The Best Travel Insurance Plans of 2026, Picked by a Licensed Agent
The short answer: for most trips abroad, buy Travel Insured International FlexiPAX. If a hospital bill is your biggest fear, buy Tin Leg Gold or Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice. If you want the cheapest plan that still covers you properly, buy IMG iTravelInsured Choice.
Those picks come from 51 plans on our comparison, priced live for five real trips on the date above, and checked against the policy wording. Every plan costs the same here as it does from the insurer. Read on for the seven picks, the prices, and the one that fits your trip.
Every price on this page changes to match it. These are real quotes from our comparison, run on 26 September 2026, for the same five benchmark trips as our monthly Price Index.
Showing prices for a retired couple, 68 and 66, 12 days in Italy, $8,000 trip. Prices are the total for everyone on the trip, rounded to the dollar.
The seven best travel insurance plans right now
| Pick | What you get | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overallTravel Insured International FlexiPAX | $100,000 medical, primary · $500,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: add-on, 75% | $516 | Details |
| Best valueTin Leg Gold | $500,000 medical, primary · $500,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: add-on, 75% | $538 | Details |
| Best cheap planIMG iTravelInsured Choice | $100,000 medical, primary · $500,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: not offered | $378 | Details |
| Best for medical and cruisesSeven Corners Trip Protection Choice | $500,000 medical, primary · $1,000,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: add-on, 75% | $702 | Details |
| Best for familiesTravelex Ultimate | $250,000 medical, primary · $1,000,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: add-on, 75% | $722 | Details |
| Best for travelers over 65Trawick International Pathway Premium | $200,000 medical, primary · $1,000,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: add-on, 75% | $504 | Details |
| Most coverage, nothing to addIMG iTravelInsured Travel LX | $500,000 medical, primary · $1,000,000 evacuationCancel for any reason: included, 75% | $1,387 | Details |
Medical is per person. “Primary” means the plan pays first, before your own health insurance. Cancellation is 100 percent of the trip cost on every pick; interruption is 150 percent. Prices are the base plan without add-ons.
How we picked, in one breath. We took all 51 plans sold on our comparison (18 companies), priced them for five real trips on the same day, read the four numbers that decide most claims (medical, evacuation, cancellation, cancel for any reason), and checked the fine print that catches people: the waiver window, the delay trigger, the free look. Nobody pays to be on this list. The full method is below.
Travel Insured International FlexiPAX
AM Best rating A+
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 21 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 14 days
One solid plan you build up with add-ons. Cancellation pays 100 percent, interruption 150 percent, and the medical pays first, so you are not chasing your own health plan. It priced well on all five trips, and on the family cruise it was $200 for four people on a $10,000 trip, because one child travels free with each adult.
Good for
- Most trips abroad where you want one good plan and no guesswork
- Families: one child 17 and under is free per adult
- Anyone who might want cancel for any reason: it is a 75 percent add-on with a 21-day window
Skip it if
- You want more than $100,000 of medical: Tin Leg Gold and Seven Corners carry $500,000
- You want the very lowest price for a couple, or a solo traveler under 65: IMG Choice is cheaper there
Tin Leg Gold
AM Best rating A
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 14 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 14 days
The most medical coverage for the money on this list. Half a million dollars of primary medical, the same again for evacuation, and the highest customer rating on the comparison (4.5 from more than 5,600 reviews). The one catch is the short window for the pre-existing condition waiver: 14 days from your first deposit.
Good for
- Trips abroad where a hospital bill is the thing you fear
- Travelers over 60 who want big medical limits without the top price
- Anyone who can buy within 14 days of the first deposit
Skip it if
- You booked more than 14 days ago and need the pre-existing condition waiver
- You live in Massachusetts: the Massachusetts version of Gold has no emergency medical benefit, so check the plan details
IMG iTravelInsured Choice
AM Best rating A-
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 20 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 10 days
The cheapest plan with real coverage for couples and for solo travelers under 65: $100,000 of primary medical, $500,000 of evacuation and the pre-existing condition waiver. For a retired solo traveler FlexiPAX beat it by a few dollars, and for a family FlexiPAX wins because kids travel free. It is the single most bought plan on CoverTrip. What you give up is cancel for any reason, which IMG does not sell on this plan.
Good for
- A tight budget and a trip abroad
- Anyone who wants proper medical coverage without paying for extras they will not use
- Travelers who need the waiver and booked up to 20 days ago
Skip it if
- You want cancel for any reason
- You want more than $100,000 of medical
Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice
AM Best rating A+
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 19 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 14 days
The biggest medical and evacuation limits on this list: $500,000 primary medical and $1,000,000 for evacuation. On a ship, or far from a good hospital, those are the two numbers that matter. It also pays the most for a missed connection ($1,500 after a 3-hour delay), which is the cruise problem people actually have.
Good for
- Cruises, especially for travelers over 60
- Remote places, or countries with expensive hospitals
- A health worry that makes the medical limit the whole decision
Skip it if
- You want the lowest price: it is the most expensive of our picks
- Your main risk is cancellation, not medical: FlexiPAX or Tin Leg Gold cover that for less
Travelex Ultimate
AM Best rating A+
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 20 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 21 days
One child 17 and under travels free with each adult, which is why a family of four on a $10,000 cruise pays $238. You get $250,000 of primary medical and $1,000,000 of evacuation for it, more than FlexiPAX, for $38 more. The 21-day free look is the longest here.
Good for
- Two adults and two kids, on a cruise or abroad
- Families who want strong medical limits, not just a cheap price
- Anyone who likes a long free look to read the policy
Skip it if
- You are traveling alone or as a couple: the family pricing is the whole advantage
- You need financial default coverage for a tour company with less than 14 days notice
Trawick International Pathway Premium
AM Best rating A-
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 21 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 10 days
For the retired couple this was the cheapest plan with $1,000,000 of evacuation, a pre-existing condition waiver and a cancel for any reason option: $504, against $702 for Seven Corners. The 21-day waiver window is the longest on this list, which matters more the older you are.
Good for
- Travelers over 65 going abroad
- Anyone with a condition who booked up to three weeks ago
- Big evacuation coverage at a mid-range price
Skip it if
- You want $500,000 of medical: Tin Leg Gold has it for about the same money
- You need financial default coverage: this plan has none
IMG iTravelInsured Travel LX
AM Best rating A+
Pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 19 days of your first deposit · Travel delay pays after 6 hours · Free look 10 days
The only plan on the comparison that includes cancel for any reason at 75 percent without an add-on, on top of $500,000 of primary medical and $1,000,000 of evacuation. You pay for it: it is three to five times the price of our best overall pick. For a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a lot of money at stake, that can be worth it.
Good for
- A big, expensive trip where you want every box ticked
- Travelers who want cancel for any reason and the top medical limits in one plan
- People who would rather pay more than read fine print
Skip it if
- Any normal trip: FlexiPAX plus the cancel for any reason add-on costs a fraction of this
- A tight budget
What the picks cost, side by side
Real prices from our comparison on 26 September 2026, for Texas residents, deposit paid the same day, leaving 15 January 2027. Your price will differ with your ages, your state and your trip cost. The plan that is cheapest for one trip is often not cheapest for another, which is why the comparison prices every plan for your trip.
| Plan | Retired couple Italy, $8,000 |
Couple, 50s Mexico, $8,000 |
Retired solo UK, $5,300 |
Solo, 52 US, $5,300 |
Family of 4 Cruise, $10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Insured International FlexiPAX | $516 | $386 | $343 | $237 | $200 |
| Tin Leg Gold | $538 | $376 | $541 | $277 | $458 |
| IMG iTravelInsured Choice | $378 | $289 | $347 | $175 | $305 |
| Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice | $702 | $702 | $556 | $400 | $570 |
| Travelex Ultimate | $722 | $482 | $515 | $281 | $238 |
| Trawick International Pathway Premium | $504 | $383 | $469 | $264 | $364 |
| IMG iTravelInsured Travel LX | $1,387 | $1,057 | $1,116 | $727 | $1,106 |
Two things the grid shows. The cheapest plan overall on every trip was not one of our picks: IMG Travel Essential ($337 for the retired couple) has no medical coverage at all, and Trawick Pathway Essential ($344) carries $25,000, which does not go far in a foreign hospital. And the spread between a good plan and a great one is small next to the trip cost: on the $8,000 Italy trip, the gap between IMG Choice and Seven Corners Choice is $324, about 4 percent of the trip.
The best travel insurance for your situation
Best travel insurance for seniors and travelers over 65
Trawick Pathway Premium, then Tin Leg Gold.
After 65, medical and evacuation limits are the whole decision, and prices climb with age. Pathway Premium gave the couple aged 68 and 66 $1,000,000 of evacuation, $200,000 of primary medical and a 21-day waiver window for $504. Tin Leg Gold has more medical ($500,000) for $538 but only a 14-day waiver window. Medicare does not cover you outside the US, so do not skip the medical part.
Best travel insurance for cruises
Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice.
On a ship your health insurance is not accepted and the nearest hospital is a helicopter ride away. Seven Corners carries the biggest medical and evacuation limits on this list ($500,000 and $1,000,000) and pays $1,500 for a missed connection after a 3-hour delay. For a family cruise, Travelex Ultimate does most of the same job with kids free.
Best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions
Travel Insured FlexiPAX or Trawick Pathway Premium, for the 21-day window.
Every pick here offers the pre-existing condition waiver. The difference is how long you have to buy it after your first deposit: 21 days on FlexiPAX and Pathway Premium, 20 on IMG Choice and Travelex Ultimate, 19 on Seven Corners, 14 on Tin Leg Gold. Buy inside the window, insure the full trip cost, and the condition is covered like any other. How the waiver works.
Best travel insurance for medical coverage abroad
Tin Leg Gold for the money, Seven Corners Choice for the most.
Both carry $500,000 of primary medical per person. Primary matters: the plan pays first, so you are not filing with your US health plan and waiting. Most of Europe is fine on $100,000; remote places, the US-priced hospitals of the Caribbean, and long trips are where $500,000 earns its keep.
Best travel insurance for families
Travelex Ultimate, then Travel Insured FlexiPAX.
Both let one child 17 and under travel free with each adult. For the family of four on a $10,000 cruise that meant $238 and $200. Ultimate carries more medical ($250,000 against $100,000) and $1,000,000 of evacuation, so it wins by a nose.
Cheapest travel insurance that is still worth buying
IMG iTravelInsured Choice.
For couples and for solo travelers under 65, the cheapest plan with $100,000 of primary medical, $500,000 of evacuation and the waiver. For a retired solo traveler or a family, FlexiPAX edges it. Cheaper plans exist, but they cut the medical to $25,000 or to nothing. A plan that cannot pay a hospital bill is not a cheaper version of insurance, it is a different product.
Best travel insurance with cancel for any reason
FlexiPAX with the add-on. IMG Travel LX if you want it built in.
Cancel for any reason pays 75 percent of the trip cost when you cancel for a reason the policy does not list, including changing your mind. On FlexiPAX, Tin Leg Gold, Seven Corners Choice, Travelex Ultimate and Pathway Premium it is a 75 percent add-on that roughly doubles the price. Travel LX includes it. Two rules on every plan: add it within the waiver window, and cancel at least two days before you leave. The full guide to cancel for any reason.
Booked a while ago, or leaving soon?
Any pick. You have not missed anything except two add-ons.
Travel insurance has no deadline. You can buy any of these plans up to the day before you leave. The only things with a window are the pre-existing condition waiver and cancel for any reason, and the windows above tell you which plans still have them open for you.
The four numbers that decide a plan
Medical. What the plan pays if you get sick or hurt on the trip. Look for primary coverage, which pays first, and for $100,000 or more outside the US. Your health plan usually pays nothing abroad, and Medicare never does.
Evacuation. The cost of getting you to a proper hospital, or home. An air ambulance from a ship or a remote place runs into six figures, which is why the good plans carry $500,000 to $1,000,000.
Cancellation and interruption. What you get back if you cancel for a covered reason (illness, a death in the family, a hurricane, a job loss) or have to cut the trip short. Every pick here pays 100 percent of the trip cost for cancellation and 150 percent for interruption, because coming home early costs more than the trip did.
Cancel for any reason. The upgrade that pays 75 percent when your reason is not on the list. Worth it on a big trip booked far ahead. Not worth it if you would only ever cancel for a reason the base plan already covers at 100 percent.
Then three pieces of fine print: the waiver window (how long after your first deposit you can still get the pre-existing condition waiver), the delay trigger (every pick here starts paying after a 6-hour delay; some plans on the market make you wait 12), and the free look (10 to 21 days to read the policy and cancel for a full refund).
How we picked
The plans. All 51 plans from 18 companies sold on the CoverTrip comparison, which is powered by Squaremouth. If a plan is not sold there we cannot show you its price, so it is not on this list. Allianz, Travel Guard, TravelSafe and American Express fall in that group; we review them on the reviews page.
The trips. Five quotes run on 26 September 2026 for Texas residents, deposit paid the same day, leaving 15 January 2027: a retired couple aged 68 and 66 on a 12-day, $8,000 trip to Italy; a couple aged 58 and 56 on 10 days in Mexico for $8,000; a 70-year-old on 12 days in the UK for $5,300; a 52-year-old on 8 days in the US for $5,300; and a family of four (44, 42, 12 and 9) on a 7-day $10,000 Bahamas cruise. They are the five kinds of traveler who buy most on CoverTrip, and the same five trips our Price Index prices every month. The prices in the switch at the top are those quotes, rounded to the dollar.
The reading. For every plan on this page we opened the policy details on the comparison and, for the picks, the policy wording itself: medical and evacuation limits, whether medical is primary, the cancellation and interruption percentages, the cancel for any reason percentage, the waiver window, the travel delay trigger and the free look. We keep the full policy documents for every plan on the comparison and check them again when the wording changes.
The judgment. A licensed travel insurance agent since 2006 made the calls, and the calls are the same ones I give my own family. Where two plans were close, the one with the bigger medical limit won, because that is the claim that ruins people.
The money. When you buy through the comparison, the insurer pays CoverTrip a commission. It does not change your price (travel insurance rates are filed with state regulators, so a plan costs the same everywhere), and it does not decide what is on this page. No company pays to be listed or ranked. How CoverTrip works.
Questions people ask
What is the best travel insurance plan?
For most trips abroad, Travel Insured International FlexiPAX: $100,000 of primary medical, $500,000 of evacuation, cancellation at 100 percent, and a 75 percent cancel for any reason add-on. It priced well for all five kinds of traveler in our September 2026 quotes.
What is the best travel insurance company?
Tin Leg has the highest customer rating on our comparison (4.5 from more than 5,600 reviews) and the best coverage for the money in Gold. Travel Insured International, Seven Corners, IMG and Travelex all made our picks. The right company depends on the trip, so we rank plans, not companies.
How much does travel insurance cost?
About 4 to 10 percent of the trip cost for a good plan. A 52-year-old paid $175 to $400 to insure a $5,300 week in the US. A retired couple paid $378 to $702 on an $8,000 trip to Italy. Age and trip cost drive the price more than anything else. Our monthly Price Index tracks what travel insurance costs for five kinds of traveler.
Is travel insurance worth it?
For a trip abroad, yes, mainly for the medical and evacuation coverage, because your health plan usually pays nothing outside the US and Medicare never does. For a cheap domestic trip you can refund, often no. Our two-minute quiz gives you a straight answer.
When should I buy travel insurance?
Any time before you leave. There is no deadline for the plan itself. Two add-ons have a window after your first deposit: the pre-existing condition waiver (14 to 21 days on our picks) and cancel for any reason. If either matters to you, buy inside that window.
Does travel insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Yes, with the waiver. Every pick on this page offers it. Buy within the plan’s window after your first deposit and insure the full trip cost, and a condition that changed in the look-back period is covered like any other.
Which travel insurance is best for seniors?
Trawick Pathway Premium for the balance of price, evacuation and a 21-day waiver window, or Tin Leg Gold for $500,000 of medical. Medicare does not cover you abroad, so the medical limit is the number to watch.
Which travel insurance is best for a cruise?
Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice, for $500,000 of primary medical and $1,000,000 of evacuation. On a ship, those two numbers matter more than anything the cruise line sells you.
Is the price the same as buying from the insurer?
Yes. Travel insurance rates are filed with state regulators, so the same plan costs the same everywhere. What changes when you buy through CoverTrip is the help: our partner Squaremouth’s licensed claims adjusters take up a denied claim for you under the Zero Complaint Guarantee.
How often is this page updated?
The prices are re-run and the picks re-checked whenever a plan changes, and at least every few months. The date at the top is the last check.