Compare travel insurance Ireland: best cover and cheapest price from €18.15 a week
A. FruchardLast updated: 4 August 2026Is it worth comparing travel insurance in Ireland, and how do you do it right?
Yes. Comparing travel insurance is worth it because cover and price vary more than the headline price suggests, and one medical emergency abroad can cost more than your whole holiday. To compare travel insurance well, line policies up on medical limit, cancellation, excess and exclusions before you look at the price.
The numbers make the case. The Department of Foreign Affairs warns that an air ambulance to bring you home could cost up to €145,000, and that the State cannot pay medical or repatriation bills on your behalf. Insurance Ireland, the industry body, recommends a policy with at least €1 million of medical cover. Without insurance, those costs are yours.
Price still matters, but the cheapest policy is rarely the one that protects you. Our own quotes for a week in Spain run from €18.15 to €71.50 for the same traveller, and the cheapest plan of the six we compare carries no cancellation cover and excludes phones and laptops from its baggage guarantee. A plan that saves you €10 but caps the wrong guarantee can cost you the difference many times over.
One point of honesty before you start. The plans on this page are European policies underwritten by insurers based in France and sold to Irish residents under EU freedom-of-services rules, with prices in euro and an instant certificate. They are not issued by an Irish-authorised company, so it is worth comparing them alongside a domestic Irish insurer too. Every price below is a real quote captured in August 2026.
Every year, our experts audit each plan against its binding policy wording: coverage, limits and exclusions, cross-checked with real customer feedback and live market prices. The analysis is fully independent, with zero paid placements and no insurer able to pay to influence a rating. We compare travel insurance across every country and currency, using the plans, prices and cover actually offered in your country, not a single guide translated.
Learn moreWhich travel insurance policies should you compare first in 2026?
For most Irish trips, start by comparing three plans: WorldSecure Platinum, WorldSecure Basic and Safe Start. Between them they cover the cheapest week of protection, from €18.15, the best-value mid-price all-rounder at €28.88, and the highest standard medical ceiling of the group at €500,000.
Antoine's pick for Irish travellers
My pick for most travellers is WorldSecure Platinum, at €28.88 for a week in Spain. You are covered for €300,000 of emergency medical costs with no upfront payment, you can insure your prepaid trip against cancellation up to €9,000, and you can add extreme sports, so you are not trading protection for a low price. If you are under 40 and do not need cancellation, WorldSecure Basic at €18.15 is a genuine budget option, as long as you accept its smaller baggage limit and that phones and laptops are excluded. Safe Start suits older travellers, with cover to age 69 and a €500,000 medical ceiling. Whichever you choose, compare the medical limit and the excess first, then the price.
Personalized quote · no commitment
Personalized quote · no commitment
Personalized quote · no commitment
Price for 1 traveller aged 34, 7 days in Spain, departing from Ireland. Prices in euro, calculated by HelloSafe, August 2026. Your price depends on age, trip length and destination.
HelloSafe is available as an app inside ChatGPT. Install it from ChatGPT’s Apps tab, then type @HelloSafe followed by your destination and dates to compare travel insurance.
How much does travel insurance cost in Ireland when you compare quotes?
A week of travel insurance for a solo traveller leaving Ireland costs from €18.15, about €2.59 a day, for a budget plan. Mid-range cover is around €29, and the median quote across the six plans we compare is €48.95. The price then rises with your age, how long you are away, where you are going and the level of cover you choose.
Four things move the price when you compare quotes: your age, the length of the trip, the destination (the United States and Canada cost the most to insure) and whether you add cancellation. Adding cancellation to a plan such as WorldSecure Platinum raises the premium but protects your prepaid trip cost if you have to call the holiday off. Our live quotes for a week in Spain span €18.15 to €71.50, depending on the plan.
Traveller profile | Budget | Average | Premium (best value) | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Solo, single trip 1 adult, 7 days | €18.15 WorldSecure Basic | €48.95 | €28.88 WorldSecure Platinum | Platinum adds a cancellation option, extreme sports cover and a €500,000 medical option |
Couple 2 adults, 7 days | €36.30 WorldSecure Basic | €95.70 | €57.75 WorldSecure Platinum | Cancellation covers both tickets; Basic has none |
Family 2 adults, 2 children, 7 days | €72.60 WorldSecure Basic | €149.60 | €115.50 WorldSecure Platinum | Priced per traveller, so children are not free |
Senior 1 adult aged 65, 7 days | €28.88 WorldSecure Platinum | €59.40 | €44.00 Safe Start | Safe Start covers to age 69; Basic stops at 39 |
Backpacker 1 adult, 30 days, multi-country | €42.90 WorldSecure Basic | €85.80 | €62.37 WorldSecure Platinum | All plans price a 30-day, four-country trip |
What cover should you compare in a travel insurance policy?
When you compare travel insurance, check five things before price: the medical limit, the cancellation cover, the excess, the geographical area, and the exclusions. These decide whether a policy actually pays out when something goes wrong.
- Medical cover you trust : Insurance Ireland recommends at least €1 million. The plans here run €250,000 to €700,000, paired with repatriation billed at its actual cost rather than capped inside the medical limit.
- Repatriation at actual cost : All six plans here pay the real cost of bringing you home, with no fixed cap. An air ambulance alone can cost up to €145,000, the Department of Foreign Affairs warns.
- Cancellation of at least €1,000 : Refunds your prepaid trip for a covered reason. WorldSecure Platinum offers up to €9,000 per person as an option, and World Travel includes €1,500.
- Baggage of €500 or more : Check the single-item and valuables limits in our guide to baggage cover: WorldSecure Basic excludes phones, laptops and cash.
- Personal liability of €1 million or more : Covers you if you injure someone or damage property. The plans here range from €1,500,000 to €4,500,000.
- 24/7 assistance with no upfront payment : A helpline that arranges and pays the hospital directly, so you are not left finding thousands of euro on the spot.
- An undeclared medical condition : Not declaring a condition or regular medication can invalidate the whole policy, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) warns.
- Alcohol-related incidents : Claims made after heavy drinking are commonly refused.
- Unattended belongings : Bags left unattended are almost never covered.
- Sports you did not add : Skiing and diving usually need specialist cover, so tick the option or they are excluded.
- Travelling against official advice : Cover usually falls away in regions where the Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travel.
- Treatment in your home country : WorldSecure plans exclude medical costs in your country of residence, so an Irish resident is not covered in Ireland.
The excess is the part of a claim you pay yourself, usually a fixed sum. It is easy to miss and it changes the value of cheap cover. On WorldSecure Platinum the excess is €30 per luggage or cancellation claim and €100 on personal liability; on World Travel a €50 deductible applies to each medical claim. A low premium with a high excess can cost you more after a small claim.
This is where reading the policy wording pays off. WorldSecure Platinum lets you raise the medical limit to €500,000 and add extreme sports; Safe Start carries a €500,000 ceiling plus an optional cancel-for-any-reason extension including Covid; World Travel lifts medical cover to €700,000 for the United States and Canada and accepts travellers up to age 84. Each strength lines up with a gap the others leave open.
What does travel insurance actually cover, and what should you compare?
Travel insurance covers emergency medical care and repatriation abroad, cancellation and cutting a trip short, lost or delayed baggage, personal liability and travel delays. It does not cover events you could foresee or bring about yourself.
Cover | What it pays for | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
Emergency medical Treatment abroad | Doctors, hospital, ambulance and emergency dental | The ceiling: €250,000 to €700,000 across the plans here |
Repatriation Getting you home | A medically supervised flight or transport home | Paid at actual cost, not a fixed cap |
Cancellation and curtailment | Prepaid costs if you cancel or come home early for a covered reason | A limit that matches your trip price and the list of covered reasons |
Baggage and belongings | Lost, stolen or delayed luggage | Single-item limits and whether electronics are included: €250 to €2,000 here |
Personal liability | Injury or damage you cause to others | €1.5 million to €4.5 million on these plans |
Travel delay and missed departure | Costs from long delays or a missed connection | The delay threshold and the amount paid: €150 to €300 here |
Two choices shape every quote. The area, Europe or worldwide, sets the price and where you are covered, so buy worldwide only if you are leaving Europe. And the trip type, a single holiday or a year of trips, decides whether a single-trip or an annual policy is cheaper, which the next section covers. Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not a substitute: it gives access to public healthcare in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, but pays nothing towards private treatment, repatriation, cancellation or baggage.
Which travel insurance should you compare for your trip?
The right travel insurance to compare depends on your trip. Choose a single-trip policy for one holiday, an annual multi-trip policy if you travel two or more times a year, and add a family, backpacker or senior option where it fits.
Policy type | Who it suits | What to check |
|---|---|---|
Single trip | One holiday or one booking | That it covers your full trip length |
Annual multi-trip | Two or more trips a year | The maximum days per trip and the area |
Family | Adults and children on one policy | Each traveller is priced, so children are not free here |
Couples | Two adults travelling together | Whether cancellation covers both tickets |
Backpacker or long stay | A month or more, several countries | A high days-per-trip limit and small baggage caps |
Seniors | Older travellers | The age ceiling: Basic stops at 39, Safe Start 69, World Travel 84 |
Our own quotes show why type matters. A family of four pays from €72.60 for a week because every traveller, including the children, is priced individually. A 65-year-old can no longer take WorldSecure Basic and is better served by Safe Start or World Travel, which accept older ages. A backpacker on a 30-day, four-country trip is quoted by all six plans from €42.90, but the €250 baggage cap on Go Explore makes it weak for anyone carrying a laptop.
For a specific trip or guarantee, compare the dedicated cover instead. Our guide to baggage insurance breaks down the per-item limits above, and our guide to travel insurance for Thailand prices the same plans for a long-haul favourite.
How do you compare cheap travel insurance without losing protection?
To compare cheap travel insurance safely, lower the price by raising the excess or dropping extras you will not use, never by cutting the medical limit or skipping repatriation. The cheapest useful plan here is WorldSecure Basic at €18.15 a week, but only for under-40s who need no cancellation.
- Buy as soon as you book : Cancellation only protects events after you buy, and the WorldSecure wording excludes an illness that first appears between booking the trip and buying the policy.
- Go annual if you travel often : Two or more trips a year usually make a multi-trip policy cheaper.
- Match the area to the trip : Europe-only cover is cheaper than worldwide, so do not overbuy.
- Raise the excess : A higher excess lowers the premium if you can cover a small claim yourself.
- A low medical limit : Saving €10 is no bargain against a repatriation bill that can reach €145,000.
- No cancellation on an expensive trip : You lose the prepaid cost if you cannot travel.
- Not declaring a condition : It can invalidate the policy, so you end up paying for everything.
- Ignoring baggage sub-limits : WorldSecure Basic excludes phones and laptops, and Go Explore caps baggage at €250.
How do you compare travel insurance with a pre-existing condition?
To compare travel insurance with a pre-existing condition, declare every condition and regular medication first, then compare the medical limit and whether your condition is accepted. The CCPC warns that many policies do not cover pre-existing conditions unless the insurer accepts the risk in advance, and that an undisclosed condition can make any claim invalid.
An EHIC helps but does not replace insurance. The card covers medically necessary public healthcare in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and nothing else: no private clinic, no air ambulance home, no baggage or cancellation cover. You still need a policy on top.
Read the pre-existing wording before you rely on any of these six plans. The WorldSecure policy wording excludes expenses linked to conditions that existed before the contract started. For new illnesses and accidents, the higher ceilings help: Safe Start and Go Explore + reach €500,000, and World Travel rises to €700,000 for the United States and Canada. None of the six specialises in serious pre-existing conditions, so if yours is complex, a dedicated Irish medical travel insurer may cover you better; compare both.
Does your health insurance or credit card cover you, or should you still compare travel insurance?
Irish private health insurance plans often include some emergency medical cover abroad, and a small number of premium credit cards carry a travel policy. Both are worth checking, and neither usually replaces travel insurance: they focus on emergency treatment, not cancellation, baggage, liability or repatriation at actual cost.
Before you rely on either, check three things: the medical limit abroad, the upper age limit, and whether your destination and activities are included. Irish banks also sell standalone travel policies, so compare those quotes against the plans above the same way: medical limit and excess first, then price. If the cover falls short, a dedicated policy may cost only a few euro more for far higher limits.
What else do Irish travellers ask when they compare travel insurance?
Compare policies on cover before price: the medical limit, cancellation, the excess, the area and the exclusions. Only then compare the premium. The cheapest plan is rarely the one that pays out.
Cheap travel insurance is worth it only if the core cover holds up. A low premium with a small medical limit or a high excess can cost you more after one claim. Cut the price by raising the excess or choosing Europe-only cover, not by dropping medical cover.
No. The EHIC gives access to medically necessary public healthcare in the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, but it does not cover private treatment, repatriation to Ireland, cancellation or baggage. You still need travel insurance on top.
A single-trip policy is cheaper for one holiday. If you take two or more trips a year, an annual multi-trip policy usually works out cheaper. Compare the maximum days allowed per trip on annual cover before you buy.
Insurance Ireland recommends at least €1 million of medical cover. Also look for cancellation that matches your prepaid trip cost, €500 or more of baggage cover and personal liability of €1 million or more, plus repatriation paid at actual cost.
Yes, but declare every condition and regular medication first: the CCPC warns that an undisclosed condition can invalidate a claim. Check whether the condition is accepted; for complex conditions, a specialist Irish medical travel insurer may offer better cover.
Buy as soon as you book. Cancellation cover only protects you from the day the policy starts, and some wordings exclude an illness that first appears between booking the trip and buying the policy.
The excess is the first part of any claim that you pay yourself, usually a fixed sum. On the plans here it runs from €30 per luggage claim on WorldSecure Platinum to a €50 medical deductible on World Travel. A higher excess lowers the premium but costs you more on a small claim.
Keep the evidence: receipts, a police report for theft, and any medical paperwork. Contact the insurer’s 24/7 assistance line before major treatment so costs are arranged directly, then submit the claim within the policy’s time limit.
No. The six plans on this page are European policies underwritten by insurers based in France and sold to Irish residents under EU freedom-of-services rules, priced in euro. It is worth comparing them alongside a domestic Irish provider.
Travel insurance is not legally required to leave Ireland, but some countries and visas ask for proof of cover, and the Department of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends comprehensive cover. Without it, a medical repatriation alone can cost up to €145,000.