How much does travel insurance cost? What actually drives the price.
For a comprehensive travel insurance plan, expect to pay somewhere around 4% to 10% of your total prepaid, nonrefundable trip cost. A $5,000 trip often lands between $250 and $500. That is a wide range, and the spread is not random. A few specific things move your number, and a few things people assume matter actually do not.
The three things that drive the price
Your insured trip cost. This is the biggest lever by far. Travel insurance reimburses what you would lose, so the more nonrefundable money you put at risk, the more the cancellation and interruption coverage costs.
The age of each traveler. Premiums rise with age, with noticeable steps after about 65 and again later in life. Two people on the same trip can pay very different amounts purely on age, because age is the main driver of medical risk.
Trip length. A longer trip is more days of exposure, so a three-week journey costs more to cover than a long weekend at the same daily spend.
What does not change the price
Whether your trip is a cruise does not change the rate. Neither does the airline or cruise line you book. And buying early does not cost more: the premium is based on trip cost, ages, and length, not on how soon you purchase. Buying early simply gives you more covered time for the same money.
How to pay less without buying less
Insure only what you would actually lose. Fully refundable airfare or a refundable hotel night does not need to be inside your insured trip cost, and including it just raises the premium. Compare plans rather than taking the first quote, since identical coverage can be priced differently across carriers. And buy early to lock in the pre-existing condition waiver, which costs nothing extra but protects the most valuable benefit on the policy.
Common questions
What percentage of my trip is travel insurance?
For a comprehensive plan, usually about 4% to 10% of your insured prepaid, nonrefundable trip cost.
Does age affect the price?
Yes, more than almost anything except trip cost. Premiums step up with age, with bigger jumps after about 65 and again later in life.
Does buying early cost more?
No. Price is based on trip cost, ages, and trip length, not how early you buy. Buying early gives you more covered time for the same premium.
The bottom line
Travel insurance cost is mostly your trip cost and your age. The rest is small. The way to pay less is to insure the right amount, not to skip coverage you will wish you had. Our quiz compares three plans for your trip and recommends the one that fits, so you can see real numbers in about two minutes.
Reviewed by Ati Jain, licensed travel insurance agent, NPN 20159563. Last reviewed June 2026.