The Short Answer
Yes. Travel insurance is worth buying for any trip involving: international flights (cancellation risk), non-EU destinations (medical cost risk), activities with injury potential (medical and repatriation risk), or accommodation booked non-refundably in advance (cancellation risk). The question isn't whether to buy it — it's which policy to buy and what the small print actually says.
What Good Travel Insurance Actually Covers
Medical emergencies and evacuation. This is the core reason to buy travel insurance. Healthcare costs in the USA without insurance run to tens of thousands of dollars for a hospital admission. Medical evacuation by air ambulance from a remote location — a mountaineering accident, a diving injury, a road accident in rural Southeast Asia — costs $50,000–100,000+ and is not covered by basic travel policies. Ensure your policy has at minimum $1 million medical cover and unlimited evacuation cover. Check that it covers the specific activities you're planning (skiing, diving, and adventure sports often require explicit add-ons).
Trip cancellation and curtailment. If you have to cancel before departure or cut the trip short due to illness, a family emergency, or airline insolvency, a good policy reimburses non-refundable costs. The key clauses: what counts as a "covered reason" for cancellation (some policies are restrictive), whether "cancel for any reason" (CFAR) cover is included (rarely — usually an expensive add-on), and whether airline disruption is covered separately from airline insolvency.
Baggage and personal belongings. Most policies cover lost, stolen, or damaged luggage up to a limit (typically £1,500–2,500 per person). The key issue: the per-item limit. A policy that covers £2,500 in total baggage but has a £200 per-item limit doesn't cover the £1,200 camera you took. Check the single-item limit and whether electronics are covered at all (many basic policies exclude or severely limit them).
Personal liability. Covers you if you accidentally injure someone or damage property. Less immediately relevant than medical cover but important — a skiing collision that injures another person can result in liability claims that dwarf the medical costs.
What It Typically Doesn't Cover
- Pre-existing medical conditions — unless declared and accepted (usually at a premium). Failure to declare a condition that later causes a claim is grounds for policy invalidation.
- Incidents while under the influence of alcohol — most policies have a clause that voids claims if the incident occurred while you were intoxicated. This is enforced more than people realise.
- Reckless behaviour — policies often exclude "reckless" acts, which is defined broadly enough to cause disputes. Motorcycles are a common exclusion; check the policy wording carefully if you plan to rent one.
- Unattended belongings — a theft claim for a bag left on a beach or a jacket left on the back of a chair is typically denied. "Unattended" is defined strictly.
- Travel to destinations on your government's "do not travel" list — the policy is void for travel to destinations where your government advises against all travel. Check before booking.
- Changing your mind — standard cancellation cover requires a covered reason. Deciding you don't want to go is not covered without CFAR.
Which Policy to Buy
For most single trips: a standalone policy from a specialist insurer is better value than the insurance offered at checkout by airlines or booking platforms. SafetyWing is excellent value for long-term travellers and digital nomads — a subscription model starting at $42/month covering 37 days at a time, purchased even after departure. World Nomads covers adventure activities that most standard policies exclude and is widely used by backpackers and adventure travellers. For family or multi-trip annual policies: Allianz and AXA have comprehensive products with clear documentation.
Annual multi-trip policies are almost always better value than single-trip policies for anyone taking 3+ trips a year. The cost difference rarely justifies separate single-trip policies if travel is regular.
The One Thing to Do Before You Leave
Read the medical emergency section of your policy and save the emergency assistance number to your phone. Most policies have a 24-hour assistance line that coordinates hospital admission, guarantees payment to overseas hospitals, and organises evacuation if necessary. Not calling this number first — going directly to a hospital and expecting reimbursement later — is the most common and most expensive mistake in travel insurance claims.