Single-trip travel insurance is ideal for individuals who travel occasionally, whether for a short vacation, business trip, or international journey. It provides comprehensive protection for a single trip and includes essential benefits such as medical coverage, trip cancellation, lost luggage, and emergency evacuation services.
With various coverage levels available, you can tailor your policy to fit your needs, paying only for the benefits that matter most—whether basic trip protection or more extensive health and travel coverage. Single-trip insurance offers peace of mind by safeguarding you against unexpected events abroad.
Below, we explore the best single-trip travel insurance plans and share our best reviews to help you decide when buying coverage.
What is Single-Trip Travel Insurance?
Single-trip insurance covers you for a single specific trip, providing protection only for the exact dates you travel and the particular coverage options you choose. If you decide to take another journey some weeks or months later, you’ll need to purchase a new policy to cover you for that trip.
An annual travel insurance plan may be a better choice if you are a frequent flyer or take two or more trips per year. It provides coverage for multiple trips throughout the year and is often more cost-effective than buying separate single-trip policies.
Typical Benefits of a Single-Trip Policy
A single-trip insurance policy offers essential benefits to ensure peace of mind and protection while traveling abroad. Whether you need a basic plan or extensive coverage, these plans can be customized to fit your needs.
Some of the key features include:
Freedom to seek treatment at any hospital or doctor of your choice
Maximum coverage limits from $50,000 to $8,000,000
24/7 access to an emergency medical assistance hotline to speak with medical experts
Travel insurance providers offer varying coverage options for single-trip plans, allowing you to choose the level of benefits that best suits your needs, depending on your travel destination and duration.
Some of the main options include:
Emergency Medical Coverage: Coverage for illnesses or injuries abroad, including hospitalization, surgery, and doctor visits.
Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation: This covers the cost of emergency transportation to the nearest qualified medical facility or repatriation back to your home country.
Baggage Protection: Compensation for lost, stolen, or delayed luggage.
Travel Delay: Reimbursement for additional expenses incurred due to travel delays, including missed connections.
Preexisting Conditions: Limited coverage for acute onset of preexisting conditions (varies by plan).
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D): Financial compensation for accidents resulting in death or dismemberment.
Political and Natural Disaster Evacuation: Covers costs associated with evacuation due to political unrest or natural disasters.
Adventure Sports Coverage: Optional coverage for high-risk activities like skiing and scuba diving (available in some medical plans).
Telemedicine: Access to telemedicine services for virtual medical consultations.
Plans offer customizable deductible and maximum benefit limit options, providing flexibility to suit individual needs.
If you’re looking for a policy that covers payments toward your trip, you can also purchase basic trip cancellation insurance. This is an ideal way to protect your investment in case something happens at home that prevents you from traveling.
Standard Exclusions to Know Before You Buy
While single-trip travel insurance provides essential coverage for many travel-related risks, certain situations and expenses are generally not covered. Understanding these exclusions is crucial to ensuring you are fully protected during your trip.
Below is a list of common risks and circumstances typically not covered by standard single-trip travel insurance policies. This highlights the importance of reviewing your plan and considering additional coverage for your specific needs:
Undeclared preexisting medical conditions
Elective or non-emergency treatments
Injuries or illness due to intoxication
Traveling against medical advice or seeking medical treatment abroad
Losses resulting from unlawful activities
War zones or regions with government-issued advisories
Note that exclusions vary by policy and provider.
Optional Riders to Enhance Your Coverage
When purchasing a travel insurance plan, many providers offer optional riders that let you customize coverage to your specific needs and activities. These add-ons offer enhanced protection beyond the standard benefits, providing coverage in a broader range of situations.
Whether you seek coverage for extreme sports, protection for your expensive devices, or enhanced evacuation options, these optional add-ons offer flexibility and peace of mind while traveling.
Below are some optional riders that can be included in your travel insurance plan:
Adventure Sports Rider: Provides coverage for injuries sustained during high-risk activities such as skiing, scuba diving, or mountaineering.
Evacuation Plus Rider: Provides non-emergency medical evacuation coverage for sudden medical conditions that require hospitalization.
Trip Cancellation, Interruption, and Travel Delay Rider: Provides trip cancellation coverage and interruption coverage, and protects against financial losses from flight delays.
Enhanced Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Rider: Increases the financial benefit in case of death or dismemberment due to an accident.
Mobile Device Protection Rider: This rider covers the repair or replacement of cell phones that are lost, stolen, or damaged during the trip.
Return to Home Country Coverage Rider: Allows travelers to receive medical treatment in their home country for injuries or illnesses that occurred during their trip abroad.
Coverage for Pre-Existing Conditions
Understanding your health coverage is crucial, especially for travelers with pre-existing conditions. Many standard travel insurance plans exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions unless explicitly stated.
However, some plans offer limited coverage or exclude acute-onset preexisting conditions – a sudden, unexpected flare-up. To be eligible for this coverage, travelers typically must be in stable health and not be traveling against medical advice at the time of departure.
Our Plans with Pre-Existing Conditions Coverage
Atlas Travel Insurance: Offers a limited benefit of up to the maximum for eligible medical expenses related to pre-existing conditions.
Trawick Safe Travels USA: Provides a maximum benefit of up to $1,000 for the unexpected recurrence of a preexisting condition.
IMG Patriot Platinum: Covers necessary emergency care for an unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a preexisting condition.
Trawick Safe Travels International: Covers medical expenses up to $20,000 (for travelers up to age 65) and up to $10,000 (for those over age 65) for an unexpected recurrence of a preexisting condition.
Pros and Cons of Single-Trip Insurance
Below are some of the pros and cons of purchasing a single-trip international travel health insurance plan:
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Pros
Cost-effective: Ideal for one-time or infrequent trips, providing coverage only for the duration of the trip.
Customizable Coverage: You can select coverage based on trip length, destination, and activities.
Comprehensive Protection: Covers unexpected medical emergencies, cancellations, and evacuations.
Peace of Mind: Provides financial protection against medical costs abroad.
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Cons
No Flexibility for Future Travel: If your plans change at the last minute, or you take another trip, you’ll need to buy a new policy, which may not be cost-effective.
Limited Coverage Duration: Coverage is limited to the specific ‘from’ and ‘to’ dates of your trip.
Exclusions: Your plan may not cover pre-existing conditions or high-risk activities unless you purchase additional riders.
Overall, a single-trip international travel health insurance plan is best suited for travelers requiring short-term, one-time protection for a specific trip. It’s well worth it for those who don’t travel frequently and need coverage for a specific period, such as a vacation, business trip, or study abroad program.
Cost of Single-Trip Travel Insurance
The price of a single-trip insurance plan varies based on several factors, including the traveler’s age, trip duration, destination, and chosen level of coverage.
Typically, these plans range from $30 to $200+ for a short trip, with costs increasing for longer trips, older traveler,s or those seeking more comprehensive benefits.
Factors that may increase the cost of your travel plan include:
Choosing a high medical coverage limit
Including preexisting condition coverage
Adding optional riders like adventure sports or trip cancellation insurance
Selecting a high deductible will lower your overall premium cost. However, if you require medical treatment during your trip, you must pay the deductible upfront before your insurance coverage takes effect, which may put you in financial strain.
Who Should Consider Single-Trip Coverage?
All frequent international travelers can benefit from purchasing travel insurance that provides multi-trip coverage and essential medical care abroad.
However, when deciding to purchase travel insurance for a single trip, it’s essential to consider the potential risks and specific incidents that may arise during your travels.
If your trip involves a significant financial investment, such as prepaid accommodations or airfare, buying travel insurance is wise to protect that investment.
Additionally, purchasing international travel health insurance is advisable, as most domestic health plans won’t cover medical emergencies abroad. Without this coverage, you could face high out-of-pocket costs if an unexpected illness or injury occurs during your trip.
Selecting the right travel insurance plan involves evaluating several key factors to ensure you have comprehensive coverage tailored to your specific needs.
You might want to consider the following:
Assess Your Destination: Consider whether your destination has high healthcare costs or requires special coverage, such as evacuation, due to remote locations or political instability.
Determine the Length of Your Trip: Shorter trips may need basic coverage, while longer trips may require more comprehensive plans for extended protection.
Evaluate Coverage Needs: Ensure that medical, trip protection, evacuation, and baggage loss are covered. Add-ons such as adventure sports may be necessary if you plan to participate in extreme activities.
Set a Budget: Balance the premium cost with the deductibles and coverage limits you’re comfortable with. Some single-trip travel insurance plans are more expensive than others.
Compare Plans: Review and select the plan that best matches your trip requirements and budget.
We’ll Help You Choose the Right Plan
Compare top-rated travel insurance plans for your upcoming trip abroad.
The BlueCross BlueShield Global Solutions Single Trip Platinum insurance plan is a highly regarded option for U.S. citizens traveling abroad for a single trip, thanks to several key features and benefits tailored for international travelers.
These include comprehensive medical coverage, access to a trusted global network of healthcare providers, and coverage for preexisting conditions.
Single Trip Platinum Travel Insurance
For U.S. citizens and residents up to age 95
Includes pregnancy coverage, baggage loss, trip interruption & more
The IMG Patriot Platinum Travel Insurance plan is ideal for travelers of all nationalities. It provides extensive medical coverage, flexible policy options, optional adventure sports coverage, and strong travel protection features, including trip interruption and evacuation benefits.
Its high coverage limits and comprehensive approach make it perfect for those seeking premium travel insurance protection for international trips.
Patriot Platinum Travel Insurance
Maximum limits up to $8,000,000
IMG pays 100% of medical expenses in-network
Evacuation due to Natural Disasters & Political Unrest
The WorldTrips Atlas Travel Insurance plan is a versatile and comprehensive option for travelers of all nationalities (except Canadian and Australian citizens) leaving their home country for international trips.
Its features, including customizable plan options, specialized coverage for adventure sports, and 24/7 travel assistance services, make it an excellent choice for individuals and families.
Atlas Travel Insurance
Emergency medical, evacuation, and repatriation benefits
The key difference between single-trip and annual plans lies in coverage duration and frequency of use. Below is a comparison of the key features of both:
Feature
Single-Trip Insurance
Annual Travel Insurance
Coverage Duration
Covers one specific trip for the duration of that trip
Covers multiple trips throughout a 12-month period
Ideal For
Occasional travelers taking 1-2 trips a year
Frequent travelers who take multiple trips annually
Cost
Typically cheaper for one-time trips
More cost-effective for frequent travel within a year
Number of Trips Covered
Only one trip is covered
Unlimited trips within the policy year
Trip Length
Coverage for the full duration of the trip
Covers trips up to a set limit per trip (e.g., 30 or 60 days)
Most often, single-trip travel health insurance plans do not cover trip cancellations. However, some plans, like IMG Patriot Platinum, offer an optional rider that can be added to cover trip delays, cancellations and interruptions.
If you are concerned about potential cancellations, we recommend purchasing a trip cancellation plan to ensure you are fully protected against financial losses.
Single-trip travel insurance typically covers a range of medical expenses, including:
Emergency medical care
Ambulance service
Hospitalization costs
Repatriation of remains
Prescription drugs
Unless you have an international health plan that covers you abroad, travel medical insurance is essential. Always review specific policy details for exact coverage limits and exclusions.
It’s best to purchase single-trip travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. While many plans allow you to buy coverage up to the day before departure, purchasing early ensures you are protected from the moment you book until you return home.
Additionally, some plans require you to buy coverage within a specific time frame (for example, within 14 days of booking) to qualify for benefits related to preexisting medical conditions.
Always check your provider’s terms for precise deadlines and requirements.
When exploring travel insurance options, it’s important to understand the various alternatives available based on your specific needs, whether you travel frequently, live abroad or seek coverage for unexpected trip cancellations.
The table below highlights different types of travel insurance, who they’re best suited for and what they cover.
Travelers needing flexibility to cancel trips for any reason
Offers partial reimbursement for canceled trips regardless of the reason
Each type of insurance offers unique benefits, so review the options carefully to select the best travel insurance company and policy for your situation.
Joe Cronin, President of ICI, is a leading expert in international health, life, and travel insurance. An MBA and founder of multiple global businesses, he helps expatriates and travelers access trusted, comprehensive insurance solutions worldwide.
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