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 one specific trip and includes essential benefits like 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 it’s 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 single-trip travel insurance reviews to help you make an informed decision when buying coverage.
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 one specific trip and includes essential benefits like 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 it’s 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 single-trip travel insurance reviews to help you make an informed decision when buying coverage.
Travel with Confidence
Protect your next trip with comprehensive travel insurance. Explore our travel insurance guide and find the right coverage for you.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Single-trip travel insurance is essential for international travelers taking occasional trips abroad.
- It provides crucial medical coverage for foreign citizens, as well as cost-recovering benefits for trip cancellations, trip delays and evacuations.
- Single-trip travel insurance policies can be customized with optional riders to enhance coverage based on your specific needs and activities.
- It’s important to compare plans and costs to ensure you select the best single-trip travel insurance policy for your trip.
- Explore our travel insurance guide and find the right coverage for you.
What is Single-Trip Travel Insurance?
Single-trip insurance covers you for one specific trip, providing protection only for the exact dates you travel and the coverage options you choose. If you decide to take another trip some weeks or months later, you’ll need to purchase a new policy to cover you for that trip.
If you are a frequent flyer or take two or more trips per year, an annual travel insurance plan may be a better choice. It provides coverage for multiple trips throughout the year and is often more cost-effective than buying separate single-trip policies.
Typical Benefits with a Single-Trip Insurance 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
- Deductible options ranging from $0 to $25,000
- Extendable for up to 24 continuous months
- Travel delay and baggage delay benefits
- Universal Rx pharmacy discount savings
- Repatriation and emergency evacuation
What Exactly Does Single-Trip Travel Insurance Cover?
Travel insurance providers offer varying coverage options for single-trip plans so you can decide which level of benefits would be most appropriate for you, depending on where you are traveling and for how long.
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 due to travel delays, such as 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 options for deductibles and maximum benefit limits, providing flexibility to suit individual needs.
If you're simply 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 being able to travel.
What's Not Covered By Single-Trip Travel Insurance?
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 that are 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.
Enhance Your Single-Trip Insurance Plan by Adding Optional Riders
When purchasing a travel insurance plan, many providers offer optional riders to customize your coverage based on your specific needs and activities. These add-ons provide additional protection beyond the standard benefits, ensuring you are covered in a wider range of situations.
Whether you are seeking 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 common 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: Offers non-emergency medical evacuation coverage for sudden medical conditions requiring hospitalization.
- Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Travel Delay Rider: Provides trip cancellation coverage and trip 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: Covers 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.
Single-Trip Medical Travel Insurance and Preexisting 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 allow an acute onset of preexisting conditions – a sudden and 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 Preexisting Conditions Coverage
- Atlas Travel Insurance: Provides a limited benefit up to the medical maximum for eligible medical expenses related to preexisting conditions.
- GeoBlue Voyager Choice: Covers medical treatments for preexisting conditions.
- Trawick Safe Travels USA: Provides a maximum benefit of up to $1,000 for an 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.
The 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:
Overall, a single-trip international travel health insurance plan is best suited for travelers who only require 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 defined period, such as a vacation, business trip or study abroad.
How Much Does Single-Trip Travel Insurance Cost?
The price of a single-trip insurance plan varies based on several factors, including the traveler’s age, the length of the trip, the destination and the level of coverage chosen.
Typically, these plans range from $30 to $200+ for a short trip, with costs increasing for longer trips, older travelers 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 need medical treatment during your trip, you will need to pay the deductible upfront before your insurance coverage kicks in, which may cause financial strain.
Who Should Buy Single-Trip Travel Insurance?
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 important 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, it's wise to buy travel insurance to protect that investment.
Additionally, it is advisable to purchase international travel health insurance, 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.
Our travel medical and trip cancellation plans are excellent options for meeting your single-trip travel insurance needs.
How to Choose the Best Travel Insurance Coverage
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 like adventure sports may be necessary if you plan to participate in any 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 compare our travel insurance plans to find the one that best matches your specific trip requirements and budget.
The Best Single-Trip Travel Medical Insurance Plans
The GeoBlue Voyager Travel Insurance plan is a highly regarded option for U.S. citizens traveling abroad for a single trip due to several key features and benefits tailored to international travelers.
These include comprehensive medical coverage, access to a trusted global network of healthcare providers, and coverage for preexisting conditions.
GeoBlue Voyager Plan
- For U.S. citizens up to age 95
- Includes pregnancy coverage, baggage loss, trip interruption & more
- 24/7/365 service and assistance
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.
It offers several features that make it an excellent choice for individuals and families, including customizable plan options, specialized coverage for adventure sports and 24/7 travel assistance services.
Atlas Travel Insurance
- Emergency medical, evacuation, repatriation benefits
- Choose between the basic and more extensive coverage
- Meets Schengen visa insurance requirements
- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency medical assistance
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
| Insurance Type | Best For | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Travel Insurance | Frequent travelers taking multiple trips annually | Covers multiple trips in one year, including medical emergencies and trip interruptions |
| Expat Health Insurance | Long-term expatriates or digital nomads | Comprehensive health coverage while living abroad, including preventive care |
| Trip Cancellation Insurance | Travelers wanting trip protection | Covers non-refundable trip costs if canceled for covered reasons |
| Cancel for Any Reason Insurance | 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.
Travel with Confidence
Protect your next trip with comprehensive travel insurance. Explore our travel insurance guide and find the right coverage for you.
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Author / Editor: Joe Cronin, Founder and President of International Citizens Insurance. Mr. Cronin, a former expat, is an authority in the areas of international travel, and global health, life, and travel insurance, with expertise in advising individuals and groups on benefits for today's global workforce. Follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter.