What is single-trip travel insurance (also known as single-trip holiday insurance)?
One holiday, one policy, zero fuss. Single-trip travel insurance covers a specific journey – from the day you leave home to the day you return. Here’s a quick breakdown of what we cover on our three policies:
- Essentials – £5 million for emergency medical costs, up to £1,000 for cancellations and up to £1,000 for personal baggage cover.
- Classic – £10 million for emergency medical costs, up to £5,000 for cancellations and up to £2,000 for personal baggage cover.
- Deluxe – Unlimited cover for emergency medical costs, up to £7,500 for cancellations and up to £3,000 for personal baggage cover.
Because you’re insuring one trip only, your Avanti policy will be built around that destination, those dates and your medical history at the time you book. No paying for cover you’ll never use. That’s Travel Reassurance!
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When to choose single-trip holiday insurance
Single-trip
Just the one holiday on the cards? A single-trip travel insurance policy covers you for one trip, whether you’re visiting one or multiple destinations. It’s the straightforward option if you’re only jetting off once and want cover for that specific trip. And with cover lengths of up to 550 days available, there’s plenty of room for adventure.
Annual multi-trip
Paying for separate policies adds up if you’re planning two, three or even more adventures. An annual multi-trip policy spreads the cost across every journey, so the more you travel, the better value you get for each holiday. It also locks in your cancellation cover from the day you buy, protecting every future booking you make during the policy year. And if your plans aren’t quite fixed yet, you can delay your start date by up to 90 days.
That’s practical help when you need it most, and it leaves a little extra in the kitty for tapas, lift passes or an upgrade to that sea-view cabin you’ve been eyeing.
What does single-trip travel insurance cover?
Here’s a quick look at when your policy will and won’t apply. If you’re not sure how any of these points might affect you, our friendly team can talk them through over the phone and help you understand what your cover includes.
We can usually help if you…
- have to cancel your trip or come home early
If illness, injury or bereavement means you can’t travel or need to cut your holiday short, we’ll help with the costs you can’t get back.
- need emergency medical treatment abroad
If you fall ill or get injured overseas, we’ll cover hospital treatment, ambulance transport and – if needed – medical repatriation, with help from our 24-hour assistance team.
- lose your bags or passport
If your baggage, valuables or travel documents are lost or stolen, we’ll help you replace essentials so you can carry on with your trip.
- are disrupted by bad weather or strikes
If your flight or connection is delayed because of unexpected bad weather, strike action or a vehicle breakdown, we’ll help cover reasonable travel or accommodation costs to get you where you need to be. (This doesn’t apply if the strike or disruption was already public knowledge when you booked your trip).
- are delayed on your journey (Classic and Deluxe)
If your flight or ferry is delayed for 12 hours or more, you’ll get a fixed payment to help with the inconvenience.
- can’t stay in your accommodation (Classic and Deluxe)
If a fire, flood or major power cut means you can’t stay in your hotel or apartment, we’ll help arrange and pay for somewhere else.
- are admitted to hospital while abroad (Classic and Deluxe)
If you’re kept in hospital overnight, we’ll pay a daily benefit to help with small personal costs while you recover. (If you’re injured in a mugging, an extra payment may also apply).
- are delayed by volcanic ash (Deluxe only)
If a volcanic ash cloud grounds your flight for more than 12 hours, you’ll receive a fixed payment to help with the delay.
- accidentally cause injury or damage
If you unintentionally injure someone or damage their belongings, your policy includes personal liability protection.
- are injured in an accident abroad
If you need legal help after being injured overseas, we’ll cover your legal costs, so you’re not left to manage it alone.
Cover won’t apply if you…
- haven’t told us about a medical condition
If you don’t declare a pre-existing condition, or if your health changes before you travel and you don’t update your policy, we won’t be able to cover related claims.
- travel against UK Government or medical advice
There’s no cover if you travel somewhere the UK Foreign Office has advised against, or if your doctor says you shouldn’t travel for medical reasons.
- have an accident because of alcohol or drugs
We can’t cover claims if alcohol or drugs directly or indirectly contribute to an accident, injury or loss.
- miss a flight because of personal delays
If you don’t leave enough time to reach the airport or check-in, we can’t pay for missed flights or connections.
- leave belongings unattended
There’s no cover if something is lost or stolen after being left unattended – for example, on a sunbed, in an unlocked car or in a public place.
- are travelling for arranged medical treatment abroad
Travel insurance is designed for unexpected illness or injury, not for medical procedures, tests or check-ups arranged before you go.
- booked during a known strike or disruption
If strike action or travel problems were already public knowledge when you booked, your policy won’t apply to those delays or cancellations.
- take part in an activity that isn’t covered
Some higher-risk activities – such as certain winter sports – aren’t automatically included unless you’ve added the right optional cover.
- are waiting for a medical procedure
If you’re awaiting an operation or follow-up test, cancellation and curtailment claims won’t be covered unless it’s an accepted procedure shown on your validation certificate.
Travelling with a medical condition?
97% of customers who declare a condition are offered cover with us. In fact, since 2014, we’ve helped more than 1.3 million travellers arrange cover for over 1,300 medical conditions (subject to screening) – from high blood pressure and diabetes to cancer and heart disease.
In the rare event we can’t offer you travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions, we’ll always try to point you in the right direction. We’re proud to be listed in the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) directory – a trusted source for specialist insurers who understand complex health needs. You can also contact them directly on 0370 950 1790 or visit biba.org.uk for free, independent guidance.
Medical conditions we regularly cover
Heart and circulatory conditions
Travelling with a circulatory or heart condition like heart disease, high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation? You’re not alone.
Cancer
Our travel insurance policies can include cover for a wide range of cancers – including some of the most common, such as breast, prostate, bowel, lung and skin cancer.
Breathing and lung conditions
We regularly help travellers with a wide range of breathing conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, COPD and lung fibrosis.
Digestive conditions
Many Avanti travellers live with stomach and bowel conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Our policies can include protection for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease, as well as rarer conditions such as Huntington’s disease, Batten’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia and spinal muscular atrophy.
Mental health conditions
Travel can do wonders for mental wellbeing. If you’re managing a condition like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we’d love to help you see the world.
Autoimmune conditions
The Avanti team regularly arrange cover for travellers with autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, lupus, Addison’s disease and multiple sclerosis. This can include conditions managed with long-term medication or those that cause occasional flare-ups.
Kidney conditions
We often help kidney patients with conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), kidney stones, renal failure, nephritis and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Back and chronic pain
Chronic pain can have many causes – including autoimmune, neurological and digestive disorders – and we understand how differently it can affect each person day to day. We often cover those with conditions such as chronic back pain, slipped discs, sciatica, fibromyalgia and other long-term pain conditions.
Allergies
Allergies shouldn’t stop travel in its tracks. Whether it’s a common sensitivity or something more specific like allergic rhinitis or aspergillosis, we’ll do our best to find the right protection for your trip.
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What destinations does single-trip travel insurance cover?
Wherever your journey leads, your single-trip holiday insurance policy can follow – as long as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says it’s safe to travel. When you take out cover, simply tell us which country (or countries) you’ll be visiting over the span of your single trip.
Europe
From Italian gelato runs to Greek island hops, a single-trip Europe policy keeps things neat and cost-effective for flights to popular destinations like Spain, Portugal, France, and more. Your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) backs you up in state hospitals, while Avanti steps in for repatriation and all the extras your GHIC won’t cover.
Worldwide
Long-haul on the horizon? Select worldwide and roam from the USA’s national parks to Australia’s coastlines, with Asia, Africa and Latin America in between.
Top tip: declare every destination
Visiting more than one country on your single trip? List them all on your policy to make sure you’re covered wherever you go.
Your policy covers you based on where you are, not just where you’re staying. If something goes wrong – like a fall or sudden illness – you’ll need medical support, emergency treatment or repatriation in the country you’re currently in. So, even if you’re going on a quick day trip across a border, it’s important to let us know to keep yourself fully protected.
Stopovers are a bit different. If you’re staying airside, you won’t need to add the country to your policy. But if you’re planning on passing through immigration and leaving the airport, even briefly, you’ll need to let us know.
How long can I travel for with single-trip travel insurance?
With Avanti single-trip holiday insurance, you can cover one continuous trip for over a year (depending on your age and destination). Not sure which region your destination falls into? Just let us know where you’re going, online or over the phone – or take a look at our policy documents.
| Age |
Region 1&2 |
Region 3 |
Region 4 |
| 0-65 |
Maximum 550 days per trip |
| 66-70 |
366 days |
276 days |
184 days |
| 71-75 |
366 days |
184 days |
123 days |
| 75+ |
104 days |
How to buy single-trip holiday insurance
Step 1
You can get a quote online or over the phone. We’ll start by asking a few quick questions – like whether it’s single trip or annual cover, your travel dates, destination and if you’re going on a cruise.
It’s easy to cover an individual, couple, family or group of up to nine travellers online (or up to 30 by phone).
Step 2
Next, we’ll go through a few details about your health over the past two years – including any diagnoses, symptoms, tests or treatment.
Step 3
Once you’ve shared your details, we’ll talk you through your quote, whether online or over the phone. You can choose your level of cover, add any extras and confirm your policy there and then.
You’ll get instant access to your policy documents in My Avanti, where you can view, download or update your details any time.
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Going on a cruise?
Our Classic or Deluxe cruise cover can protect your nautical adventures against missed port departures, cabin confinement, itinerary changes, and more. And because nobody wants to be underdressed at the captain’s table, we’ll even pay up to £100 for emergency evening wear, if yours don’t make it on board. Just let us know you’re cruising when you get a quote.
When to buy single-trip insurance
Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis often says the best time to take out cover is the same day you put money down on your first trip – he calls this ASAB, or as soon as you book. The moment your policy is active, your cancellation protection starts working for you – guarding deposits on flights, accommodation and excursions all the way up to departure.
Wait until a week before you travel, and you’ll leave every day in between exposed to the unexpected: illness, family emergencies, or even a call-up to jury service.
How much is single-trip travel insurance?
The price of your single-trip policy is built around your specific, one-off trip, so you’ll only pay for the cover you actually need.
A few factors contribute to the final number, including where you’re going (the further away you travel, the higher the cost of repatriation if something goes wrong), how long you’ll be away for, how old you are and any pre-existing medical conditions you declare.
When you’re comparing prices, it helps to think about what’s behind them. Policies that include higher medical cover or cancellation limits might look pricier at first, but they are worth their weight in gold if something unexpected happens. According to GOV.UK, the cost of medical treatment for an infection and repatriation from the USA can cost in excess of £150,000.
How to get cheaper single-trip travel insurance
Looking to trim the cost of your single-trip travel insurance policy? Here are a few simple levers you can pull:
- Trip duration – shorter trips usually cost less to insure because there’s less time for something to go wrong.
- Destination – some places are more expensive to insure than others. The USA, Canada and the Caribbean have some of the world’s highest medical costs, while Europe and the UK are often cheaper to cover.
- Policy level – Avanti offers three levels of cover – Essentials, Classic and Deluxe. Essentials is the most cost-effective option for travellers looking to keep things simple.
- Luggage cover – think about what you really need to take with you. Packing lighter and setting a lower luggage limit on your policy can bring the cost down.
- Excess – a higher voluntary excess means a lower premium. Just make sure it’s an amount you’d be comfortable paying if you claim.
- Discounts – it’s also worth checking our current offers before you buy. You can find the latest Avanti discount codes on our discounts page.
If your quote for worldwide annual multi-trip holiday insurance tops £80, you don’t have to fund the full amount upfront. With Avanti, you can spread the cost over 12 monthly instalments.*
Avanti pays when it matters most
We know how important it is to feel confident that your claim will be handled quickly and fairly.
Between February 2024 and July 2025, our customers received more than £31 million, with over 18,000 claims settled.
You can expect to hear from our claims team within five working days of submitting your claim, and in most cases, Avanti strives to make a decision within five days of receiving your documents.
That’s one of the reasons Avanti has been awarded Best Insurance Customer Service by the Personal Finance Awards (2025).
Winner 7 years running: Best Travel Insurance
Our Best Travel Insurance award (Personal Finance Awards, 2018-2025) is based on the experiences of real people who travel with us. They’ve trusted us to help when plans change, flights are cancelled or medical emergencies happen abroad.
From updating policies to arranging hospital care or getting someone home safely, we do what good travel insurance should do – put things right.
Is single-trip travel insurance cheaper than annual multi-trip travel insurance?
Single-trip cover is priced around one trip only, so it will usually come out cheaper than paying for a full year of cover.
But the more you travel, the more the maths shifts. Annual multi-trip cover spreads the cost over every trip you take in a year, so the more you jet off, the lower your cost per trip becomes. For frequent travellers, it often works out cheaper overall – and you get the added convenience of not having to buy a new policy every time you book.
If you’re on the fence, it might be worth getting a quote for both before you decide. The difference might be smaller than you expect, and if there’s even a chance you’ll travel again before the year is out, annual cover could end up offering better value. If your annual trip costs £80 or more, you can also spread the cost over 12 months.*
Will a single-trip travel insurance policy cover UK holidays?
Our single-trip travel insurance covers trips within the UK too — just make sure you’ve booked and paid for at least two consecutive nights of accommodation. It’s easy to arrange – just let us know you’re planning a UK holiday when you’re buying your policy, and we’ll make sure it’s included in your cover.
What activities does single-trip travel insurance cover?
If you’re planning something a bit more adventurous, you’ll be glad to know that we cover over 100 fun-filled sports and activities on a non-professional basis. Think whale watching, water polo, marathon running, beach cricket, golf, jet skiing, boogie boarding, windsurfing, hiking, zip lining, shark diving (in a cage), safari (must be organised in the UK), swimming with dolphins (if it’s professionally organised and supervised), and more, with some exceptions around personal accident and liability cover.
Please see our policy documents for the full list of sports and activities covered.
Hear it from our happy travellers…
“Easy to use online service to get a travel insurance quote. I especially liked that you could compare the costs of single-trip and annual cover without having to re-input all the details each time. The cover and costs were also reasonable compared to other companies.”
Heather, 4 February 2026
“I always opt for Avanti Travel Insurance because they provide excellent prices, especially for travellers with pre-existing health conditions. Many other companies tend to have very high rates, but Avanti makes it affordable. They also offer flexible options like single-trip insurance or annual plans to suit your needs.”
Miss Mclaren, 3 December 2025
“I purchased single-trip holiday insurance from Avanti. This is the 4th trip in a row I have purchased from them. The cost was better than I expected. The website was well laid out, and easy to negotiate. After the transaction was complete and confirmation email received, I realised I had made a wee mistake when completing my medical information and forgot about a previous condition of my wife. I was able to log into My Avanti account, click on ‘My Policies’ then ‘Amend my Policy’, and add the additional medical information which was accepted at no additional cost. All in all, a very easy and rewarding experience.”
William, 28 September 2025
