How Much is Travel Insurance? | Average Cost In 2024

What is the average cost of travel insurance in 2024?

The average cost of travel insurance for US travelers is around $298. This is based on a study of insurance sales data from over 20 travel insurance providers from July 2023 - July 2024.

However, when comparing the average travel insurance prices over the last year, we can see that the cost of travel insurance has steadily dropped month over month, reaching an all-time low in June 2024 at around $280 per premium.

For reference, here is a graph showing the changes in the average cost of travel insurance over the last two years.

Your trip cost is one variable that greatly influences the cost of travel insurance. However, over the last two years, travel spending has increased and reached an all-time high in February of 2023 when American spent an average of $7,612 per trip. Despite the increasing cost of trips, we have seen a decrease in the price of travel insurance plans, meaning travelers are increasingly able to find better deals on travel insurance.

On average, travel insurance policies cost around 5%-6% of your total trip cost, and the average trip cost for US travelers from July 2023 - July 2024 was $6,852. The average travel insurance premium during the same period was $298, which shows that the average traveler spent only 4.5% of their trip cost on travel insurance, lower than the normal industry average.

That said, the cost of travel insurance varies between travel insurance providers. Therefore, it pays to compare plans from multiple providers before opting for a specific plan. The tool (below) is a good place to start.

Average cost of travel insurance by destination

The table, below, shows the average cost of travel insurance for visiting different countries. The average cost per day was found using internal sales data for each destination for the past year.

*Internal sales data from LA Times visitors that purchased travel insurance from 09/2023 - 09/2024 where at least 20 policies were sold.

Factors that impact the cost of travel insurance

As we’ve seen above, prices fluctuate depending on your trip details and how much coverage you want.

Trip cost

Travel insurance typically reimburses you for the total cost of your trip. As a result, this is one of the main factors that decide how much travel insurance costs. The reality is, more expensive trips require travel insurance premiums on the higher end, whereas budget-friendly vacations are typically much less expensive to insure. As an added example, some travel insurance plans like trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance can reimburse you for anywhere from 100% to 150% of your total trip costs. In these cases, it only makes sense that the cost of the insurance plan is higher.

Trip length

The length of your trip impacts travel insurance costs since you need coverage for more days. Also, the longer the trip the higher the possibility of something going wrong. This means that the insurance company must assume a greater risk. For example, you’ll pay a more for a trip to Spain that lasts two weeks versus just one week. Likewise, you’ll typically pay higher premiums for multi-trip or annual travel insurance plans versus one-off plans.

Age of traveler

The age of the traveler is an important factor in determining travel insurance costs. Senior travelers have an increased probability of falling ill or injuring themselves which means more medical expenses, which makes purchasing senior travel insurance crucial. In light of this, some travel insurance companies have an age limit to their policies.

Amount of travelers

Insuring a family or a large group inevitably costs more than insuring a solo trip. After all, more travelers in your group means there are more opportunities for things to go wrong which can lead to a higher payout from the insurance company. Despite this, some travel insurance providers, such as Travelex, offer free coverage for children ages 17 and under who are on the same plan as their parents or grandparents.

Type of plan

The type of travel insurance plan you buy can also affect the overall cost. For example, opting for a comprehensive travel insurance plan is more expensive than opting for medical coverage only or a cruise travel insurance plan specifically designed to cover potential risks on a cruise. You typically won’t get perks like baggage insurance, coverage for travel delays, or trip cancellation insurance when you forgo a comprehensive plan, but it can reduce the overall cost of your travel insurance policy. Therefore it’s important to consider what types of coverage you deem essential for your trip.

Coverage limits

Every travel insurance policy comes with a limit to how much the company will pay when you make a claim. The lower the limit, the less the plan will cost. A good example of this is travel medical insurance and medical evacuation insurance which usually make up the bulk of your travel insurance cost. These types of coverage typically have higher payout limits than other categories such as baggage insurance. Opting for less coverage will lower your overall cost, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. When opting for cheap travel insurance we always recommend maintaining robust coverage limits.

Pre-existing conditions

Pre-existing conditions aren’t usually covered by travel insurance plans, but if they are, the policy tends to cost more than a standard policy. If you want coverage for pre-existing conditions you typically have to purchase a waiver for an extra fee ‘X’ days after making your initial trip deposit. (The amount of days depends on the company.) In the eyes of insurance companies, those with pre-existing conditions are more likely to need medical assistance while abroad. Therefore, plans that cover pre-existing conditions are usually more expensive.

Deductible amount

A deductible is the amount of money you must pay toward a claim before the insurance will start to pay out. Some travel insurance plans have a deductible, but this is always the case. Opting for a higher deductible can lead to a lower overall cost, whereas choosing a lower deductible or no deductible means paying more. Always read the fine print to ensure there are no surprise charges.

Add-ons & additional coverage

Travel insurance policies offer all kinds of add-ons that can cause the cost of coverage to skyrocket. Some of the most popular add-on coverages include cancel for any reason travel insurance (CFAR), interruption for any reason (IFAR) coverage, rental car coverage, insurance for sports equipment, and coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Just one of these could increase your travel insurance policy by around 50%, so beware of add-ons if you are trying to keep costs down.

Examples of cost fluctuations based on trip details

To help you understand these concepts better, we worked through some real-world examples and compared a range of travel insurance quotes for various trips, ages, and types of plans.

Then, we found the average cost of travel insurance based on the following variables:

1. Total trip cost
2. Age of the travelers
3. Type of coverage
4. Add-ons

1. Average cost of travel insurance by trip cost

Using the LA Times Compare tool, we got quotes for a seven-night trip with costs ranging from $1,000 to $50,000.

The chart below shows how much the average trip cost for one person (age 35) impacted premiums in 2023:

We received travel insurance quotes for all the top providers to prepare this analysis, and we weren’t surprised to find that more expensive trips required higher travel insurance costs overall.

As you can see from the chart above, the cost of a vacation will greatly impact the premiums each insurance company charges. Still, we found that average travel insurance costs for all trips worked out to approximately 5% to 6% of the trip cost, on average.

2. Average cost of travel insurance by age

To give you an idea of the average cost of travel insurance as it pertains to age, we compared plans for a seven-night trip costing $2,500 for one traveler.

We got quotes using the LA Times Compare tool for the same trip parameters, only altering the age of the traveler from 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 65, and 75.

The chart below provides an overview of the average cost of travel insurance by the age of the traveler:

As you can see from the study above, the travel insurance premium for a $2,500 trip ranges from 4% of the trip cost for travelers ages 20 to 30 up to 8% of the trip cost for a 65-year-old and 12% of the total trip cost for a 75-year-old. Therefore, it’s safe to say that age matters to travel insurance providers, although this is more true for people 60 years old or older.

Travel insurance companies price premiums based on the level of risk they’re taking for each covered trip, and it’s not surprising that it’s riskier to insure older travelers who are more likely to experience a medical event.

3. Average cost of travel insurance by type of coverage

While it’s difficult to answer how much is travel insurance, across different providers with different coverage options and limits, we got quotes for different plans from several top providers to give you an idea.

The chart below shows how much you would pay for travel insurance that covers a seven-night vacation for a total cost of $3,000 if you went with a budget plan, mid-tier coverage, or premium travel insurance:

Based on this study, it’s clear to see that the type of insurance policy you choose impacts the total cost, whether you opt for budget travel insurance, a middle-tier plan, or comprehensive coverage with exceptional limits.

4. Average cost of travel insurance with add-ons

As we mentioned earlier, add-ons can significantly increase the cost of travel insurance policies.

To give you a concrete example of this, we chose to study the cost of travel insurance plans with cancel for any reason insurance (CFAR) added to the policy.

Cancel for any reason travel insurance that lets you cancel a trip and be reimbursed for 50% to 80% of your prepaid trip expenses. This coverage can be used for any reason at all, even if you simply change your mind and decide to stay home.

The chart below shows how much two adult travelers would pay for some travel insurance plans for a seven-night trip with a total cost of $5,000.

While having CFAR coverage can be beneficial for travelers who are not entirely sure of their trip plans, this optional add-on can cause travel insurance premiums to increase by anywhere from 38% to 65%. Ultimately, we found that the average cost of adding CFAR to a policy equals approximately 48.6% of the premium.

How much should I spend on travel insurance?

You should aim to spend 6% or less of the total cost of your trip when searching for travel insurance. Anything less than 5% is considered a great price.

As an example, this means that travel insurance for a $5,000 vacation should cost between $250 and $300 – approximately.

If we follow this same rule, the cost of travel insurance for a $2,500 trip should be between $125 and $150, and premiums for a $15,000 trip should cost you between $750 and $900.

While these numbers are based on industry standards and internal research, our research did find some exceptions to this rule.

For example, travel insurance premiums tend to increase for:

1. Older travelers
2. Plans with higher coverage limits
3. Plans that cover more than one traveler

People over the age of 60 can expect to pay the most. Plans that cover more than one traveler also cost more in general, as do travel insurance plans with higher coverage limits.

If you are hoping to get the best deal on travel insurance, you should take the time to compare at least three or four travel insurance plans side-by-side. Not only should you compare plans based on the types of coverage offered and the policy limits, but you’ll want to look at your out-of-pocket expenses, too.

From there, you’ll want to make sure your plan covers every conceivable issue you may run into, from missed connections to the contraction of COVID-19. With some research and planning, you can purchase coverage that puts travel-related issues aside so you can enjoy a worry-free trip.

You can get a free quote using our tool below. Simply enter your dates and destination to get a customized quote.