Estimate what travel insurance should cost — and decide between single trip and annual multi-trip policies. See how medical cover level, destination and trip value affect the right premium.
Travel insurance protects against financial losses that would otherwise be uncoverable: emergency medical treatment abroad (which can cost £50,000–£500,000 in the USA without insurance), trip cancellation, lost baggage and repatriation costs. The critical question is not whether to buy travel insurance — it is whether the medical cover limit is adequate for your destination.
| Destination | Emergency Medical Cost (typical) | Minimum Medical Cover |
|---|---|---|
| Europe (with GHIC) | £5,000–£50,000 | £2M+ (repatriation expensive) |
| Australia | £10,000–£100,000 | £5M+ |
| USA / Canada | £50,000–£500,000+ | £10M+ minimum |
| Rest of World | £5,000–£100,000 | £2M+ |
Annual multi-trip is almost always better value if you take 3 or more trips per year. Typical savings: annual policy at £150 vs 4 single-trip policies at £50-80 each = £200-320 saving. Annual also has the advantage of continuous cover (no risk of forgetting to buy insurance for a trip), typically covers trips up to 31 or 45 days each, and removes the administrative overhead of buying per trip. For families with children, annual family policies represent excellent value.
No — the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC, replacement for EHIC post-Brexit) gives you access to state healthcare in Europe at the same cost as local residents. It does not cover: private treatment, repatriation back to the UK (which can cost £10,000-50,000), trip cancellation, lost luggage, or treatment beyond what the local state system provides. Always buy travel insurance regardless of whether you hold a GHIC card.