Coverwise Travel Insurance Review
Coverwise Travel Insurance Review
Good for
- Competitive prices
- Personal Belongings/Baggage covered on all plans
Bad for
- Insuring older travellers (max age 75 for Single Trips, 65 for Multi-Trip Plans)
- Covering your mobile phone
- Catastrophe/Travel Delay/Travel Disruption not available on lower tiers
The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.
Coverwise is a very popular UK travel insurer, with especially good value for Annual, Multi-Trip plans whether you're staying in Europe or your travel plans include travelling around the world. We like that all plans include Baggage cover as standard. If you want extended cover for events like volcanic ash and hurricanes then pay around £17 extra for Travel Disruption on a Silver or Gold plan direct (vs buying from a comparison site).
In This Review
Coverwise Travel Insurance Review: What You Need to Know
Coverwise offers four levels of Annual and Single Trip travel insurance—Standard, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Consumers can either buy Coverwise direct from the Coverwise website or via a comparison site.
Some differences between buying direct and buying from a comparison site are as follows:
- Prices from comparison sites are usually cheaper, but cover may be lower
- The Gold plan is only available direct from Coverwise's website
- The travel disruption add-on is only available on Silver and Gold plans, when purchased direct from Coverwise's website
Trip Cancellation, Emergency Medical, Legal Assistance, Personal Accident and Personal Belongings/Baggage are included on all policies. Silver and Gold policies also include Trip Delay, Missed Departure and Abandonment, Catastrophes and Baggage Delay. Travel Disruption cover (which extends the benefits under the Cancellation, Departure Delay and Missed Departure to include volcanic ash, hurricanes, etc.) is available for an extra cost on Silver and Gold plans when buying direct.
For those heading to the slopes, Winter Sports can be added to all tiers of insurance for an additional cost. Trips involving a cruise are covered as standard on all plans (so long as all destinations are covered under your policy), but we don't see any provision for specific cover such as Cabin Confinement, etc. that you'll find on some specialist Cruise protection add-ons.
Are Mobile Phones Covered? Mobile phones are NOT covered on Coverwise plans. This may not be an issue for you if you already have cover for gadgets (e.g., mobiles, iPads, laptops, etc.) through the Contents cover of your home insurance policy, however. Alternatively, you can add the optional Gadget cover when you buy a policy. However, this only gives you up to £1,000 of protection. If you need more gadget cover through your travel insurance, you can get quotes for travel insurance plans offering higher Gadget cover limits, such as CoverForYou for £1,000, £2,000 or £3,000 of total gadget cover.
Does Coverwise Travel Insurance Cover Trips in the UK? Holidays in the UK are covered under Coverwise Annual, Multi-Trip policies, so long as you pre-booked at least one night’s accommodation in a hotel, motel, holiday camp, bed and breakfast, holiday cottage or similar accommodation rented for a fee.
Pre-Existing Conditions: As part of the online application you'll be asked if you've suffered a medical condition or required prescribed medication, surgery, treatment, tests or investigations within the five years leading up to the policy purchase date. If you have, Coverwise may be able to offer cover for some pre-existing medical conditions for which you'll typically pay a higher premium. Pre-existing conditions are only covered if they've been fully declared, accepted and paid for.
Over 65s: The age limit for travellers on Coverwise's Annual Multi-Trip policies is 65 years or under; travellers must be 75 or under for a Single Trip.
Coverwise Price Comparison
According to our data research, prices of Coverwise Annual Multi-Trip travel insurance bought direct were noticeably lower than the average cost of travel insurance. Coverwise prices were still competitive for Single Trip plans, although less so than their Multi-Trip plans. Single Trip plan premiums can be quite variable depending upon how far ahead they are purchased from the date of travel—when purchased at the last minute, for instance, you'll usually pay less because there is less risk of a pre-trip Cancellation (this does not mean you should wait to buy cover, however, as you're only protected after you buy a policy).
Insurance quotes can vary significantly from day to day and according to your individual details, so please just use the following data for general educational purposes only; your quotes may reflect a large degree of variation.
Buying through a comparison site can secure an even lower price, in most cases. According to our price checks for a 35-year-old individual traveller, buying from a comparison site will save £1 to £11 per policy, as you can see in the following charts.
Cost of Add-On Extras
Travel Disruption cover can be added to Silver and Gold plans, for a cost around £17 for Annual, Multi-Trip plans and closer to £10 or less for Single Trips. Winter Sports may be added for an extra cost to all of Coverwise's travel insurance policies. We've gathered Winter Sports quotes across geographies and types of policies for a 30-year-old individual to give you an idea of the cost of this travel insurance add-on.
Type | Geography | Coverwise Plan | Winter Sports Add-On Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-trip | Europe | Standard | £20 |
| Bronze | £23 | ||
| Silver | £27 | ||
| Gold | £65 | ||
| Worldwide ex USA, Canada & the Caribbean | Standard | £6 | |
| Bronze | £8 | ||
| Silver | £28 | ||
| Gold | £112 | ||
| Worldwide | Standard | £26 | |
| Bronze | £32 | ||
| Silver | £38 | ||
| Gold | £135 | ||
| Single Trip | Europe | Standard | £4 |
| Bronze | £3 | ||
| Silver | £5 | ||
| Gold | £6 | ||
| Worldwide ex USA, Canada & the Caribbean | Standard | £55 | |
| Bronze | £85 | ||
| Silver | £109 | ||
| Gold | £124 | ||
| Worldwide | Standard | £80 | |
| Bronze | £123 | ||
| Silver | £157 | ||
| Gold | £173 |
We also gathered quotes for Coverwise plans for a family of four—they'll pay on average 2X the cost of an individual policy (basically, kids go free). Below you can see how prices change across geographical locations like Europe and America and policy types for a family of four, when buying direct. Expect slightly lower prices from a comparison site.
How much will you pay for Coverwise travel insurance for a family of 4?
Type | Geography | Coverwise Plan | Family of Four Premium | Winter Sports Add-On Cost | Family of Four Total Premium, incl. Winter Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-trip | Europe | Standard | £23 | £68 | £91 |
| Bronze | £24 | £90 | £115 | ||
| Silver | £45 | £90 | £134 | ||
| Gold | £87 | £174 | £261 | ||
| Worldwide ex USA, Canada & the Caribbean | Standard | £54 | £109 | £164 | |
| Bronze | £60 | £146 | £206 | ||
| Silver | £80 | £161 | £241 | ||
| Gold | £155 | £312 | £468 | ||
| Worldwide | Standard | £67 | £134 | £200 | |
| Bronze | £74 | £178 | £252 | ||
| Silver | £98 | £197 | £295 | ||
| Gold | £190 | £383 | £573 | ||
| Single Trip | Europe | Standard | £25 | £99 | £124 |
| Bronze | £35 | £143 | £177 | ||
| Silver | £45 | £189 | £234 | ||
| Gold | £51 | £216 | £267 | ||
| Worldwide ex USA, Canada & the Caribbean | Standard | £31 | £126 | £157 | |
| Bronze | £43 | £182 | £225 | ||
| Silver | £56 | £241 | £297 | ||
| Gold | £63 | £275 | £339 | ||
| Worldwide | Standard | £64 | £154 | £217 | |
| Bronze | £70 | £242 | £312 | ||
| Silver | £116 | £297 | £413 | ||
| Gold | £87 | £384 | £471 |
Notable Features
Here are some highlights of features available on Coverwise travel insurance policies. Standard features like Medical and Personal Liability are also included on Coverwise policies, limits for which can be found below in the Policy Limits section. For more complete details like inner limits and exclusions, please refer to the policy documents.
| Coverwise Travel Insurance Features | |
|---|---|
| Cancellation | ALL PLANS Cover for unused travel and accommodation expenses if you have to cancel a trip before you leave home or cut a trip short in case of emergency; valid reasons include death or illness, redundancy, home damage, court cases, etc. |
| Travel Delay | SILVER, GOLD AND PLATINUM If your public transportation is delayed at its final departure point to or from the United Kingdom by at least 12 hours; Up to £100 (Silver) or £300 (Gold) or £350 (Platinum) paid as £20 for every full 12 hour delay; Need optional Travel Disruption add on if want cover for volcanic ash, storms, etc.; Doesn't cover costs which are recoverable from public transport operator or for which you'll receive compensation, damages, refund of tickets, meals, refreshments, accommodation, transfers, communication facilities or other assistance or for travel and accommodation costs, charges and expenses where the public transport operator has offered reasonable alternative travel arrangements. |
| Travel Disruption | OPTIONAL Silver, Gold and Platinum add on when buying direct; Extends the benefits under the Cancellation, Departure Delay and Missed Departure to cover travel, accommodation and some pre-paid expenses due to Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and/or volcanic ash clouds, earthquakes, explosions, avalanches, storms and hurricanes; Insolvency of your accommodation provider or their booking agents; Accommodation uninhabitable as a result of an outbreak of food poisoning or infectious disease; Denied boarding because the airline has overbooked your flights |
| Catastrophe | GOLD plans; Up to £1,000 for reasonable additional accommodation and transport costs incurred up to the standard of your original booking, if you need to move to other accommodation due to fire, flood, earthquake, volcanic eruption, explosion, tsunami, landslide, avalanche, hurricane, storm or an outbreak of food poisoning or an infectious disease meaning you cannot use your booked accommodation; You must get (at your own expense) written confirmation from the provider of the accommodation, the local Police or relevant authority that you could not use your accommodation and the reason for this; Not available on lower tier plans |
| Golf | OPTIONAL cover on some plans |
| Cruise | Trips including a cruise are covered (so long as each stop on the cruise is within the geographical cover of your insurance plan) but there is no cruise-specific coverage for events like cabin confinement, etc. |
| Winter Sports | OPTIONAL extra cover available on all plans for up to 17 days per policy term (Annual, Multi-Trip plans) |
| Personal Belongings/Baggage | Personal belongings and baggage cover included on all policies, up to £1,000 (Standard) or £3,500 (Platinum), depending on the plan; limits on single items/valuables of £200 or £300; Contact or corneal lenses, hearing aids, dental or medical fittings, ski equipment, golf equipment not covered (last two can be covered through Winter Sports or Golf add ons); Restrictions on unattended baggage or items left in a car |
| Scuba Diving | Scuba diving (other than cave diving) is covered subject to certain qualification and supervision requirements up to 20 or 35 metres; If you do not hold a qualification, they cover to a depth of 18 metres if you are accompanied by a qualified instructor |
| Insolvency | OPTIONAL Insolvency of accommodation providers or their booking agents available through the Travel Disruption add on, which is optional on Silver and Gold plans when buying direct |
Types of Coverwise Travel Insurance Policies
Coverwise offers four tiers of travel insurance—Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold. All are available for Single Trips or as Annual, Multi-Trip policies:
Single Trip travel insurance covers trips up to 365 days abroad.
Annual Multi-Trip policies cover any number of trips a policy year, up to 24 or 31 days each. You may be able to extend the maximum trip duration for an extra charge, subject to the underwriter's approval.
Coverwise Standard Travel Insurance
The Standard plan is Coverwise's entry-level travel insurance offering. Emergency Medical expenses are covered up to £20 million and you get up to £1,000 of cover per insured person for Trip Cancellation and Personal Belongings. There is no cover for Abandonment, Missed Departure or Delayed Departure. You can add Winter Sports cover if you're going skiing or snowboarding. Gadget cover is optional.
Coverwise Bronze Travel Insurance
Bronze plans include similar trip length (max 14 days on annual policies) to Standard plans, but offer slightly higher cover levels for some categories, such as Cancellation and Baggage (£1,500 and £1,750, respectively). Still no cover for Abandonment, Missed Departure or Delayed Departure; Winter Sports is optional. Gadget cover is optional.
Coverwise Silver Travel Insurance
Silver policies include longer trip lengths (31 days) for Annual plans, higher limits and the addition of Abandonment, Missed Departure and Delayed Departure. In addition to features of the Bronze plans, you'll get cover such as up to £400 for Baggage Delay. If you buy a Silver plan direct then you can buy the optional Travel Disruption add on provides for insolvency of accommodation providers or their booking agents, plus extends benefits to cover travel, accommodation and some pre-paid charges in the event of volcanic ash clouds (which can overlap with the cover provided by the Catastrophe section), tsunamis, hurricanes or storms. Winter Sports is optional, Gadget and Travel Disruption are optional.
Coverwise Gold Travel Insurance
Coverwise Gold is their top-tier travel insurance plan with the highest cover limits per person. If the Gold premium fits in your budget, you'll get the highest coverage levels with this plan. In addition to features of the Silver plans, you'll get additional cover such as up to £1,000 for Catastrophe cover. Winter Sports is optional. Gadget and Travel Disruption (which can give you a higher limit for problems like catastrophes) are optional.
The optional Travel Disruption add on for Silver, Gold and Platinum policies provides for insolvency of accommodation providers or their booking agents, plus extends benefits to cover travel, accommodation and some pre-paid charges in the event of volcanic ash clouds (which can overlap with the cover provided by the Catastrophe section), tsunamis, hurricanes or storms, and more.
They have also introduced a few other tiers, Standard Plus, Silver Plus and Platinum. Below we highlight the main features for Standard, Bronze, Silver and Gold policies.
Coverwise Cover Limits and Excess Amounts
| From the Coverwise website | Standard | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Expenses | £20,000,000 | £20,000,000 | £20,000,000 | £20,000,000 |
| Cancellation | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Baggage | £1,000 | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 |
| Abandonment | n/a | n/a | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Missed Departure | n/a | n/a | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Delayed Departure | n/a | n/a | £100 | £300 |
| Personal Accident | £10,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 | £20,000 |
| Personal Liability | £2,000,000 | £2,000,000 | £2,000,000 | £2,000,000 |
| Passport & Visas | £500 | £500 | £500 | £600 |
| Excess | £125/200 | £100/200 | £50 | £50 |
FAQs
How does Coverwise Travel Insurance Compare to Competitors?
To better understand the value of Coverwise travel insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared it to other plans in the market so you can see which may be more suitable for you.
Coverwise Travel Insurance vs Admiral Travel Insurance
Admiral travel insurance is another solid travel insurance company. We particularly like the ability to add £1,000 of gadget cover to their plans. Plus, Admiral's top-tier Gold an dPlatinum plans include Catastrophe cover to provide a financial buffer in case your trip is affected by a natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake.
Bottom Line: If you want protection against Catastrophes and for your gadgets (e.g., mobile phones) then Admiral may be a solid choice.
Coverwise Travel Insurance vs Sainsbury's Travel Insurance
Sainsbury's travel insurance offers good travel cover at decent prices, especially when purchased through a comparison site. All plans include Baggage, Cancellation and Emergency Medical, but you also get Scheduled Airline Failure, Delayed Departure and Trip Abandonment. Extended Gadget cover can be added to all plans to cover mobile phones, iPads, etc. For those going on an extended holiday, you may benefit from trip lengths that are longer than average.
Bottom Line: Those needing cover for longer trips or want cover for gadgets and SAFI might find particularly suitable travel insurance from Sainsbury's Bank.
Coverwise Travel Insurance vs Insure & Go Travel Insurance
Insure & Go travel insurance is another travel specialist provider offering some economical holiday cover. Cancellation cover ranges from £1,000 to £10,000 and Baggage from £750 up to £3,000, with prices starting from around £5 for a single trip to Europe. Emergency Medical starts at £5 million and goes up to unlimited cover on top tier plans. The Valuables extension upgrade may be useful if you want more cover for gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, etc. to provide £1k or £2k of valuables cover, starting at a cost of £5.90.
Bottom Line: Insure & Go is another reliable option for travel insurance with the added benefit of optional gadget cover to protect mobile phones, tablets, etc.