HomepageInsuranceTravelThe Best International Travel Insurance Companies of 2021
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Elizabeth Rivelli
Last updated on Mar 09, 2021
Reviews Report
- IMG is Reviews.com’s top pick for the best international travel insurance, scoring 4.75 out of 5.
- The best international travel insurance providers have high medical, trip interruption, and personal baggage coverage limits.
- Remember that in some cases, home insurance will cover some travel hiccups, so research coverage options before you buy.
Booking an international trip is an investment. With travel insurance, that investment is protected against unexpected situations during your travels that could cost money. For instance, if you get sick before a trip and can’t travel, travel insurance will reimburse you for the cost.
International travel insurance policies should include coverage for trip cancellations, emergency medical needs, delayed transportation, and lost luggage. If you’ve pre-paid for activities or transportation during your trip, getting insurance is worth the cost. If something happens that’s out of your control, you won’t have to worry about losing money.
The 6 Best International Travel Insurance Companies
- John Hanco*ck: Best for Solo Travelers
- IMG: Best for Thrill Seekers
- APRIL International: Best for Group Travel
- TravelSafe Insurance: Best for Travel Flexibility
- Travel Insured: Best for Longer Trips
- Allianz Global Assistance: Best for Plan Options
John Hanco*ck
Best for Solo Travelers
Why we chose it
John Hanco*ck’s travel insurance offers three plans to choose from and are relatively low-cost compared to other competitors if you are buying coverage for just one person, as travelers under 18 years old are not included.
- 4.2 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
- A AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
- $50K–$250K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
- 90 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
Why we chose it
John Hanco*ck’s travel insurance offers three plans to choose from and are relatively low-cost compared to other competitors if you are buying coverage for just one person, as travelers under 18 years old are not included.
Pros
- High medical coverage limits
- Multiple plans to choose from
- Excellent customer service
Cons
- Kids not included
- No adventure sports coverage
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Add-ons & Coverage
- Trip cancellation: 100% of cost
- Cancel for any reason: 75% of cost
- Lost baggage: $750–$2,500
- Medical evacuation: $250K–$1M
- 24/7 emergency travel assistance
Plans
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
IMG
Best for Thrillseekers
Why we chose it
IMG’s iTravelInsured LX plan is designed for adventurous excursions. It has $500,000 in medical expenses and $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage. The policy also includes $10,000 for search and rescue, and another $50,000 for non-emergency evacuation.
- 4.75 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
- A AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
- $500K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
- 180 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
Why we chose it
IMG’s iTravelInsured LX plan is designed for adventurous excursions. It has $500,000 in medical expenses and $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage. The policy also includes $10,000 for search and rescue, and another $50,000 for non-emergency evacuation.
Pros
- Most variety of plans
- Tailored to adventure sports
- Cancel for any reason
Cons
- Few optional coverage options
- Higher cost than competitors
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Add-ons & Coverage
- Trip cancellation: 100% of cost
- Cancel for any reason: 75% of cost
- Lost baggage: $150–$2,500
- Medical evacuation: Up to $1M
- Sports equipment rental: $2,000
Plans
- Patriot Travel Medical Insurance
- Patriot America Plus
- Patriot Platinum Travel Medical Insurance
- iTravelInsured Travel Insurance Lite, SE, LX
- GlobeHopper Senior
- Patriot Multi-Trip Travel Medical Insurance
APRIL International
Best for Group Travel
Why we chose it
APRIL International is the company on our list to offer a group travel policy. If you’re traveling in a group of 10 or more as part of a program or event, it might be cheaper than purchasing 10 individual policies.
- 4.25 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
- NR AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
- $50K–$250K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
- 60–90 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
Why we chose it
APRIL International is the company on our list to offer a group travel policy. If you’re traveling in a group of 10 or more as part of a program or event, it might be cheaper than purchasing 10 individual policies.
Pros
- High coverage for trip delay
- Group travel policies available
- Cancel for any reason available
Cons
- Low trip cost coverage
- Sports equipment coverage not automatic
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Add-ons & Coverage
- Trip cancellation: 100% of cost
- Cancel for any reason: 75% of cost (only for Pandemic Plus plan)
- Trip interruption: 150%–175% of cost
- Medical evacuation: $500K (only for Pandemic Plus plan)
- Lost baggage: Up to $2,500
Plans
- APRIL Pandemic Plus
- APRIL Trip Cancellation
- APRIL Choice w/ Pre-Ex Waiver
- APRIL VIP
- APRIL Cruise
TravelSafe Insurance
Best for Travel Flexibility
Why we chose it
Of all our top picks, TravelSafe has the highest coverage for missed connections. If you were to miss your connecting flight, you would get up to $2,500 to help you book a new one. That can help take some of the anxiety out of coordinating and syncing up your flight schedules.
- 3.25 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
- NR AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
- $35K–$100K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
- 30 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
Why we chose it
Of all our top picks, TravelSafe has the highest coverage for missed connections. If you were to miss your connecting flight, you would get up to $2,500 to help you book a new one. That can help take some of the anxiety out of coordinating and syncing up your flight schedules.
Pros
- Missed connection coverage
Cons
- Limited itinerary change coverage
- Lower trip interruption coverage than competitors
Read More
Add-ons & Coverage
- Trip cancellation: $10K–$100K
- Cancel for any reason: 75% of cost (only for Classic plan)
- Trip interruption: 100%–150% of cost
- Medical evacuation: $100K–$1M
- Lost baggage: $100–$2,500
Plans
- Basic
- Classic
Travel Insured
Best for Longer Trips
Why we chose it
A typical Travel Insured International plan covers a trip length of up to 180 days. That’s good if you’re going to be spending a lot of time abroad. The only other provider to offer a longer trip length policy is Travelex, which falls just shy of a year.
- 4 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
- NR AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
- $10K–$100K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
- 180 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
Why we chose it
A typical Travel Insured International plan covers a trip length of up to 180 days. That’s good if you’re going to be spending a lot of time abroad. The only other provider to offer a longer trip length policy is Travelex, which falls just shy of a year.
Pros
- Itinerary change coverage
- Above average trip length coverage
- Lost miles and rewards reimbursem*nt
Cons
- Lower lost baggage coverage than competitors
- Lower than average medical coverage
Read More
Add-ons & Coverage
- Trip cancellation: 100% of cost
- Cancel for any reason: 75% of cost (only with World-wide Trip Protector Plus)
- Trip interruption: 100%–150% of cost
- Medical evacuation: $100K–$1M
- Lost baggage: $750–$1,000
- Optional cancel for work reasons
- Optional upgrades to double limits
Plans
- Basic
- Classic
Allianz Global Assistance
Best for Plan Options
Why we chose it
Of all the providers on our list, Allianz Global offers the most plan options by far. With Allianz Global, every traveler can find a policy that meets their specific needs based on the type of trip they’re taking and their budget.
- 3.4 Reviews Score Score is based on company’s customer experience, financial stability, and coverage options.
- A+ AM Best Rate AM Best rates insurance providers creditworthiness. Ratings are based on the provider’s ability to follow through with a payout when a consumer files a claim.
- $10K–$50K Medical Coverage Medical coverage is what the company will pay out to you if you were injured or ill on your trip and needed medical care abroad.
- 180 days Trip Length This is the maximum number of days the travel insurance company will cover your trip.
Why we chose it
Of all the providers on our list, Allianz Global offers the most plan options by far. With Allianz Global, every traveler can find a policy that meets their specific needs based on the type of trip they’re taking and their budget.
Pros
- Annual trips covered
- Lengthy single-trip plans
- Kids’ coverage is included
Cons
- Lower medical limits than competitors
- Limited coverage upgrades
- Lower cancellation and interruption coverage
Read More
Add-ons & Coverage
- Trip cancellation: $5K–$100K
- Trip interruption:$5K–$150K
- Lost baggage: $500–$2K
- 24-hour hotline assistance
Plans
- AllTrips Basic, Executive, Premier, and Prime
- OneTrip Prime, Basic, Premier, Emergency Medical, and Cancellation Plus
How to Find the Best International Travel Insurance
Buy sooner rather than later: Some travel insurance policies are time-sensitive, so we recommend purchasing insurance at the same time as your plane tickets, hotel rooms, and other expenses.
Also, if you plan to add “cancel for any reason” or “cancel for work reasons” coverage, it’s a good idea to buy those as soon as possible, too. You never know when something might arise that conflicts with your trip.
Consider your travel companions: The best policy for you depends on your trip and who you’re traveling with. If you’re traveling with kids, choose a company like Travelex that covers children under 18 for free.
You’ll also want to take the ages of adult travelers into account. When we compared travel insurance quotes, IMG hiked its prices up much more for older travelers (ages 45 to 65), while Travelex and John Hanco*ck tended to be a little more affordable. You can get quotes from several providers to see which one can give you the cheapest travel insurance policy.
Avoid paying for double coverage: Many travel insurance companies promote upgrades that overlap with coverage you already have. For example, they may offer to cover your home and belongings while you’re away, but most homeowners and renters policies already protect those things.
You may also see options like rental car insurance, but many credit cards have rental car damage waivers for international travel. Double-check your current insurance policies to make sure you don’t end up paying for duplicate coverage.
Travel Insurance FAQ
Methodology
We evaluated Provider or travel insurance providers based on coverage, number of plans, optional coverage, medical coverage limits, and AM Best ratings to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best travel insurance provider reviews. To compare travel insurance providers with other brands across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
- Essential Coverage: When comparing travel insurance providers, we considered essential coverage to be 24/7 assistance, trip cancellation/interruption, medical evacuation, and more. Providers with more points of essential coverage scored higher.
- Number of Plans: Flexibility and having options is important which is why Reviews.com awarded travel insurance providers with higher scores if they presented more plans.
- Add-on Coverage: Travel insurance providers with more optional coverage add-ons scored higher in this metric — higher flexibility and customization in travel insurance is an indicator of the best travel insurance companies.
- Medical Coverage Limit: We compared the medical coverage limits of the best travel insurance companies and awarded providers with higher scores if they had higher medical coverage limits.
- AM Best: Reviews.com utilized AM Best ratings to assign a score based on each home insurance company’s financial stability.
About the Authors
Elizabeth Rivelli Contributing Writer
Elizabeth Rivelli is an insurance writer for Reviews.com. Over the last year, she has covered insurance providers, best policies, industry trends and more. Elizabeth has been featured in The Simple Dollar, Bankrate and Coverage.com, among others. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. The Best Term Life Insurance Companies is Elizabeth’s favorite review on Reviews.com.
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