4 Best Annual Travel Insurance Options in 2024 - NerdWallet (2024)

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If you’re a frequent traveler, annual travel insurance may be something you’ve been considering. Unlike single-trip insurance, annual travel insurance plans can cover you for an entire year, no matter how often you’re on the road.

Let’s look at the best yearly travel insurance companies, why we choose them and the coverage you can expect.

Factors we considered when picking travel insurance companies

We used the following criteria when choosing which companies we thought were best:

  • Cost. Annual plans can be expensive — depending on the type of coverage you choose — so we wanted ensure that they stayed affordable.

  • Types of coverage. Travel insurance for annual travelers can be limited in its coverage. We picked the ones with the broadest range of coverage for possible travel disruptions.

  • Coverage amounts. Annual trip insurance isn’t worth much if your limits are too low. Instead, we wanted plans with reasonable coverage amounts.

  • Customizability. If your travels take you to different places, you’ll want the ability to customize your plan. The best annual travel insurance plans can provide this.

» Learn more: What does travel insurance cover?

An overview of the best annual travel insurance

We gathered quotes from various travel insurance companies to determine the best annual travel insurance policies. In these examples, we used a year-long trip by a 22-year-old from Alabama. We indicated the main countries of travel as France and Malaysia, and when asked, put the total trip costs at $6,000.

The average cost for an annual travel insurance plan came out to $220. The plans ranged from $138-$386.

Basic coverage cost

Recommended for

Allianz Travel

$138.

Health care and rental car coverage. It’s the only plan that includes both.

Seven Corners

$386.

Good coverage for pre-existing conditions.

IMG

$200 (Requires personal health insurance).

Affordable high-end health insurance.

Trawick International

$155.

Travel insurance benefits, such as trip cancellation and interruption.

Let’s take a closer look at our top recommendations for annual travel insurance.

4 Best Annual Travel Insurance Options in 2024 - NerdWallet (1)

1. Allianz Travel

What makes Allianz travel insurance great:

  • Lower than average cost.

  • Provides health care and travel insurance benefits.

  • Includes rental car insurance up to $45,000.

Here’s a snippet from our Allianz Travel insurance review:

“AllTrips Basic (annual plan) is suitable for those who would like emergency medical coverage while abroad but don't need trip cancellation and interruption benefits. The AllTrips Prime, Executive and Premier plans provide an entire year of comprehensive travel insurance benefits.

The Executive and Premier plans offer various levels of trip cancellation and interruption benefits. The Executive plan is specifically designed for business travelers since it offers protection for business equipment.”

2. Seven Corners

What makes Seven Corners great:

  • Offers up to $20,000 for acute coverage of pre-existing conditions.

  • Includes up to $1 million for emergency medical evacuation.

  • Optional add-on for adventure sport activities.

  • $0 deductible available.

Here’s a snippet from our Seven Corners review:

“Seven Corners offers one annual policy called Travel Medical Annual Multi-Trip. The policy can be customized depending on how long you plan to be away from home for any one trip. You can travel as much as you like during the 364 days, so long as any one trip doesn’t exceed the option selected — 30, 45 or 60 days.”

4 Best Annual Travel Insurance Options in 2024 - NerdWallet (3)

3. IMG

What makes IMG great:

  • Good customizability with medical evacuations and sports coverage.

  • Low $250 deductible.

  • Includes coverage for semi-private hospital rooms.

Here’s a snippet from our IMG review:

“Some policies provide emergency medical evacuation coverage, while others skip this benefit entirely. This benefit may be more important to you if you travel to a remote location or engage in physical activity such as trekking.

More comprehensive plans may include other benefits such as assistance with acquiring a new passport, reimbursing reward mile redeposit fees or coverage for pre-existing conditions. If these are something you’re interested in, be sure to check that your policy includes these options.”

4 Best Annual Travel Insurance Options in 2024 - NerdWallet (4)

4. Trawick International

What makes Trawick International great:

  • 100% coverage for trip cancellation and trip interruption.

  • Emergency medical evacuation included.

  • Trip delay reimbursem*nt coverage.

Here’s a snippet from our Trawick International review:

“Trawick International is a comprehensive travel insurance provider that offers trip delay and cancellation insurance, baggage delay coverage, medical coverage and medical evacuation, rental car damage protection, and even COVID-19 coverage among its various policies.

Trawick covers trips for worldwide destinations, including for foreign nationals coming to the U.S.”

What does travel insurance cover?

You’ll find a wide variety of coverage types offered by travel insurance policies. This is true whether you're purchasing a single-trip or annual travel insurance plan. Here are some common types you can expect to find:

Common types of travel insurance

  • Accidental death insurance.

  • Baggage delay and lost luggage insurance.

  • Cancel for Any Reason insurance.

  • Emergency evacuation insurance.

  • Medical insurance.

  • Rental car insurance.

  • Trip cancellation insurance.

  • Trip interruption insurance.

How to choose the best annual travel insurance policy

While we’ve highlighted some of the best annual travel insurance companies, the truth is that the best plan for you isn’t going to be the best plan for someone else. If you’re interested in buying annual travel insurance, you’ll want to collect a variety of quotes to see which policy best fits your needs.

This may mean opting for a plan that covers pre-existing conditions or one that specifically includes high-risk activities. Or, if you’re in a country where health care is notoriously expensive, you may want to choose a policy with higher maximums.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Many credit cards come with complimentary travel insurance.

Whatever the case, do your research first and review all the plan details before making your purchase.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

If you want to buy annual travel insurance

Annual travel insurance can be a great option if you’re often out of town. With such a wide range of policies available, selecting a plan that fits your needs is easy. We’ve done some of the work for you by choosing the best annual travel insurance companies, all of which made the top of the list for their cost, customizability, types of coverage and plan maximums.

Frequently asked questions

How much does annual trip insurance cost?

Like any travel insurance policy, the cost of your plan is going to vary. Factors that may affect the cost of your annual travel insurance include your age, where you’re going, how long you’ll be traveling, your policy maximums and whether preexisting conditions are included.

Can I buy travel insurance for the year?

Although not all travel insurance providers offer annual travel insurance, many of them do. We’ve gathered together the five best, including Allianz Travel, World Nomads, Seven Corners, IMG and Trawick International.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

  • Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

  • No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

  • Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

  • Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

  • Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

  • Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

4 Best Annual Travel Insurance Options in 2024 - NerdWallet (2024)

FAQs

What is the best yearly travel insurance? ›

The 5 Best Annual Travel Insurance Plans
  • Seven Corners: Trip Protection Annual Multi-Trip.
  • Trawick International: Safe Travels Annual Basic.
  • International Medical Group (IMG): Patriot Multi-Trip Travel Medical.
  • Allianz Travel Insurance: AllTrips Premier.
  • AIG Travel Guard: Annual Plan.

What are the best travel medical insurance companies? ›

  • AAA Travel Insurance.
  • AIG Travel Insurance.
  • Allianz Travel Insurance.
  • AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance.
  • Battleface Travel Insurance.
  • Berkshire Hathaway Travel Insurance.
  • Cat 70 Travel Insurance.
  • Faye Travel Insurance.
May 21, 2024

Is it better to get single trip or annual travel insurance? ›

Is annual travel insurance cheaper than single trip cover? This will depend on how many trips you make per year. If you know you will only go on one or two holidays abroad in a 12-month period, a single trip policy will most likely be the best option.

What is the recommended amount of travel insurance? ›

Every plan is different, but the coverage amounts and benefits may vary. Determine how much you really need. For example, SquareMouth recommends international travelers get around $50,000 in Emergency Medical coverage and $100,000 for cruises or travel to remote areas.

What is a good rate for travel insurance? ›

The average cost of travel insurance is about 3% to 5% of a trip's total value, according to quotes gathered by our research team across different travel insurance providers for various traveler profiles.

Is Travel Guard or Allianz better? ›

Allianz Global Assistance Travel Insurance has a higher overall rating than AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance. Allianz Global Assistance scores better than Travel Guard Insurance across: Coverage, Extra Benefits, Financial Strength, and Price & Reputation.

What company is best for travel insurance? ›

What is the best travel insurance in 2024?
  • Just Travel Cover. Save 12% Today with Code MONEY12. ...
  • Saga. Single trip cancellation up to £15,000, depending on your cover level. ...
  • Post Office. ...
  • Oasis Travel. ...
  • Covered2Go. ...
  • LV= ...
  • TravelTime. ...
  • Allianz Assistance Gold Cover.

What is the most common type of travel insurance? ›

Over 94% of travel insurance sales are Vacation Plans

Vacation plans include coverage for: Canceled trips. Interrupted trips. Medical emergencies.

What does travel insurance not cover? ›

Most travel insurance policies won't pay out if you're negligent while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and have an accident or have property stolen.

What are two disadvantages travel insurance? ›

Cost: Travel insurance will add to the overall cost of your trip. Some may choose to forgo it to save money, especially on shorter or less expensive trips. Exclusions and Limitations: Policies may have various exclusions and limitations, so it's essential to read the fine print.

How many days before should you buy travel insurance? ›

If you're wondering when you should buy travel insurance, the simple answer is as soon as possible. Ideally, you'll buy coverage no later than 15 days prior to your trip.

Is it better to buy travel insurance early or late? ›

It's smart to buy travel insurance immediately after booking for two reasons. One: You won't forget! Far too many travelers postpone buying travel insurance and then realize, too late, that they forgot to buy it at all. And two: The earlier you buy insurance, the bigger your coverage window.

How much travel insurance do I need for Europe? ›

A comprehensive travel policy with at least $50,000 in medical coverage is recommended when traveling to Europe or any country where you don't have health insurance. Travel medical insurance will cover expenses related to an unexpected injury or illness.

How much emergency medical should I have for travel insurance? ›

How much travel medical insurance do you need? Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends buying at least $50,000 in emergency medical coverage for international travel. For travelers going on a cruise or to a remote destination, the site recommends at least $100,000 in coverage.

Does travel insurance cover 100%? ›

If all conditions are met, most of the policies will reimburse you 50% to 75% of your trip costs, unless otherwise noted.

Can I buy travel insurance for a year? ›

Instead, an annual travel insurance plan covers an entire year of trips. These plans can save you money even if you only travel two or three times a year. One of the major benefits is that you'll know you're covered — so it's one less thing to think about as you're planning your trip.

Is premium travel insurance worth it? ›

Insurance protects your nonrefundable vacation investment if the unexpected occurs. But is travel insurance worth it? The answer will depend on whether your trip is refundable, where you're going, whether you'll have health coverage at your destination and how much coverage you already get from your credit card.

Does travel insurance get more expensive closer to travel date? ›

Unlike other aspects of your travel experience like airfares or hotel-room rates, the price of travel insurance doesn't increase the closer you get to your travel date. There's no financial penalty if you wait to buy travel insurance (except for those bonus coverages, of course).

How much does long term travel insurance cost? ›

To compare prices and coverage levels, we looked at quotes for a one-year policy for a 35-year-old traveler based in California. If a company offered more than one tier of travel insurance, we went with their entry-level option. On average, the price of a policy offered by the listed companies was about $171. $138.

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