This is not as simply answered as you may think. When it comes to travel insurance, finding the best travel insurance for your trip requires you to think about the type of holiday you are going on and the level of cover you will need. It is about matching your needs to the various insurance policies on the market and weighing up the options.
The easiest way to explain this is:
Different travellers + different trips + different budgets = different travel needs. The following will guide travellers to find the best travel insurance for their holiday adventure
1. Determine The Type Of Cover You Need
There are different levels of cover available to suit the needs and budgets of different travellers. Holidaymakers should look at the cover available and identify what you need and what you don't need. There is no point paying top dollar for luggage cover, if you're only travelling with a backpack and fresh undies. The best travel insurance is one that covers you for your particualr trip, whether that's a big international trip or a domestic weekend break. Don't pay for more cover than your trip requires.
Overseas medical cover and personal liability cover are often considered to be the most essential coverage items. These are standard in most basic travel insurance policies. More comprehensive policies will include additional cover for things like cancellation cover and luggage and personal belongings. If you have pre-paid your flights and accommodation a comprehensive policy may be the best travel insurance for you.
2. Compare, Compare, Compare
Comparing policies is a great way to find the right travel insurance for your needs. All insurers offer different benefits and pricing, so once you've identified what level of cover you need, the next step is start comparing to find yourself a good deal.
Comparison sites such as ours will help you do this. You simply enter your details in the quote box and you're provided with a comparison of all the features and price in seconds.
3. Cheapest Is Not Always The Best
One of the biggest mistakes travellers make is purchasing a policy based on the cheapest price. Selecting the cheapest can sometimes mean missing out on valuable coverage options. The key is to get the right level of cover at the best price.
4. Not All Policies Are Created Equal
When shopping around for travel insurance in New Zealand, you may notice that many different brands are underwritten by one of a few big insurers, such as Allianz Australia Insurance Limited, Certain underwriters at Lloyd's, QBE Insurance Limited and others. Whilst they look similar on first glance, they will almost certainly not be the same. Each insurer negotiates a product policy and chooses what to include or exclude. So think about your trip and planned activities that you need cover for.
5. Get The Best Bang For Your Buck
With so many travel insurers in the market, how do you really know who covers more than the other? The ideal policy is one that provides real value for money. Some insurers definately do cover more than others. Luckily we've done all the hard work for you. If you want to know who offers the best cover for expensive items, or who has the best single item limit - see who really covers more in our handy guide right here.
6. Read The Print - Small Or Not
Whilst it can be extremely boring, the fine print in any policy needs to be read and understood. Understanding the insurance exclusions and loopholes will help you to avoid placing yourself in situations that your insurer will not cover.
Some additional considerations when purchasing a policy are:
- Is the insurer reputable? Speaking with a few travellers and reading travel insurance reviews by customers can often reveal a very different tale to testimonials featured on the insurers' site.
- Do they offer emergency assistance? A 24-hour medical assistance hotline will be extremely useful to you if you are having troubles overseas.
- What is the excess? The amount you pay in the event of a claim varies between insurers and may vary depending on the claim type. For instance, you may not have to pay an excess for medical claims but pay $200 for lost belongings claim. Make sure you're comfortable with the excess amounts. You can often remove the excess by paying an additional fee around the $25 mark.
- Exclusions - Even the best policy won't provide cover for everything. You should pay attention to your policy's exclutions before you set off. Typically you're not covered if you put yourself in danger (e.g. some high risk activities like skydiving might not be covered); for any items that you leave unattended which are then lost or stolen; or for any medical conditions you had before you left for your trip.
The best travel insurance is out there. All travellers have to do is have a clear understanding of what they need cover for and match this to the right provider.
Compare Comprehensive travel insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance is the highest level of cover you can buy, or as we like to name it "the daddy of insurance!" It provides extensive cover for people travelling overseas for their holidays. There are usually different levels of cover available to purchase, but if you're looking for top medical cover including cancellation, luggage benefits and more you've come to the right place.
When searching for the maximum cover, it's a good idea to compare a few different companies to see which policy gives you the best bang for your buck! The below table shows the top cover levels of a few insurers in the market to give you an idea of what is available. To get a comprehesive quote specific to your trip, use the quote box at the top of the page.
| ID | Underwriter | Policy name | Medical | Cancellation cover | Luggage | Field7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HDI Global Specialty SE - New Zealand | Comprehensive | Unlimited | unlimited | $15,000 | ||
HDI Global Specialty SE - New Zealand | Comprehensive plus | Unlimited | Unlimited | $25,000 | ||
HDI Global Speciality SE - New Zealand | Comprehensive | Unlimited | Unlimited | $8,000 | ||
AWP Services New Zealand Limited | Comprehensive | Unlimited | Unlimited | $30,000 | ||
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | Wordlwide travel insurance | Unlimited | unlimited | $15,000 | ||
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | International | Unlimited | Unlimited | $25,000 | ||
AWP Services New Zealand Limited | Comprehensive | Unlimited | Unlimited | $30,000 | ||
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | Comprehensive + | Unlimited | $10,000 | $30,000 | ||
Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd | Comprehensive | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
Southern Cross Benefits Limited | International comprehensive | Unlimited | Unlimited | $25,000 | ||
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | International | Unlimited | Unlimited | $25,000 | ||
AWP Services New Zealand Limited | Comprehensive | Unlimited | Unlimited | $30,000 | ||
Zurich Australian Insurance Limited | Travel safe + | Unlimited | unlimited | $15,000 | ||
Certain Underwriters at Lloyds | Explorer | Unlimited | Unlimited | $10,000 | ||
The Hollard Insurance Company Pty | Comprehensive | $20 million | $100,000 | $10,000 |
1Cover
TINZ
Zoom Travel Insurance
AA Travel
Air New Zealand
AMI
AMP
Cover-more
NIB
Southern Cross Travel Insurance
State Travel Insurance
Tower
Webjet
World Nomads
Worldcare**Please note, the table above shows the listed insurer's most comprehensive policy - international trips only **
The information provided is of a general nature only and does not take into account any particular personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a decision you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your personal objectives, needs and circumstances. Cover levels could change at any time.
what does travel insurance cover?
24/7 Medical Assistance
Don't fret should you get sick or injured on your trip, because this is exactly why you're buying protection for your holiday. Travel insurance covers your medical expenses for injury or illness including hospital stays, surgery, dental, prescription drugs, and doctor visits.
Cancellation Cover
Sometimes trips just don't go to plan! Cancellation benefits cover the cost of rearranging or cancelling your journey because of unforeseen circumstances such as illness, accidents, and extreme weather conditions. Remember, cover starts from the day you buy your policy, not when your trip starts :)
Lost or Damaged Luggage
It's a real pain in the ar*e when your stuff is lost, stolen, or doesn't show up. At least if disaster happens on your holiday, your policy will replace or reimburse you for your baggage and personal items if they disappear or are damaged.
Travel Delays
Bummer, your flight's delayed, now what!? If your transport is postponed due to an unforeseen reason, your out-of-pocket accommodation, meals, and transport costs would be covered until you get back on track. Note, this benefit probably won't kick in if you only have a short delay which is less than 6 hours.
Family Emergency
It's always a worry going on holiday leaving loved ones behind. Never fear, should a close relative, or the person you're traveling with become seriously ill, injured, or heaven forbid, die, your travel expenses would be claimable. Restrictions can apply for relatives' age, medical conditions, and where they live.
Personal Liability
A lawsuit would certainly put a dampener on your dream holiday. Relax as you're covered in the event that you are found to be legally liable for accidental injury or damage you may have caused to another person or their property whilst on your trip.
what doesn't it cover?
Let's face it, travel insurance can't cover everything! Just like waiting periods with your health insurance, or drink-driving exclusions with your car insurance, similar conditions apply to your travel protection. Here's a few things to be aware of that might not be covered.
- Pre-existing illnesses: Some medical conditions that exist before you travel may not be covered. If you've recently been in hospital, have planned surgery, or suffering from a serious illness where overseas treatment is likely, you may find getting cover is tricker than usual. That's not to say if you do have a pre-existing condition you can't get cover at all, you may just need to have your condition assessed before cover can be granted. If cover is declined, in most cases, you can still buy a policy that would cover you for all other benefits, and for any unrelated illness or injury (just not your known pre-existing).
- Being reckless: We know that travel is all about new and exciting experiences, but if you deliberately put your life in danger (like jumping off a high cliff into the sea) you wouldn't be covered. Injuries or loss when alcohol or drugs have been involved may not be covered either. Not too many piña coladas now!
- High risk activities: Hey there adrenaline junkie! Many high risk activities and extreme sports (e.g. American football, boxing, skydiving, competitive cycling , rock climbing, polo and motor sports) are not covered. Always check whether your planned activities are before you go jumping out of a plane (for example.)
- Travel supplier default : Does your tour operator sound a bit dodgy ? Travel insurance does not always cover for insolvency of travel agents, tour wholesalers, tour operators or booking agents. Make sure you're confident in the operater making your travel arrangements.
- Known events: Just like you can't buy car insurance after you've had a car accident, you are unable to buy travel insurance to cover an event that has already happened. For example, if news of a hurricaine has already been spread all over the media and it prompts you to buy cover, it's already too late. You can of course still purchase, it's just that that particular known event is likely to be excluded from your cover.
- And more... We haven't detailed all travel insurance exclusions here. Just the ones that tend to pop up. It's vital that you read your chosen insurer's Product Disclosure Statement before you purchase to understand the exclusions that apply to your cover.
other handy tips & guides
What Adventure Activities Are Covered?
We know that relaxing on a beach isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. For the adventure junkies amongt us, it’s important to think about your planned activities and understand what is and isn’t covered.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
Having pre-existing medical conditions shouldn’t stop you from taking on the globe, one continent at a time! You shouldn’t have to pay through the nose for cover either!
Pregnancy Travel Insurance Guide
Not all insurers will cover you automatically if you’re over 22 weeks gestation or have had pregnancy complications. See which companies offer cover for pregnant women.
