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Is PC Financial travel Insurance good? Review 2024

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Traveling without travel insurance can have severe financial consequences. Did you know that one night's hospital stay in the U.S. can be over $14,000 CAD? In some countries, you may even be denied medical assistance if you cannot prepay for treatment.

Travel insurance is an absolute necessity when you're away from home, providing coverage for healthcare expenses and ensuring you can access medical services when needed. It also offers assistance for flight disruptions, lost baggage, and other related issues.

One popular provider worth considering is the PC Financial Travel Insurance (from President's Choice). So we've done a comprehensive review outlining the coverage, costs, and the pros and cons of their service.

Additionally, you can also use our comparator to explore the best travel insurances in Canada and get quotes in seconds.

President's Choice Financial Travel Insurance: 5 Key takeaways

PC Financial Travel Insurance protects against unexpected medical expenses and other issues like delays and cancelations.
It offers comprehensive coverage, including trip cancellation, interruption, emergency medical, and baggage loss/delay.
It is important to review the policy's terms and conditions to understand coverage limitations and exclusions.
The policy offers flexibility and customisation, allowing travellers to tailor their coverage.
It is advisable to compare other travel insurances using our comparator, considering factors like coverage, cost, and reviews.

Our 2024 review of PC Financial travel insurance

President's Choice has joined hands with Manulife Travel Insurance to provide Canadians with exceptional plans so they can travel and enjoy their business trips or vacations stress-free.

PC primarily offers 4 travel insurance options: Complete package, Package without medical care, Global medical care, and Unequaled Protection Insurance.

Before we dive into the coverage of each option, here's a quick look at the pros and cons of this insurance overall.

Pros of PC Financial Travel Insurance

Diverse insurance options
Partnership with Manulife
Insurance for seniors
No-fee master cards with travel insurance
Quarantine expenses covered in case of COVID

Cons of PC Financial Travel Insurance

Pre-existing medical condition exclusions
Limited pricing information on website

You can also compare PC Financial Travel Insurance with other providers in Canada like Allianz Travel Insurance using our comparator below and also get quick quotes based on your unique needs.

Compare the best travel insurance plans on the market!

How is the PC Financial Travel Insurance Coverage?

PC Financial travel insurance offers a wide range of coverage from trip cancellation and medical emergency to flight delays and lost baggage and more to ensure you have the most stress-free travel. However the coverages vary based on the option you choose.

What does PC Financial Travel Insurance cover?

Your PC financial travel insurance may cover medical insurance alone or a combination of travel medical and trip protection, although the specific policy details, including coverage duration and limits, vary across different plans offered.

Generally, the PC Financial Travel covers a few or all of the following based on your plans:

Trip cancellation and interruption coverage: Reimburses non-refundable expenses if a trip needs to be canceled or cut short due to covered reasons like illness, injury, or severe weather.
Travel medical insurance: This provides coverage for medical expenses incurred while traveling, including emergency medical treatment, hospital stays, and sometimes even medical evacuation back to your home country.
Lost or delayed baggage coverage: In the unfortunate event of lost, stolen, or delayed baggage, this coverage will provide reimbursement for the replacement of essential items.
Trip delay coverage: If your flight or other transportation is delayed (for a specific period of time), this coverage can reimburse you for expenses such as meals, accommodations, and transportation during the delay.
Travel accident insurance: Offers coverage for accidental death or dismemberment that occurs during travel on planes, trains, or buses.
Rental car insurance: Coverage for collision damage or theft of rental vehicles.
Covid Travel Insurance : Covers Covid-related medical emergencies, repatriation and booking cancellations.

Here is a table to give you a quick overview of the coverage provided under the PC Financial Travel Insurance:

What does PC Financial Travel Insurance not cover?

PC Financial Travel Insurance, like other insurance policies in the market, has certain exclusions and limitations.

These may include coverage exclusions for pre-existing medical conditions, high-risk activities such as extreme sports, and incidents related to intoxication or drug use. Any claims arising from incidents related to being under the influence of alcohol or drugs may not be covered by the policy.

Additionally, travel to restricted or high-risk destinations may impact coverage eligibility. It's important to thoroughly review the policy's terms and conditions to fully understand the coverage limitations and exclusions that may apply.

If there are any uncertainties or specific concerns, it is advisable to contact PC Financial directly for further clarification.

How much does PC Financial travel insurance cost?

The price of PC Financial travel insurance depends on the following factors:

Your desired coverage and respective policy
Your deductible
Your waiting period
Your destination(s)
The duration of your trip

You can compare coverages and prices of the best travel insurances in Canada using our comparator below and also get quick quotes based on your unique needs.

Is there a PC financial Mastercard travel insurance?

Yes, like other popular credit cards with travel insurance (to hyperlink later), President's Choice also offers this option. However, the extent of coverage and fee involved vary based on the type of credit card you choose.

PC has three primary credit cards. They are World Elite MasterCard MD , World MasterCard MD , and MasterCard MD .

PC Financial World Elite MasterCard travel insurance

PC World Elite MasterCard travel insurance provides up to $1,000,000 coverage for various emergency medical expenses during your travel including doctor charges, accidental dental care, return airfare, and more.

It also has car rental loss/damage and baggage coverage among others. It is important to read the offer documents of your card carefully.

To make insurance claims, it is highly important to ensure that your PC World Elite Mastercard account is in good standing at the time of the occurrence and the claim.

PC Financial World MasterCard travel insurance

The PC Financial World Mastercard does not offer any travel benefits, however, it does offer reward points for purchases made with respect to travel. It's best to check with your card provider to get accurate and up-to-date information.

PC Financial MasterCard travel insurance

The PC Financial MasterCard does not provide travel benefits by default. However, it might give you rewards and redeemable points that could prove beneficial for your trips and vacations. It would be best to get in touch with your provider for more information on this.

Good to know

In order to get these credit cards, you must satisfy certain eligibility criteria that also include a minimum yearly personal income or household income, apart from other credit approval criteria. Also, it's important that your travel purchases are made on your specific credit card to be eligible for claims after.

How do I contact PC travel insurance?

You can get in touch with the PC Financial travel insurance phone number: 1-844-862-8466 or 1-866-246-7262 . They are both toll-free numbers. You may have to wait a few seconds to minutes in queue when the lines are facing an unexpectedly high volume of enquiries.

The numbers are available only between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm (ET) from Monday to Friday. Weekends are closed for in-phone enquiries.

You could also fill up and submit a form on their website that is available under the contact us category and an agent will get in touch with you shortly after.

If you're an insurance holder, however, in the event of an emergency, however, you can call the toll free at 1-855-856-7569.

How do I file a claim for PC financial travel insurance?

To file a claim, you can get in touch with your provider directly on the phone and a customer service agent will guide you through the process.

You could also login on the PC Financial website to fill the claim form. It is extremely important to make sure you have all the supporting documents like invoices for purchases, bills, etc, at the time of claims process.

How do I cancel my PC financial travel insurance?

If you are looking for information and instructions to cancel PC Financial travel insurance at any time, please call 1-866-246-7262 to speak with a representative.

But canceling your travel insurance might mean putting yourself at the risk of financial stress should you be faced with unforeseen medical and other related issues during your travel. So, it's strongly recommended that you opt for a travel insurance that best suits your needs.

Now that you have a good idea about PC Financial Travel Insurance, you can compare it with the best travel insurances in Canada using our comparator below and also get quick quotes .

Save up to 25% on your travel insurance with our partner soNomad

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Nishadh Mohammed, an experienced news editor and writer, has been a member of the HelloSafe team since May 2023. With a robust nine-year background in journalism and content creation, he has transitioned from impactful roles at major Indian newspapers to steering the course of online content as the managing editor of The Daily Net. Possessing a proficiency in crafting content for diverse audiences, Nishadh also brings a deep understanding of data analytics tools such as SQL, Tableau, and Knime. His commitment goes beyond crafting engaging financial content for HelloSafe; he navigates the ever-changing SEO landscape, leveraging data-driven insights to make informed decisions. When he's not wrestling with SEO algorithms, Nishadh indulges in reading and passionately explores narratives on human rights, intersectionality, race, caste, and LGBTQIA+ issues.

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PC Travel Review: Is it worth using?

Since joining the PC Insiders program, I have become more and more interested in the PC Optimum points program and how I could earn more points to redeem against grocery bills. To take advantage of the additional earning power, we have also applied for the no free PC Financial World Elite Mastercard. As a PC Insider , one of the benefits is the annual $99 credit we can use when booking flights, hotels, vacations, car rentals, and cruises on PC Travel. As a result, I’ve been quite curious about PC Travel and whether it’s an effective travel booking site for Canadians compared to the other travel booking sites like Google Flights, Expedia, and Costco Travel. Unfortunately, with PC Travel, you can’t redeem your PC Optimum points (it would be awesome if you could). Instead, you can earn points when you book through PC Travel. Is PC Travel worth using for booking travel? Here’s my PC Travel review.

What is PC Travel?

PC Travel is a travel agency started by the President’s Choice/Loblaws brand in September 2014 . With PC Travel, you can book flights, vacations, hotels, cruises, car rentals. From the initial view on the website, PC Travel appears to be a good travel booking alternative for Canadians.

One key thing to note is that you can only book through PC Travel if you hold a PC Financial Mastercard or if you are a PC Insiders subscriber. The website will ask you to confirm which Mastercard you hold or if you are a PC Insider. By using a PC Financial Mastercard, you can earn additional PC Optimum points when you make a booking through the website.

In case you’re wondering about the PC Insiders program, this is a subscription based membership program that President’s Choice/Loblaws started a number of years ago. You can be a PC Insider by paying a monthly or an annual fee. As a member, you can earn additional PC Optimum points on certain products like PC Organics, PC Black Label products, diapers, and formula. The biggest benefits as a PC Insider is that you can also order groceries online and pick them up for free (normally a $3-5 pick up fee depending on the pick up slot). Another perk you get if you pay for the annual $99 fee is an annual $99 travel credit for travel bookings through PC Travel. Essentially the PC Insider program is free if you account for the PC Travel annual credit. Check out my review of PC Insiders here.

Earning PC Optimum points with PC Travel

As a PC Financial Matercard card holder, you can earn different amounts of PC Optimum points when you make a booking with PC Travel.

As a PC Financial Mastercard holder, you will earn 20 PC Optimum points per $1 spent on PC Travel.
As a PC Financial World Mastercard holder, you will earn 20 PC Optimum points per $1 spent on PC Travel.
As a PC Financial World Elite Mastercard holder, you will earn 30 PC Optimum points per $1 spent on PC Travel.

The nice thing about the PC Mastercards is that they have no annual fees. If you can meet the income requirements, the best card to apply for is the PC Financial World Elite Mastercard since you’d get 3% back on every dollar spent.

In case you’re wondering, for every 10,000 PC Optimum points you receive, you can redeem $10 off your grocery bills. This is essentially like getting cash back and the main reason why we like the PC Optimum program so much – the simplicity.

Now if you don’t have a PC Financial Mastercard but you’re a PC Insider, you can still make bookings through PC Travel. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get any PC Optimum points on your travel bookings. Since none of the PC Mastercards have annual fees, it really makes a lot of sense to have one to maximize your earning power.

How long does it take to receive PC Optimum Points with PC Travel?

According to PC Travel’s Books Terms and Conditions , it takes approximately three to five weeks following the date of purchase from PC Travel for PC Optimum points to be awarded. If there are any bonus PC Optimum points (i.e. when there’s a promotion for additional PC Optimum points booked through PC Travel), the bonus points will show up within the three to five week period as a separate transaction.

When we shop at Superstore, No Frills, or any other Loblaws stores, we’d see PC Optimum points show up in the PC Optimum app within minutes after the purchase. To me, it is extremely strange that it takes three to five weeks to see points when you make a booking through PC Travel. For PC Travel to be more popular for Canadians, I believe a faster points deposit time frame is needed.

PC Travel Flights vs. Google Flights

One of the things I’m curious about is comparing the prices between PC Travel and Google Flights. From my searches, both PC Travel and Google Flights provided the same flight prices for airlines like Air Canada, WestJet, and United when booking travels to the US. I do appreciate PC Travel showing me how much PC Optimum points you’d earn if I were to book the flight. This way I can calculate the “true” airfare price.

When I tried to search flights for domestic or international travels, I noticed that PC Travel does not include discounted airlines like Air Transat. So there were some price differences between PC Travel and Google Flights.

PC Travel Hotels vs. Marriott

Since I’m a Marriott Bonvoy Elite member, whenever I travel, I try to stay at a Marriott property as much as I can to accumulate points and earn status. How would PC Travel compare to Marriott’s website when it comes to hotel bookings?

Unfortunately, based on my searches, I am unable to draw any conclusion on which website is cheaper. One important thing to note is that if you book hotels through PC Travel, you won’t be able to earn any Marriott Bonvoy points and if you’re an Elite member, you won’t get recognized. Furthermore, the night stay won’t show up under your Bonvoy account. As a Marriott Bonvoy Elite member, unless PC Travel has really good hotel deals, I will most likely only book directly through Marriott’s site.

The same statement can probably be said when we compare other hotel brands too.

PC Travel vs. Costco Travel – Car Rentals

Given that PC Travel has a car rentals option, I figured I’d compare PC Travel and Costco Travel.

On my first search, renting a car from Vancouver International Airport, PC Travel came out ahead of Costco Travel. However, it is interesting to note that with PC Travel I’d rent a car through Dollar (never heard of them) whereas with Costco Travel, I’d rent through Budget. This doesn’t seem to be an apple to apple comparison. Since I’ve never rented with Dollar before, I would feel more comfortable renting with a more established brand like Budget.

When I did another search, renting a car from LA International, Costco Travel came out ahead when both websites showed me the car rental cost when renting through Alamos.

If you are not picky on which rental car company you rent your car with, PC Travel may show some cheaper rental car options depending on your pickup location. Generally speaking, prices for PC Travel car rentals seem to be more expensive than other choices. It’s not worth booking through PC Travel just to learn more PC Optimum points.

PC Travel vs. Costco Travel – Vacation

Since both PC Travel and Costco Travel have a search option for vacation packages, I thought it would be worthwhile to compare the two.

When I searched for a Maui vacation package, Costco Travel came out ahead by a mile. Interestingly, Costco’s vacation package includes car rental while PC Travel’s vacation package only includes airfare and hotel. If we account for the cost of the car rental, Costco Travel is definitely a better website for booking a Maui vacation package. After a few more searches on travel vacations, I concluded that prices for PC Travel vacations are way more expensive than other travel booking sites like Costco Travel and Expedia. While you will earn a lot of PC Optimum points if you book through PC Travel, I have concluded that it is not worth it.

PC Travel Pros

After doing a number of searches and comparing PC Travel with other travel booking sites, I concluded that PC Travel has a few benefits.

If you sign up for the PC Insiders program and have the $99 annual travel credit, it makes sense to apply the credit towards flights, vacation packages, car rentals, hotels, and cruises. One thing to note is that the $99 travel credit can only be applied to hotel bookings of 3 or more nights . In other words, if you’re looking for a quick two night weekend staycation by booking a hotel in your city, you won’t be able to use the travel credit, unfortunately.
If you are big into PC Optimum points, PC Travel allows you to earn more points.
PC Travel has a Best Price Guarantee which gives PC Travel customers peace of mind. If you find a lower advertised Canadian dollar price than that advertised on the website at time of booking, and the rate is verified, PC Travel will match the lower rate and reward you with 25,000 bonus PC Optimum points on the booking. There are a number of terms and conditions you must meet .

PC Travel Cons

Other than taking advantage of the $99 annual travel credit that you receive as a PC Insider, I personally don’t think it makes sense to book through PC Travel as there are quite a few cons.

All bookings are 100% non refundable according to PC Travel’s FAQ section. Since the payment is due at the time of booking, if you make a booking and need to change your plans, it can get problematic. The cancellation policies and penalties vary by travel providers, airlines, and/or tour operators. So you need to contact PC Travel Call Centre at 1-844-862-8466 to find out more.
The full payment and non refundable policy can be tricky if you use PC Travel for hotels or car rentals and you need to make a change later. For example, if I were to book a hotel with Marriott, typically you can change your reservation. You can also cancel 48 hours prior to arrival without being charged. In this sense, PC Travel is not very flexible at all.
PC Travel does not provide any guarantee to changes to your booking. You’d have to call the call centre to find out more details. This is not ideal if you need to change your itineraries.
As mentioned, it takes three to five weeks for PC Optimum points to show up in your account. I don’t understand why it takes so long and it can be difficult to keep track of the points.
Since the main draw of using PC Travel is earning more PC Optimum points, if you don’t shop at any President Choice or Loblaws stores, it makes very little sense to book through PC Travel. And if you don’t shop at PC or Loblaws stores, chances are you aren’t a PC Insider or have a PC Financial Mastercard, which means you can’t use PC Travel anyway.
If you are booking flights with PC Travel and paying with a PC Financial Mastercard, it may be problematic if you face a trip interruption, flight delay, or baggage delay since none of the three PC Financial Mastercards have any sort of travel insurance coverage. Since we’ve encountered flight and baggage delays a few times when we travelled to Denmark, I would be very hesitant to book any major travels with PC Travel. Now if it’s a straightforward trip like going to Los Angeles with no checked-in luggage, it might be worth booking through PC Travel, especially if you are redeeming the $99 annual travel credit. Similarly, I wouldn’t rent a car with PC Travel and pay with a PC Financial Mastercard since there’s no rental insurance coverage with the card.

My Experience with PC Travel

When we first joined the PC Insiders program, my original plan of using the $99 annual travel credit was to book a hotel room in Vancouver for a weekend staycation with Mrs. T. But after finding out the minimum three night stay requirement, we quickly scrapped that idea. It’s unfortunate there’s a minimum three night stay requirement because that doesn’t give us much options to use PC Travel for a hotel booking and redeem the travel credit.

For FinCon’19 , I used PC Travel to book my flights between Vancouver and Washington DC. I figured it was OK to book with PC Travel because I was doing carry-on luggage only, and I wasn’t going to change my itineraries. The flight was with Delta and the cost would have been the same if I were to book through Delta. The airfare for my Vancouver/Washington DC trip was $700 including taxes so I ended up getting 21,000 in PC Optimum points or an equivalent of $21 that I can take off when shopping at Superstore or No Frills.

As you may recall, we had plans to go to Disneyland after FinCon’20 . Originally we were going to book through PC Travel and use the $99 travel credit again from our PC Insiders renewal. We decided against using PC Travel for this trip after we considered all the bonuses we’d get for signing up the WestJet World Elite Mastercard. We ended up booking directly with WestJet so we could use the WestJet Dollars and a compassion voucher. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we eventually cancelled our flights and received a full refund from WestJet. The cancellation and refund process was quite easy with WestJet as we simply logged into our accounts and clicked on “cancel flights.” There was no need to get on the phone, wait, and talk to an agent. If we were to book through PC Travel, we would have to call the PC Travel Call Centre and spend a lot of time talking to an agent and try to get a refund. We probably wouldn’t have received a full refund if we had booked our flights through PC Travel.

PC Travel Review – Is it worth using?

So what’s my opinion on PC Travel? Is it worth using this travel booking platform when there are tons of alternatives out there? Although my only booking experience with PC Travel was positive, I wouldn’t book anything with PC Travel unless I want to redeem our $99 PC Travel credit and if our travel plan was very straight forward (i.e. a direct flight, no check-in bags, etc). I would not want to use PC Travel for a trip that involves complex itineraries. The lack of travel insurance on the PC Financial Mastercard also means that I would not want to book any international flights, car rentals, cruises, or even vacation packages with PC Travel. If I book anything without having travel insurance, I would be worried if something happens. Therefore, the most likely scenario for me to use PC Travel would be booking a 3 night hotel stay and redeem the $99 travel credit. But the idea of staying for 3 nights and not accumulating any night count toward Elite status doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.

Even with the new PC Insider program and the extra earn rate of 5% as a PC Insider member, I would be hesitant making a travel booking via PC Travel. This is mostly because prices via PC Travel appear to be more expensive than other travel booking sites. While it is great to be able to earn PC Optimum points when booking through PC Travel. I honestly do not think it’s worth the hassle. You are better off booking directly with an airline, a hotel, or a car rental company. For vacation packages, PC Travel doesn’t seem to offer a great deal when compared to Costco Travel and other similar travel booking sites.

According to the Yelp review, many Canadians had bad experience with PC Travel, especially the cancellation and non-refundable policies. This does not surprise me at all.

For me, it is very unfortunate that PC Travel is so restrictive and doesn’t provide much value compared to other travel booking alternatives. For PC Travel to be more appealing to Canadians, the company needs to make the booking platform more flexible with a better cancellation policy while offering very appealing pricing.

Dear readers, have you used PC Travel? What’s your experience? What do you think about this PC Travel review?

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1 thought on “PC Travel Review: Is it worth using?”

All the information were useful I was looking for a site like this .I will always suggest it to my friends

PC Financial Mastercard world elite travel insurance

Add to quote

Topping up travel insurance offered by credit card

Here’s a start. https://assets.ctfassets.net/xqp30uh3quox/5bjnPXwVaaD7dwD792v0TY/917c718b945ffc1051abcccbaf5598c4/pcf_worldelite_coi_en.pdf i believe the answers are: 1. Yes, automatic, subject to conditions such as pre-existing conditions 2. that’s up to you. You may consider the coverage from PC MC isn’t enough. It doesn’t need to be one or the other. What I’m not clear about is how these credit card medical coverages work if you are driving out of country. You don’t have any airline tickets to prove entry/exit dates….how would you prove when you left rhe country? I assume you would need to prove it.

But already that's not good, if they aren't even internally coordinated to answer public's basic answer.

Did you try this number: 1-866-892-8683

This thread opened is just in a nick of time. Not trying to break your estatic balloon in getting covered/iinsured even with the top up ... try getting your claim paid or deemed approved is a nightmare. Just read yesterday from G&M(?) that a gentleman broke his back from sleep-walking off his hotel's balcony (weird or what?) whilst vacationing down south (somewhere). Boy did he get his money's worth ... of hassles. He was so closed to being a paralyzed from the waist down before he got approval for the emergency surgery from his "out of country cc covered insurer" some days later ... after calling like not hanging up at all. The insurer's 1800 # wasn't being picked up ... the usual "normal than higher volulme BS" so be prepared to wait ... hours ... if not days ... if not never. Holy jesus. Only if you're interested, I'll look for the link and p ost o/w it's not all that uncommon or unheard of ... these days. You pay and you take your chances.

From past experience, what matters is the terms of the insurance contract in effect when you enter into the contract. Suggest you download and read carefully to assess you are covered for the specific risks you are concerned about. Or post a link to it here and we can chime in. What the website or an agent say are at best only useful if you keep records and go to court months after the fact. In other words, if you have a claim someone will read the Terms in the Contract and pay based on that. Or not.

Tostig said: The benefits detail from the PC Financial website says includes "airfare". So I think it that means trip interruption. Click to expand...

Attachments

pcf_worldelite_coi_en.pdf 537.2 KB Views: 63

I just found out that TD’s US dollar Visa offers some trip interruption coverage. Up to $5,000 of coverage per insured person, to a maximum of $25,000 for all insured persons on the same trip. To be eligible for this insurance, you must pay at least 75% of the entire cost of your trip, including taxes and fees of the Common Carrier fare, and any hotel or similar accommodations with your TD Credit Card.

you must be under age 65
you must be permanent residents of Canada with active provincial health insurance
pre-existing conditions are excluded
only the first 10 consecutive days of a trip are covered

James has provided a pretty good synopsis of how these plans work (as I understand it as well). Medical vs Trip Interruption & Cancellation are two very different things. Be sure to understand the difference and the one (or both) that you require. Be sure to fully understand the limited coverage of credit card plans and recognize it cannot be all that good considering how expensive such insurance coverages actually are. On a personal basis, I have ex-country health/medical coverage as a part of my annuitant heath benefit plans via Global Allianz which is ultimately the largest provider of this type of insurance. It is the same ex-country insurance active employees of the corporation have when they are traveling on company business. The part I have to cover on my own is Trip Interruption and Cancellation if I choose to do so. I bought this coverage back in 2015 when we were going for a Peru trip and I still had a very elderly parent alive. As it turned out, she died 5 days before we were to leave.We obviously had to cancel the trip. It took a lot of work but we were compensated for our non-refundable sunk costs because of that situation. We no longer buy TI&C because now that we are in our mid-70s, we have become higher risk of not being able to travel when scheduled and premiums have increased to about 10% of the value of the trip. We now self-insure on the premise that failure to follow through on 1 of 10 trips will pay for itself (like windshield coverage). We didn't buy TI&C for our recent trip to Costa Rica and we have not done so for our upcoming trip to Maui. Somewhere along the line, we may get caught exposed but we will take our chances.

AltaRed said: We no longer buy TI&C because now that we are in our mid-70s, we have become higher risk of not being able to travel when scheduled and premiums have increased to about 10% of the value of the trip. We now self-insure on the premise that failure to follow through on 1 of 10 trips will pay for itself (like windshield coverage). We didn't buy TI&C for our recent trip to Costa Rica and we have not done so for our upcoming trip to Maui. Somewhere along the line, we may get caught exposed but we will take our chances. Click to expand...

We also look for opportunities for refundable bookings, or relatively short lock-ins. Easy to do with airfare but more difficult with bookings in resort places, and even less easily with 'vacation packages'. Our Costa Rica package was not refundable at all about 30 days out from commencement. It is a calculated risk we take.

For packages, most tour operators sell a cancellation insurance that is not age-dependent. Runs usually $50 pp for the cheap coverage (gives you future vacation credit rather than your money back) or $100 pp for the better coverage (cancel for any reason, full refund, up to 24 hours before travel).

Lots of good advice given here. I will check the other thread again and call PC Financial about the possibility of topping up the insurance for an extra two days and trip cancellation and interruption.

Well my call to PC Financial's insurance administrator at the number on post #4, didn't get any results. No top ups are available. So I called CAA and got a quote for 2 extra days and for trip cancelation and interruption. It's over $500 for a $7000 trip for two people. Then my wife comes home and gets on the phone to talk to her pension administrator. It turns out we can register and pay an annual fee of something like $250 for the both of us to have trip cancellation and interruption as well as travel medical for all our trips. And for the trip we are booking, $35 per person. So, for us, problem solved.

Thank you. I was remiss in not saying that actually. In the case of WestJet vacations (our Costa Rica trip) it only covers up to 3? 5? days before travel, so there is a short window of real exposure. Anyways, your point is well taken.

We had/have Capital One world elite Mastercard. When we called to make a cancellation claim the C1 CSR had no information other than contact their insurer at this 1 800 number. We did, and had good service/good experience. The claim paid for more than 10 years of card fees. Our experience is that the credit card CSR’s only seem to have a data sheet with very general talking points. Anything else…call their insurance carrier. No surprise.

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Should you buy President’s Choice travel insurance?

Have you ever experienced a total travel snafu? I can’t count the number of times I’ve gotten into either tricky or annoying situations. There was the time our Eurostar train from Paris to London was delayed for 8-hours and we were left stranded in the freezing rain waiting for hours. Also ranking up there was when I had to go to a doctor in India after a firecracker misfired and imploded inside my sari! (Minor burn = great travel story.) And in the past year alone, my suitcases have been severely delayed no less than four separate occasions. With all these trips and mishaps, I’ve learned to make like a Girl Guide and be prepared in ways that go beyond emergency snacks and celebrity magazines. I’m talking about travel insurance .

Finding the best, easiest travel insurance

I imagine for some, getting travel insurance is one of those items that gets ignored on their pre-trip check list. It lies somewhere between renewing your passport and getting a bikini wax; travel insurance isn’t sexy, but it can save you a lot of time and money. Best part is, you can also pick it up at the grocery store or over the phone.

It’s true! Slackers like me have been saving time and money by getting travel insurance at the same time as we pick up our groceries. I bet you didn’t know you can easily snag PC Financial Travel Insurance To Go at select stores where President’s Choice products are sold. With summer travel on the horizon, it takes little effort to add travel insurance to your shopping list when you’re picking up other last minute trip essentials.

Where to get travel insurance in Canada

PC insurance has a few different plans to meet your needs and they’re available in all Canadian provinces. If the whole family is travelling together, they have different types of coverage you can choose from (either in-store or online). Of the plans you can purchase online, I was most jazzed about the Single Trip Medical Family Plan, where you pay the single medical premium for the two oldest family members travelling, and you’ll get Single Trip Medical coverage for up to five dependent children! Translation: easier on your wallet and the whole family is covered! The best part is all this can be done in the comfort of your home through PC insurance, either on your computer or by phone.

If you’re on your own, or looking for emergency medical coverage, plus all the bells and whistles such as: trip cancellation, baggage delay, flight accident and travel accident insurance, think about getting a Single Trip Comprehensive Plan. And if you’re based outside of Canada, it’s worth comparing different options, as choosing the right travel insurance for your needs is the most important thing you can do before setting off on your trip.

President’s Choice Travel Insurance

Worth considering is the PC Financial Travel Insurance To Go product. You can buy it in the gift card section at select stores where President’s Choice products are sold. Simply scan and pay for it at the check-out and then call-in or go online to activate your coverage; this only takes a few easy steps. It looks just like a gift card and can be used as such, making it a perfect grad gift or a great option for someone planning to travel soon. Best of all, packages start at only $15 for families and single travellers!

Travel isn’t always glamorous. Accidents happen, and as much as you don’t want to dwell on the unknown, it feels so great knowing you’ve done all you can to have coverage for your family. After all, there are much more important things to worry about on your holiday, like what cocktail to have with lunch and when you’re going to fit in that nap. Right?

For more information on PC insurance travel products call 1-844-724-6787. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that make Travels with Baggage possible.

Disclosure: This is presented in partnership with PC Financial® insurance. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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2 thoughts on “should you buy president’s choice travel insurance”.

Agree travel insurance gives one security. An important factor is the company’s response to you while you are traveling, after you submit a claim and even before you buy it. If their customer service reps do not answer quickly,don’t use that company.

Good point, Phyllis!

Best Travel Insurance Companies for April 2024

According to our research, Travelex is the best travel insurance company because its comprehensive coverage comes at a relatively low cost. We chose the best travel insurers in our list based on an analysis of 31 travel insurance companies across several areas that are most important to travelers, including options available for your coverage, claim and policy limits, what the policy does and doesn't cover, and typical policy costs. We took time to research insurance coverage limits and what the policies covered and rank companies accordingly.

Travel insurance is an important product to consider when booking a trip, especially if it's a pricy one or you believe there's a chance it could be canceled. If you're like the 40% of people who told Nationwide Travel Insurance they plan to travel more in 2024 than in 2023, then travel insurance could be key to making those plans a reality.

Our list of top travel insurance companies can help you choose the right provider, but you should also do your research to make sure the policy covers your particular trip. And if general travel insurance isn't enough, you may be able to add cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance to your policy to ensure an unexpected situation comes up, like a last-minute work or family obligation, or safety concern.

Best Overall: Travelex
Runner-Up, Best Overall: Allianz Travel Insurance
Best Value: InsureMyTrip
Most Comprehensive Coverage: World Nomads
Best for Older Adults: HTH Travel Insurance
Best for Cruises: Nationwide
Best for Medical Coverage: GeoBlue
Our Top Picks

Allianz Travel Insurance

InsureMyTrip

World Nomads

HTH Travel Insurance

See More (4)

The Bottom Line

Compare Providers
What Is Travel Insurance?

How to Get Travel Insurance

What does travel insurance cover.

How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?
What Happens When You Cancel a Trip?

Best Overall : Travelex

Number of Policy Types: 3
Coverage Limit: Up to 100% up to $50,000 for cancellations
Starting Price: $24

Travelex offers coverage (up to 150% for interruptions) for you or your family members at a competitive price—and kids are included at no extra charge. A relatively low price for the high levels of coverage made it our top choice. Look for the Travel Select plan for the best coverage.

Competitive pricing for comprehensive coverage

Multiple plan options with customizable features

Children younger than 21 covered at no extra cost

Mixed pre-existing medical condition coverage depending on the policy purchase date

No annual plan available

Basic coverage plan features minimal coverage

Travelex Insurance Services is a well-known travel insurance provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1996, Travelex offers several insurance packages depending on the coverage you need for your trip. Policies are underwritten by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, which earns an A++ rating from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor’s. Coverage is available to customers worldwide.

The Travel Select plan starts at about $36 and includes trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption, and emergency medical and evacuation, but there also are several ways to customize and upgrade coverage.

Travel is covered up to 100% up to $50,000 for cancellations. You can receive up to 150% of the trip cost, up to $75,000, for trip interruptions. Emergency medical limits are $50,000, and emergency evacuation coverage is good for up to $500,000.

In addition, Travel Select has a 15-day pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. If you purchase your policy within 15 days of paying for your trip and insure the full cost of the trip, your pre-existing injury or illness is likely covered.

Runner-Up , Best Overall : Allianz Travel Insurance

Number of Policy Types: 10
Coverage Limit: Up to $10,000 per insured, per year for trip cancellation
Starting Price: $138

Allianz gets the runner-up spot because it offers coverage for frequent travelers with a low cost per trip. Get the best coverage from the AllTrips Executive Plan. Individual trip coverage is also available.

Annual- or single-trip plans are available

Many policy types fit varying needs

Cover yourself and your household all year even if you’re not traveling together

Does not cover extended travel periods

Some annual plans have per-trip limits while others have annual limits

Limit for emergency medical transportation coverage is only $250,000

Allianz Travel is a subsidiary of Allianz, which traces its history back to 1890 in Germany. Travel policies are underwritten by insurers with AM Best ratings of A to A+ and are available only to legal U.S. residents.

Travelers who want to hit the road many times per year should consider annual travel insurance rather than individual per-trip policies. Allianz Travel offers four different annual plans with varying benefit levels. We particularly like its AllTrips Executive Plan, which has the highest limits and coverage.

The AllTrips Executive Plan provides tiered limits starting at $5,000 for trip cancellation insurance or interruption coverage. It also offers $50,000 for emergency medical and $250,000 for emergency transportation per insured per trip. There is a lengthy list of exclusions, including extreme sports, so make sure to read the fine print before jumping into adventure activities.

Quotes for a single traveler, a couple, and a family of four had a price point of $500 per traveler per year. If you pay for comprehensive coverage at $120 per person per trip and are going to travel at least five times per year, you will break even with this plan. If you’re looking for lower costs, the AllTrips Basic, Premier, and Prime options are also available from Allianz.

Best Value : InsureMyTrip

Number of Policy Types: Multiple options from over 20 providers
Coverage Limit: Varies
Starting Price: $25 to $100

Compare policies from more than 20 different travel insurance providers with one form so you know you’re getting a good deal for the coverage you need. You can find low-cost trip coverage or customize a plan to meet your needs so you don’t overpay for coverage you won’t use.

Search for quotes from multiple reputable insurers

Shop around with one application for multiple trip types

View multiple plans from eligible insurers for your planned trip

Many popular insurers are not included in listings

Initial listing pages don’t show policy limits

Includes some policies with low coverage limits

Founded in 2000, InsureMyTrip is a travel insurance comparison website that searches from more than 20 insurers using one intake form. It offers an easy-to-use sign-up tool to quickly compare multiple policies based on your specific needs. Filters are available to pick policies that cover adventure sports, higher limits, increased medical coverage, and more.

A quote for a family of four taking a 14-day trip that costs $4,000 and includes plane and hotel expenses resulted in three suggested plans with costs of around $100 to around $400 for varying levels of travel protection. Basic features included luggage coverage, travel delay, and medical care. Note that rates will differ based on where customers are originating from and where they are vacationing, as well as other variables.

The insurers you'll find while using InsureMyTrip have earned a variety of industry ratings and are generally considered reputable and financially stable. Still, as with policies bought directly from insurers, it’s a good idea to read the policy details before clicking the buy button. Each underlying insurer has different claims processes, exclusions, and limits. InsureMyTrip makes it easier, however, to be an informed travel insurance buyer.

Most Comprehensive Coverage : World Nomads

Number of Policy Types: 2
Coverage Limit: Up to $10,000 for trip cancellation
Starting Price: $100 to $200

Adventure travelers and digital nomads receive good trip protection from this plan, which offers coverage of up to $100,000 for accidents for some of the most extreme adventures.

Extensive coverage with high limits for medical and emergency evacuation

Protects your bags, computers, and sports equipment when traveling

Explorer plan covers adventure sports

Only single-trip plans are available

Most pre-existing medical conditions are not covered

Not all policies cover adventure sports

World Nomads is a good insurer for those looking for adventure. The Australia-based provider was founded in 2000 and is a solid choice for worldwide travel with few excluded activities. Policies are underwritten by various insurers including the financially strong and well-known Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Generali Global, AIG, and Lloyd’s.

Coverage includes terrorist attacks, assault, medical repatriation, equipment and baggage, and overseas medical and dental. The high-end Explorer Plan covers activities including snow sports, water sports, aviation, motorsports, athletics, and high-adventure experiences. It names more than 200 activities, many of which other insurers specifically exclude.

For the Explorer Plan, a solo 35-year-old would pay around $200, depending on inputs like state of origin, for a month in Thailand, which is reasonable for such extensive coverage. The Standard Plan costs around $100 for the same trip, but it makes sense to choose higher coverage levels if you’re worried about something going wrong.

This U.S.-based policy is underwritten by Nationwide (rated A by AM Best) with a $100,000 limit for emergency accidents and illnesses, $500,000 for emergency evacuation, $10,000 for trip cancellation insurance (or interruption), and much more.

Though it doesn’t have the same insurance reputation as some other providers, it works with reputable companies to underwrite policies.

Best for Older Adults : HTH Travel Insurance

Number of Policy Types: 5
Coverage Limit: Up to $50,000 for trip cancellation
Starting Price: Varies

Medical coverage may be important to older adults who need excellent travel protection with flexible options while on a budget. This is where HTH Worldwide stands out. Older adults can get high levels of medical coverage.

High levels of medical coverage for adults up to 95 years old

Up to a $1,500 allowance for someone to visit you in the hospital

May be expensive depending on your needs

Best plan for older adults requires existing health insurance

Lowest policy has a $50,000 maximum benefit per person

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, HTH Worldwide was founded in 1997, and HTH Travel Insurance offers plans with high levels of medical coverage. That’s a big concern for older adults leaving the country , as they could end up in a doctor’s office or hospital with an expensive bill to follow. HTH Travel Insurance offers up to $1 million in total coverage for medical.

Policies for travelers with existing primary insurance enjoy 100% coverage for typical hospital charges, including surgery, tests, office visits, inpatient hospital stays, and prescription drugs outside of the U.S., among other coverage.

Medical evacuation is available up to $500,000, but trip interruption and baggage coverage are pretty light. Most people will choose this plan for medical rather than travel benefits. This policy is available to applicants who are 95 years old or younger.

Travel insurance is also available for people without existing health coverage. Most older adults in the U.S. are covered by some existing coverage, such as Medicare, but Medicare doesn’t work outside of the United States, leaving people uninsured when abroad. HTH Travel Insurance provides policies for those without existing medical coverage. The age limit is 95, but there is a 180-day pre-existing medical condition exclusion.

Best for Cruises : Nationwide

Number of Policy Types: 8
Coverage Limit: Up to $30,000 for trip cancellation
Starting Price: $100

Multiple options protect your cruise vacation with tailored coverage for common cruise trip issues. This makes Nationwide a good pick for those who take to the high seas for their vacations. Make sure to review the benefit levels so you pick the right coverage for your needs.

Large insurer with a strong reputation

Three different cruise insurance plans to choose from

Coverage for common cruise issues like missed connections and itinerary changes

Some plans have low coverage levels for some incidents

Benefit limits are low for trip interruption for any reason

Pre-existing medical conditions may not be covered

Nationwide has been around since 1925. The Columbus, Ohio-based insurance company offers the most popular types of insurance including auto, home, and life. It also offers a few types of travel insurance coverage for individual trips, multi-trips, and cruises.

For single trip protection, Nationwide offers trip cancellation insurance of up to $10,000 with its Essentials plan and $30,000 with its Prime plan. Travelers may also get an annual travel insurance package for just $59 a year to cover delays, medical expenses, medical evacuation, lost luggage, and travel assistance.

Its custom-tailored plans for cruises, however, are what landed it in this category. The Universal Cruise plan, Choice Cruise plan, and Luxury Cruise plan make it easy to pick the right coverage for your individual needs. The cost for a couple on a 10-day cruise to Mexico, for example, was quoted at around $200 for both the Universal and Choice plans.

Cruise insurance from Nationwide covers what you worry about most with a cruise. Things like broken-down ships and itinerary changes can lead to missed excursions and flights or other costs. For the Universal Cruise plan, emergency medical expenses are covered up to $75,000 with medical evacuation benefits up to $250,000.

Additionally, all plans include coverage for the weather, an extension of school sessions, work emergencies, and terrorism. The luxury plan also covers the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warnings in effect at your destination.

Travelers in 2024 have concerns over trip cancelations due to unprecedented events. Nationwide's survey showed that 51% are still worried about a resurgence of COVID-19, while 54% worry about weather-related delays or cancellations. Other worries include technology issues (38%), unruly fellow travelers (37%), and employee strikes (25%). Travel insurance can help alleviate some stress about a trip being canceled.

Best for Medical Coverage : GeoBlue

GeoBlue offers multiple options to buy travel medical insurance coverage for a lower price than a full travel insurance package. It offers medical coverage on its own if you don’t want or need additional travel coverage.

Up to $1 million in medical coverage

Gives a la carte medical coverage when other trip costs are already covered

Different policies allow you to cover various needs and pre-existing medical conditions

Primarily covers medical costs

Additional primary medical coverage required

GeoBlue, headquartered in Pennsylvania, is part of Worldwide Insurance Services, and policies come with a license from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Policies are issued by 4 Ever Life International Limited, a company with a history of more than 60 years and an A rating (Excellent) from AM Best.

If you just need coverage for medical needs, GeoBlue is a good choice. This insurer offers only travel medical coverage. Paying for medical coverage means you aren't paying for the rest of your travel insurance, which you already may have covered. If you already have a credit card with travel insurance included, your card's terms likely protect things like lost luggage and missed flights, for example. Instead, you get covered just for medical, and the costs for that are as low as a few dollars per day.

Because you’re mostly getting travel medical coverage, you will pay a lot less than most other insurers on this list. Just make sure you completely understand what it does and doesn't cover. You will receive only minimal luggage protection and travel interruption coverage with GeoBlue's plans.

GeoBlue has two general plans for single trips, multiple trips, and long-term travel. Additionally, there are five specialty policies for niche travel medical insurance needs, like study abroad. It doesn’t cover everything related to your trip, but it makes medical coverage much more affordable.

Travelex is the best travel insurance company because it offers competitive pricing for comprehensive travel insurance. Policies from Travelex cover everything from canceled or interrupted trips to medical emergencies and evacuations. It also features a 15-day pre-existing medical conditions waiver, which means that as long as you book your trip several weeks in advance, you and your family members will likely still be covered.

There are many options to choose from when it comes to travel insurance. It can provide you with peace of mind and save you thousands of dollars if your travel plans are canceled or interrupted at the last minute. With world events like pandemics, natural disasters, and wars that could easily throw an unexpected wrench in your travel plans, travel insurance helps you to stay prepared. Overall, our top choice for travel insurance is Travelex.

Why You Can Trust Our Expert Recommendations for the Best Travel Insurance

Investopedia collected several key data points from over 30 travel insurance companies to identify the most important factors for readers choosing a travel insurance company for their trips. We used this data to review each company for cost, coverage limits, exclusions, customer service, and other features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right decision for their needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best travel insurance companies since 2020.

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Travel insurance covers common problems when traveling. From trip interruptions to full cancellations, it can help protect the money you put down for your travel experience.

Common coverage includes more than just an unexpected trip stoppage. It can also cover lost or damaged luggage and changes to your itinerary for covered reasons, among other benefits.

Medical coverage is an important factor to consider because your current health insurance may not work away from home. The best travel insurance includes coverage for medical treatment, dental emergencies, and medical transportation. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or are at risk, it’s important to make sure your policy covers these, too.

Tips for Picking the Best Travel Insurance for You

When picking the best travel insurance policy, there are a few things you should consider. Here are some tips and factors to think about:

Look for low pricing and good coverage : Pricing is one of the most significant factors when comparing travel insurance policies. Look for a provider that offers low rates and doesn’t skimp on coverage.
Don't settle for the first policy type : Depending on where you’re traveling and how long you’re staying there, different types of travel insurance policies may work best for your situation. For instance, you may need a different policy for a weeklong trip than you would if you plan to travel abroad for several months.
Match your coverage limits to your travel costs : Travel insurance plans have coverage limits for trip cancellation, interruption, and medical expenses. Look for a plan whose coverage limit matches the amount you’ve spent on your travel plans.
Don't forget to look at the exclusions : Some travel insurance plans come with exclusions. If you’re worried about a particular event or accident, make sure it’s covered before you pay for a plan.
Look for high customer satisfaction ratings : Customer satisfaction is also an important factor when purchasing a travel insurance plan. Look for a provider with high customer satisfaction ratings and a history of good customer service.

"As someone who is always purchasing travel insurance, and has been for years, the thing that matters to me the most is mainly coverage and customer service. I want to know what my policy will cover, especially if I am taking a trip that involves a lot of activities, as well as how easy it will be to contact the company should I need to do so.I have found in the past that the price is always very reasonable and you can shop around, so it has never been the biggest concern for me." -Alice Morgan, Senior Digital Art Director, Dotdash Meredith

Select a travel insurance company.
Apply for the travel insurance plan of choice on the company's website or over the phone.
Provide basic info about who is traveling and travel plans, like name, age, location of trip, and travel expenses and costs like hotels or airfare.
Wait to be approved.
Create an online account for easy access while you travel. Some companies may have an app, too.
Enjoy your trip, and file a claim online or over the phone if needed.

When you’ve selected a travel insurance plan that meets your needs, the next step is to apply for travel insurance. You’ll need to provide the insurance company with some basic information about yourself and your travel plans, including your age, where you live, the date and location of your trip, and your total travel expenses, including things like flights and hotel stays.

Many insurance companies let you apply for a policy entirely online. When your application has been approved, you can typically manage your account online and add details about your trip. If you do need to file a claim, you can typically complete the process online.

Travel insurance may include many different benefits. Here’s a look at some common situations covered by many travel insurance plans:

Trip cancellation
Trip interruption
Missed connection
Baggage and possession loss, damage, and theft
Delayed luggage
Emergency medical treatment
Emergency medical evacuation
Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D)

Emergency medical treatment may include things like ambulance services, x-rays, doctor bills, dental work, lab work, and more. It'll depend on the travel insurance company, so be sure to ask before paying for the insurance and/or additional benefits.

There are additional specialty coverages as well, such as customized policies for cruises. It’s a good idea to shop around and compare before making a final decision.

What Does Travel Insurance Not Cover?

Just as homeowners insurance often excludes damage from things like earthquakes and floods, travel insurance has common exclusions you need to know about. Here are some types of coverage you may not get with travel insurance:

Weather-related cancellations and delays
Trip cancellations or changes due to acts of terrorism
Trip cancellations or changes due to a pandemic
Injuries from extreme sports and high-adventure activities

Though most policies have limits and exclusions around these circumstances, not all do. Some insurers on this list have special coverage for these exact causes or include them in standard plan terms. Again, this is why it’s so important to read your policy documents before paying for and locking in your policy.

Best Cancel-for-Any-Reason Travel Insurance

The best cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) travel insurance company is USI Affinity because it offers seven different insurance plans at the lowest premiums of all CFAR insurance companies we researched.

Travel insurance costs vary widely by coverage and insurer. You can expect to pay anywhere from a few dollars a day to more than $10 a day for short-term and single-trip coverage. The cost of your trip is another major factor in the insurance rate.

That means insurance for a single trip could cost anywhere from around $20 to hundreds of dollars. Annual policies cost around $500 per year for high levels of coverage.

There are many inexpensive travel insurance plans available, but most travelers are best protected with comprehensive coverage. It costs a bit more, but if you need to file a claim, you’ll be glad you have it.

Is Travel Insurance Worth the Cost?

If you pay a lot for a trip or vacation, then travel insurance should be worth the cost because you don't want to lose out on that investment. It won't always be necessary, but if travel insurance costs just a fraction of what you paid for the trip, then you'll be happy you had it if you have to cancel a trip worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. For example, if you book a European vacation worth $4,000 and your travel insurance costs just $400, it might be worth it so that if anything happens and you need to cancel, you still get $3,600 back in your pocket.

How Does Travel Insurance Work When You Cancel Your Trip?

When canceling your trip, you'll want to contact the travel insurance company right away. The policy and travel insurance company you selected will cover certain parts of your trip. It's important to review this policy and details to understand exactly what you need to do to get your money back for your trip.

Don't cancel your trip until you read your policy and know what is required for your claim.

For example, if you are ill and a doctor tells you not to travel, you may need to get a written note from the doctor and submit it with your trip cancellation claim.

Before you submit a claim and cancel your trip, consider if you can delay it and reschedule it instead. If you can't, then make sure you have all the required documents (receipts, proof of hotel booking, airline ticket confirmation, etc.). Once you submit your claim, it could take days (Allianz says up to 10 business days, sometimes) for you to receive notice that the claim was processed.

Frequently Asked Questions

In which countries is travel insurance required.

Travel insurance is not mandatory or required by all countries, but some do. For example, Cuba requires people traveling from the U.S. to Cuba to have non-U.S. medical insurance, which may be covered through travel insurance or an airline. Other countries that may require or strongly encourage travel insurance include Antarctica, Egypt, Chile, Turkey, and more. Check a country's specific travel requirements before booking your trip to understand if travel insurance is required.

Does Travel Insurance Really Pay?

Travel insurance might not be worth the cost for lower-cost trips and low-risk vacations. However, expensive international trips or large family vacations can make additional travel insurance a reasonable investment.

If you spend thousands of dollars on a trip, it is probably worth spending a couple of hundred more to make sure you get your money back if the trip doesn’t go as planned. If something goes wrong, which can lead to expenses valued at tens of thousands of dollars, it’s good to have a financial backstop so you don’t have to pay for everything out of pocket.

That said, you should check to see what coverage is already available to you through other venues. For instance, many credit cards cover the cost of lost or delayed luggage if you purchase your airfare using that card. Your primary health insurance may cover your medical insurance needs, especially for domestic travel.

Do I Need Travel Insurance for a Cruise?

Just as with any kind of trip, whether you need cruise insurance largely depends on the cost of the trip, and where you're going. If you're paying more than $1,000 for a cruise, travel insurance is probably worth it. For instance, you may want international medical insurance if you're traveling to other countries because some health insurance policies do not cover international travel—Medicare and Medicaid in particular.

Just be aware that if you buy cruise insurance (as opposed to a general travel insurance policy), it may not cover travel before and after the cruise, such as your flight to the port and any hotel expenses you may have pre- or post-trip.

Does State Farm Offer Travel Insurance?

State Farm does not offer travel insurance. State Farm offers car insurance, motorcycle insurance, boat insurance, motorhome insurance, off-road vehicle insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, condo insurance, life insurance, liability insurance, small business insurance, and more.

Can You Buy Travel Insurance After Booking a Flight?

Yes, you can book travel insurance after booking a flight. This may be a great time to book travel insurance because you'll know what coverage you need in case something happens and your trip is canceled. Signing up for travel insurance as soon as possible will always be your best bet.

Which Travel Insurance Is Best?

The best travel insurance company is Travelex because it offers comprehensive coverage at a relatively low price. Travelex has multiple plan options and family members younger than 21 are covered at no extra cost. Another perk is Travelex's Travel Select plan which has a 15-day pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. If you purchase your policy within 15 days of paying for your trip and insure the full cost of your trip, your pre-existing injury or illness is likely covered.

Does Travel Insurance Cover Canceled Flights?

Most travel insurance covers canceled flights, as well as delayed flights. If your flight is delayed by a certain number of hours, your travel insurance may reimburse you for the additional money you spent as a result of that delay or cancelation.

What Is the Best Rate for Travel Insurance?

The best rate for travel insurance will be whatever it costs for comprehensive coverage for your trip. While you can get travel insurance that costs just $10 per day, it may not come with the coverage you need for your trip—especially if it's an expensive trip or if you're worried it could be canceled or interrupted.

How We Found the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with this list of the top travel insurance providers, we looked at more than 30 different travel insurance companies and plans. Major areas of focus included coverage options, claim and policy limits, what’s covered, and typical insurance policy costs.

The biggest focus was on insurance coverage limits and what each policy covers. Cost is important, but a difference of $20 for much better coverage is often negligible. The most important features examined in this review are the ones that make your policy valuable and easy to use if you ever need it.

Your Guide to Travel Insurance

Do I Need Travel Insurance?
How to Get the Cheapest Travel Insurance
Best Travel Insurance Options for Older Adults
Best Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Travel Insurance
How Much Is Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance?
How to Buy Cancel for Any Reason Travel Insurance

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Allianz. " History of Allianz ."

AM Best " AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of BCS Financial Group Members ."

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InsureMyTrip. " About ."

World Nomads. " About World Nomads ."

World Nomads. " What's Covered for Americans? "

World Nomads. " Summary of Plan Benefits: Explorer Plan ."

AM Best. " AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Its Property/Casualty Subsidiaries; Affirms Credit Ratings of Life Affiliates ."

HTH Travel Insurance. " About Us ."

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Nationwide. " About Nationwide ."

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Nationwide. " Nationwide Annual Travel Insurance ."

Nationwide. " Cruise Travel Insurance ."

4 Ever Life. " About Us ."

AM Best. " AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of BCS Financial Group Members ."

GeoBlue. " Travel Medical Insurance Plans ."

Squaremouth Travel Insurance. " Emergency Medical ."

Allianz. " Trip Cancellation Checklist ."

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Travelex. " Trip Delay Coverage ."

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