Why do I need travel insurance?
Whatever your reasons for travelling, you'll want things to carry on as smoothly as possible while you're away. From lost luggage to medical needs, and flight cancellations to last-minute hotel changes, this is where travel insurance comes in.
You might already have cover for some elements of your journey, so before buying a policy, check with other providers such as your bank account, credit card or travel provider. Ultimately, travel insurance is the safety net that sits under everything else.
Get a quoteWhich travel insurance is right for you?
Choose from two products - annual multi-trip and single trip cover. Each comes with additional key benefits that you can pick to suit your holiday.
Annual multi-trip cover
Worldwide cover for multiple trips up to 42 days each.
Each trip up to a maximum of 42 days. All travellers must be under 75. Quotes valid for 90 days.
Single trip cover
Perfect for a one-off family trip lasting up to 90 days.
Trips must be 90 days or less, or 42 days or less for travellers 60 and over. Quotes valid for 90 days.
Why choose Direct Line Travel Insurance?
What you need to get a home insurance quote
- Up to £10m emergency medical cover
We want you to feel safe when you travel, so we'll pay up to £10m directly to the hospital if you have a medical emergency on your trip.
More about emergency medical cover - Up to £5,000 cancellation cover
We'll pay up to £5,000 for travel cancellation if you're faced with things like unexpected illness (depending on your chosen level of cover). - 24/7 multilingual advice
If you need help while on your trip, we're here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. - We'll get you home in the event of a medical emergency
If something goes wrong while you're away we'll make sure you get home. - Disaster cover
We'll help if you're unable to use your pre-booked and pre-paid accommodation because it, or the immediate area, is directly affected by a natural disaster. We'll pay the necessary extra travel and accommodation expenses (up to £1,000 per claim) so you can continue with your trip if possible, or return to the UK if not.
More about disaster cover
Exclusions apply. See our terms and conditions for full details.
Take a look at our optional extras
Add insurance for personal belongings or winter sports for an extra cost.
Personal Belongings
Insure your luggage and its contents while you travel. You can choose to add this during your quote.
Winter Sports
Insure your ski or snowboard gear against theft or damage, and get cover for if you're injured or there are piste closures. You can choose to add this during your quote.
Making sure your travel insurance is valid
So that your travel insurance is valid throughout your trip, it's important that you read and understand the points in this checklist. You also need to let us know if your circumstances change.
- Before you book a trip, check the government's travel advice for any countries you plan to visit. You should also check again nearer to your departure date in case anything changes.
- Before you take out a policy, let us know about any pre-existing medical conditions for you or any other insured person. If you don't, these conditions won't be covered.
- We won't pay for any claim unless you're a permanent resident of the UK.
- Trips must start and end in the UK.
- Trips within the UK must be for at least two consecutive nights, and where you're staying must be both pre-booked and commercially-operated.
- We won't cover any claim for travel cancellation if you had reason to believe the trip might be cancelled at the time you booked it.
Medical conditions
You can only tell us about medical conditions by phone, this includes conditions where there hasn't been a confirmed diagnosis. Please call 0345 246 8704 .
Download travel insurance policy documents
Need more help?
You can claim online or talk to our virtual assistant.
Contact Us ClaimsIf you'd rather talk to us, just give us a call (includes Typetalk service). We can help you choose the right kind of cover.
Call usFrequently asked questions
Yes they do but there are some questions we will need to ask you about your medical condition to understand if this can be covered, please give us a call on 0345 246 8704 for a quote and to discuss if we can provide cover for your medical conditions. Unfortunately we cannot do this online.
We offer personal belongings cover as an optional extra. The personal belongings limit is £1500 per insured person, the single article limit is £300 and the valuables limit is £300 in total. The limits in the personal belongings section may not be enough for expensive items such as jewellery and electronic equipment. However, you can usually insure these items separately under the 'All Risks' extension of your home insurance.
The policy provides cover for a large number of sports and activities. Please note, there are some activities that are not covered, as listed in the policy terms and conditions. Any other activity can be presumed to be covered, subject to the standard policy terms.
Yes, trips in the UK are covered as long as you have paid to stay in pre-booked commercially operated accommodation for two or more consecutive nights.
Yes, our single and annual multi trip policies provide cover for missed, delayed or abandoned departure as a result of a strike, as long as the strike had not started or been announced at the policy start date (or renewal date), or when you booked your trip, whichever is later.
Please visit our terms and conditions for more information.
From November 2023 British travellers to the EU who are taking trips for less than 90 days will be required to purchase a visa waiver. For more information on the scheme please visit https://etias.com/etias-requirements/etias-for-british-citizens.
Can't find the right level of cover to meet your needs?
If we are unable to offer you the level of cover you need, or your travel insurance premium is higher than you expected because you have medical conditions, help could still be available. We've been working with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Money and Pensions Service to create a directory that you can search when we're unable to help.
Just visit The Travel Directory Money Advice Service to search the directory, or call 0800 138 7777 (Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).
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