Travel
The real cost of a city break, line by line
Flights and hotels are the visible half of a trip budget. The other half is predictable, rarely quoted, and the reason short trips overrun.
Best travel insurance
Policy wordings read in full — exclusions, medical limits and the conditions that decide whether a claim pays.
Research in progressPublished rankings appear only after testing is complete.
When you buy through links on THRYV we may earn a commission. This never affects our testing or rankings. How this works.
Our picks
Nothing published until testing is finished.
Travel insurance is sold on price and judged on the claim. We read the full policy wording rather than the summary document, record medical and repatriation limits, and list the exclusions that most commonly cause a refusal: pre-existing conditions, alcohol, adventure activities and unattended baggage.
No picks published yet
This guide is in the research stage. We will not list a "best" product before the testing round behind it is complete — an unranked page is more useful than a ranked guess. When picks go live, each one will state what we tested, how long for, what it is good at, and who should buy something else instead.
What we score, and why
Written down before any product is considered.
- Medical, repatriation and cancellation limits in full
- Exclusions read from the policy wording, not the summary
- Pre-existing condition declaration process
- Excess per claim and per section
- Documented claims-handling performance and complaint data
- Underwriter identity and regulatory status
How we will decide
- 01
Criteria before candidates
We write down what would make a product the right pick — and how each criterion is measured — before we look at what is on sale.
- 02
Documented specifications only
Anything we state about a product comes from our own testing or from the manufacturer's published documentation, linked on the page.
- 03
Real-world testing
Where a category can be tested, we test it over weeks rather than an unboxing session, and we publish the conditions we tested under.
- 04
Pricing checked, not quoted
We do not print a price we have not verified, and we do not treat an RRP as evidence of a discount.
- 05
Commercial relationships disclosed
Affiliate links, if present, are labelled on the page. No partner can buy a placement, a rank or a verdict.
The full process is documented in our review methodology and testing process.
Related Travel coverage
Other guides in this desk
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Foreign-transaction terms, insurance cover and redemption value, compared on documented terms only.
Best hotel booking strategies
How to compare hotels and booking channels on total cost, cancellation terms and verified guest feedback.
Best airlines to fly
Published punctuality, baggage and compensation policy, seat pitch and what the fare actually includes.
Best cruise lines
Total onboard cost, inspection scores, cancellation terms and what "all-inclusive" excludes.
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