Our insurance team have gathered 300+ quotes from over 50 popular travel insurance policies. We've selected some cheap policies based on 2023 Finder Awards research and our travel insurance quote engine. Keep in mind, prices will differ depending on where you travel, your age and pre-existing conditions.
Tick's Basic Single Trip policy is typically the cheapest travel insurance policy on Finder. It's good if you're after cheap cover for the basics such as medical cover, but look elsewhere if you want more.
It offered the cheapest travel insurance cover for 7 out of the 8 destinations we got quotes for. We looked at a minimum of 30 policies for every destination. You also get 10% off when you use the code Finder.
For a 1-week holiday to destinations including Japan and the UK, a basic policy isn't likely to cost you more than $40. We also found prices for as little as $2.40 a day for a 2-week Bali trip.
It covers the very basics and no more. This includes unlimited medical expenses, up to $2,000 for lost or stolen luggage and personal belongings and personal liability cover.
Tick's budget policy does not cover COVID-related expenses but others, including Fast Cover do.
We used the Finder travel insurance engine to determine our basic travel insurance top pick. We got 30 quotes on 17 May for for the following destinations: Bali, Italy, UK, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Spain and a multi-destination option. Tick was the cheapest policy for 7 of the 8 destinations. In the one case where there was a cheaper option (Zoom Medical Only for Bali) it was only $3.12 more expensive. It also covers more than Zoom Medical Only.
Cheap comprehensive travel insurance: Fast Cover (International)
Our verdict
Fast Cover was the cheapest comprehensive travel insurance policy in our 2023 Finder Awards. Starting from around $11 per day, it's good if you want an affordable policy that covers medical expenses, some cancellations, delayed luggage and rearrangement costs due to COVID.
It can cover cancellations, medical expenses and pay you up to $5,000 for COVID-related medical expenses and rearrangement costs.
Like lots of other insurers, its product disclosure statement can be quite confusing.
If you want a more comprehensive policy (that also has a much easier to understand PDS) consider Southern Cross Travel Insurance. It won the best comprehensive Finder Award and is on average only around $30 more expensive.
We picked Fast Cover because it was the cheapest comprehensive travel insurance policy in our Finder Awards. As part of the awards research, we looked at over 100 international comprehensive travel insurance policies which was narrowed down to 28 based on an eligibility criteria put together by our editorial crew. The team collected 300+ quotes to get an average price. Fast Cover was the cheapest.
Fast Cover was also the Finder's 2023 value award winner. The value scores were ranked based on cost and features.
Cheap domestic travel insurance: InsureandGo
Our verdict
If you're planning a trip within Australia, InsureandGo's Domestic Gold policy could be ideal, especially if you're renting a car or are worried about having to rearrange or cancel your trip because of COVID.
It's one of the cheapest insurers for domestic policies. Its Domestic Gold policy cost $173 on average for a 2-week trip, according to our awards research. The average is $357. You can also currently get 10% off your travel insurance policy when you use the code Finder10.
It's Finder's best domestic travel insurance policy winner. InsureandGo's Gold policy will pay your rental car excess up to $7,500 if your car is damaged, stolen or involved in an accident. Most domestic policies pay $5,000 maximum.
The Domestic Gold policy covers up to $5,000 for COVID cancellation and rearrangement costs.
Insureandgo Domestic Bare Essentials is even cheaper. A one-week trip costs around $33. It covers up to $2,000 for cancellation and amendment fees, luggage and personal belongings, and personal liability.
There may be cheaper options depending on what you're looking for.
The insurance team analysed 23 domestic travel insurance policies as part of the 2023 Finder Awards. We rated policies on both price and 14 different features. InsureandGo was one of the cheapest policies. However, we only analysed comprehensive domestic policies. If you're looking for basic cover, InsureandGo's Domestic Bare Essentials costs less. It doesn't include rental car excess cover though.
All of the top picks above were carefully researched and chosen by our insurance and innovations editor Gary Ross Hunter. Gary is the insurance expert at Finder, holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and has been helping Australians find good value cover for over 5 years.
What does cheap travel insurance policy cover?
Here's an overview of a basic and a comprehensive policy so you see the differences in price and inclusions.
Fast Cover Basic
Fast Cover Comprehensive
Price
$44.99
$89.89
Overseas emergency medical & hospital expenses
Unlimited
Unlimited
Trip cancellation expenses
Unlimited
Trip delay expenses
$50,000
Overseas hospital cash allowance
$5,000
Accidental death
$25,000
Permanent disability
$50,000
Passports, credit cards & credit card fraud
$5,000
Theft of cash
$250
COVID-19 medical expenses
Rearrangement costs if you get COVID-19
Compulsory quarantine costs
*This table was updated on 2 July 2024 for a 30-year-old travelling to Bali for 7 days.
I was looking for cheap travel insurance when I went backpacking in Europe and ended up getting a policy with Tick. I knew it would only give me the basics, but because I wasn't travelling with much luggage or anything too valuable, I was fine with the policy only covering a couple grand of my belongings.
If you're finding it tricky to get a cheap policy, these 3 tips could help you lower costs:
Take advantage of deals
Insurers often have coupon codes and deals offering you between 5% and 15% off. We've listed some below.
Take out a tailored policy
Insurers such as Freely let you tailor your policy to suit your needs. So rather than pay for a standard policy that typically covers you for a bunch of expenses, you could get a policy that covers you for medical care and cancellation costs
Increase your excess
This is the amount you need to pay when you make a claim. Choosing a higher excess means that it probably won't be worth making a claim for smaller expenses, but it ensures you're still covered if something more serious and expensive happens.
Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts
You pay nothing. Finder is free to use. And you pay the same as going direct. No markups, no hidden fees.
You save time. We spend 100s of hours researching travel insurance so you can sort the gold from the junk faster.
You can trust us. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our opinions are our own.
Frequently asked questions
The cheapest travel insurance policies start at $2.45 a day. That said, most basic travel insurance policies are $5 to $25 a day, depending on how long you travel. Prices were lower than this before the coronavirus pandemic, which made travel insurance policies more comprehensive on the whole. Prices differ depending on your age, travel destination, cover level and if you have any pre-existing health conditions.
Tick's Basic Single Trip policy is typically the cheapest travel insurance policy on Finder. Fast Cover and InsureandGo both offer cheap travel insurance options. It's important to think about whether you would benefit from more than just the basic coverage though. The cheapest option isn't always best.
Yes, a handful of basic travel insurance policies can cover some COVID-related issues such as medical expenses, trip rearrangement or cancellation costs and additional accommodation and travel costs. These include the following:
Travel With Jane Saver
Travel With Kit Saver
Insure4Less Medical Only
Fast Cover Basics
We aren't able to tell you who the best travel insurer is since everyone's needs differ slightly, but we can help you make a decision. Our best travel insurance page covers our top picks for comprehensiveness, value, domestic trips and more.
No. While credit cards commonly offer complimentary travel insurance, it's not a given. Most will require you to book at least some part of your trip with the card to be covered.
If your credit card does offer travel insurance though, this can be a cheap way to secure cover. Just make sure you look into what level of cover it offers.
Typically, it’s wise to buy travel insurance once you’ve made any non-refundable payments towards your holiday. This could be anything from flights or accomodation to tours or rental cars. Doing this means you’ve got peace of mind that you can likely get that money back in the event something happens and the trip is cancelled.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 725 Finder guides across topics including:
Travel insurance for luggage offers cover against the cost of repair or replacement when your luggage and personal belongings are lost, stolen or damaged.
Check out these ten simple things you can do to reduce your travel insurance premium.
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