Travelex Travel Insurance Review: Is It Worth The Cost?

Travelex Insurance Services is a U.S.-based insurance company that has been in the insurance industry for more than 25 years. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, it’s owned by Zurich Insurance Group and is a part of the Cover-More Group, which has a global presence in travel insurance plan offerings.

But what does this all mean to you? In short, Travelex is a company that can help you travel with peace of mind by offering numerous travel insurance plans to protect you, your money and your belongings on your next trip.

This Travelex Insurance Services review will help you decide whether it's the right provider for you. Let's take a look at Travelex, what it is all about and offer more insight into the various customizable plans offered by the insurer.

Travelex Insurance Services offers six types of travel insurance plans. There are three types of comprehensive plans, two flight plan options and a post-departure plan. Its policies are underwritten by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company and Zurich Insurance Group.

Travelex’s primary goal is to provide travel insurance protection that’s personalized to the type of trip you’re taking and the style of traveler you are. And regardless of which plan you choose, you’ll always have 24/7 access to travel assistance.

In addition to offering plans with primary coverage, some plans let you choose optional coverage add-ons or enhancements to offer you more peace of mind.

» Learn more: What to know before buying travel insurance

The three comprehensive plans from Travelex are Travel Select, Travel Basic and Travel America.

Travel Select

The Travel Select plan provides travelers with the most comprehensive primary coverage option across Travelex Insurance Services’ suite of plans. Its primary coverage:

• Applies to domestic and international trips.

• Requires no deductible.

• Allows a pre-existing condition waiver if you purchase your Travel Select plan within 15 days of your first trip payment.

You can also choose optional coverage upgrades, like:

• Cancel for Any Reason protection.

• Accidental death & dismemberment common carrier coverage.

• Adventure sports coverage.

• Additional medical coverage.

• Car rental collision coverage.

• It also includes coverage for kids, ages 17 years old and under, who are traveling with you.

Travel Basic

If you’re traveling on a budget, Travelex Insurance Services’ Travel Basic plan offers an option with lower maximum coverages and a lower cost. Its emergency medical expenses coverage, for example, covers up to $15,000 while the Travel Select plan provides up to $50,000 in coverage. However, Travel Basic doesn’t offer coverage for kid companions and doesn’t offer an exclusion waiver for pre-existing conditions.

Travel America

For travelers exploring the U.S., Travelex’s Travel America plan provides various trip coverages with limits that can be split among the primary policyholder and up to seven additional companion travelers. It covers U.S. trips that are up to 14 days in duration. Your destination must also be at least 100 miles away from where you live.

This plan allows pre-existing medical condition coverage as long as your plan is purchased within three days of making the last payment for your trip.

If you don’t need or want insurance for pre-purchases during your trip, but want protection relating to your flights, Travelex offers two types of flight insurance:

• Flight Insure. Includes trip delay coverage and 24/7 travel assistance.

• Flight Insure Plus. Includes features of Flight Insure, plus:

  • Emergency medical and dental coverage.

  • Emergency transportation.

  • Baggage loss/damage.

  • Baggage delay.

These plans can be purchased as standalone protection. Neither of Travelex’s flight insurance plans offer exclusion waivers for pre-existing conditions.

Travelex travel medical plan

The Travel Med plan offers post-departure coverages, like emergency medical, AD&D and more. It’s available for domestic and international travel, and can be purchased at the last minute. The plan also covers up to 10 travelers.

Costs vary for most Travelex insurance plans based on your age, length of trip, cost of trip and state of residence.

As an example, we looked at a one-week trip to Italy in March for a 40-year-old traveler from Texas. Here is what they would pay for a Travelex plan:

• $66 for Travel Basic.

• $93 for Travel Select.

• $41 for a post-departure Travel Medical plan.

• $17 for Flight Insure.

• $39 for Flight Insure Plus.

Since the Travel America plan option is expressly for domestic trips and doesn't offer add-on upgrade options, the plan costs a flat $60.

When deciding which Travelex Insurance Services plan is right for your upcoming trip, consider the insurance coverages you already have through other sources, like your credit card, directly through your airline carrier and other sources. Also, review the coverage limits of those alternative insurance sources to find gaps or lack of coverage for certain details of your trip.

For example, if your credit card only covers trip interruption and trip delays, but you’re traveling with your kids, you might want to have emergency medical and dental coverage for them.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

To select a plan online, visit TravelexInsurance.com and enter a few details regarding your trip:

• Destination.

• Departure and return dates.

• Date of your first trip payment.

• State you reside in.

• Age.

• Trip cost for one traveler.

Then, select the type of plan you want. Choose your preferred upgrades, if desired, and enter your basic information (name, birth date, address, email, etc.), travel carrier, cruise line or tour operator and proceed to payment.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge what’s not included in your coverage in our Travelex Insurance Services review. This policy won’t be reliable for:

• Pre-existing medical conditions (exclusion applies to some plans).

• Events that were foreseeable.

• Events due to intoxication or under the influence of drugs.

• Events due to a terrorist incident (applies to Travel Basic).

» Learn more: Can I get travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions?

If you don’t have travel insurance as a credit card benefit, or if you want additional protection when unexpected mishaps occur while you’re traveling, Travelex Insurance Services provides a variety of tailored options.

Although its comprehensive coverage is priced slightly higher than the average of other providers, it does provide coverage for kids traveling with you and relatively affordable flight insurance.