Who Has The Most Affordable Travel Insurance?

According to purchase data from thousands of Squaremouth transactions over the past year, the 5 most affordable travel insurance providers are Berkshire Hathaway, BCBS Global Solutions, SafeTrip, MedjetAssist, and battleface.

The following providers offer a variety of plans at varying degrees of coverage. Here is an overview of the 5 cheapest travel insurance companies with the average cost of policies sold over the past 12 months:

  1. Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection - $143.36
  2. Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions - $150.20
  3. SafeTrip by UnitedHealthcare Global - $158.85
  4. MedjetAssist - $176.76
  5. battleface - $184.70

While most industry reports mention Nationwide, Trawick, and Travelex as the cheapest providers, this was not corroborated by Squaremouth's internal data. Nationwide is the 10th cheapest, while Trawick and Travelex are the 12th and 14th cheapest providers, respectively.

Most Affordable Travel Insurance Providers Chart

Bar chart showing average premium costs for the 5 most affordable travel insurance providers. 1. Berkshire Hathaway: $143.36. 2. BCBS Global Solutions: $150.20. 3. SafeTrip: $158.85. 4. MedjetAssist: $176.76. 5. battleface: $184.70.
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Source Data

This analysis is based on anonymized purchase data from a proprietary travel insurance quote and booking engine from April 01, 2025 to April 01, 2026. Premium amounts reflect finalized purchase prices. All sales included in this data set are for comprehensive travel insurance policies.

What Counts as "Cheap Travel Insurance"?

"Cheap travel insurance" typically goes hand in hand with plans that offer lower coverage limits and fewer comprehensive benefits.

Low-cost travel insurance plans typically offer bare-bones benefits and focus on basic coverage for medical scenarios, while leaving off coverage for things like cancellation and interruption coverage.

That said, not all low-cost options are inferior. There are many plans that balance solid coverage and affordability if you know where to look. See Plans

Is Cheap Travel Insurance Any Good?

Yes, cheap travel insurance doesn't necessarily mean bad travel insurance. It's completely possible to find great, affordable travel insurance on any budget.

Opting for medical-only travel insurance is one easy way to get a good policy without spending lots of money. Medical-only travel insurance plans are some of the most affordable policies on the market, as they forego all the bells and whistles like full cancellation reimbursement, baggage coverage, etc.

Understanding the factors that influence the final cost of your travel insurance policy can help you find good travel insurance on a budget.

Here is a look at what factors play into the final cost of travel insurance and which ones you can adjust to reduce the cost of your policy.

What Determines the Cost of Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance premiums are determined by a wide range of factors pertaining to your trip, travel group, and coverage needs. Some factors are within your control to adjust as a means of reducing the cost of your travel insurance policy.

Trip cost is the biggest factor that determines the final price of travel insurance, but other information, such as your trip length, travel destination, and itinerary, will also impact your premium. You can reduce the cost of your travel insurance policy by leaving off refundable expenses from your trip cost at the time of purchase.

Age plays a critical role in determining the cost of travel insurance. When gathering quotes, you will be asked to provide the current ages of everyone on your plan. Typically, premiums increase as you get older, which is why senior travel insurance is some of the most expensive. Since travel insurance is regulated at the state level, your state of residence can also affect premiums.

The type of policy you choose and the amount of coverage the plan provides also influence how much you will spend on trip protection. Both of these factors are within your control when buying trip insurance and can be adjusted to get a cheaper plan. For example, if you're on a budget, we recommend a travel medical plan or a bare-bones comprehensive policy as a way to save money.

Many travel insurance providers allow you to enhance your protection through optional add-ons and policy upgrades during the checkout process. Common examples include Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR), Rental Car Damage Protection, and medical coverage upgrades.

While adding these extras can improve your coverage, doing so will also increase the cost of your insurance. Typically, add-ons are only necessary if you have specific concerns that aren’t addressed by standard coverage.

How Much Should Travel Insurance Cost?

Comprehensive travel insurance should typically cost between 4-10% of your prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.

According to Squaremouth data, which factors in travel insurance policy sales over the past 12 months, travel insurance costs an average $309 per policy.

With that said, if you don't need to insure your travel expenses with Trip Cancellation, you can purchase a travel medical insurance policy. On average, this type of coverage costs just $5.05 per day, with some plans available for as little as $1 per day.

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What Do Budget Travel Insurance Plans Cover?

What your policy covers depends on the plan you choose. There are many cheap travel insurance plans that offer medical-only coverage for your trip, but some comprehensive plans can also be affordable depending on your trip details, demographics, and the coverage included.

For example, a comprehensive travel insurance policy will protect you from the moment you leave home until you return, covering essential expenses such as flights, hotels, and your personal belongings. This includes coverage for the following situations:

Emergency Medical Care

Emergency Medical protection covers hospital bills, doctor visits, prescription medications, ambulance rides, and other medical expenses incurred if you become sick or injured during a covered trip. We recommend plans with at least $50,000 in medical coverage.

Medical Evacuation protection covers the cost to medically transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility or back to your home country if required to treat an illness or injury. We recommend plans with at least $100,000 in emergency evacuation coverage.

Trip Cancellation coverage reimburses up to 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses if you're forced to cancel your travel plans due to a covered reason, such as an unexpected illness, injury, or family emergency.

Trip Interruption coverage reimburses any prepaid travel expenses you're unable to use if you're forced to end your trip early for a covered reason. Some plans will also cover additional costs incurred to make new travel arrangements back home.

Travel Delay coverage reimburses meal and accommodation expenses if your flight, cruise, train, or other common carrier was significantly delayed, usually by at least three hours.

Baggage Loss protection covers the cost to replace personal items that are lost, damaged, or stolen at any point during a covered trip. Some plans also include Baggage Delay coverage.

How to Find Affordable Travel Insurance

Travel insurance doesn’t have to be expensive. With the right strategy in place, you can easily find great coverage that doesn’t break the bank.

Use the following 8 tips the next time you're shopping for trip protection:

  1. Consider Medical-Only Insurance:

    The number one tip for getting a cheap travel insurance policy is to forgo comprehensive cancellation coverage and opt for a medical-only travel insurance policy. These plans can cost as low as $1/day and can provide robust coverage for medical emergencies. Some of these plans may also include cancellation coverage for medical reasons only.

  2. Check if You Have Existing Coverage:

    Many people have some form of travel coverage through credit cards or similar memberships. For example, many credit cards offer cancellation reimbursement for flights and hotel bookings made with the credit card. If you already have certain types of travel coverage, you can save money by leaving these existing protections off your travel insurance policy, which will make the plan much cheaper.

  3. Compare Prices from Different Companies:

    Travel insurance prices are standardized nationwide, so the only way to save on travel insurance is to compare plans and companies to see which offers the best value for your money. You can compare prices by getting quotes one by one or use a website like Squaremouth, which allows you to view policies, prices, and coverage from several companies at once to find the best deal.

  4. Determine Your Coverage Needs:

    It sounds obvious, but we recommend you avoid overinsuring yourself. It can be tempting to buy the highest level of coverage and all the add-ons, but taking a few minutes to research how much coverage you need can help you keep your plan focused and tailored to your exact requirements. This will translate to greater cost savings at the time of purchase.

  5. Only Insure Non-Refundable Expenses:

    Most travel insurance cancellation policies will only refund non-refundable trip expenses. Therefore, it makes sense to exclude these from the total trip cost you enter when buying your policy. This is similar to the credit card example mentioned before. If you can get your purchases refunded without travel insurance, then it makes sense to exclude these from your policy, which will ultimately make the policy cheaper overall.

  6. Avoid Policy Add-Ons:

    Add-ons are completely optional and directly affect the final price of your policy. If you are trying to find a cheap travel insurance plan, we recommend forgoing optional add-ons to save money.

  7. Consider Annual Insurance:

    If you are a frequent traveler or plan to take several trips per year, you can often save money by purchasing an annual travel insurance policy. Annual travel insurance has a higher upfront cost but is cheaper in the long run when broken down to a per-day cost. These policies are mainly medical-only policies but some may include limited trip cancellation protections as well.

  8. Purchase Group Insurance (If Applicable):

    If you're traveling with 10+ people, group travel insurance policies are the best option for saving money. These plans are often cheaper as a whole thanks to group rates, which come with lower premiums per person.

Risks to Consider When Prioritizing Price Over Coverage

At Squaremouth, we always recommend purchasing the least expensive travel insurance policy that meets your coverage needs. However, if you only prioritize lower premiums and ignore adequate travel protection, you may run into trouble down the road.

If you're comparing travel insurance plans and you come across a policy that looks unusually cheap, be on the lookout for these warning signs:

For most international trips, we suggest focusing on plans that offer at least $50,000 in Emergency Medical coverage per person. Cheaper plans that offer $10,000 to $25,000 in travel medical protection leave you underinsured during emergencies. Low-cost options typically offer only secondary medical coverage, which can result in a longer, more complicated claims process.

Many inexpensive travel insurance plans do not offer Pre-Existing Condition waivers, which remove exclusions relating to any existing health issues you may have. If you have a medical condition that may flare up during your trip, we recommend spending more on a travel insurance plan that covers you throughout your trip.

Add-ons such as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) and Interruption For Any Reason (IFAR) are generally available only in comprehensive travel insurance plans. Low-cost policies usually do not provide much opportunity for customers to customize or tailor their coverage.

Cheap travel insurance plans may be missing key benefits or exclude popular vacation activities like snorkeling or skiing from coverage. Always review the Certificate of Insurance to ensure your entire itinerary is protected.

FAQs: Cheap Travel Insurance

No, higher premiums do not always equate to better coverage. A common misconception is that the most expensive plans are always the best. However, the best travel insurance policy is one that fits your budget and meets your coverage needs.

At Squaremouth, one of our core values is to help travelers find the right policy for them at the lowest possible price. If you need assistance getting great coverage for less, our customer service team is just a phone call away at 1-800-240-0369.

Every travel insurance provider employs their own method for calculating premiums in an attempt to appeal to a specific target demographic. For example, some providers may offer lower rates for travelers taking short domestic trips, while others may charge more for high-risk international itineraries that include adventure activities.

These different approaches explain why you may see a wide range of prices for plans that offer very similar coverage. If you're selecting between two or more plans that meet your unique coverage needs, we recommend opting for the lower-priced plan.

No, travel insurance is a highly regulated industry, and it is illegal for providers to offer discounts to their customers. With this in mind, exercise caution if you come across promotional offers or coupon codes relating to travel insurance policies.

The cheapest type of coverage you can buy for a trip is travel medical insurance. Unlike comprehensive coverage, these plans do not provide any type of protection for your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.

Because of this distinction, providers will not consider your travel expenses when determining premiums. This results in low-cost protection, with some plans costing less than $1 per day.

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection offers some of the most affordable premiums of the 20+ providers on Squaremouth. However, many of their plans come with lower medical coverage limits and limited customization options, which could be a drawback for travelers planning international trips.

Travel insurance is always a worthwhile investment as it provides financial protection and peace of mind for the "what ifs" of travel. When buying budget travel insurance, it's important to ensure the policy covers you in all the ways you need it to. For low-risk trips, you may not need to spend hundreds of dollars on protection.

Every travel disruption, from trip delays to emergency evacuations, can lead to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. In the end, travel insurance is often well worth the cost, as it can save you significant money and stress when you need to file a claim.

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