The Best Travel Insurance

 

 

Comprehensive coverage no matter where you go
To find the best travel insurance, we looked at 22 of the nation’s top providers. Our mission: find providers that offer primary medical coverage, generous limits, few exclusions, and top-notch customer service. But the cost will depend on you, your trip, and who’s coming with — which is why it’s important to compare quotes from multiple providers. Our four top picks are a great place to start.

Our Top Picks for the Best Travel Insurance

  • TravelexBest Coverage for Families
  • John HancockBest Coverage for Solo Travelers
  • IMGBest for Adventurers
  • AllianzBest for Long Trips

    The Best Travel Insurance

    Whether you’re planning a month-long honeymoon in Asia or just renting a car for the weekend, travel insurance is there to smooth things out if the going gets rough. While you don’t always need all the bells and whistles that come with some policies, the best travel insurance can be a lifesaver (literally) in the event of an accident, helping you pay for expensive medical care, stolen property, or the cost of canceling a dream vacation you’re suddenly unable to take.

    Travelex, our pick for most family-friendly provider, automatically covers kids under 18 when they’re traveling with a parent, with no adult to child ratio limits. In addition to offering comprehensive protection against all the big potential mishaps, its add-on protection is organized into customizable upgrades. The Additional Medical Coverage upgrade provides an additional $50,000 in Medical Expenses and $500,000 in Medical Evacuation.

    If you’re not traveling with kids, consider John Hancock. Like Travelex, its policies cover travel practically anywhere in the world, with primary (first-payer) medical plans that simplify the claims process if you get sick or injured abroad. But what really differentiated John Hancock for us was its telephone customer service. The rep we spoke to not only knew the in’s and out’s of each plan, but was warm and friendly too — we felt like we were talking to an old friend, not a sales agent. If you’re in a crisis far from home, there’s nothing more helpful than being able to turn things over to an experienced professional.

    IMG and Allianz are also worth considering for their comprehensive plans. They didn’t wow us in customer service or extra coverage the way John Hancock and Travelex did. However, IMG stands out for its extreme sports coverage; coverage for activities like scuba diving or hang gliding comes standard with every policy. We also like that Allianz, like Travelex, will cover trips up to a full year in length.