How to choose really good travel insurance (2026 guide)

Before travel became my job, I was clueless about travel insurance. I knew I had to have it, but I didn’t understand what it all meant or how to choose a good one. The single determining factor for me used to be price, but now I know better, and while price still matters, there are many other things to consider. I’ve fallen ill overseas, and thanks to my travel insurance, I was okay financially. I shudder to think what would have happened without it. You absolutely must have travel insurance when you travel. Here are my top tips on choosing a good policy, plus a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Planning your trip?
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Hotels, I use Agoda
Insurance: Cover-More
Rentals: Discover Cars
RVs: Motorhome Republic
Transfers: Welcome Pickups
Travel eSIM: Simify

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Consider an annual policy

I’m hitting you with a pro tip right out of the gates. I used to purchase a single policy each time I travelled until I discovered the magical world of annual travel insurance policies. With an annual policy, you’re covered for every trip you take more than 100km from home, and you save money in the long run. My current policy checks all the essential boxes I outlined below. If you travel a lot, an annual policy could be a good option for you.

Be very clear on what’s covered

Before you buy a policy, you must understand what’s covered. It’s also important that the policy you choose covers you for the essentials you may need. Here are my tips on what to look for in a good travel insurance policy:

• Unlimited or high coverage limit on medical expenses (Do not underestimate how quickly medical bills can rack up)
• Any existing medical conditions you may have are covered
• Emergency medical evacuation by road or air and repatriation to your home country
• Additional expenses due to events like death, sudden illness or injury, weather events, natural disasters, riot or strike
• Cancellation costs to cover you for financial loss due to an unforeseen cancellation
• Covers you for most countries in the world (they will never cover places like Somalia)
• Offers worldwide, 24/7 emergency assistance (trust me, this is important)
• Covers lost, damaged or stolen personal possessions like cameras, luggage, jewellery (be sure to check the amount of cover and make sure it’s enough)
• Covers your electronics (don’t just assume it does, be certain). You may increase the amount of coverage if you travel with more electronics

Pro Tip: If you’re travelling while pregnant, you need to be certain of what’s covered as a lot of insurers will not cover childbirth overseas, premature or otherwise. It’s also likely they won’t cover you for any complications that arise during your pregnancy. This mostly applies to women past the 26-week mark and, in the case of twins, 19 weeks. Speak to your doctor before you set off for a babymoon and if it isn’t going to work to go abroad, have your vacay closer to home.

Be very clear about what’s not!

There are some things travel insurers just won’t cover, so you need to be very clear on what these are so you can avoid those situations and/or understand the risks if you choose to do them anyway. Here are a few examples of what may not be covered, even if you have a policy in place:

• Accidents that happen when you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Accidents that happen when you’re taking crazy risks, like jumping between hotel balconies
• Your personal possessions are stolen while left unattended in a public place, like the beach or a cafe
• Injuries sustained while riding a scooter in a foreign country, potentially illegally, as you don’t have an international license
• High-risk activities like ice hockey, parachuting, hang gliding, ice climbing and skydiving, just to name a few
• If you choose to visit a destination with a DO NOT TRAVEL warning, coverage is almost certainly void. Always check the Smartraveller website before you book, as advisory levels can shift quickly. Parts of the Middle East, for example, have seen advisory changes as recently as mid-2026, which directly affect what your insurer will and won’t pay out.
• Injuries sustained during a period of civil unrest that could have reasonably been avoided (don’t join in the coup)
• Any nasty STDs you catch out there in the big bad world – practice safe sex, people!

Pro Tip: Before you leave home, take a photograph inventory of all the things you’re taking with you. Photograph each item and, if you have them, take photos of the receipts to verify your purchases too. Upload all the photographs and copies of your receipts for hotels, flights etc somewhere online, like Dropbox. That way, if things get lost or stolen and you need to make a claim, you can easily verify you purchased the items and had them with you.

Keep your wits about you…

Insurance is a big industry, and whenever there’s money involved, there’s always someone trying to get their cut. Here are a few things to look out for when dealing with travel insurance:

• Don’t automatically purchase bag insurance when booking flights, as it may already be covered by your travel insurance policy (check before buying!)
• Don’t buy insurance from a travel agent, as they make crazy commissions!
• Instead, buy your policy directly from the insurer you want to go with
• Don’t assume two insurers offer a policy with a specific company offering the same policy – always read the fine print
• Be sure you fully understand the sub-limits in each section of your coverage (i.e. is your laptop only covered for $500 under your $10,000 cover for stolen electronics?)

Things worth knowing since COVID

A few things have shifted in the travel insurance landscape that are worth knowing before you buy. Premiums have risen noticeably over the past couple of years, so it pays to compare policies rather than automatically renewing what you had last year. The gap between a basic and a comprehensive policy has widened, and the cheaper end of the market has stripped back a lot of what used to be standard.

If you’re heading to Japan for skiing or snowboarding, check your policy carefully. Snow sports are increasingly popular and increasingly excluded from standard cover. Off-piste skiing and backcountry riding in particular often require a specific add-on, and a helicopter evacuation from a remote mountain can cost more than most people earn in a year.

Cruise travel is another area where standard policies often fall short. Ships operate under maritime law, which means medical costs on board are not subject to the same price caps as land-based hospitals. If you’re cruising, make sure your policy includes specific cruise cover rather than just general medical.

On the upside, most major insurers now let you manage your policy, submit claims and upload documents through a mobile app. If you do need to make a claim, the process is faster and easier than it used to be. That said, the fundamentals haven’t changed: read the product disclosure statement before you buy, understand your sub-limits and don’t assume anything is covered unless it says so in writing.

Final thoughts

I want to end with this: everything I’ve written here is based on my thoughts, opinions, and experiences. As with anything, you must take the time to research and make sure you’re choosing a policy that’s right for you. I’ve made claims on my annual policy a few times and had no problems. It’s up to you which company meets your needs and works for your circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need travel insurance for every trip?
Technically no, but practically yes. Even a short trip can result in a medical emergency, a cancelled flight or lost luggage. The cost of a single hospital stay overseas can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. Travel insurance is one of those things you hope you never need to use, but you’ll be very glad you have it if something goes wrong.

What does travel insurance typically not cover?
Most policies exclude incidents involving alcohol or drugs, pre-existing medical conditions (unless declared and approved), high-risk activities without the right add-on, and destinations with active DO NOT TRAVEL advisories from the Australian government. Always read the product disclosure statement before you buy.

Is an annual policy worth it?
If you travel more than twice a year, almost certainly yes. Annual policies cover every trip over 100km from home and tend to work out cheaper than buying separate single-trip policies each time. They also remove the risk of forgetting to buy cover before you leave.

Does my credit card travel insurance count?
Sometimes, but credit card policies tend to have lower limits, more exclusions and stricter eligibility requirements than standalone policies. Check the fine print carefully and compare it against a dedicated policy before assuming you’re covered.

What should I look for in a good travel insurance policy?
Unlimited or high-limit medical cover, emergency evacuation and repatriation, cover for cancellation and additional expenses, 24/7 worldwide emergency assistance, and clear coverage for your electronics and personal belongings. If you’re doing adventure activities, make sure those are included too.

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