Travel Guard Insurance Review: Is It Worth the Cost?

Travel Guard travel insurance is a great option for last-minute travelers. There are four plans from which to choose. Costs are reasonable, and plans allow more customization than you'd normally find on travel insurance policies.

Travel Guard offers a variety of plans for prospective customers, including plans oriented toward sports enthusiasts, last-minute travelers and those looking to save money.

Policies issued by Travel Guard are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh. According to insurance rating firm AM Best, National Union Fire Insurance Company has a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (excellent). This means it’s unlikely to default on any payments.

Travel Guard travel insurance coverage has a lot of variety. Depending on which plan you pick — Essential, Preferred, Deluxe or Pack N' Go — you’ll have trip protections and some medical coverage.

Generally speaking, here is what to expect when purchasing a Travel Guard policy:

• Trip interruption and trip cancellation: These coverages can reimburse you for nonrefundable expenses that you’ve already paid in the event that your trip is canceled or interrupted. Trip cancellation protection is not included in the Pack N' Go plan.

• Travel Guard health insurance coverage: This health insurance coverage can pay for costs associated with emergency medical services during your trip.  

• Trip delay: Trip delay can cover expenses such as food and accommodation in the event your travel is delayed.

• Emergency evacuation: If you need medical care at another facility and need to be evacuated, emergency evacuation can cover the costs. 

• Baggage insurance: Baggage insurance includes coverage for lost and delayed luggage, and can reimburse you for the cost of replacing lost items or purchasing new ones in the event of a delay. 

Travel Guard's policies have a broad array of inclusions. It offers three comprehensive single-trip plans that can be customized to meet your travel needs. It also offers a plan designed for last-minute trips that focuses on post-departure coverage — this plan is much more affordable, but offers fewer protections.

The company also offers an annual travel insurance plan if you travel frequently and want year-round protection.

Add-on options

The types of add-ons you can include will vary based on your plan but can include:

• Quarantine coverage. 

• Adventure sports.

• Boarding and medical expenses if your pet gets sick.

• Wedding cancellation.

• Inclusion of a family member for coverage. 

• Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR).

• Rental car insurance. 

• Medical coverage upgrade.

• Evacuation for non-medical reasons. 

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Travel Guard offers plenty of options when it comes to customizability, which is great for those who need additional coverage. For example, most insurance policies automatically exclude adventure sports. The same is true for Travel Guard, unless you add on the adventure sports bundle.

You’ll want to be aware that all three of Travel Guard’s comprehensive plans will cover pre-existing conditions. However, the Pack N’ Go plan does not.

Here’s what else isn’t covered:

• Coverage for trips paid for with frequent flier miles or loyalty rewards programs: Travel Guard will only protect the trips you pay for with cash. If you’re redeeming your points for that bucket list trip, you unfortunately won’t qualify for coverage.

• Baggage loss for eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or false teeth: These items should be kept with you in your carry-on as a general rule, so they won’t be covered by a Travel Guard policy.

• Known events: If you knowingly book a trip with some inherent risks, it won’t be covered. For example, once the National Weather Service issues a warning for a hurricane, it becomes a known event.

Beyond this, most travel insurance plans have specific exclusions to their coverage, including:

• Activities when you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

• Extreme sports.

• Named storms. 

• Participation in athletic events. 

A sample trip for a 36-year-old traveler from Indiana to Canada for 5 days showed that the cheapest Travel Guard plan cost $135. If you were to spring for the premium plan, which increases your coverage limits, expect to pay $236.

When looking across multiple providers, the same sample trip ranges in cost from $10-$202. Note that price isn't the only differentiating factor. Coverage is not identical across plans; each company offers various levels of scope, limits and exclusions.

How much does Travel Guard travel insurance cost? Travel Guard’s travel insurance cost has quite a big spread based on the plan you select.

We generated a quote for a 34-year-old traveler from California heading to Japan for a week, with a total trip cost of $2,700. Here’s how pricing shook out.

A reminder that the Pack N' Go plan is designed for spontaneous trips, so it has less protections for trip cancellation. It also doesn't include the option to get a pre-existing conditions waiver.

Like most travel insurance companies, Travel Guard travel insurance costs much more when you add in greater trip protection benefits.

If you’d like to buy a Travel Guard insurance plan, your best bet is to do so online. The process is simple and efficient and can be done in a matter of minutes. First, you’ll want to head to Travel Guard’s homepage. You’ll be prompted to fill out some personal information to create a quote, including:

• Dates of travel.

• Destination country.

• State of residence. 

• When you first made a payment for your trip.

• Age. 

• Trip cost. 

Consider comparison shopping

If you're not 100% sold on purchasing a plan from Travel Guard, you can use a travel insurance aggregator to compare policies across multiple companies at once.

To decide which Travel Guard plan is best for you, you’ll want to consider what kind of trip you’re taking.

Look at coverage details

If you don’t need coverage for trip cancellation, Pack N’ Go is significantly cheaper than other options but still provides emergency medical, trip interruption and baggage insurance.

If you’d like to have as much choice as possible, the Deluxe plan offers lots of add-ons, so you can select the ones that fit your needs.

Use existing coverage

Many travel credit cards offer travel insurance, though coverage levels will vary. To qualify for this complimentary insurance, you’ll need to pay for your trip using your eligible card. Common card benefits include trip interruption insurance, baggage delay reimbursement and emergency medical insurance.

» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance

Yes, Travel Guard provides 24/7 travel assistance. These folks can help you with issues such as finding an English-speaking doctor, helping you after you’ve missed a connection, replacing a lost passport and more.

To reach these services, call 800-927-4357.

If you need to file a claim with Travel Guard, you can either do so online or via phone. The phone number is 866-478-8222.

Online, you can head directly to Travel Guard’s claim form. You’ll need to have your policy number on hand as well as any documentation that you have.

Is Travel Guard travel insurance good? With a variety of plans from which to choose — including one that is significantly cheaper than the others — it’s easy to justify purchasing a Travel Guard policy. To decide whether it’s worth it for you, you’ll want to look at the different policy limits and see which fit your needs.

You’ll also want to do some research; some credit cards offer complimentary travel insurance, which may mean you don’t need to buy a policy at all. Some health insurance plans also offer coverage when you’re overseas, so be sure to ask your insurance provider.

» Learn more: Is travel insurance worth it?

Travel Guard offers several trip insurance plans with varying degrees of coverage. Some plans also allow you to purchase optional upgrades such as CFAR and auto rental coverage. Plan availability differs by state, so make sure you input your trip details to see what plans are available to you.

If you have a premium travel credit card, you may already have some elements of travel insurance coverage included for free. Before you decide to purchase a comprehensive policy, check what coverage you may already have from your credit card.