.svg)
Travel Insurance for Solo Travellers
Written by
Rachel Gregg
Edited by
Ellie Garran
Reviewed by
Adrian BennettSee our range of travel insurance providers
iSelect does not compare all providers in the market or all products offered by our partners in your area. Not all policies or special offers are available to all customers and some may only be available over the phone or on the website. Learn more.
How does travel insurance work for solo travellers?
Travel insurance for solo travellers isn’t all that different from the policies couples and families take out. The main difference is that it’s built for you and you alone. You won’t need to cater to everyone else’s needs or compromise on where you want to go or what you want to do. It’s the perfect pairing to go along with your dream solo itinerary. No debating over what to fit in that makes everyone happy, just you doing your own thing, with the added peace of mind that you’re covered if something unexpected pops up.
Is travel insurance important if I’m travelling alone?
Travel insurance is important for any traveller, but when you’re flying solo, it can be even more important, especially when you think about your safety. In Smartraveller’s words, it’s as important as your passport, because if something goes wrong, you won’t have anyone to lean on. Whether it’s a lost bag, a cancelled flight, or an unplanned hospital visit, travel insurance can help save the day (and your wallet) and make you feel a little less isolated during any rough moments on your trip.
What does travel insurance cover?
Medical expenses
If you need emergency medical treatment or medical repatriation, your travel insurance could help cover the costs. Without insurance, these things can be very costly, even if you’re visiting a country that has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.
Loss or theft of valuables
While your travel insurance can’t make your lost belongings magically reappear, you could make a claim to help cover the cost of replacing them. This can mean greater peace of mind as you wander around your destination. Plus, if something does go missing, it can help you get back to enjoying your trip sooner.
Delays and cancellations
Travel insurance policies tend to have different ideas when it comes to limits and restrictions on delay and cancellation claims. But they can still help out if your flights get delayed or your trip is cancelled, reimbursing you for lost deposits or prepaid bookings (as long as you meet the conditions in your policy).
Rental vehicle excess
Driving a car that isn’t yours can be stressful. The same goes for driving in another country, and that’s without worrying about the excess if something goes wrong. With travel insurance, your policy could mean you won’t be stuck with the excess bill, saving you a financial headache.
How to compare travel insurance
Share some details
Tell us where you’ll be travelling to and for how long.
Think about extras
Are you cruising, skiing, or booking in some adrenaline-filled fun? You might need extra coverage.
Explore your options
Check out the policies available for your trip, with a range of coverage levels and extras included.
Pick your favourite
Once you’ve found a policy that suits you, it only takes a few clicks to lock in and protect your trip.
Helpful tip
Just because delays and cancellations are listed on your policy description doesn’t mean every type of delay will be covered. Most policies come with conditions that need to be met before you can make a claim. For example, your transport might need to be delayed for up to 12 hours before your cover kicks in, so if your ferry in Greece is delayed by five hours, you might not be able to make a claim. Some providers might not include cancellations or delays caused by your travel provider (airlines, bus companies, etc.), either. Make sure to always read the product disclosure statement (PDS) so you know exactly what you are (and aren’t) covered for.
Adrian Bennett
General Manager for General Insurance
How much does travel insurance cost for solo travellers?
Costs can vary a lot, but we can help give you an idea with a few estimates. Let’s look at some rough figures for a solo traveller across some of Australia’s favourite destinations in October 2025. Just remember, these are averages, not exact prices, so take them with a grain of salt.
The actual cost of your travel insurance premium will depend on three things:
- your policy, including the extent of coverage, your excess, and even the insurer
- you, including your age and health, like pre-existing medical conditions
- your trip, including where you’re going, what you’ll be doing, and for how long.
Some destinations can also be riskier than others, which can play into your policy price. Places declared a level 3 (reconsider your need to travel) or level 4 (do not travel) by Smartraveller tend to be off the list to most insurers, or could come at a steeper price. This is one reason why shopping around is always a good idea. It could mean you find a policy that better meets your needs and budget, or that gives you more options to tweak coverage levels or your excess to potentially lower your premium.
Comprehensive travel policy weekly prices for solo travellers
| Country | Comprehensive solo policy |
| Indonesia | $83 |
| New Zealand | $61 |
| Japan | $81 |
| USA | $137 |
| China | $91 |
| Worldwide | $148 |
Source: Indicative prices based on comparison via iSelect, October 2025
Note: All prices were based on a 30-year-old traveller with no extra coverage needed.
How do I choose the right travel insurance policy as a solo traveller?
Think about your travel plans
Your travel insurance should match up with where you’re going, including any risks associated with the place and what you’ve got planned there. For example, if you have a few holidays in the works, an annual multi-trip policy could give you better value than taking out a handful of single-trip ones.
Look at what a policy covers
Depending on what you’re doing and your budget, certain types of cover could be of more interest to you. For example, you might have pre-existing conditions you want covered or be happy with more general medical coverage. It’s important to balance out your coverage needs with your budget, too.
Check policy limits
Insurers usually set limits on the items in your policy. This lets you know how much they might chip in for certain items or claims. There might also be restrictions around what you can claim for, whether it’s lost baggage or medical expenses. So, make sure these aren’t a deal breaker for you.
Add extras as you need
With a never-ending list of activities and attractions to do and see, it’s understandable that a typical travel insurance policy wouldn’t cover them all. If you’re hoping to do something a little more out-of-the-ordinary (or risky) on your holiday, you might need extra cover to keep you protected, like a motorcycle or skiing package.
Frequently asked questions
Which companies offer travel insurance for solo travellers?
There are plenty of insurers out there to cover your solo expedition. Whether this is your first trip alone or you’re a pro solo explorer, some insurers that iSelect can help you compare include:
- Fast Cover
- Huddle Insurance
- Insure4less
- InsureandGo
- ReadySet Travel Insurance
- Southern Cross Travel Insurance
- Tick Travel Insurance
- Travel Insurance Saver
- Travel Insuranz
- Travel Protect
- WAS Insurance
- World2Cover
- Zoom Travel Insurance
Other travel insurers in the market include:
- 1Cover
- Allianz
- Blue Insurance
- Budget Direct
- Bupa Travel Insurance
- Cover-More
- Everyday Travel Insurance
- Medibank
- Nib
- RACV Travel Insurance
- Travel Insurance Direct
Note: iSelect does not compare all travel insurance providers in the market, or all products offered by our partners in your area.
Can I get travel insurance if I’m already overseas?
It’s possible to get travel insurance if you’ve already left the country, but your options could be limited. For instance, you might get stuck with a high excess that you can’t change or a no-cover period (which could be around 48–72 hours) before you can make a claim. You might also need to meet certain conditions, like only having been overseas for less than 14 days.
You might still have a cooling-off period, even if you’ve purchased your travel insurance a little late. However, you’ll only be able to get money back if you haven’t made a claim using your cover.
While sometimes buying at the last minute can’t be avoided, in future, you might find it less stressful to sort out your travel insurance before you set foot on the plane. Just after you’ve booked your flights or started paying any deposits can be a good time to sort this out.
What should I do to prepare for my solo trip?
As the saying goes, ‘Luck favours the prepared’. And being prepared for your trip could mean you get to see and do more of what you’ve been looking forward to.
Batten down that budget: Getting around on your own dime can mean it’s more important than ever to keep track of your spending and where you choose to put your dollars. Setting a figure early and assigning yourself a daily limit could help avoid overspending or finding yourself without any cash.
Research your accommodation: Do your future self a favour and have a place to stay booked before you hop off the plane. If not that, at least have a shortlist of places you can pick from. Factoring in how you’ll get to your accommodation could also be a good move.
Pack light: What you’ll need to bring can vary depending on your trip, but trying to keep your luggage to just the essentials could make it easier to keep track of your belongings, plus leave plenty of room for souvenirs.
Remember, safety first: It’s easy to get swept away in the holiday mindset, but being on your own in a different place could mean you aren’t as well-attuned to risks as you normally would be. You might even be viewed as an easier target and jump up on the vulnerability scale. Being a bit more cautious could help you stay out of trouble.
Avoid the singles treatment: Solo travel might seem like a cheaper travel choice, but some hotels and cruise lines can sneak in an extra charge called a ‘singles supplement’. This is usually an added fee when booking a room to help your hotel cover the loss from a regular booking (which usually gets them a payment for two people).
Who should get solo travel insurance?
If you’re going on a solo trip (whether you’re a backpacker taking a year off to find yourself, a digital nomad, or a business traveller jetting across continents), you should consider travel insurance. While you can cross your fingers and hope nothing goes wrong on your trip, there’s no guarantee. But travel insurance can help give you greater peace of mind than a few crossed digits (and be a lot more useful).
You might also find that your travel plans line up with certain kinds of travel insurance. For instance, if you’re all about ski slopes and snowboards, a winter sports package may be the kind of travel insurance you’re after. On the other hand, if it’s been your dream to travel Europe on the back of a Vespa, a motorcycle package may be more up your alley. For those who want to kick back on a cruise, there’s even special cruise travel insurance policies available.
Do solo travellers still need to pay an excess?
Your excess is the amount you’ll need to pay when making a claim, so you’ll still need to pay it regardless of whether you have a solo policy. So, if you had an excess of $500 for medical expenses and a medical bill of $1,000, you’d need to pay $500 before your insurer would cover the rest. Just remember, insurers do often have upper limits for certain benefits, no matter what your excess is.
Your excess isn’t necessarily set in stone, though. Depending on your policy, insurer, and when you purchase the policy, you could potentially change your excess amount, usually at an additional fee. There are even some travel policies out there with $0 excesses.
Easily compare Travel insurance quotes
Save time and effort by comparing a range of travel insurance policies with iSelect
iSelect does not compare all travel insurers or policies in the market. Travel insurance is only available through our website and not all policies are available at all times or in all areas. Not all policies available from our partners are compared by iSelect and due to commercial arrangements and customer circumstances not all policies compared by iSelect will be available to all customers. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers.
iSelect General Pty Limited ABN 90 131 798 126, AFS Licence Number: 334115. Any advice provided by iSelect is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice iSelect gives you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on iSelect’s advice or purchasing any policy. You should consider iSelect’s Financial Services Guide which provides information about our services and your rights as a client of iSelect. iSelect receives commission for each policy sold.