Best Travel Insurance for Seniors in May 2024

Traveling at any age can be a stress-inducing event, especially when you’re leaving the country. For that reason, many travelers opt to purchase travel insurance before they go.

Depending on your age, you may want to consider different types of coverage, whether that’s one oriented to emergency medical care or one refunding you in the event your plans change.

To make sure you’re covered, we’ve compiled a list of the best travel insurance for seniors. Here’s which companies made the cut:

• Travelex.

• IMG.

• Trawick International. 

• AXA.

• Nationwide.

• Travel Insured International.

Factors we considered when picking a travel insurance policy

Choosing the right travel insurance plan can be overwhelming, especially when there are so many options. To whittle down the choices for top dog, we took a few factors into consideration:

• Available policy types. Depending on the type of plan you’re interested in, not all insurance companies may work for you. Some won’t offer emergency medical coverage, while others provide only a fixed amount of reimbursement. 

• Policy coverage limit. Are you interested in comprehensive coverage or the bare minimum? If you’re heading out on a longer trip, a higher maximum may be more prudent. 

• Exclusions. Many travel insurance companies will exclude pre-existing conditions as well as coverage for risky activities. 

• Cost. With a huge range in costs, we focused on plans that provided value for money. 

• Website usability. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to make a claim through a clunky website, which is why we’ve included this. 

• Customization. Cancel For Any Reason, rental car, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), sports coverage, rented electronics coverage — the more customizations a plan offers, the better. 

Of course, the most important thing is that you find a plan that suits your needs. If you’re not planning on taking a cruise, then choosing a plan with cruise coverage makes no sense.

What to know before you shop

No matter your age, you’ll want to make sure you compare a variety of plans before purchase. However, as an older adult, this advice is more pertinent than ever. As you’ll see below, coverage levels and costs can vary hugely between insurance companies.

Policy premiums can vary widely based on the length of coverage and your age. If you frequently travel, buying an annual policy instead of policies for each trip may make more sense. Additionally, your premiums may be much different as a new retiree at 65 compared with someone in their 70s or 80s.

A simple way to compare multiple quotes at once is through a travel insurance aggregator, such as Squaremouth. This website allows you to type in your details just once, then spits out plan options from multiple businesses so you can peruse them easily.

You may be able to save money on your travel insurance policy by taking advantage of credit card benefits. For example, many travel cards include trip cancellation, delay and interruption benefits, luggage protection and rental car coverage at no additional charge when using the card to book flights and rent cars.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

An overview of the best travel insurance for older adults

To find the best travel insurance for seniors, we generated quotes from a variety of companies. Our sample trip consisted of a 65-year-old from California heading to Spain for 10 days in August 2024. The total trip cost was $8,000.

Among our top companies, the average cost for a plan cost $389. However, that number is skewed slightly by Travelex Insurance Services, whose Travel Med program offers medical protection but is otherwise limited.

Here is the basic coverage cost, broken down by provider.

There are various coverage options and price points when comparing travel insurance policies for older adults. While the lowest-priced options in the chart are the most affordable, their policies offer different levels of coverage.

Comparing these coverage limits and exclusions when selecting a policy is important so you are satisfied when making a claim.

Top travel insurance options for older adults

Let's look at our six travel insurance policy recommendations for older adults.

1. Travelex Insurance Services

What makes Travelex great:

• Plan is much cheaper than average.

• Offers emergency medical insurance. 

• Medical coverage is primary. 

Here’s a snippet from our Travelex review:

“Travelex’s primary goal is to provide travel insurance protection that’s personalized to the type of trip you’re taking and the style of traveler you are. And regardless of which plan you choose, you’ll always have 24/7 access to travel assistance.”

Since Medicare doesn't cover healthcare needs when traveling outside the United States, some travelers purchase healthcare-only policies such as this one from Travelex. However, keep in mind that its Travel Med plan doesn’t include trip cancellation insurance, and its policy limits are fixed rather than a percentage of what you’ve paid. This means you’ll get up to $1,000 for trip interruption and a maximum of $10,000 in emergency medical.

If you want insurance for things like baggage delay, you'll need to purchase a different plan.

» Learn more: Is Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance worth it?

2. IMG

What makes IMG great:

• 100% reimbursement for trip cancellation.

• 125% reimbursement for trip interruption.

• Lower-than-average cost.

Here’s a snippet from our IMG review:

“Some policies provide emergency medical evacuation coverage, while others skip this benefit entirely. This benefit may be more important to you if you travel to a remote location or engage in physical activity such as trekking.

“More comprehensive plans may include other benefits such as assistance with acquiring a new passport, reimbursing reward mile redeposit fees or coverage for pre-existing conditions. If these are something you’re interested in, be sure to check that your policy includes these options.”

Be aware that IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel Essential plan, which we looked at, doesn’t include any emergency medical coverage, so you’ll want to make sure you’re protected elsewhere.

3. Trawick International

What makes Trawick great:

• Primary medical coverage.

• High limit for medical evacuation.

• Pre-existing conditions covered.

Here’s a snippet from our Trawick review:

“Trawick International has been in business for about 25 years and is a legitimate travel insurance provider. Trawick International reviews on Trustpilot and Squaremouth are generally good, with scores around 4.5/5 and 4.15/5, respectively.”

At the lower end of costs for our quote — though still above average — Trawick still provides a hefty $50,000 in primary medical coverage with its Safe Travels Defend plan.

4. AXA

What makes AXA great:

• Pre-existing conditions covered.

• $100,000 emergency medical limit.

Here’s a snippet from our AXA insurance review:

“The Gold and Platinum levels are also the two plans that offer Schengen zone coverage and a collision damage waiver. The Platinum plan is the only one that offers a Cancel For Any Reason add-on, so keep that in mind if you need more protection.”

With $100,000 in primary medical coverage and the inclusion of pre-existing conditions, those who have ongoing health issues may want to opt for AXA Gold’s comprehensive coverage.

5. Nationwide

What makes Nationwide great:

• Reimburses cruise excursion changes.

• 150% reimbursement for trip interruption. 

• Eligible sports and other activities covered. 

Here’s a snippet from our Nationwide review:

“Are you looking for strong coverage over a wide range of incidents? Nationwide could be a good travel insurance option for you, but only if you’re willing to shell out for its more expensive policy.”

Nationwide’s Cruise Choice plan includes comprehensive coverage for all your trip needs. However, it’s at its best for those who plan to cruise, since it offers unique insurance should problems arise. This even includes a payment for you if you’re inconvenienced by a ship breakdown.

» Learn more: Is cruise travel insurance worth the cost?

6. Travel Insured International

What makes Travel Insured International great:

• Multiple customizations available.

• Offers a Cancel for Work Reasons upgrade option.

• Rental car insurance is included in the quote, but is generally sold as an upgrade. 

Here’s a snippet from our Travel Insured review:

“Plan benefits offered by Travel Insured International include trip cancellation or interruption, mileage or rewards reimbursement, Interrupt For Any Reason, travel delay, missed connection, change fee coverage, itinerary change, accident & sickness medical expense, baggage delay, rental car damage and more. Each plan is different and has the option for add-ons.”

Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector Edge plan offers a great deal of flexibility. Along with full-scale trip protections and medical coverage, you can also choose to double your policy limit for medical care or add on Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage for your flight.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

Check your card for existing travel insurance

Many travel rewards cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express, offer some kind of trip protection, see more on their benefits in the comparison module below. Terms apply.

Having one of these in your wallet is a good start to protecting your trip-related investments and preventing expensive accidents; however, savvy travelers check card terms closely and sometimes supplement with a third-party policy, like from one of the companies above, to better protect themselves.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Best travel insurance for older adults recapped

We’ve done the work for you to figure out the best travel insurance for seniors, whether you’re looking to hop on a cruise or want comprehensive coverage for the trip you’re about to take.

American Express travel insurance disclosures