Taking out the best international travel insurance is, nowadays, one of the essentials to keep in mind when preparing a trip. Along with flights and part of the accommodation, international medical insurance is the third leg of the table on which a trip is built. Therefore, it is essential to know what you are purchasing and with whom. Health is something we don’t want to be worrying about during a trip focused on enjoyment.
We’ve been traveling for many years. In fact, we live on the road. And it’s completely unthinkable for us to leave home without being covered by the best travel insurance. During this long traveling life we’ve had the chance to take out (and, unfortunately, use) the main travel insurance policies, but for years now we’ve been traveling with the one that, for us, is the best international travel insurance. In this complete guide we’re going to tell you why we choose IATI as the best travel insurance, what its advantages are, and what you should keep in mind when taking it out.
Before we start, and whatever your final choice, here are the discounts for the two most-used travel insurance policies:
Best international travel insurance: what to consider when taking it out
If this is your first time looking for good travel insurance, you might be reading the different websites of the main companies and a lot of things sound like gibberish. We get it and, therefore, in this section we’re going to go into detail on the key features to consider when taking out your international medical insurance.
Deductible
You may never have heard the word “deductible” associated with travel insurance, but you’ll understand it very quickly now. A travel insurance with no deductible is one that covers you from zero up to the full amount of the contracted coverage. That means if, for example, you visit a doctor abroad and the bill is 50€, the travel insurance will pay those 50€ for you. Obviously, the best international travel insurance should be one that has no deductible in any of its products. IATI has no deductibles.
There are other insurers that have deductibles of 75€, 150€, 250€..,. This means they’ll cover you starting from that amount, but if the deductible is 75€ and the bill for your medical visit comes to 75€, you’ll have to pay it.
Trip cancellation
The best international travel insurance should include among its different coverages the option to add trip cancellation coverage. This is responsible for reimbursing the travel expenses you’ve already paid if you have to cancel it for any of the more than 35 covered reasons. To give you an idea, if…:
- You or an immediate family member are hospitalized or suffer a serious illness
- You have complications in your pregnancy
- You are called to serve on an electoral board, jury, or receive a police summons
- You are fired from your job or start a new position
- A natural disaster affects your trip
- You suffer a theft of documents or an unexpected visa refusal
If you find yourself in any of these situations, or many others that the best travel insurance covers, you’ll be covered for up to 6.000€.
Until recently, coverage of this kind could only be purchased up to a maximum of 7 days after booking your trip. IATI was a pioneer in offering a standalone cancellation insurance that can be purchased at any time and that, little by little, other companies are also starting to copy.
Assistance in your language and free of charge
If you find yourself needing to use your travel insurance, no matter how much you know, the last thing you want is to start speaking other languages over the phone to be assisted and told where to go. Likewise, it’s essential that it doesn’t cost you a cent. IATI assists you in Spanish and it’s possible to contact them through a free call via reverse charge, from their app or, if you’re not in a hurry, by email.
Baggage, flights, thefts, cancellations…
When we think about the best international travel insurance, obviously the first thing that comes to mind is coverage in case of illness or accident—our main fear. But it’s important to keep in mind that it goes much further and covers things like theft/damage to baggage (up to 2.500€), delayed delivery of baggage (up to 300€), or even delays in the departure of the means of transport we’re going to take (up to 300€).
Flexible cover
Because going away for a weekend to Morocco is not the same as two weeks in New York, it’s important that good travel insurance offers the possibility of taking out a policy that adapts to each traveler’s needs. IATI offers everything from cheap travel insurance with excellent coverage to Premium travel insurance, such as IATI Estrella, unlimited medical assistance. Something you’re very unlikely to ever spend.
Unlimited cover
Medical coverage is always tied to a figure. The IATI Estándar policy covers up to 500.000 euros, IATI Mochilero up to 600.000 euros + Adventure Sports, IATI Estrella infinite coverage outside Europe… But there are situations in which the last thing you’ll want is to be thinking about figures. Therefore, the best international travel insurance covers 100% in situations such as repatriation, a family member’s travel, or early return due to hospitalization, among many other causes.
In our case, for example, when one of us was admitted for 3 weeks to a hospital in the Philippines due to severe pneumonia, they paid for the flight and accommodation for one of our mothers so she could keep us company. 100%, without hesitation.
Civil liability
If you’re unintentionally responsible for damage to third parties, property (for example, a hotel’s furniture), or animals, you’ll be covered up to 60.000€ with the best travel insurance.
Dental expenses
Just as happens with healthcare in your own country, dental issues are usually separate. In this case, the IATI travel insurance policies cover up to 500€ for this type of case—well above other brands.
Best travel insurance for families
If you’re traveling as a family, this interests you, as they offer special coverage for pediatric assistance by phone so the little ones at home never lack anything. In addition, in this case they extend children’s private civil liability up to 70.000€.
Travel insurance with unique add-ons
In line with what we mentioned earlier about IATI—for us the best travel insurance—having policies that adapt to any type of trip, we can’t overlook the different add-ons they offer. (As a benchmark company in the world of travel insurance, they continually launch new add-ons. We periodically update this “Guía sobre el mejor seguro de viajes internacional” so you have up-to-date information)
Adventure sports
IATI was the first to offer an adventure sports add-on—which, unsurprisingly, other companies have gradually copied—for travelers who love sport and adrenaline. This add-on covers diving down to 40 metres deep, climbing, canyoning, surfing, zip‑lining, and dozens more activities. In addition, while companies such as Heymondo or Intermundial only cover mountain activities up to 5.000 metres in altitude, the best travel insurance covers up to 5.400 metres with its adventure sports add-on. This means you can be backed all the way to Everest Base Camp or the Rainbow Mountain in Perú.
Cruise travel insurance
If you’re a lover of trips on the high seas, this add-on will be of great interest. Medical assistance at sea, besides being disproportionately expensive, isn’t included in traditional travel insurance. The cruise travel insurance add-on ensures you’re fully covered on a trip of this kind.
Special coverage for claiming cancelled flights
IATI AirHelp is one of the latest innovations from the best travel insurance and it’s very interesting. It’s an extra that costs only 5,95€ and protects you in cases such as flight cancellations, overbooking, or delays. Do you know those companies that (very successfully) deal exclusively with claims against airlines? They usually keep a percentage of the compensation you deserve, reaching as much as 150 euros on long flights. This exclusive IATI add-on makes sure you get what’s yours without having to pay anyone a percentage ,all yours!
Mobile app
Another advantage of IATI travel insurance is the ability to install on your phone the “IATI” app. With it, it’s very easy to contact assistance when needed, share your location to help find the nearest medical center, or, among other things, manage a reimbursement.
What’s more, it was updated in 2025 and (besides being much nicer) it now lets you make free calls, if you have internet, to request assistance. It also has a video call service to receive medical care in general medicine, gynecology, or even veterinary assistance for your pet.
Real experiences with the best international travel insurance
On the website we have another article where we tell you in detail about our experiences using the best travel insurance. But, as a summary, these are the most notable:
- February 2019, Philippines: After seeing that what looked like flu turned into pneumonia, they paid for a flight for me from Tuguegarao to Manila to be treated in the country’s best hospital. There I spent 3 weeks admitted and underwent two procedures to drain fluid from the lung. They paid for my mother’s round‑trip flight from Spain, her accommodation, and the hospital bill of more than 22.000€. In addition, they constantly called us to make sure we were well taken care of, something only the best travel insurance does.
Experience with the best travel insurance
- May 2018, Tokyo: A painful and severe lumbar pinched nerve that totally immobilized me in my hotel. They took me by taxi, at no cost to me, to a modern clinic where the bill for the X‑ray and care exceeded 500€.
- May 2018, Kyoto: Due to respiratory problems I went to one of Kyoto’s best hospitals. I was treated there with a simultaneous interpreter and, obviously, without paying anything.
- March 2018, Romblon: A combination of a bad diagnosis and chest pain meant I had to head to the Philippine capital to receive medical care. The travel medical insurance paid for my round‑trip flight and the care.
- November 2017, Malaysia: Discomfort after a urinary infection led me to go to the hospital. The travel insurance provided me with a driver and interpreter who accompanied me at all times during my visit.
How to take out the best international travel insurance
Taking out your travel insurance is super simple with IATI, and we’re going to guide you step by step so you can see for yourself.
- The first step is to click here to access their website with the 5% discount on travel insurance for being our reader.
Once on the website, you’ll need to fill in these simple fields:
- Place of residence: the country you live in.
- Trip destination: If you’re going to visit more than one country, select the WORLD option.
- Trip start and end date.
- Number of travelers: Tip! If you’re traveling as a couple, for example, it’s better to take out one policy for 2 than 2 individual policies. That way, if something happens to one and a transfer is needed, the other can accompany them for free.
- Type of insurance: normally you’ll choose “viajes” here, but depending on the case you might also be interested in the cancellation insurance we mentioned earlier or “multiviajes” if you’re going to spend a year traveling a lot.
- Are you already traveling?: Here you should indicate whether you’re already traveling or not, as there are policies for each case.
- Add‑ons: At this point you can choose to add extras such as “Crucero” or “Deportes de aventura”.
Next, you’ll access a menu where you’ll see the price, with the travel insurance discount already applied, for the different policies IATI offers. It’ll be time to choose the one that best suits your needs. In the next section of this Best Travel Insurance Guide we’ll talk a bit about each of them.
After that, it’ll be time to enter your personal details (at this point you can also include the AirHelp add‑on we mentioned before) and then proceed to payment. Easy!
Which plan of the best international travel insurance to choose
As we mentioned earlier, every trip and traveler is different. Therefore, while we normally travel with IATI Mochilero, you might prefer to save and get an IATI Estándar, or opt for the maximum coverage and take out the best travel insurance in its IATI Estrella modality. Let’s take a look at the differences between them.
IATI Básico
- As its name suggests, it’s the most basic of all the travel insurance policies they offer. Even so, its medical coverage is higher than the minimums of other companies: 100.000€
- As it doesn’t include cancellation, adventure sports, adventure sports, or cash advances, we recommend it only for short trips and nearby destinations.
- Given the small price difference with IATI Estándar and the fact that the latter offers higher coverage, whenever someone wants to get IATI Básico we usually recommend jumping straight to IATI Estándar travel insurance.
IATI Estándar
- IATI Estándar travel insurance is, for us, the minimum to consider. Its coverage rises to 500.000€, which is more than fine (my three‑week hospital admission + 2 procedures came to around 22.000€).
- It’s very well priced, and if you don’t need coverages like “Deportes de aventura” or “Salvamento” it can be an option to consider. That said, the following travel insurance modalities that come next also include important extra coverages.
IATI Mochilero
- The best travel insurance for the way we move around the world (except when we opt for a long‑stay travel insurance, which we’ll see later). It has expense coverage of 600.000€, which we don’t think you’ll ever come close to using.
- It’s ideal for trips in which you’re going to do some type of adventure sport, since it covers more than 60 types and trekking up to 5.400 metres with the adventure add‑on (where other insurance companies don’t reach). Going diving? Trekking? Zip‑lining or adventure sports? This is your backpacker travel insurance!
- In addition, its other coverages make a big leap compared to IATI Estándar, even doubling its guarantees without blowing up the price.
IATI Estrella
- IATI Estrella is the best travel insurance for those who want to go with the maximum possible coverage. It offers unlimited medical coverage.
- Likewise, all its coverages are very high (unlimited in many cases), with up to 2.500€ for theft and baggage damage, half a million euros for adventure sports, or 6.000€ for cancellation expenses.
- This is the recommended travel insurance for expensive destinations, such as the United States or Japan, for example.
IATI Familia
- The best travel insurance for those traveling with minors. With broad coverage of up to 400.000€.
- Its main feature is a dedicated pediatric service and coverages focused on the little ones at home.
IATI Grandes Viajes
- Aimed at those who spend a large part of the year traveling the world. Its coverage is 300.000€ outside Europe and 50.000€ in Europe.
- In addition to its great coverages, its main advantage is its price. Since it’s for a long period, they’ve adapted this travel insurance so that spending long periods away from home isn’t ruinous.
- It has a “Multiviaje” option, which for one year covers any trip you make of up to 90 days, and a “Larga duración” option for those planning long trips of up to one year. For our lifestyle, the best annual travel insurance right now.
Travel insurance for Europe: is it necessary?
We’ll dedicate a whole article to this question as well, but if you can’t wait until then, here’s a preview. If you’re coming from outside Europe and don’t have the European Health Insurance Card, the answer is: yes, you’re going to need travel insurance to visit the Schengen Area.
If you’re a European citizen, you should know that the European Health Insurance Card gives you the same rights as a local of the country you’re in. For example, in the case of an accident in Berlin, you’d go to the same primary care center a German would go to. With travel insurance for Europe, the doors to the best private centers are open to you, free of charge, with no waiting lines, and with coverages related to baggage, theft, repatriation, and hospital transfer of the patient or a family member.
Travel insurance comparison
We’re going to dedicate a full article to comparing in detail the different insurers that currently offer travel insurance. In it, we’ll also tell you about the different tricks they often use to try to present themselves as the cheapest and with the best services (because sometimes it’s frankly embarrassing…), but first let’s see how much it would cost to insure a one‑week trip to the United States (Monday to Sunday), the quintessential expensive destination, with maximum coverage and trip cancellation included. Let’s get to the travel insurance comparison!
| IATI | HEYMONDO | INTERMUNDIAL | |
| Price | 68,25 € | 88,14 € | 100,76 € |
| Coverage | UNLIMITED | 10.000.000 € | 10.000.000 € |
| Baggage | 2.500 € | 4.000 € | 3.200€ |
| Adventure sports | Included | Included € | +15,56 € |
| Plan | IATI Estrella | Viaje Premium | Total Travel |
You don’t need to think too hard to quickly see that IATI is the best travel insurance with the best quality–price ratio.
Which is the best international travel insurance?
We live on the road and we never want to take risks when it comes to health. In addition, anyone who follows us on social media and knows us even a little knows we tell it like it is and we don’t recommend anything we don’t believe in. We’ve traveled with different insurance companies and we have no doubt in strongly stating that IATI is the best travel insurance today.
Why? To begin with, because every year they readjust their travel insurance and expand their coverages, adding new ones and add‑ons that cover more and more situations. In their latest readjustment in June 2019 there was even a price drop in some of their insurance.
On the other hand, the service they’ve provided us has always been of excellence. During my stay in the hospital in the Philippines they called us daily to see if everything was okay and whether we needed anything. They even continued calling my mother when she took her flight back home to make sure everything was in order. This resulted in my mother, once back home, sending them a huge bouquet of flowers in gratitude for their incredible treatment. Yes, we pay for a service, but human quality and closeness are also something to be grateful for.
They’ve also been at this for many more years than the rest and are always two steps ahead. Backpacker travel insurance, an adventure sports option with trekking up to 5.400 metres, long‑stay travel insurance, a mobile app… They set the path, with the best quality – price ratio and, some time later, other companies start copying the new features. Why would that be?
Do we recommend IATI as the best travel insurance because we get paid? Not at all. Frankly—and speaking personally—I’m quite fed up with the shameful tactics some travel bloggers use to try to show other companies as the best based on lies. To begin with, if you have to rely on criticizing another product to talk about how good yours is, you don’t really have much to offer. On the other hand, you also read out there that IATI offers a commission to bloggers who offer their products from their website. As if, for example, Heymondo or Intermundial didn’t do it. Yes—just as happens if you use our links to book your accommodation or flights—if you make your bookings from there, we earn a small commission that helps us maintain our website and continue providing quality content without putting ads everywhere.
As you can read in the section where we talk about ourselves, we only recommend what we truly trust, without deception.
We could talk for hours about specific cases of bad practices by these companies (how they create fake accounts for covert advertising or how they started their businesses in a morally very questionable way), but I think it’s enough to tell our real experiences and what they offer. That said, to those who say one recommends one thing or another for money, we invite you to write to us and say it to our face.
The best insurance + discount
As we’ve told you, if you take out your travel insurance through our links you’ll instantly benefit from a 5% discount. That simple! You can go get it now by clicking here:
How to use your travel insurance
We hope you never need to use your travel insurance, but if you do find yourself needing it, here’s what you should do:
- Contact the assistance service: You can call them for free via reverse charge, by email if it’s not especially urgent, or through their app.
- Once you explain what’s happening, they’ll tell you which medical center or hospital to go to.
- The hospital will be waiting for you upon arrival to treat you. You won’t have to pay for the visit, tests, or the medication they give you.
What happens if I have an emergency and go to the hospital without calling my travel insurance?
Both this and other insurers consider the possibility that you go to the doctor without calling them. Imagine you have a motorbike accident in front of a hospital and suffer a fracture. Obviously, you’re not going to call anyone and you’ll go straight to the ER. In that case, keep all the receipts you pay so they can reimburse your expenses later. That said, call the assistance phone as soon as you can so they can advise you.
Similarly, as has happened to us, it may be that you need to see a doctor while you’re in a place where there is no medical center that works with insurers. Don’t worry—the procedure is the same. Call if you can, go to the doctor, and then submit the invoices so they can reimburse you.
Tips to save when taking out your international travel insurance
- The first one is obvious: access through our link and you’ll immediately benefit from a 5% discount.
- Choose and, if necessary, combine. Travel insurance for Europe is cheaper than travel insurance outside Europe. Therefore, if, for example, you want insurance that covers one week in Norway and another in the Philippines, it will be more economical to get two different travel insurance policies instead of getting one policy for your whole trip.
- Following on from the previous point, keep in mind that IATI charges certain destinations at “European price”: Russia, Morocco, Israel, Libya, or Tunisia. Play with that!
- Get free extra days of travel insurance. Each travel insurance company applies different pricing tiers. This means it may cost you the same for a 30‑day policy as for a 34‑day one. Test and play with your dates to get extra days.
- Don’t be fooled by 10% or 20% discounts—they’re always tied to higher prices to make you think you’ll pay less.
Do you have any doubts about which travel insurance to take out? Don’t hesitate—share them with us and we’ll help you clear things up.
