90 days per trip N/A
Maximum number of trips you can take on an annual multi-trip policy Unlimited Unlimited N/A
Cancelling your trip before you travel, eg due to illness £5,000 £10,000 £90
Emergency medical expenses  £10 million £90
Cancellation or abandonment if delayed more than 24 hours
 No £10,000  £90
Delays at your departure point (limit for each 12 hours of delay)  No £250 (£25) £0
Additional transport and accommodation costs
 No £1,000  £0
Bankruptcy of travel provider  No £10,000   £0
Activities included Standard only Adventure and standard N/A
Personal liability £2 million £0
Personal accident £25,000 £0
Legal advice and expenses £25,000  £0

More about LV= travel insurance

Travel insurance FAQs

How much will travel insurance cost?

Many factors can affect the price you pay.  Remember, sometimes the cheapest travel insurance may not offer the most comprehensive cover. Here's what we take into account: 

  • Where you're travelling to. If you're going abroad, you'll likely need to pay a bit more for your cover than if you're caravanning in Cardiff.
  • How long you're going for. When you go on longer holidays, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. 
  • Who you're travelling with. Insurers will consider the age and medical history of everyone in your group.
  • Medical conditions. You're likely to pay less for your insurance if you don't have a medical condition.
  • What activities you'll be doing. It normally costs a bit more to cover certain activities - like skiing and other winter sports.
  • Currency fluctuations. When the pound is weak against foreign currencies, it costs insurers more to settle claims with companies or services based overseas.
  • The rising cost of medical treatments. Medical expenses can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds in other countries. 
  • What's going on in the world. Factors outside your control like COVID-19 (coronavirus) or natural disasters will often impact the price of your travel insurance.
  • Legislative changes. Governmental changes to taxation will also push up the price of your travel insurance.

Travel insurance to cover an existing medical condition

If we can't cover your medical condition, or the premium is higher than you expected, help is still available…

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have worked with firms to create a Medical Cover Firm Directory. The directory lists all the firms that may be able to provide a policy to cover your medical conditions.

You can find this directory on the Money Helper website, or give them a call on 0800 138 7777. Open hours Mon - Fri 8am to 6pm.

awards and recognition

Travel with us and you're in safe hands 

  • Defaqto 5 Star rated Premier policy 
  • LV= travel insurance rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 1,477 customer reviews independently verified by Feefo
    Correct as of 16 April 2024

Now sit back, relax and start your quote