There are generally 3 tiers of travel insurance available, which is loosely related to the cost of healthcare in your chosen destination.
Europe
Generally, a regular holiday to Europe offers cheap travel insurance although most European countries are included in a typical travel insurance package, it is worth discussing with your broker (or checking online information) which European holiday destinations are included.
Some insurers do not include a handful of European countries in their regular cover, countries such as Cyprus, Greece, and Switzerland. Although this is not always the case, it’s worth checking in case you need to upgrade your insurance.
Worldwide, excluding certain countries
The next best value in terms of travel insurance premiums is the worldwide cover, excluding USA, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico. Healthcare in these exempt countries is typically much more expensive compared to other countries. Excluding these countries allows for a decrease in the premium.
Worldwide
This is the most expensive travel insurance and covers the whole globe (usually excluding certain countries experiencing war and other instabilities). If you are travelling to the United States, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico for example, this is the cover you will need to pay for, even if you don’t intend on travelling to any other country.
Excluded countries
Despite its name, the ‘worldwide’ cover does not in fact always cover you for the whole world. There are certain countries that you cannot obtain mainstream travel insurance for, largely because they are deemed too unstable, dangerous, or are currently in a state of war or political upheaval.
However, different travel insurers may have different policies, so it is always worth shopping around for the best deal to suit you.
The countries that are excluded from worldwide cover are generally countries that have been listed by your government’s foreign office as advising against all travel (or against all but essential travel). Again, there may be insurers out there who will give you travel insurance cover, but with exemptions on what you can claim for.
For the best deals on travel insurance, it is always worth comparing all the different companies.