What Is Fully Comprehensive Travel Insurance?

If you’re looking for travel insurance, you’ve likely come across the words ‘basic’ and ‘comprehensive’. And you’ve probably noticed that the prices associated with comprehensive are usually much, much higher.

But that’s because comprehensive travel insurance gives you much more protection. In fact, fully comprehensive travel insurance is the top tier of cover available. It’s built for travellers who want more than just emergency medical treatment sorted. Think cover for cancelled trips or lost luggage. A comprehensive policy can even help you get back home if a family member suddenly falls seriously ill while you’re away.

Read on for a complete breakdown of fully comprehensive travel insurance including how it differs from a basic policy, what’s included and whether it’s actually worth the extra money.

What is the difference between standard and comprehensive travel insurance?

Standard travel insurance (sometimes called basic or medical-only cover) does one job: It covers the costs of medical treatment if you get sick or injured overseas, along with hospital stays and emergency transport home if needed. But that’s usually where the cover stops.

Comprehensive travel insurance keeps that same medical protection but builds a lot more on top of it. A typical policy will also cover:

• Cancellation costs if you need to pull out of your trip before you leave
• Lost, stolen or damaged luggage and personal items
• Delays to your flights or transport, including extra meals and accommodation while you wait
• Family emergencies, such as a close relative becoming seriously ill or passing away while you're travelling
• Personal liability, in case you accidentally injure someone or damage their property

In short, standard cover protects your health. Comprehensive cover protects your health, your trip and your belongings, which is why it tends to cost more.

Do I really need comprehensive travel insurance?

It really comes down to how comfortable you’d be paying for things yourself if they go wrong, but for most travellers the answer is yes.

Potential medical costs alone make comprehensive travel insurance worth it. A hospital stay overseas, particularly in a country like the US, can run into tens of thousands of dollars for just a few days of treatment. Sure, no one plans to get sick or injured on holiday, but if it does happen and you don’t have cover, you’ll have to foot that bill yourself.

And there’s plenty of other things that can derail a trip. Flights get delayed. Bags go missing. Or someone back home might have a health scare and you suddenly need to fly back early. Comprehensive travel insurance can help you in all of these situations and more.

There’s also a practical reason worth mentioning: Some countries won’t let you enter without proof of travel insurance, so for certain destinations comprehensive cover isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a requirement to get through the border.

If your trip is short, low-cost and close to home, a basic medical policy might genuinely be enough. But if you’re travelling far, for a while, or you’ve spent a fair bit on flights and accommodation, comprehensive cover is the difference between a bad day and a very expensive one.

What does comprehensive travel insurance usually cover?

No two policies are exactly the same, but here’s what you can generally expect a comprehensive policy to include.

Emergency medical treatment

If you get sick or injured overseas, your policy pays for hospital stays, surgery, doctor visits and prescription medication. Depending on the policy, dental treatment for sudden pain or injury is usually included too. Given how expensive overseas healthcare can be, this benefit alone is often worth the price of the policy.

Cancellation cover

If you need to cancel or cut your trip short because of something outside your control, like sudden illness, an accident or severe weather, this covers the non-refundable costs you’d otherwise lose. And just so you know, cancellation cover usually starts the moment you buy your policy, not from your departure date.

Lost, stolen or damaged luggage

If your bags don’t arrive, go missing, or get damaged in transit, this benefit covers the cost of replacing or repairing your belongings up to your policy’s limit.

Travel delays

If your flight or transport is delayed for reasons beyond your control, this covers reasonable extra costs like meals and accommodation while you wait it out. Just be mindful that most insurers only pay out once the delay passes a set threshold, often around six hours, so a short delay usually won’t trigger a claim.

Family emergencies

If someone close to you, like a parent, partner or travelling companion, becomes seriously ill or passes away while you’re overseas, this benefit covers the cost of getting you home. Some insurers apply conditions around age or existing health issues for the relative involved, so it’s worth checking the fine print.

Personal liability

If you accidentally injure someone or damage their property while you’re travelling and you’re found legally responsible, this covers the resulting costs, including legal fees.

What doesn’t comprehensive travel insurance usually cover?

Of course, even the most comprehensive policy will have limits. Here’s what tends to be excluded.

Pre-existing medical conditions

If you have an existing illness or you’re awaiting treatment or surgery, it may not automatically be covered. Many insurers will assess the condition and decide whether to include it, exclude it, or charge extra to cover it. If it’s excluded, you can usually still take out a policy for everything else.

Reckless behaviour

Deliberately putting yourself in danger isn’t covered, and neither are injuries that happen while you’re heavily under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

High-risk activities

Extreme sports and higher-risk activities, such as skydiving or motorsports, often aren’t included as standard. If your trip involves anything adventurous, it’s worth checking whether you need to add extra cover.

Travel supplier failure

If a tour operator or booking agent goes out of business, that’s not always covered by your travel policy. It’s a good idea to look into how reputable a supplier is before booking through them.

Known events

You can’t buy cover for something that’s already happened or is already publicly known about, like a cyclone that’s already in the news before you purchase your policy. You can still buy insurance in that situation, but that specific event is likely to be excluded.

This list of exclusions isn’t exhaustive. Always check the Policy Wording for your chosen policy before buying.