Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Review: The Specialist Travel Insurance for You?

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Review: The Specialist Travel Insurance for You?

Solid value from a specialist travel insurer.

Good for

  • Customizing travel cover to your individual needs
  • Insuring long trips
  • Covering Financial Failure
  • Including Personal Belongings/Baggage on all plans

Bad for

  • Buying very easy-to-understand, all-in insurance
  • Cover for unused frequent flier miles

Editor's Rating

4.5/5.0

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.

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Holidaysafe is a specialist travel insurer offering free insurance for kids and a wide array of travel insurance options, including niche cover for backpackers, Winter Sports, Cruise, Scuba, Weddings, etc. Plans offer good value, with only the top-tier Premier Platinum premiums exceeding market averages.

In This Review

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Review: What You Need to Know

Holidaysafe offers travellers a vast array of Annual and Single Trip travel insurance plans, with varying cover limits—solid value can be found and plans can be customized to cover your particular activities, but the wide range of options may be overwhelming for those new to travel insurance.

We like the Premier Plus plan for providing solid cover levels at market average prices. But generally speaking, their annual, multi-trip policies offer solid value relative to the market; their Single Trip policies are particularly good value as you can see in our price comparison.

All plans cover some level of Trip Delay, Missed Departure, Emergency Medical, Baggage/Possessions, Personal Liability, Legal Advice, Trip Cancellation/Curtailment, and Gadget cover. Niche cover is available for:

  • Golf
  • Cruise
  • Winter sports
  • Extended sports

Unfortunately, Holidaysafe has recently removed the cover for end supplier financial failure...

Does Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Cover Trips in the UK? Annual, multi-trip Holidaysafe policies will cover UK travel so long as you are travelling at least 3 days in your home country on any one trip. Trips involving UK travel of less than 3 days aren’t covered. Single Trip policies can, of course, be purchased for UK-based holidays, as well.

Pre-Existing Condition: Holidaysafe may be able to offer cover for some pre-existing medical conditions, although an increased premium or excess may be required. If you decide not to pay the additional premium, any declared medical conditions will not be covered. In order to be covered for any pre-existing conditions, they must be declared by you, accepted by Holidaysafe and any additional premium paid.

Over 65s: The age limit for travellers on Holidaysafe annual multi-trip policies is under 80 years of age at the start of the policy (75 years of age for Winter Sports cover); there is no upper age limit on Single Trip policies, although age does determine the length of trip coverage (e.g. Up to 65 years, 94 days; 66-79 years, 45 days; 80+ years, 31 days).

Holidaysafe Covid cover

All Holidaysafe plans include the following Covid cover:

  • Cancellation if you test positive within 14 days of your trip
  • Medical expenses if you need medical assistance due to testing positive while on a trip

In addition, they offer an optional Covid-19 extension that covers:

  • Cover for self isolation (e.g. before or during trip)
  • Missed departure due to a delayed test
  • Localised quarantine if your accommodation is placed under quarantine and you miss your transport home
  • Cover for changing entry requirements
  • Cover for medical expenses and repatriation if you've travelled against FCDO advice

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Key Points

  • 4 levels of cover (Standard, Premier, Premier Plus, Platinum)
  • Annual, multi-trip cover for unlimited trips up to 31 or 45 days each
  • Single-trip cover up to 3 months
  • Cover for trips up to 24 months available through Longstay or Backpacker cover
  • Niche cover for Golf, Cruise, Winter Sports
  • Personal Belongings cover on all tiers

Customer Reviews for Holidaysafe Travel Insurance

Is Holidaysafe any good? In addition to solid coverage features and competitive prices, Holidaysafe has fantastic customer reviews overall. To learn more about the typical customer experience we read hundreds of customer reviews to look for common complaints and, on the plus side, what customers really like about Holidaysafe. Here's what we found.

Holidaysafe Trustpilot

According to a whopping 17951+ reviews on Trustpilot, Holidaysafe travel insurance is rated 4.6 out of 5 by its customers. Around 3 out of 4 customers rate Holidaysafe as "Excellent" and just 2% gave them a 1-star "Bad" rating.

Positive comments reflect good prices, including for those with medical conditions, and quick, reliable payment for claimable incidents. Here is a sample:

"Covers my medical conditions at a realistic price."

"Medical conditions are easy to specify without the need to speak to an agent."

"Plain and easy to understand the policy with good levels of cover. Suitable for all ages and cover for all medical ailments."

"On a previous holiday to Egypt my wife had an accident that required a couple of costly hospital visits. When we returned from holiday I forwarded all the relevant bills and receipts to holidaysafe and they paid out immediately."

"Had to make an unfortunate claim last year due to being in hospital, the service was impeccable, fast and payment was prompt."

"Most helpful honest staff and very good prices for the cover."

"when I broke my arm and had to cancel my holiday I had no problems with getting my money back with holidaysafe. Brilliant service. Simple, honest and fair."

Not all customers have an excellent experience with Holidaysafe, however. For instance, some policyholders have experienced difficulty with contacting the company to confirm coverage for an emergency medical claim. Here is a selection of negative reviews so you can see some issues:

"The weather here is appalling and the roads out of the town where we are are blocked by deep snow... Holiday Safe have said that if she cannot get to the airport because of the weather she is not covered in any way."

"Whilst travelling in Peru I contracted pyelonephritis (severe kidney infection) which required immediate hospitalisation. I contacted HolidaySafe as soon as I was diagnosed and my doctor sent a medical report immediately. Call centre staff were extremely unhelpful and could offer no support or advice to me. I had to pay £1000 upfront to the hospital to be admitted because HolidaySafe couldn't review my policy and confirm I was covered in time... Upon leaving the hospital I had to pay the full cost of my treatment, over £2500. HolidaySafe contacted me nearly a week after I checked out of the hospital to say that my cover had been verified and my claim approved."

"I made my claim over 3 months ago now and still no progress."

Holidaysafe Price Comparison

Holidaysafe prices are generally a good value. We gathered publicly-available sample quotes for various Holidaysafe policies for different destinations, to see how prices relate to the average cost of travel insurance in the UK. As shown in the charts, all but Holidaysafe's Platinum Annual, Multi-Trip plans come in below average costs.

Insurance quotes can vary significantly from day to day and according to your individual details, so please just use the following data for educational purposes only; your quotes may reflect a large degree of variation. For example, rates will vary significantly with age, health history, geographic coverage, and more.

chart showing Holidaysafe multi-trip travel insurance prices compared to market averages
Holidaysafe Multi-Trip Travel Insurance Prices for a 50-Year-Old Individual

We also gathered quotes for Holidaysafe plans for a family of four—they'll pay on average 2X the cost of an individual policy, because kids essentially go free. Below you can see how prices change across geographical locations like Europe and America and policy types for a family of four, with and without Winter Sports cover.

Notable Features

Here are some highlights of features available on Holidaysafe travel insurance policies. Standard features like Medical and Personal Liability are also included on Holidaysafe policies, limits for which can be found below in the Policies. For more complete details like inner limits and exclusions, please see the policy documents.

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Features
Trip CancellationCover for unused travel and accommodation expenses if you have to cancel a trip before you leave home; covers expenses such as car hire, excursions and activities, car parking fees, accommodation and travel costs; valid reasons include death or illness, redundancy, home damage, requirements of HM forces and court cases.
Trip Disruption (Delay or Curtailment)Reimbursement for delayed departure of an international flight, train or ship of more than 12 hours; Cover for prepaid transport and accommodation expenses, parking charges, car hire and excursions; alternative transport to get you to your destination or home in case of a Missed Departure
Missed DepartureCover for alternative travel (not accommodation) expenses for missed international departure resulting from public transport delay or the breakdown of your vehicle or and accident involving your vehicle
Personal Belongings/BaggagePossessions cover included on all policies between £1,000 and £3,000 total; inner limits change by policy type for categories such as clothing, luggage, jewellery, electrical items, etc.
CruiseOPTIONAL cover includes Cabin Confinement, unused pre-paid Shore Excursions and Cruise Itinerary change
Winter SportsNICHE cover available for trips involving skiing, snowboarding and/or ice skating; can be purchased as Single Trip or Multi-Trip policies
GolfNICHE cover available for Golf trips as Single or Multi-Trip policies

Types of Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Policies

Holidaysafe offers 4 tiers of travel insurance (Standard, Premier, Premier Plus and Platinum), plus backpacker cover.

Backpacker and Longstay cover is available in 3 tiers (Backpacker and Longstay, Backpacker and Longstay Plus, Backpacker and Longstay Platinum).

Holidaysafe Single Trip: Holidaysafe Single Trip travel insurance covers trips up to 3 months abroad.

Holidaysafe Annual Multi-Trip: Holidaysafe Annual, Multi-Trip policies cover any number of trips a policy year, up to 31 days (Standard, Premier) or 45 days (Premier Plus and Platinum) each or even 60 for Platinum with an upgrade.

Holidaysafe Backpackers/Longstay: Cover for trips between 3 months and 23 months long.

Below we highlight the features which are added to each higher tier of travel insurance. Generally speaking, cover limits increase through the tiers as well.

Holidaysafe Standard Travel Insurance

Those buying Holidaysafe’s Standard plan have the option to add cover for extra activities, cruise, golf, large scale events, Covid-19 and an excess waiver.

Holidaysafe Premier Travel Insurance

A mid-tier plan, Premier policyholders benefit from higher levels of cover than the standard policy and get end supplier failure as well.

Holidaysafe Premier Plus Travel Insurance

The second highest tier of cover, Premier Plus policyholders benefit from features of the Premier plan but with higher limits for many categories, in particular those related to trip cancellation/curtailment/abandonment, and they pay a lower standard policy excess of £40. Also, once you hit this tier the maximum trip duration is extended on Multi-Trip policies from 31 days to 45 days.

Holidaysafe Platinum Travel Insurance

The top tier Platinum plan includes features of the lower tier offerings, with higher levels of cover across a wide swath of features such as up to £7,500 of cancellation. And there's a £0 excess for all categories of claims! Plus you can extend to cover trips of up to 60 days.

Holidaysafe Cover Limits


StandardPremierPremier PlusPlatinum

Standard Excess (does not always apply)
£100£60£40£0
Days per trip (annual)31314545 (60 Days Per Trip Extension Is Available)
Cancellation - If you are unable to go on your trip£1,500£3,000£5,000£7,500
If your departure is delayed Maximum£150£300£300£500
If your departure is delayed per 12 hours£10£30£30£50
If you miss your departure£500£1,000£1,000£1,500
If you miss your connection£500£1,000£1,000£1,500
If you choose to abandon your travel plans£1,500£3,000£5,000£7,500
If a major incident happens while you are on your trip - Additional travel expenses to move to a safer area£1,000£1,000£1,000£1,000
If a major incident happens while you are on your trip - Prescribed medication£150£150£150£150
If you need emergency medical treatment abroad£5,000,000£10,000,000£10,000,000£10,000,000
If you incur additional medical expenses abroad£10,000,000£5,000,000£10,000,000£10,000,000
If you incur additional medical expenses abroad - Additional accommodationNo CoverNo CoverNo Cover£5,000
If you need to be brought home£5,000,000£10,000,000£10,000,000£10,000,000
If you need to be brought home - Body/Ashes£25,000£25,000£25,000£50,000
If you are buried or cremated abroad£2,000£5,000£5,000£5,000
If you are admitted to hospital maximum£400£1,000£1,000£1,500
If you are admitted to£20£50£50£50
hospital per 24 hours
Curtailment - If you have to cut your trip short£1,500£3,000£5,000£7,500
If your checked-in baggage is delayed£100£150£150£350
If your valuables are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged£1,000£1,000£1,000£1,000
If your valuables are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged - Single Article Limit£250£250£250£250
If your gadgets are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged£1,000£2,000£2,000£3,000
If your other possessions are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged£1,000£1,500£2,000£5,000
If your other possessions are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged - Single Article Limit£250£250£250£500
If you cash or event tickets are lost or stolen - Cash£250£500£500£500
If you need emergency travel documents - Travel and accommodation expenses£100£200£200£250
If you need emergency travel documents - Emergency travel documents£100£200£200£250
If you need legal advice£10,000£50,000£50,000£100,000
If you are killed, injured or disabled following an accident - Death£5,000£30,000£30,000£70,000
If you are killed, injured or disabled following an accident - Loss of sight/Loss of limb (one eye or limb)£2,500£30,000£30,000£35,000
If you are killed, injured or disabled following an accident - Loss of sight/Loss of limb (both eyes or limbs)£2,500£30,000£30,000£70,000
If you are killed, injured or disabled following an accident - Permanent and total disablement£2,500£30,000£30,000£70,000
If you are held legally liable for injury or property damage£1,000,000£2,000,000£2,000,000£2,000,000
If your return journey to your home country is delayed MaximumNo CoverNo CoverNo Cover£350
If your return journey to your home country is delayed per 12 hoursNo CoverNo CoverNo Cover£35

Those heading off on a ski, golf or cruise holiday can buy additional cover to protect these types of holidays as well.

Cover Limits for OPTIONAL Winter Sports, Cruise, Golf Travel Insurance

You can check their website for further information on winter sports and golf cover options, here.

Please read some of our Travel Insurance Guides if you're trying to decide between Single Trip or Multi-Trip policies, learn about What May Not be Covered by Travel Insurance or decide if you Need Travel Insurance or Not.

How does Holidaysafe Travel Insurance Compare to Competitors?

To better understand the value of Holidaysafe 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.

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance vs Direct Line Travel Insurance

Direct Line travel insurance plans are simple and easy to understand. They include cover for End Supplier Failure and Natural Disasters, plus cover for the replacement cost of used points or miles in case of Cancellation/Curtailment for a trip bought with air miles or another rewards structure. While prices may be a bit higher, according to our analysis, you are getting these extra cover features. One surprising extra is Baggage, however—you'll need to pay extra to cover your personal belongings as they're not included as standard.

Bottom Line: If you want simple plans that include End Supplier Failure or Natural Disasters, or if you book trips with miles, then Direct Line might be easier for you.

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance vs AXA Travel Insurance

AXA travel insurance offers solid cover for reasonable prices, providing good value for money. Insolvency, Baggage, Cancellation/Delay/Curtailment and Catastrophe are included on all plans.

Bottom Line: If you really want cover for End Supplier Failure and Baggage included as standard, then AXA might be a more comprehensive travel insurance option for you.

Holidaysafe Travel Insurance vs AA Travel Insurance

AA travel insurance is another provider offering good value. In particular, we like their higher-tier Standard plan as it offers higher limits plus includes Abandonment and Financial Failure, may cover pre-existing conditions and you can add extended Travel Disruption protection. Personal Belongings and baggage are covered on all policies, although cover limits may be too low for some travellers. When purchased online, customers can lock in a 20% online discount for the first year.

Bottom Line: If you want to secure an online discount, AA offers 20% off to new customers.

Other Useful Information

Erin Yurday

Erin Yurday is the Founder and Editor of NimbleFins. Prior to NimbleFins, she worked as an investment professional and as the finance expert in Stanford University's Graduate School of Business case writing team. Read more on LinkedIn.

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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.

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