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Going on holiday? Take our Defaqto 5 Star rated travel insurance with you*
*Defaqto 5 Star rated Premier policy
From around the world trips, to city breaks and even golf holidays, our travel insurance comes highly recommended.
Why choose LV= travel insurance?
Whether it’s one big trip or a year of mini breaks - around the world, city-hopping and even golf holidays - we’ve got your travel covered.
We consider all pre-existing medical conditions, we cover treatment and repatriation costs if you fall ill with coronavirus (COVID-19) abroad and, of course, we’re here when bags and belongings go missing too. Oh, and we don’t do upper age limits on our single trip insurance… age is just a number, right?
What is travel insurance?
Travel insurance is there if something doesn’t go to plan. Like having to cancel your holiday, a medical emergency abroad, or losing your luggage.
Emergency medical treatment in another country can prove incredibly costly and having travel insurance means you can relax on your holiday with the peace of mind that you’re covered even if the worst should happen.
And, before your holiday’s even started, if you find you can’t travel and have to cancel your trip, at least you’ll be covered for the cost of cancellation.
An important thing to remember is to take out insurance ASAB – as soon as you book – to get the full benefit of cover.
Getting the right cover to suit your needs is essential so it’s worth considering additional benefits, often available as optional extras, such as:
- Baggage coverfor lost or stolen bags including personal items of value
- Cover for uncommon activitiessuch as scuba diving, wakeboarding and other water sports
- Cover for delay or missed departure
- Specific cover relating towinter sportsorcruises
Why is travel insurance important?
One important reason for having travel insurance is to cover you for the potentially very high cost of treatment if you fall ill while you’re away.
Most countries don’t have the same sort of medical provision we enjoy in the UK (free treatment at the point of need) and having to receive treatment in a foreign country can quickly become very expensive, especially in countries like the USA where even a short stay in hospital can land you a bill running into tens of thousands of pounds.
If you’re visiting EU countries or Switzerland, the UK has reciprocal health care agreements which can be accessed using your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)or European Health Insurance Card (if still valid) but not all treatment’s covered and your GHIC won’t cover the cost of your travel if you need to return to the UK sooner than planned.
Another reason travel insurance is important is it can cover the cost of your holiday if you’re unable to travel due to certain circ*mstances, for example if you or a close relative (or someone you were planning to stay with) fell ill unexpectedly.
Some policies also cover reasons like jury service, armed forces and NHS call up, or damage to your home that means you can’t leave, e.g. fire.
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And, before your holiday’s even started, if you find you can’t travel and have to cancel your trip, at least you’ll be covered for the cost of cancellation.
\n
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An important thing to remember is to take out insurance ASAB – as soon as you book – to get the full benefit of cover.
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Getting the right cover to suit your needs is essential so it’s worth considering additional benefits, often available as optional extras, such as:
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- Baggage coverfor lost or stolen bags including personal items of value \n
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- \n
- Cover for uncommon activitiessuch as scuba diving, wakeboarding and other water sports \n
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- \n
- Cover for delay or missed departure \n
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- \n
- Specific cover relating towinter sportsorcruises \n
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One important reason for having travel insurance is to cover you for the potentially very high cost of treatment if you fall ill while you’re away.
\n
Most countries don’t have the same sort of medical provision we enjoy in the UK (free treatment at the point of need) and having to receive treatment in a foreign country can quickly become very expensive, especially in countries like the USA where even a short stay in hospital can land you a bill running into tens of thousands of pounds.
\n
\n
\n
If you’re visiting EU countries or Switzerland, the UK has reciprocal health care agreements which can be accessed using your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)or European Health Insurance Card (if still valid) but not all treatment’s covered and your GHIC won’t cover the cost of your travel if you need to return to the UK sooner than planned.
\n
\n
\n
Another reason travel insurance is important is it can cover the cost of your holiday if you’re unable to travel due to certain circ*mstances, for example if you or a close relative (or someone you were planning to stay with) fell ill unexpectedly.
\n
\n
Some policies also cover reasons like jury service, armed forces and NHS call up, or damage to your home that means you can’t leave, e.g. fire.
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So, what does our travel insurance cover?
Choose from our essential or premier policies to find the cover for you.
OurEssentialpolicy includes the following:
- A 15% discount when you buy our travel insurance online
- Up to £10million emergency medical cover
- Travel insurance with coronavirus cover
We'll cover your medical and repatriation costs if you fall ill with coronavirus (COVID-19). Find out what's covered with our coronavirus cover - Up to £5,000 holiday cancellation cover
If you have to cancel your holiday, cut it short or cancel any activities/excursions for a reason that wasn't your fault e.g. due to illness - No upper age limit on single trips
We provide cover to travellers over 65 - 24-hour helpline if you need us while you’re away
You can also make a claim 24/7 online - Group and family travel insurance
We'll insure up to ten people on one policy - All pre-existing medical conditions considered
Including diabetes and high blood pressure. Just tell us when you take out your policy - Cruise cover included as standard
With our annual policies. Happy sailing!
Our Defaqto 5 Star rated Premier policy includes all of the above plus all of this:
- Cover for delays and cancellations after 24 hours
Including bad weather, terrorism, drones, ash clouds or strikes – all the things we can’t control - Up to £1,000 if you miss your pre-booked transport
Like missing your flight because of a delayed train (it happens!) - Up to £10,000 cancellation cover
If you have to cancel your holiday, cut it short or cancel activities/excursions for a reason that wasn't your fault e.g. due to illness
Travel insurance with coronavirus cover
Our travel insurance includes some cover for coronavirus as standard..
Some examples of what we'll cover:
- Medical and repatriation costs if you become unwell with any coronavirus (including COVID-19) or contagious disease
- If your trip has to be cancelled because you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with any coronavirus (including Covid-19) or contagious disease and are too unwell to travel
- Emergency repatriation costs to bring you home if the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) impose travel restrictions (while you're at your destination), either in the UK or at your destination, and has requested you to return to the UK
Some examples of what we don't cover:
- Costs because you decided to cancel your trip or holiday if you don’t want to travel due to any coronavirus (including COVID-19) or contagious disease
- Costs because the FCDO or public authorities have imposed travel restrictions or a lockdown
- Additional transport or accommodation costs after you left home because the FCDO imposed travel restrictions or lockdown either in the UK or at your destination.
Find out more by visiting our COVID-19 support page
However you like to holiday, we've got travel insurance policies and a range of cover options to suit you
Single trip travel insurance
This cover is ideal if you're only going away once this year. We’ll cover you for a single trip of up to: 366 days if you’re under 65 years of age, 90 days if you’re between 65 and 79 years old and 31 days if you’re aged 80 or over.
More about single trip cover
Annual multi trip travel insurance
Fancy a few mini breaks? So do we! This cover is ideal if you're going away twice or more this year. We'll cover you for up to 90 days away at a time and it may even save you time and money. So, grab the calendar and get planning!
More about annual multi trip
Family and group travel insurance
Going in a group or as a family? We'll cover up to ten people per travel policy and we'll even treat you to a 15% online discount. So all you need to do is decide who to invite!
More about family and group travel insurance
Winter sports and ski cover
Hitting the slopes? If you add our winter sports and ski cover as an optional extra to your travel insurance, you can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, sledging and more!
More about winter sports and ski insurance
Cruise cover
We actually include cruise cover as standard on our annual multi-trip policy, but we can add cruise cover to your single trip policy too if you only need cover for a one off. Sea legs at the ready? All aboard!
More about cruise cover
Baggage cover
You can relax knowing your baggage, belongings and cash are covered for damage or theft. Off on a golfing holiday? We'll cover your golf clubs or hired equipment too! So, what time's tee off?
More about baggage cover
More about long stay travel insurance
Whether you're off on a round-the-world backpacking adventure or spending winter in the sun, long stay travel insurance covers you for up to 12 months.
More about long stay travel insurance
Staycation insurance
Cover in case your holiday is cancelled, your baggage is stolen or you're too unwell to get home. You'll also be covered for accidental damage or injury to people or property.
More about staycation insurance
Travel insurance with medical conditions
To make sure you get the cover you need, you'll need to let us know about any existing medical condition when you set up your policy.
More about travelling with medical conditions
See how our travel insurance compares
| Travel insurance provider | LV= | Admiral | Post Office Money | Direct Line | Staysure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level of cover used for comparison | Premier | Platinum | Premier | Annual | Comprehensive |
| Defaqto 5-Star rated |  | | | | |
| Online discount available | 15% | Not stated on website | Not stated on website | Not stated on website | Not stated on website |
| Cancellation limit | Up to £10k | Up to £5k | Up to £5k | Up to £5k | Up to £5k |
| Personal liability excess | £0 | £50 | £50 | £0 injury/£50 property | £65 |
| Lost passport (max sum insured) | £500 (when baggage is included) | £500 | £500 | £500 | £500 |
| Travel insurance provider | LV= | Admiral | Post Office Money | Direct Line | Staysure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level of cover used for comparison | Premier | Platinum | Premier | Annual | Comprehensive |
| Defaqto 5-Star rated | | | | | |
| Online discount available | 15% | Not stated on website | Not stated on website | Not stated on website | Not stated on website |
| Cancellation limit | Up to £10k | Up to £5k | Up to £5k | Up to £5k | Up to £5k |
| Personal liability excess | £0 | £50 | £50 | £0 injury/£50 property | £65 |
| Lost passport (max sum insured) | £500 (when baggage is included) | £500 | £500 | £500 | £500 |
Sourced from insurers websites and policy booklets as of November 2022
Find out what you’re covered for with our essential and premier travel insurance policies:
| Section of cover | Essential policy max limit per person | Premier policy max limit per person | Excess per claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancellation / abandonment after delays |  | £10,000 | £90 |
| Additional transport and accommodation costs | | £1,000 | |
| Delay at your departure point (Limit for each 12 hours of delay) | | £250 (£25) | |
| Bankruptcy of travel provider | | £10,000 | |
| Activities included | Standard only | Adventure and standard | N/A |
| Maximum trip length on annual multi trip policies (age restrictions apply) | 31 days | 90 days | |
| Cancelling your trip before you travel, eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Cancelling excursions or activities while on your trip, eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Cutting short/cancelling your trip after you've travelled, eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Emergency medical expenses (excluding UK cover) | £10 million | £90 | |
| Personal liability | £2 million | | |
| Personal accident | £25,000 | | |
| Legal advice & expenses (up to £50,000 per policy) | £25,000 | | |
| Section of cover | Essential policy max limit per person | Premier policy max limit per person | Excess per claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancellation / abandonment after delays | | £10,000 | £90 |
| Additional transport and accommodation costs | | £1,000 | |
| Delay at your departure point (Limit for each 12 hours of delay) | | £250 (£25) | |
| Bankruptcy of travel provider | | £10,000 | |
| Activities included | Standard only | Adventure and standard | N/A |
| Maximum trip length on annual multi trip policies (age restrictions apply) | 31 days | 90 days | |
| Cancelling your trip before you travel, eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Cancelling excursions or activities while on your trip, eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Cutting short/cancelling your trip after you've travelled, eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Emergency medical expenses (excluding UK cover) | £10 million | £90 | |
| Personal liability | £2 million | | |
| Personal accident | £25,000 | | |
| Legal advice & expenses (up to £50,000 per policy) | £25,000 | | |
More about LV= travel insurance
Read our most common examples of what's not covered in our claims considerationsguide
Baggage We cover your all-important personal items. From baggage to belongings, and even your cash. You’ll get… Find out more about our optional extras Winter sports and ski cover Before you take off down a slope, make sure you’re well protected if you land with a bump! We’ll cover… Find out more about winter sports and ski coverCheck out our range of optional extras
You can get these and other documents from us in Braille, large print or audio bysending us an email. Travel insurance policy document (PDF 606 KB) How we use your personal information Travel Essential activities document (PDF 55KB) Travel Premier activities document (PDF 65KB)Our policy documents
Travel insurance product information document (PDF 88KB)
Travel insurance FAQs
Under UK law, you have important legal rights on many flights from, to or within the UK. If your scheduled flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you a refund or the option to choose an alternative flight. Read more about your rights and claiming compensation With our Premier policy, we'll pay up to £1,000 per insured person per trip for extra costs you have to pay for transport and accommodation if your flight’s cancelled and you’re not provided an alternative that’s scheduled to depart within 24 hours.
With our Premier policy, if you’re delayed at your departure point for more than 12 hours, we’ll pay £25 per 12-hour period from the scheduled departure time up to a total of £250. If you’re delayed for more than 24 hours, you can choose to cancel your trip or we'll pay up to £1,000 per insured person per trip for extra costs you have to pay to get to your scheduled destination. Our Essential policy doesn’t include cover for delays. Check out our article to find out more..
The single trip policy has no upper age limit. Our annual policy is only available to travellers who are aged 79 and under. You can also choose from two different levels of cover - Essential or Premier. The maximum trip length under an annual multi-trip Premier policy is 90 days or 31 days under an Essential annual multi-trip policy. On a single trip if you're between 65 and 79, the maximum trip length is 90 days or 31 days if you're 80 or over. > Read our over 50's travel guide > Read our over 65's travel guide > Read our over 70's travel guide > Read our over 75's travel guide > Read our over 80's travel guide
We offer two levels of annual travel insurance to suit your needs - Essential and Premier. Our Essential policy offers up to £10 million emergency medical cover, £5,000 cancellation cover and £25,000 personal accident cover. Premier offers everything that Essential does but offers £10,000 cancellation cover plus extra cover for missed or cancelled flights, delays due to bad weather, strikes or other mishaps that may interrupt your travel plans.
Emergency medical treatment abroad can prove incredibly costly. So, one of the most important reasons for having travel insurance is to cover you for the potentially very high cost of treatment if you fall ill while you’re away. Most countries don’t have the same sort of medical provision we enjoy in the UK (free treatment at the point of need) and having to receive treatment in a foreign country can quickly become very expensive, especially in countries like the USA where even a short stay in hospital can land you a bill running into tens of thousands of pounds. If you’re visiting EU countries or Switzerland, the UK has reciprocal health care agreements which can be accessed using your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)or European Health Insurance Card (if still valid) but not all treatment’s covered and your GHIC won’t cover the cost of your travel if you need to return to the UK sooner than planned. Another reason travel insurance is important is it covers you for the cost of cancellation if you find you can’t travel. You can cover the cost of your holiday if you’re unable to travel due to certain circ*mstances, for example if you or a close relative (or someone you were planning to stay with) fell ill unexpectedly. Some policies also cover reasons like jury service, armed forces and NHS call up, or damage to your home that means you can’t leave, e.g. fire. The most important thing to remember is to take out insurance ASAB – as soon as you book – to get the full benefit of cover. Getting the right cover to suit your needs is essential so it’s worth considering additional benefits, often available as optional extras, such as:
Since 1 January 2021 the GHIC is accepted in all EU countries as well as Switzerland. It's not currently accepted in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.If you don’t have one, you can now apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).The GHIC entitles you to reduced cost or free state healthcare in the countries you visit. However, not all medical costs are covered by these health agreements, so your travel insurance will cover you for all other medical expenses, including bringing you home if you're too unwell to complete your trip. An LV= travel insurance policy provides up to £10 million emergency medical cover outside the UK as well as things like: Find out more by reading our GHIC article.
You should consider cover buying travel insurance to cover the unexpected. Travel insurance will cover you for: Find out more by reading our Staycation article.
Although we don't have a specific backpacker policy, LV= travel insurance is suitable for a backpacking holiday. If you're under 65, our single trip policy covers trips up to 366 days long and can be bought up to one year in advance of the trip start date*. You can also add optional baggage, personal belongings and money cover to your policy too, in case your things get lost or stolen while you're away. *If you're 65 or over, we can cover trips up to 90 days. If you decide to return home before your cover end date, the cover will end. If your backpacking trip involves different trips to and from the UK, then our annual multi-trip policy could be more suitable as it can cover individual trips up to 90 days long so long as you select our Premier level of cover and you are under 80 years of age.
If, after travelling to your destination, the FCDO advice is to leave the area you're staying in, then you're covered to cut your trip short. If this situation arises, please contact our 24 hour assistance helpline on +44 1243 621 537 (01243 621 537 from the UK). If the FCDO advice is simply against travelling to the destination you are already in, there is no cover to cut your trip short; however, you can call the 24 hour helpline if you need any help or advice.
If you run out of prescription medication because you were unable to return home as planned we can cover the costs of additional medication. If you've taken out optional baggage cover and you lose your medication, we'll cover the cost of replacing it. Full details can be found on Your Document of Travel Insurance.
If your baggage is delayed or lost in transit, you should tell the company that is transporting your baggage within 24 hours of discovery and ask them to complete a Property Irregularity Report or provide you with a baggage loss receipt. If you have chosen to add our baggage cover to your policy and your baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours from when you arrive at your destination, your policy provides cover for the purchase of necessary items: up to £250 on our Essential policy and up to £500 on our Premier policy. If you have cruise cover, the cover limits include the cost of couriering your baggage to your cruise vessel if it has already left the port. If your baggage is stolen, you should report this to the local police within 24 hours of discovering the theft and obtain a written report. You can claim up to £2,000 on our Essential policy and up to £3,000 on our Premier policy for stolen or lost items. There is a single item limit and total valuables limit of £300 on Essential and £500 on Premier. If your baggage is lost, you should report the loss to an appropriate person depending on where the loss occurs; for instance, if you lost a ring while in a restaurant, you'd report that to the manager of the restaurant, if you lost a ring while in your accommodation you'd report that to the manager or owner of the accommodation. You must obtain written evidence that you have reported the loss.
To make a claim on your LV= travel insurance, visit our travel claims hub or call us on 0330 678 6225 Lines open: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Saturday 8am-4pm Sunday and Bank Holidays Closed Calls will be recorded. For Text Phone first dial 18001 If you need emergency assistance call our 24/7 helpline on01243 621 537 Depending on what section of your policy you're claiming under, you may need to give us certain types of information or evidence; for example, your original trip booking invoice and travel documents showing the dates and times of travel, evidence that losses or thefts have been reported, or evidence of ownership and value of goods . Please see the relevant section of your policy for more information on what documents you may need.
From outside the UK: +44 1243 621 537
Haven't found what you're looking for? No worries, you can read all our travel insurance FAQs in our FAQ hub.
You should consider cover buying travel insurance to cover the unexpected.
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\nTravel insurance will cover you for:
If, after travelling to your destination, the FCDO advice is to leave the area you're staying in, then you're covered to cut your trip short.
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\nIf this situation arises, please contact our 24 hour assistance helpline on +44 1243 621 537 (01243 621 537 from the UK).
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\nIf the FCDO advice is simply against travelling to the destination you are already in, there is no cover to cut your trip short; however, you can call the 24 hour helpline if you need any help or advice.
If you run out of prescription medication because you were unable to return home as planned we can cover the costs of additional medication.
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\nIf you've taken out optional baggage cover and you lose your medication, we'll cover the cost of replacing it.
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\nFull details can be found on Your Document of Travel Insurance.
If your baggage is delayed or lost in transit, you should tell the company that is transporting your baggage within 24 hours of discovery and ask them to complete a Property Irregularity Report or provide you with a baggage loss receipt.
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\nIf you have chosen to add our baggage cover to your policy and your baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours from when you arrive at your destination, your policy provides cover for the purchase of necessary items: up to £250 on our Essential policy and up to £500 on our Premier policy.
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\nIf you have cruise cover, the cover limits include the cost of couriering your baggage to your cruise vessel if it has already left the port.
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\nIf your baggage is stolen, you should report this to the local police within 24 hours of discovering the theft and obtain a written report. You can claim up to £2,000 on our Essential policy and up to £3,000 on our Premier policy for stolen or lost items. There is a single item limit and total valuables limit of £300 on Essential and £500 on Premier.
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\nIf your baggage is lost, you should report the loss to an appropriate person depending on where the loss occurs; for instance, if you lost a ring while in a restaurant, you'd report that to the manager of the restaurant, if you lost a ring while in your accommodation you'd report that to the manager or owner of the accommodation. You must obtain written evidence that you have reported the loss.
To make a claim on your LV= travel insurance, visit our travel claims hub or call us on 0330 678 6225
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\nLines open:
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\nMon-Fri 8am-6pm
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\nSaturday 8am-4pm
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\nSunday and Bank Holidays Closed
\nCalls will be recorded. For Text Phone first dial 18001
If you need emergency assistance call our 24/7 helpline on01243 621 537
\nFrom outside the UK: +44 1243 621 537
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\nDepending on what section of your policy you're claiming under, you may need to give us certain types of information or evidence; for example, your original trip booking invoice and travel documents showing the dates and times of travel, evidence that losses or thefts have been reported, or evidence of ownership and value of goods .
Please see the relevant section of your policy for more information on what documents you may need.
