Travel insurance helps protect your trip investment by reimbursing your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if something unexpected happens before or during your trip.
You have four main ways to get travel insurance: through credit card benefits, via a travel agent or booking site, directly from an insurance provider, or through a comparison site.
Using a comparison site like InsureMyTrip, backed by more than 25 years in the travel insurance industry, lets you easily compare coverage and pricing from multiple providers in one place.
How To Get Travel Insurance
| Purchase Method | Customization Options | Price Comparison | Coverage Completeness | Typical Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Card Benefits | None | Not available | Often minimal | Limited to card purchases; may have coverage gaps |
| Travel Agent/Booking Site | None | Not available | One-size-fits-all | Cannot customize; may leave you unprotected |
| Direct from Provider | Limited to one company’s plans | Not available | Varies by provider | No cross-company comparison; potential coverage gaps |
| Comparison Site | Full range across providers | Side-by-side comparison | Access to comprehensive plans | No significant limitations |
1. Through Your Credit Card
Some credit cards include travel protection benefits like trip cancellation, travel medical, or rental car coverage. In most cases, you need to use that specific card to pay for your trip to activate the coverage, and even then, benefits can be limited.
While this option may seem like an easy, cost-effective solution, it often provides only basic coverage that you can’t customize and may not fully protect your trip.
Pros:
- No extra cost if it’s included with your card
- Automatic coverage when you use the card for travel purchases
Cons:
- Coverage is often minimal and not customizable
- Only applies to purchases made with that specific card
- May not cover all your travel protection needs
2. Through Your Online Travel Agent or Reservation Website
When you book a trip through a travel agent or online booking site, you’ll often see an option to add travel insurance at checkout. It’s convenient, but it’s important to understand what you’re actually getting.
That low price can be appealing, but these plans are typically one-size-fits-all. Because you can’t customize them, they may leave gaps in your coverage.
Pros:
- Convenient to add during booking
- Often appears affordable at checkout
Cons:
- One-size-fits-all coverage with no customization
- May leave gaps in protection
- No ability to compare other options
3. Through a Travel Insurance Provider Directly
You can also buy travel insurance directly from an insurance company’s website. While you’ll get detailed information about that provider’s plans, you’ll only see their options.
That means you won’t be able to compare coverage or pricing across other providers, and you could miss out on better or more complete plans elsewhere.
Pros:
- Access to detailed information about that provider’s plans
- Direct relationship with the insurance company
Cons:
- No way to compare plans from other companies
- Cannot compare pricing across providers
- May have coverage gaps without supplemental options
4. Through a Travel Insurance Comparison Site
A comparison site like InsureMyTrip makes it easy to shop smarter. You can view plans from top providers all in one place and compare coverage levels and prices side by side.
You’ll also have access to thousands of verified customer reviews from travelers who have actually bought and used the plans. You can filter reviews by provider, plan, destination, and even whether a claim was filed, so you know exactly what to expect.
On top of that, InsureMyTrip’s recommendation engine uses your trip details to suggest top-rated plans that best match your needs.
Pros:
- Compare plans from multiple top providers in one place
- Side-by-side comparison of coverage and pricing
- Access to thousands of verified customer reviews
- Personalized recommendations based on your trip
Cons:
- Requires entering trip details to get quotes
Key Takeaway
For most travelers, using a comparison site like InsureMyTrip is the best way to find the right coverage. With more than 25 years of expertise, you can easily compare options side by side and choose the best value for your specific trip, something you simply can’t do through credit cards, booking sites, or a single provider.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article serves as a general overview of benefits and should only be used for informational purposes. Refer to your individual certificate of insurance for specific coverages, exclusions and benefits. When in doubt, please contact one of our licensed agents for additional assistance.
Question
How late can I purchase trip insurance?
By AnaA - March 26, 2020
Answer
A comprehensive travel insurance plan can be purchased up until the day before departure. We do recommend that your policy be purchased within 10-21 days after making the first payment or deposit toward your trip as it may allow you to be eligible for some time sensitive benefits, such as Cancel For Any Reason or the pre-existing condition waiver. There are other requirements that must be met to be eligible for those coverages, which can be found in the policy document. One thing to keep in mind, plans will not cover cancellation due to many Coronavirus related issues such as fear of travel or government orders not to travel. For there to be any coverage for cancellation related to Coronavirus, the policy would need to be purchased with optional Cancel For Any Reason, all eligibility requirements would need to be met for that coverage, and reimbursement would be up to 50%-75% depending on the plan.
By Meghan - March 27, 2020
Question
Do I buy insurance before or after purchasing things like my plane tickets and lodging?
By MaureenO - September 11, 2022
Answer
As soon as you have some sort of money spent towards the trip or any financiancial commitment made, you can buy a policy. You can purchase most policies up until the day before departure, however; you may not be eligible for some time sensitive benefits if you do not purchase within 10-21 days of the initial trip deposit/payment. Some time sensitive benefits are, but not limited to: Pre-Existing Condition Waiver, Financial Default, Terrorism, Cancel For Any Reason and Cancel For Work Reasons. You can insure what you have paid for to date and any known costs, and once you make subsequent payments towards the trip prior to departure, you can contact us and update your existing policy accordingly.
By MattG - September 14, 2022