| Name | Logo | Excess | Baggage | Cancellation | GMG Rating | CTA | Feature | Expand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Excess £0 – £129 | Baggage £300 – £5,000 | Cancellation £500 – £10,000 | GMG Rating | Regulation:
| Staysure Travel Insurance: Trusted cover for older travellers, golfers and everyone else Provider: Staysure Verdict: Staysure is a UK-based travel insurer specialising in policies for older travellers and people with pre-existing medical conditions. It offers flexible cover levels, generous medical protection, and responsive 24/7 emergency support. Is Staysure a good travel insurance? By most expert and consumer reviews: yes, for many use cases. It’s highly regarded especially for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions or older customers, and its claims acceptance rates are in line with or slightly better than the market average. Pricing & Value Staysure’s pricing is competitive, especially for travellers who need cover for pre-existing medical conditions or who are over 65, where many rivals charge much more or decline cover altogether. Its three main policy tiers — Basic, Comprehensive and Signature — span a wide price range, with the cheapest providing very limited cancellation and baggage cover, and the Signature tier offering premium protection. Value for money is strong if you choose the right level for your trip, but people who buy the Basic tier sometimes find gaps in cover they assumed were included. Multi-trip discounts can make annual policies good value for frequent travellers. Cover & Benefits Staysure stands out for the breadth of its cover. It includes emergency medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, lost or delayed baggage, and travel disruption as standard on most policies. It also offers a wide selection of optional add-ons, including winter sports, cruises, gadget cover, car hire excess cover, and cover for business equipment. The Signature policy has higher cancellation limits, zero excess on some claims, and more generous baggage protection, making it suitable for complex or expensive trips. Its willingness to cover hundreds of pre-existing medical conditions (after screening) and having no upper age limit makes it unique among mainstream UK providers. Claims Handling Staysure’s claims process is relatively straightforward, with most claims handled online or via email and a 24/7 emergency helpline for medical issues abroad. Industry sources suggest its underwriter (Great Lakes Insurance) pays out the majority of valid claims, broadly in line with or slightly above the market average. Most customer feedback about emergency assistance is positive, though a minority of users report delays or paperwork-heavy processes when dealing with complex overseas medical bills that involve multiple providers or hospitals. Customer Support Customer service is generally well reviewed. Staysure offers support via phone, live chat, and email, and has an extensive online FAQ and “My Staysure” account area for managing policies and documents. Response times are good, and staff are praised for being clear and supportive during medical emergencies. One downside is that making changes by phone can incur admin fees, whereas using the online account is usually free — this can be inconvenient for less tech-savvy customers. Pros
Cons
Overall4.5 | ||
 | Excess £500 – £5k | Baggage £50 – £150 | Cancellation £7,500 | GMG Rating | Regulation:
| Huddle Travel Insurance: Flexible, modern cover & simple policies online Provider: Huddle Insurance Verdict: Huddle offers straightforward single-trip and annual multi-trip travel insurance policies to UK customers. It takes a digital-first approach, making it easy to get quotes, buy cover, and manage policies entirely online. Is Huddle travel insurance any good? Yes, overall, Huddle travel insurance is a good option for many travellers, especially those who want simplicity, good value, and manage everything online. But—as with all insurance—it has trade-offs depending on what your specific needs are. Pricing & Value Huddle’s main strength is its pricing simplicity. Its policies are competitively priced for standard leisure travellers and those looking for essential protection without unnecessary extras. You can choose between single-trip and annual multi-trip policies, and add optional extras depending on your trip, which helps avoid paying for cover you don’t need. For typical holidays, Huddle can work out cheaper than many legacy brands. However, travellers with higher-risk needs — such as adventure sports, long trips, or expensive belongings — may find they need to upgrade cover or pay higher excesses, which can reduce value. Cover & Benefits Huddle provides flexible core cover including medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment, and baggage cover, which can be adjusted by trip type. This makes it well-suited to travellers who want basic but reliable protection. It also offers optional extras you can bolt on at checkout, giving a degree of flexibility, but it is not designed to cover niche or complex needs. Unlike some traditional providers, it does not heavily promote cover for pre-existing medical conditions or extreme sports, so people with more unusual risks should carefully read the policy wording before buying. Claims Handling Huddle’s claims process is fully digital — you can start and track claims online via its support portal, which is convenient for straightforward issues. However, there is limited independent data available on how quickly or fairly it pays out more complex claims, such as large overseas medical bills or travel disruption involving multiple providers. Customer feedback on the process is generally positive for simple claims, but the lack of transparency on hard metrics makes this area harder to assess than more established insurers. Customer Support Huddle focuses on being user-friendly and accessible online. Its website is clear, policy documents are straightforward, and its support centre gives quick access to FAQs, claims, and contact options. This approach works well for confident digital users who want to manage everything on their phone or laptop. However, the absence of extensive call centre infrastructure or visible 24/7 phone support could be a drawback in medical emergencies abroad where fast human help is crucial. Pros
Cons
Overall4 |
What is travel insurance?
Travel insurance covers the cost of unforeseen events when you travel overseas or in the UK, such as having to cancel your trip, losing your baggage or other possessions, missing your flight or becoming legally liable for injury to others or damage to property.
It also covers the cost of any medical treatment you need if you become ill or get injured while you are away – although this would be covered by the NHS in the UK and at least partially if you still have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or the new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and you’re travelling to the EU – and if you need to be brought back to the UK or closer to home.
You can take it out for yourself, for you and your partner, for your family or for a group you’re travelling with.
How much does travel insurance cost?
Most travel insurance premiums cost between 4% and 10% of the total trip price. For a £3,000 holiday, you can expect to pay around £120 to £300. On average, plans cost roughly 5% of the trip cost, though this percentage drops for more expensive trips. Industry data shows the average premium works out at around £300, or approximately £21 per day. Basic policies can start from about £100, while comprehensive cover tends to average closer to £160.
While travel insurance adds to your upfront costs, it can save you thousands if something goes wrong. A medical emergency abroad can easily run into tens of thousands of pounds, but would be covered by a policy costing only a fraction of that.
It can also reimburse you for non-refundable trip expenses, baggage loss, or cancellation costs. In short, spending a little on insurance can prevent major financial losses and offer peace of mind.
How does travel insurance work?
You either pay a travel insurer to cover you for a single trip or for the whole year, during which you can make multiple trips. You can also take out a ‘backpacking’ policy for a longer trip of up to 18 months. Policies cover just Europe, the whole world, or the world excluding the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
If something goes wrong when you are away you’ll need to contact your insurer to make a claim. There may be deadlines involved. For example, if your possessions are stolen you’ll need to report it to the police within 24 hours and get a written report from them.
If you need medical treatment abroad you’ll need to contact your insurer before you have it to make sure it will be covered.
You can pay more to add winter or extreme sports, cruise or business cover and for extra gadget cover, as there will usually be a limit to what’s covered as standard.
What does travel insurance cover?
Travel insurance typically covers four main areas of risk:
Note: Some policies also include extras such as rental car excess cover, winter sports protection, or cover for adventurous activities. Always check the exclusions for things like pre-existing conditions or risky sports often need specialist add-ons.
Do you need travel insurance?
You’re not legally required to have travel insurance, but it’s one of the smartest financial safeguards you can buy before a trip.
Without travel insurance, you’d have to pay out of pocket for medical emergencies, which can be eye-wateringly expensive. A hospital stay in the US, for example, can exceed £10,000 per day, while emergency repatriation to the UK can cost upwards of £30,000. Even in Europe, where the GHIC card provides limited state healthcare access, it won’t cover private treatment, delays, or lost baggage.
Travel insurance also protects your investment in the trip itself. If illness, injury, or bereavement forces you to cancel, you could lose thousands in non-refundable flights, hotels, and tours.
Pros:
- Having travel insurance means you won’t be out of pocket if something goes wrong when you’re travelling and you’ll be able to pay for potentially expensive medical treatment if you’re ill or injured abroad.
- You can claim for the cost of your trip if you have to cancel it before you go for reasons such as you become ill, you experienced a bereavement or the country you were planning to go to has become unsafe, or you have to cut your trip short.
- By taking out an annual multi-trip policy you can save money if you’re planning to go on several trips during the year.
Cons:
- It gets more expensive the older you get as you’re more likely to fall ill.
- Pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes or cancer, are not covered as standard. You need to declare them to your insurer and pay extra for them to be covered. Your claim may be refused if you haven’t declared any pre-existing medical conditions.
- You’ll usually need to pay for part of your claim yourself – known as the excess. This keeps the cost of your policy down.
- You won’t be covered if you travel to a country against the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), including because of coronavirus.
What’s the best way to get travel insurance?
Here’s the same process broken down into simple bullet points:
- Decide on cover type: choose between single-trip, annual multi-trip, or specialist cover (e.g. skiing, cruising).
- Compare providers: check premiums, coverage limits, and exclusions to find the best value.
- Provide trip details: enter your destination, travel dates, and traveller ages.
- Declare medical conditions: disclose any pre-existing health issues to avoid invalidating your policy.
- Select extras if needed: add options such as gadget cover, winter sports, or cancellation upgrades.
- Purchase online or by phone: most policies are bought directly through insurer or comparison websites.
- Receive documents instantly: proof of insurance is usually emailed immediately.
Travel insurance FAQs:
Many policies now include cover for cancellations or medical costs related to COVID, but terms vary widely.
Generally, no. Most insurers will not pay out if you travel to a destination where official government advice says it’s unsafe.
Some specialist insurers allow you to buy a policy after departure, but it’s usually more expensive and may have restrictions.
Only if specifically included. You may need to add adventure or sports cover for activities considered risky.
Yes, most policies will help with the cost of replacing travel documents and associated expenses while abroad.