What does travel insurance cover? Here's what's included.

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Aly J Yale

Aly J. Yale is a contributing writer for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, covering various personal finance topics, including investing, homebuying, loans and more.

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November 2, 2026 / 2:14 PM EST / CBS News

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Travel insurance coverages can help protect against trip cancellation, interruption, or delay; baggage loss; emergency medical expenses and evacuation; or sometimes even rental cars or entire groups traveling together. Some insurers even offer specialized coverages for items like cruises or high-risk activities.

Below, we'll detail what travel insurance typically covers, where it's limited, and what to expect if you buy a policy for your next trip.

Learn more about your travel coverage options online now.

Trip cancellation, interruption and delay coverage

One of the most basic coverages of travel insurance is trip cancellation, which reimburses you for certain expenses if something prevents you from taking all or some of a trip. This could be due to sickness, a death in the family, jury duty, airline flight changes, or other scenarios. It can also cover delays and interruptions for trips, including ones that force you to stay at a hotel (for example, if your flight is delayed until the next day). 

Trip cancellation/interruption coverage accounted for almost 95% of travel insurance expenditures, according to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association (USTIA) in 2024. Not all plans are created equal, though. Each policy will have limits to how much it will cover/reimburse you for, and you'll want to check who is covered, too (does it cover just you, or are traveling companions covered as well?).

There also may be limits to what constitutes a covered cancellation, delay, or interruption. For instance, it may not reimburse you if you have to cancel the trip for a birthday party or some other non-urgent situation. If you want more coverage in case of cancellation, you'll want to consider Cancel For Any Reason coverage (CFAR). This is typically an add-on you can purchase with standard travel insurance plans.

Find out how you can protect your travel plans with the right policy now.

Emergency medical care and evacuation

Medicare and Medicaid typically won't cover medical costs outside the U.S., and many U.S.-based health insurance plans won't either. Travel insurance can bridge these gaps and cover expenses if someone is injured, falls ill, or must be medically evacuated while traveling.

When determining what coverage is appropriate for your trip, it's important to talk with your current health insurer to find out what existing coverages (and coverage limits) you might have. You should also look into the availability of medical care at your destination. If you're traveling somewhere with limited care options — or somewhere with particularly expensive healthcare, purchasing travel medical insurance could be wise. 

If you do buy travel medical insurance, be sure to ask about:

• Coverage limits: What's the dollar limit?
• Pre-existing conditions: Are they covered? If so, how and when must you disclose them?
• Claims process: Do you need the insurer's approval before you can get care?
• Deductibles: What will you pay out of pocket before the policy kicks in?
• Exclusions: Is there anything specifically not covered by the plan?

Make sure to note any medical evacuation coverage, too, which can cover the costs if you need to be transported for medical care.

Baggage loss, damage and delay

Travel insurance can also cover you if your baggage is lost, stolen or damaged, reimbursing you for the personal items you have to replace or repair as a result. 

Keep in mind that most policies will require the baggage delay to be at least a certain length (say 12 hours, for example), and there may be per-item coverage limits, as well as limits to the total lost or damaged items it will pay to replace. High-value items like jewelry or electronic devices may have their own, often lower, sublimits. 

Add-on coverages

There are many types of add-on and specialized travel insurance options, too. 

Specialized coverage might extend to:

• Extreme sports
• Rental cars
• Amusement parks
• Cruises
• Weddings
• Quarantining
• Cancellation due to business reasons
• Security deposits
• Pet travel

As you can see, travel insurance coverages can vary widely, as can costs, limits and exclusions, so make sure to read the fine print and compare at least a few options. 

You should also look into the potential coverages offered by your existing health insurance plan, your homeowners or renters insurance policy, and your credit cards. Often, these may provide some level of protection while traveling.

Edited by Matt Richardson