Single trip travel insurance covers one holiday or trip, from the day you book it until you're back in the UK, rather than a full year of cover you might not use again. For anyone who only travels once or twice a year, it's usually the more sensible choice over an annual policy priced to cover trips that were never going to happen.
Chris Knott Insurance arranges single trip travel insurance through a specialist travel provider, with quotes starting from £19.99 and cover for over 100 activities and a wide range of pre-existing medical conditions as standard rather than an add-on.
Excellent service from start to finish. The team took time to understand exactly what I needed and found me a great policy at a competitive price. Couldn't be happier with the whole experience.
Been with Chris Knott for over 5 years now. Easy renewal process and the team are always a pleasure to speak with. Proper UK-based advice you can actually trust.
After being let down by my previous insurer, Chris Knott made the whole process painless. Honest, straightforward, and friendly from the very first call. Highly recommend them.
Andy was brilliant - talked me through all the options clearly, no pressure, and found me a much better deal than the comparison sites. This is how insurance should be done.
I needed specialist cover for my classic Jaguar and Chris Knott sorted it quickly and at a great price. Really impressed with the level of knowledge and personal service.
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First-class service. I dealt with Emma who was patient, helpful and knew exactly what I needed for my thatched cottage. Got proper specialist cover, not a standard policy.
Genuinely good old-fashioned customer service. A real person who actually listens and helps you find the right cover. Wouldn't go anywhere else for my insurance now.
Had a claim last year and Chris Knott supported me throughout. Made a stressful situation much easier. Fair, fast, and professional - exactly what you want from a broker.
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Cancellation cover protects the cost of the trip, up to £10,000, if you have to cancel your trip before you travel, and curtailment cover does the same if you need to cut it short once you're away. Emergency medical treatment abroad, along with related medical expenses such as hospital stays and ambulance transport, is covered up to £10 million, which matters given the NHS doesn't fund treatment once you've left the UK, alongside repatriation to get you back to the UK if you need to be flown home. Covid-19 is treated like any other illness for emergency medical costs, and cancellation or curtailment linked to it, so a positive test before you fly isn't automatically a gap in cover. Baggage cover of up to £3,500 protects against lost, stolen or damaged luggage, and children can usually be added to a family policy at no extra cost when they're named alongside a parent. Cover typically extends to more than 100 holiday activities and sports as standard, from watersports to hiking, rather than needing a separate policy for anything beyond lying on a beach.
Single trip cover is usually priced by region, so the quote reflects where you're actually going rather than a flat rate for everywhere. The main destination bands are:
If you're visiting more than one region on the same trip, it's worth telling us the furthest destination, since that's what the cover needs to reach. Being accurate about where you're going keeps both the price and the protection right.
More than 100 holiday activities and sports are included as standard, which covers most of what people actually do on holiday. As a general guide, that tends to include lower-risk pursuits such as:
Higher-risk or specialist activities are a different matter. Skiing and winter sports, scuba diving to depth, and adventure sports often need to be added or declared separately rather than being assumed in. The same goes for cruises, which many insurers treat as a specific type of trip with its own cover. If your trip involves any of these, tell us when you get a quote so we can confirm exactly what's included and arrange any extra cover you need.
Trips don't always go to plan, and single trip cover is generally there for more than just illness and lost bags. Depending on the policy, travel disruption cover can help if your departure is delayed, if you miss a connection or departure through no fault of your own, or if circumstances force you to abandon the trip altogether. It's worth reading the policy wording for the exact limits and the delay period before cover kicks in, since these vary, but the aim is to soften the cost when travel goes wrong before or during your journey.
A single trip policy works for one traveller just as well as a family, so solo travellers are covered as standard rather than needing a different product. A few situations do point to a more specific policy, though:
Standard medical cover won't pay out for a pre-existing condition you haven't declared and had accepted, so it's worth checking with your insurance provider before you travel rather than assuming everything is included. Cover generally excludes travel against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice, incidents involving alcohol or drugs, and losses that reasonable care could have prevented, such as leaving travel documents or luggage unattended. It's worth reading the terms and conditions before you book your trip, particularly the section on cancellation reasons, since a simple change of mind isn't a covered reason to cancel even though the cost of the trip is exactly what cancellation cover is there to protect.
Most single trip policies cover a set number of days for the one trip, commonly up to a month for a standard holiday, with longer options available for an extended trip such as a gap year or an extended work assignment abroad. Cancellation cover starts as soon as you buy the policy, not from the date you travel, so cover is already in place if something happens between booking your trip and actually going. It's worth checking the maximum trip length against your actual travel dates before you buy, particularly for anything longer than a typical two-week holiday.
Because Chris Knott works with a specialist travel provider rather than a generic one-size policy, travel insurance cover can reflect the specific trip you're taking, whether that's a short city break or a longer holiday with activities included, and it's straightforward to get a quote that reflects exactly what you need rather than a bundle of options you don't. We're a UK-based broker that's been arranging cover since 1983, with a 4.9-star Trustpilot rating from over 2,200 reviews you can check yourself, and we're not on the comparison sites. We're authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 304452), and you can verify that on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk.
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The most common questions we're asked about single trip travel insurance. Can't find what you're looking for? Speak to our UK-based team on 0800 917 2274.
Quotes start from £19.99, though the actual price depends on your destination, the length of the trip, your age, any pre-existing medical conditions, and any activities you want covered. A short European city break with no medical conditions to declare sits at the cheaper end, while a longer worldwide trip with medical conditions or higher-risk activities included costs more, so it's worth getting a quote against your actual trip rather than assuming the starting price applies. Most travel insurance policies price these factors similarly across providers, so shopping around on cover rather than headline price alone tends to pay off.
As soon as you book it, not just before you travel. Cancellation cover only protects you from the date you buy the policy, so buying early means you're covered if you need to cancel between booking and departure, whereas waiting until closer to your trip leaves that gap unprotected even though your money's already at risk.
No. GHIC gives access to state healthcare in participating countries at local resident rates, but it doesn't cover repatriation, private treatment, cancellation, or lost baggage, all of which single trip travel insurance covers. It's a useful backup to carry alongside a policy rather than a substitute for one.
Yes, in most cases, provided you declare each pre-existing medical condition accurately when you buy the policy. Leaving one out to get a cheaper quote can mean a related claim, or sometimes any claim at all, being declined later, which defeats the point of having cover in the first place.
Cruise holidays often need cover arranged as a specific type of trip, rather than being assumed part of a standard policy, because they bring risks a land-based holiday doesn't, such as missed port departures and onboard medical care. If you're cruising, mention it when you get a quote so we can confirm what's included and add cruise cover where it's needed.
Winter sports aren't automatically part of standard cover, and they're usually added on or declared separately because of the higher risk. If your single trip involves skiing, snowboarding or similar, let us know the details and we'll confirm what can be arranged before you travel.
Yes, cover isn't limited to Europe. Worldwide trips, including those taking in the USA and Canada, can be covered, though they usually cost more because of the higher price of medical treatment there. Getting a quote against your actual destination is the best way to see the difference.
Often, yes. A family travelling together can usually get single trip insurance under one policy rather than separate ones for each person, with children added at no extra cost when they're named alongside a parent. For a larger group not travelling as a family, it's worth checking whether a single trip policy can cover everyone or whether individual policies make more sense, since the right answer depends on how the group's travel plans and ages vary. Either way, it's worth getting a quote for the group as a whole before assuming separate policies are the only option.
If this is genuinely a one-off, yes, single trip cover is usually the more cost-effective choice. But if you already know you'll travel again within the next 12 months, it's worth comparing the total cost of two separate policies against one annual travel insurance policy, since the annual option often works out cheaper once you're travelling more than two or three times a year.
You can make a claim by contacting our team directly, and we'll talk you through what's needed. For medical emergencies abroad, calling the emergency assistance number in your policy documents before paying for treatment yourself is usually faster than claiming the cost back afterwards.
Single-trip, annual, medical-conditions, group travel - we arrange cover for every type of trip from a panel of UK specialist insurers.
One broker, many kinds of cover - all handled by our UK-based team.
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Call our UK-based team on 0800 917 2274 or email enquiries@chrisknott.co.uk to get a quote for your specific trip. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
*Chris Knott Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 304452). You can check this on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk.*
