A change of scenery can be just what you need to refresh and recharge yourself, and taking a trip can be a great way to break free from your everyday tasks. Holidays can also provide you with the opportunity to spend some quality time with loved ones or to experience a new place and a different culture.
However, taking a trip requires proper planning beforehand, and travel insurance should be part of the process. Any unexpected emergencies can wind up costing you a pretty penny, but with a single-trip travel insurance plan in place, you’ll be covered for any medical expenses that may come up.
In this article, we’ll go over single-trip travel insurance plans to help you decide which plan is best for you.
What Is Single-Trip Travel Insurance?
Single-trip travel insurance covers just one trip. Coverage starts at the time of policy purchase and ends when you return from your travels.
Even if you travel to more than one location, this would still be considered a single trip, as long as you don’t return home in between destinations. Generally speaking, the longest trip you can take and be covered under a single-trip policy is 180 days.
Who Is Single-Trip Travel Insurance For?
These types of plans are ideal for those who are:
- Only planning to take one or two trips a year.
- Snowbirds who don’t plan to go back and forth despite spending the entire winter down south.
What Does Single Trip Travel Insurance Cover?
Depending on the exact policy you buy, your single-trip insurance plan may cover any or all of the following:
- Emergency medical care
- Trip cancellation and interruption
- Lost, stolen, or delayed baggage
- Emergency evacuation
Many insurance providers offer separate medical and non-medical policies to keep costs low. That way, you can choose the exact type of coverage you want without paying more than what you need. Otherwise, you can choose an all-inclusive plan, which includes all types of coverage, including both medical and non-medical expenses.
Best Single Trip Travel Insurance Providers
Besides credit cards, there are several places to secure a single-trip travel insurance policy. Here are our picks for the best providers offering these types of plans.
| Best For Consumers Who … | |
| SoNomad | – Want a quick online insurance quote – Have a pre-existing medical condition – Want COVID-19-related coverage without extra costs |
| Manulife | – Have a pre-existing medical condition – Need a very high medical coverage amount – Want a wide range of plans to choose from |
| AMA Travel | – Want an affordable travel insurance plan – Have a pre-existing medical condition |
| Blue Cross | – Want peace of mind that comes with an insurer with a long track record & global recognition – Need COVID-19-related coverage without extra costs |
| TD Travel | – Only need basic insurance coverage – Need coverage for the whole family- Want an affordable plan |
| RBC | – Want a full suite of insurance plans to choose from – Have a pre-existing medical condition – Want the flexibility to customize their plan |
SoNomad
SoNomad is an online travel insurance provider that was created to simplify the process of finding an affordable policy that provides just the right type and amount of coverage. The company offers a handful of single-trip policies, including the following:
Medical Insurance – Under their medical insurance plan, they offer 24/7 emergency medical assistance, ambulance (including air ambulance), doctor visits and hospitalization coverage. If you have a pre-existing condition, you could still qualify for coverage with one of SoNomad’s partner insurance providers, as long as your condition is stable.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption – This plan includes trip cancellation and interruption as well as travel delay coverage. You can upgrade your coverage to the all-inclusive plan, which includes all the above, plus the medical insurance plan.
Snowbird Insurance – You can get coverage for stable pre-existing medical conditions with SoNomad snowbird insurance. It includes the same coverage as the medical insurance plan, plus COVID-19 coverage at no extra cost.
Manulife
Manulife lets you customize your coverage to suit your needs so you only pay for what you need. The insurer’s plans include medical, non-medical, and a more comprehensive all-inclusive plan:
COVID-19 Pandemic Travel Plan – Get emergency medical expense coverage, including COVID-19-related expenses. The plan also includes trip interruption.
Emergency Medical – Get up to $10 million in emergency medical care. Emergency dental treatment, paramedical services and emergency evacuation are also covered. If you plan on travelling within Canada, this emergency medical plan can cost you half the price of an international trip.
Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Plan – If you’re just looking for non-medical coverage, Manulife offers trip cancellation and interruption coverage.
All-Inclusive Plan – If you want both medical and non-medical coverage, you can opt for their all-inclusive plan which includes emergency medical care and trip cancellation and interruption. It also includes:
- Baggage loss, delay, and damage
- Flight and travel accident
AMA Travel
AMA offers affordable and comprehensive medical coverage for your travels abroad.
Travel Medical Insurance Plan – AMA offers emergency medical and dental treatment and a 24/7 helpline under this plan. Coverage is available for stabilized pre-existing medical conditions.
Premium Insurance Plan – Get all the benefits of the Travel Medical Insurance plan, plus trip interruption and cancellation, flight and travel accident and baggage loss and damage.
Blue Cross
Blue Cross is one of the more widely recognized insurance companies and is a popular option for Canadian travellers looking to get coverage for their travels abroad. Their single-trip travel insurance plan includes:
- Emergency medical care
- Trip cancellation or interruption
- Accidental death or dismemberment
- Baggage coverage
- COVID-19 coverage at no extra cost
TD Travel
TD offers affordable travel insurance plans that provide just enough coverage based on your needs. Choose from two single-trip travel insurance plans:
Single-Trip Cancellation and Interruption Plan – This plan includes trip cancellation and interruption, flight accident and baggage delay and damage.
Single-Trip Medical Plan – If you’re looking for a medical plan, TD offers:
- Emergency medical care
- Emergency dental treatment
- Doctor and hospital fees
- Ambulance services
- Prescription medication
- Meals and lodging
- Paramedical services
- Emergency return home
RBC
RBC also offers a full suite of travel insurance products, including travel insurance. They have several different plans, which can be broken down into three categories, medical, non-medical, and all-inclusive.
Medical Plans – The medical plans generally include unlimited emergency medical care, direct payment of emergency medical bills and 24-hour global emergency medical assistance.
Non-Medical Package – This includes trip cancellation and interruption, baggage loss, damage and delay and flight and travel accidents.
All-Inclusive Plans – The all-inclusive plans generally include both medical and non-medical coverage.
Can You Get A Good Single-Trip Insurance Policy Through A Travel Broker?
While you could shop around with different travel insurance companies to find a policy, this may be time-consuming. Instead, you could use the help of an insurance broker to do all that homework and shop around for an insurer and policy that best suits you.
Some of the most popular insurance brokers include:
Insurdinary
Insurdinary is an insurance comparison platform that helps consumers find various types of insurance policies, including travel insurance. After inputting a few pieces of information, you’ll receive several quotes from top insurers in Canada. You can then compare offers to see where you can get the best policy at the lowest rate.
Once you narrow down your options, you can find out how to apply with your insurer of choice to get the coverage you need for your next trip.
InsuranceHotline
InsuranceHotline is not an insurance company, but rather an online insurance broker that connects you to over 30 insurance providers to help you compare different plans available to you. With a few clicks, you can instantly get multiple quotes for your single-trip from different providers and apply directly through InsuranceHotline.
When applying for a single-trip insurance policy, you can choose the type of coverage you need. Depending on your age, there may be a health questionnaire that will need to be filled out to determine whether or not you can qualify for a travel medical insurance policy.
Pros And Cons Of Single Trip Travel Insurance
There are a few perks to taking out a single-trip travel insurance plan, but there are also some drawbacks to consider:
Pros Of Single-Trip Travel Insurance
- Cheaper than annual travel plans. If you only plan to go away once in 12 months, you can customize your plan so that you only pay for what you need, which is not the case with an annual travel insurance plan.
- Easier for seniors to get coverage. A single-trip plan is easier to secure for seniors.
Cons Of Single-Trip Travel Insurance
- More expensive on a per-trip basis. If you plan to travel a handful of times throughout the year, buying separate policies for each trip will be more expensive than an annual or multi-trip plan.
- Coverage only applies to certain days. A single-trip travel insurance plan requires that you provide a departure and return date. This time frame will be the only time that you will be covered under the plan.
- A new policy will be required for each trip. If you take another trip at some point throughout the year, you’ll need to apply for a new policy.
Should You Get Single Trip And Multi-Trip Travel Insurance?
There are a few factors that you should consider before choosing between a single versus a multi-trip travel insurance plan.
Choose A Single Trip Insurance Policy If:
- You only plan to take 1 or 2 trips within a year.
- You’re a snowbird who doesn’t plan on returning to Canada during your winter away.
Choose A Multi-Trip Insurance Policy If:
- You plan to take several trips over 12 months.
- You’re a snowbird who plans to return to Canada throughout your winter away.
Final Thoughts
Having a travel insurance plan in place is highly recommended if you travel outside of your home province. But, the plan you choose should reflect the type of travelling you plan to do within 12 months. If you only plan to take one or two trips throughout the year, then a single-trip travel insurance plan will do.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does travel insurance not cover?
- Medical checkups
- Unstable pre-existing medical conditions
- Bad weather forecasts
- Natural disasters or political uproar that started before the policy purchase date
- Risky activities or extreme sports injuries
