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Travel Insurance
Mandy Sleight
Mandy Sleight
Verified by an expert
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
Heidi Gollub
Heidi Gollub
Verified by an expert
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Published 5:00 a.m. UTC Dec. 4, 2023
Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy.
Best for traveling with kids
Travelex
Blueprint Rating
Via Squaremouth's website
Top-scoring plan
Travel Select
Medical limit per person
$50,000 primary coverage
Medical evacuation limit per person
$500,000
What you should know
If you’re traveling with children age 17 or younger, you’ll appreciate not having to pay extra for their coverage when you buy a Travel Select plan from Travelex Insurance Services.
Pros
- Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
- Robust travel delay coverage of $2,000 per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
- Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
Cons
- Low emergency medical coverage of $50,000 per person.
- Non-medical evacuation is not included.
- Low baggage delay coverage of $200 requires a 12-hour delay.
Travelex overview
Travelex Insurance Services has been providing travel insurance in the U.S. for more than 25 years. Based in Omaha, Travelex became a part of the Cover-More Group in 2016. Cover-More is Australia’s largest provider of travel insurance, medical assistance and employee assistance.
Travelex insurance coverages
Travelex offers three travel insurance plans for domestic and international trips. Here are a few key benefits included with Travelex travel insurance plans.
- Trip cancellation: Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses if you cancel a trip for a reason listed in your policy.
- Trip delay: Once your trip is underway, trip delay insurance reimburses you for extra costs you incur for a covered delay, such as a meal and an overnight hotel stay if you have an unexpected overnight layover. It can also reimburse you for money you lose in prepayments if the delay causes you to arrive late at your destination.
- Travel interruption: This coverage can pay for a last-minute flight home and reimburse you for lost prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you need to cut your trip short for a covered reason such as a death in the family.
- Travel medical insurance: If you become sick or injured on your trip, travel medical insurance can pay for your emergency medical expenses such as a doctor visit or hospital stay. This includes Travelex COVID insurance coverage if you, someone traveling with you, a family member or business partner tests positive before or during your trip.
- Emergency medical evacuation: If you need transportation to the nearest adequate medical facilty during your trip, emergency medical evacuation insurance pays for medevac costs.
- Baggage insurance: This coverage reimburses you for the depreciated value of your bags and belongings if they are lost, stolen or damaged. Baggage delay coverage can also help, if your bags arrive late. This can reimburse you for small items you need to buy while you wait for your baggage.
- Travel assistance services: If you need medical or travel help, the emergency global assistance team is available around the clock.
Travelex Travel Basic plan
This budget-friendly plan provides basic protection for a variety of unforeseen circ*mstances that could derail your trip. It is an ideal plan for backpackers, students and small groups who want basic coverage without breaking the bank. Benefits include trip delay, trip interruption, trip cancellation, primary medical coverage with no deductibles, emergency evacuation, emergency medical insurance and baggage coverage.
The Travel Basic plan includes coverage for trip cancellation due to financial default and cancellation for business reasons. “Cancel for any reason” coverage is not available with the Travel Basic plan.
While the Travel Basic does not provide a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver for any medical condition, it only has a 60 day look back period for pre-existing medical conditions from the effective date of your plan.
Travelex Travel Select plan
The Travel Select plan was designed for families, adventurers and international travelers who are interested in an extra level of security. This more comprehensive coverage offers customizable upgrades to help you tailor your travel insurance plan to suit your needs.
In addition to the benefits offered in the basic plan, the select plan includes travel insurance for children 17 and under, when accompanied by a covered adult, at no extra charge. It also offers coverage for work-related cancellations or interruptions and for pre-existing medical conditions if purchased within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
With the Travel Select plan, you can customize your plan by adding adventure sports coverage, additional medical coverage, AD&D common carrier coverage and car rental collision coverage.
You also have the option to purchase “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage which will cover up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable payments or deposits (maximum of $7,500) as long as you cancel your trip at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure date.
Travelex Travel America plan
The Travel America plan covers you and up to seven traveling companions for trips made within the United States.
This plan is limited to U.S.-based trips of 14 days ore less that are at least 100 miles away from your residence. It’s is an affordable travel insurane option for road trips, short domestic trips or long weekend getaways.
The Travel America plan also includes $1,000 in emergency pet medical expenses and $10,000 in “pet return” coverage which helps pay for your pet’s transportation cost if you get sick or injured during your trip and are unable to travel.
| Benefit | Travel Basic | Travel Select | Travel America |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | 100% of insured trip cost | 100% of insured trip cost | 100% of trip cost up to $750 |
| Trip interruption | 100% of insured trip cost | 150% of insured trip cost | 150% of trip cost up to $1,125 |
| Emergency medical expense per person | $15,000(primary) | $50,000(primary) | $50,000(secondary) |
| Emergency medical evacuation per person | $100,000 | $500,000 | $250,000 |
| Trip delay per person(minimum 5 hours) | $500 ($250/day) | $2,000 ($250/day) | $2,000 |
| Missed connection per person | $500 | $750 | $2,000 |
| Baggage delay per person(minimum 12 hours) | $100 | $200 | $1,000 |
| Sporting equipment delay | No | $200 | $2,000 |
| AD&D per person | $10,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Kids included pricing | No | Yes | Coverage shared between insured and up to 7 traveling companions |
| Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available | No | Yes | Yes |
What Travelex doesn't cover
Like all travel insurance plans, Travelex does not cover everything. Here are some examples of exclusions to Travelex travel insurance plans:
- Certain high-risk travel destinations, such as Israel, Palestinian territories including the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
- Claims arising as a result of intoxication from drugs or alcohol.
- Events that were foreseeable.
- Pre-existing medical conditions (unless you qualify for an exclusion waiver).
- Normal pregnancy or childbirth.
- Experimental medical treatments.
- Routine physical examinations.
Travelex travel insurance rates
How much you pay for Travelex travel insurance will depend on your age, travel destination, length and cost of your trip trip and any add-ons you buy, such as “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. Here are some example rates for the Travelex Travel Select plan.
| Sample trip | Travel Select plan cost |
|---|---|
| Two travelers age 30Mexico for 8 days$3,000 trip | $124 |
| Two travelers age 40Italy for 17 days$6,000 trip | $360 |
| Two travelers age 70Mexico for 8 days$3,000 trip | $376 |
| Four travelers age 40, 40, 10 and 7 Italy for 17 days$15,000 trip | $462 |
| Two travelers age 65Italy for 17 days $6,000 trip | $492 |
Travelex insurance add-ons and benefits
Travelex offers several optional add-ons to help you customize your travel insurance.
- Accidental death and dismemberment upgrade: Covers up to $200,000 for a loss of life, limbs or sight if it occurs from an accidental injury while on a common carrier aircraft.
- Car rental collision: Covers up to $35,000 for collision, vandalism, windstorm, hail, fire or flood damage to your rental car.
- Additional medical coverage: Increases medical expenses coverage by $50,000 per person and medical evacuation coverage by $500,000 per person.
- Adventure sports coverage: Covers certain athletic and adventure activities such as mountain climbing, sightseeing by helicopter, and learning to fly.
Methodology
Our insurance experts reviewed 42 aspects of 53 policies to find the best travel insurance plans. We used data provided by Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider. For companies offering more than one travel insurance plan, we shared information about the highest-scoring plan (or two, in case of a tie).
Some companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans which scored the highest, so make sure to get travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.
The factors we scored out of a possible 100 points include the following.
Cost: 30 points. We scored the average cost for each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles:
- Couple, age 30 for an 8-day trip to Mexico costing $3,000.
- Couple, age 30 for an 8-day trip to Mexico costing $3,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Couple, age 40, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000.
- Couple, age 40, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Family of four, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $15,000.
- Family of four, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $15,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Couple, age 65, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000.
- Couple, age 65, for a 17-day trip to Italy costing $6,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
- Couple, age 70, for an 8-day trip to Mexico trip costing $3,000.
- Couple, age 70, for an 8-day trip to Mexico trip costing $3,000, with CFAR coverage upgrade.
Medical expenses: 15 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with travel medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 15 points.
Medical evacuation: 15 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 15 points.
“Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave travel insurance plans with the option of a “cancel for any reason” upgrade 5 points.
Trip interruption travel insurance: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance plans that offer trip interruption reimbursem*nt of 150% or more.
Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in at 6 hours or less.
Baggage delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with baggage delay benefits that kick in at 12 hours or less.
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 5 points. We gave policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if purchased within a required timeline 5 points.
Non-medical evacuation: 5 points. If a policy provides coverage for non-medical evacuation, such as for political or security reasons, we gave it 5 points.
Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
Employment layoff: 5 points. Travel insurance policies that allow you to cancel your trip because of layoff at a company where you have worked for one continuous year were scored 5 points. If a plan requires that you had the job for more than a year to qualify, no points were given.
Travelex travel insurance FAQs
Yes, Travelex insurance offers flight insurance plans with coverage for missed connections, baggage delay and loss, emergency medical expense and emergency evacuation.
For more comprehensive benefits, consider Travelex travel insurance plans. These include coverage for trip cancellation, trip delay and trip interruption, have higher coverage limits and offer customization through add-ons and upgrades.
Yes, the Travelex Travel Select plan offers an optional upgrade to “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. With CFAR, you can cancel your trip for any reason — not just those listed in your policy — and Travelex will reimburse you up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses (up to $7,500 for a $10,000 trip). You’ll need to cancel your trip at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure, however, so this coverage will not help if you want to cancel at the last minute.
Yes, Travelex makes our rating of the best travel insurance companies. Its Travel Select plan provides free coverage for children age 17 and under (when accompanied by an adult covered by the policy) and offers upgrades such as adventure sports and “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. You can also get a pre-existing medical conditions exclusion waiver with this plan, if conditions are met.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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Jennifer Simonson covers everything from business to the wine industry to international travel. Outdoor adventure, water parks and all things Texas are by far her favorite beats. Her work has appeared in Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Texas Monthly, Smithsonian Magazine, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Slate and more. You can follow her on Instagram at @storiestoldwell.
BLUEPRINT
Mandy is an insurance writer who has been creating online content since 2018. Before becoming a full-time freelance writer, Mandy spent 15 years working as an insurance agent. Her work has been published in Bankrate, MoneyGeek, The Insurance Bulletin, U.S. News and more.
BLUEPRINT
Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.
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