Travel insurance for UK breaks

You might not think you need travel insurance if you're taking a trip in the UK, and you wouldn't be alone in that. But getting cover in place before you holiday on home shores could still provide important protection. This article looks at how.

Last updated: 15/6/2026

Sunset at the English coast

Travel insurance for UK staycations

When you take any break – from a short break to a full holiday or an extended period of travel – it's important to consider holiday insurance to cover you and anyone in your household who’ll be joining you on your trip. And not just if you’ll be leaving these shores.

Lots of Brits think they don’t need travel insurance for trips they’re taking within the UK. This isn’t always the case, though, and having cover in place can provide much-needed help and reassurance if something goes wrong.

The cover you need for UK breaks – as well as the type of policies that will provide it – depends on the kind of holiday you’re taking there.

If you have an annual multi-trip policy, there may be minimum criteria for it to cover UK breaks, such as you having booked and paid for at least one night's accommodation, or staying at least 100 miles from your home, or making at least one sea crossing during your trip. These are the criteria on our own multi-trip policies, given as an illustration.

Let’s look at what’s already covered when you holiday in the UK, and why else you might need the extra cover travel insurance provides.

What is already covered?

Lots of people take out travel insurance to protect themselves against getting ill on holiday.

In EU countries, it can help to pay medical and some other expenses not covered by the UK Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic), such as air rescue or repatriation if you needed them.

In the UK, where the NHS is free at the point of service, health insurance isn’t necessary for staycation holidays. But that’s not the only reason people get travel insurance.

Looking for travel insurance for your UK break?

Why might I need travel insurance for holidays in the UK?

  1. Protect your possessions

    This depends on the type of holiday you’re taking. Think about what you’re going away with. Since you’re holidaying within the UK, you may be tempted to be a bit more extravagant in the things you take with you.

    In fact, you might have some quite valuable possessions with you – such as gadgets like smartphones, tablets and handheld games consoles. Since you’re staying in the UK, you might take more jewellery than you would overseas. If you’re driving, you may make use of the extra boot space to take more clothes than you would if you were flying.

    If you have contents insurance with an away-from-home add-on, you needn’t worry about loss or theft to these items. But lots of people don’t opt for this extra, and it may not be included as standard.

    If your possessions aren’t covered by your contents insurance when they’re outside of your house, then travel insurance is necessary to make sure they’re protected.

    It’s also important to check what your contents insurance covers. Some may not provide cover for accidental damage, which is another important reason to consider getting travel insurance.

  2. Safeguard your holiday

    Lots of things can happen that can prevent you from going away, from a relative becoming sick or your car breaking down. If something unfortunate happens and you have to cancel, travel insurance could be vital to help recoup holiday expenses.

    If you have travel insurance for a pre-booked holiday but you’re suddenly unable to go due to an accident or other unforeseen circumstances, travel insurance may provide a lifeline. Especially if you’ve already paid some or all of the cost of the trip.

    Some policies now provide cover for cancellation or curtailment due to coronavirus in some circumstances, though you should check the policy wording closely for what is and isn’t covered.

  3. Insurances for any trip

    If you’re someone who travels often, you could benefit from an annual multi-trip policy. This will normally include cover for holidays within the UK as well as other trips you take abroad.

    This type of policy also means that you can take holidays in the UK frequently on the same policy, rather than having to worry about trips on an individual basis.

    If you’re confident you’ll only be going away once in a 12-month period, you may get better value from a single-trip travel insurance policy instead.

Will my travel insurance cover cancellation of my holiday due to Covid-19?

If you have an existing travel insurance policy, whether it includes cover for cancellation or curtailment due to coronavirus may depend on the provider, policy type and when you bought it. Some providers introduced extra cover for coronavirus on new policies during and after the pandemic.

Please remember that travelling against official travel advice will likely invalidate your policy altogether.

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