In this review, we take a look at LV='s travel insurance policies including what they cover and how much they cost. We recommend that you read the review in full, however, you can jump to specific sections of the article using the following links:
- What is LV= travel insurance?
- LV= travel insurance key features
- LV= travel insurance policies
- What does LV= travel insurance cover?
- Does LV= travel insurance cover covid-19?
- Does LV= travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
- How much does LV= travel insurance cost?
- LV= travel insurance policy excess
- How to claim on LV= travel insurance
- LV= travel insurance customer reviews
- LV= travel insurance pros and cons
- Alternatives to LV= travel insurance
- Summary
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What is LV= travel insurance?
LV= offers a range of general insurance policies from travel, home, pet and car insurance policies and has over 4.5 million customers. LV='s travel insurance policy is underwritten by Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited.
LV= travel insurance key features
- Premier policy is 5-star Defaqto rated
- Up to £10 million emergency medical cover
- 10% online discount
- Cater your policy to suit your trip with optional winter sports, cruise and baggage cover
- Cruise cover included as standard with annual policies
- Cover for coronavirus
- No age limit on single trip travel insurance policies
- Online claims process
- Group travel insurance policies
LV= travel insurance policies
Below we explain the different types of travel insurance policy you can purchase with LV= travel.
LV= Single Trip travel insurance
LV=’s single trip travel insurance policy will insure you for one trip for up to 366 days if you are under 65 years old. If you are aged between 65 and 79 this reduces to 90 days and then further reduces to 31 days if you are aged 80 or over. There is no upper age limit on LV=’s single trip travel insurance policy which makes it appealing for older travellers.
You can get cover for worldwide trips but make sure you check that you have the right amount of cover for the destinations you are travelling to. Single trip travel insurance is good for those only travelling once or twice a year. If you are a more frequent traveller you may prefer to look into annual multi-trip travel insurance as it can be more cost-effective.
LV= Annual multi-trip travel insurance
LV=’s annual multi-trip travel insurance insures you for more than one trip in a 365 day period and can be more cost-effective than multiple single trip travel insurance policies. You have to be under the age of 79 to take out an LV= annual multi-trip policy and you will be covered for up to a maximum of 90 days per trip throughout the year.
LV=’s annual multi-trip travel insurance will insure you for more than one trip to multiple destinations throughout the year but you will need to select the cover that matches your destination. For example, if you are travelling to Europe and the USA you will need to select worldwide cover that includes cover to both of these destinations.
LV= Family and group travel insurance
LV= has a family and group travel insurance policy that insures up to 10 people on one policy with each person covered for the same amount. You can choose between LV=’s Essential and Premier policies and if you are a family LV= says that 'a family would pay less than a group of unrelated people'.
An LV= group policy allows travellers to travel separately if they are aged 22 and over but children aged 21 and under named on the group policy must travel with the policyholder or their spouse, another person named on the policy or when travelling on an organised trip e.g. with a school or university.
What does LV= travel insurance cover?
In this section of the review, we take a look at what LV= travel insurance covers. LV= offers two travel insurance policies that can be tailored to the individual requirements of your trip. LV=’s most comprehensive travel insurance policy is the LV= Premier policy and there is also an LV= Essential policy. Each policy does however offer the same amount of emergency medical cover. Policies can be tailored by adding additional cruise, winter sports and baggage cover.
Cover for baggage and lost or stolen items does not come as standard with an LV= travel insurance policy.
LV= travel insurance policy comparison
| LV= Essential Policy | LV= Premier Policy | |
| Policy excess | £90 | £90 |
| Emergency medical expenses | £10m | £10m |
| Cancellation/Curtailment | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Personal accident | £25,000 | £25,000 |
| Personal liability | £2m | £2m |
| Legal advice | £25,000 | £25,000 |
| Cancellation due to delays | N/A | £10,000 |
| Bankruptcy of travel provider | N/A | £10,000 |
LV= travel insurance optional extras
LV= also has some optional extras that can be added to your policy to tailor your travel insurance policy to suit your trip. In the following comparison tables, we highlight the extra cover available on an LV= policy. All come at an additional cost.
Optional Winter sports cover
| LV= Essential policy | LV= Premier policy | |
| Excess (no excess for personal liability or personal accident) | £90 | £90 |
| Winter sports emergency medical cover | £10m | £10m |
| Cancellation of winter sports activities whilst away | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Cancellation/Curtailment of the trip | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Personal accident | £25,000 | £25,000 |
| Personal liability | £2m | £2m |
Optional Cruise cover
| LV= Essential policy | LV= Premier policy | |
| Excess | N/A | N/A |
| Missed port departure | N/A | £1,000 |
| Cabin confinement | £1,000 (£100 daily limit) | £1,500 (£150 daily limit) |
| Cancelled port stop | £150 per port | £150 per port |
| Cover to rejoin the cruise if missed due to illness | £1,000 | £1,000 |
Optional Baggage cover
| LV= Essential policy (per person limit) | LV= Premier policy (per person limit) | |
| Excess (no excess for replacement of essential baggage) | £50 | £50 |
| Replacement or hire of essential baggage | £250 | £500 |
| Lost or stolen baggage | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Lost or stolen valuables (included in baggage limit) | £300 (£300 single item limit) | £500 (£500 single item limit) |
| Loss or theft of personal money | £500 (£300 cash limit) | £500 (£300 cash limit) |
| Loss of passport | £500 | £500 |
| Loss of driving licence | £500 | £500 |
Does LV= travel insurance cover Covid-19?
LV= travel insurance does offer coronavirus cover. Information relating to exactly what you are covered for will be detailed in your travel insurance policy documents so ensure that you check these carefully before you travel.
With an LV= travel insurance policy you can expect the following Covid-19 cover:
- Emergency medical and repatriation costs if you are diagnosed with Covid-19 whilst away
- Cancellation cover if you or a travel companion are diagnosed with Covid-19 and you cannot travel due to illness or quarantine restrictions
- Cover if your trip has to be cut short due to coronavirus and you have been ordered to quarantine or if you need repatriation to the UK due to a change in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice
- Cover for cancelled trips and excursions because you have tested positive for Covid-19 and have to isolate on your trip
- Additional accommodation and transport costs if you have to quarantine and cannot move your pre-booked transport
You are not likely to be covered for cancellation if you decide not to travel due to a high incidence of Covid-19 in the area you are travelling to. You are also not covered if you choose to travel against FCDO advice.
Does LV= travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
LV= says it will look to cover any pre-existing medical conditions subject to its online medical assessment. If LV= is unable to provide cover for a pre-existing condition it will notify you on the quotation page and you may have to seek cover for the condition elsewhere. MoneyHelper, formerly known as The Money Advice Service, provides a list of insurers that insure pre-existing medical conditions. You can also compare a number of travel insurance providers that cover pre-existing conditions via the comparison site PayingTooMuch*.
When taking out an insurance policy with LV= you will need to declare all pre-existing medical conditions for every individual on the insurance. Failure to do so may result in a claim not being paid.
LV= defines it as a pre-existing condition if you have suffered from any of the following conditions in the last 5 years:
- Cancer (any type)
- A breathing condition (e.g. asthma)
- A heart condition
- A bone or joint condition
- A gastrointestinal condition
- A circulatory condition (e.g. strokes or high blood pressure)
In addition, if you have had to have medical tests or investigations, prescribed medication, surgery or treatment for a medical condition in the 12 months prior to taking out a policy this will also be classed as a pre-existing medical condition.
Covid-19 must be declared as a medical condition if you have received a positive Covid-19 test within 12 months prior to taking out a policy
How much does LV= travel insurance cost?
Below, we compare the cost of an LV= travel insurance single and annual multi-trip travel insurance policy. The single trip policy quotes are based on an individual travelling to Spain for 7 nights and the annual multi-trip policy quotes are based on a policy for multiple trips to Europe. The individual has no underlying health conditions and we have compared a range of ages. The quotes include the optional baggage cover which has been added at an additional cost.
The cost of your travel insurance policy is likely to vary depending on your age and whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions. In the below comparison tables, we compare the cost of LV= single and annual multi-trip travel insurance.
LV= single trip travel insurance policy cost
| LV= Essential | LV= Premier | |
| Excess | £90 | £90 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | £10m |
| Cancellation/Curtailment | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| 7-night Single trip policy Europe (20-year-old) | £29.52^ | £38.93^ |
| 7-night Single trip policy Europe (30-year-old) | £29.18^ | £38.48^ |
| 7-night Single trip policy Europe (40-year-old) | £31.49^ | £41.54^ |
| 7-night Single trip policy Europe (50-year-old) | £30.26^ | £39.91^ |
| 7-night Single trip policy Europe (60-year-old) | £29.22^ | £38.41^ |
| 7-night Single trip policy Europe (70-year-old) | £68.83^ | £85.81^ |
^ Price includes online discount (Quotes correct as of 23/02/24)
LV= annual multi-trip travel insurance policy cost
| LV= Essential | LV= Premier | |
| Excess | £90 | £90 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | £10m |
| Cancellation/Curtailment | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Annual multi-trip policy Europe (20-year-old) | £70.79^ | £108.50^ |
| Annual multi-trip policy Europe (30-year-old) | £87.04^ | £133.79^ |
| Annual multi-trip policy Europe (40-year-old) | £80.08^ | £122.98^ |
| Annual multi-trip policy Europe (50-year-old) | £78.14^ | £119.93^ |
| Annual multi-trip policy Europe (60-year-old) | £84.91^ | £120.46^ |
| Annual multi-trip policy Europe (70-year-old) | £153.02^ | £205.30^ |
^ Price includes online discount (Quotes correct as of 23/02/24)
LV= travel insurance policy excess
There is a fixed policy excess of £90 on LV=’s insurance policies and this is payable per cancellation, curtailment and emergency medical expenses claim.
There is a £50 policy excess for some baggage-related claims if you have elected to add baggage cover to your policy and this is payable per claim.
How to claim on an LV= travel insurance policy
If you need to make a claim on your LV= travel insurance policy you can do so by completing the online claims process on the LV= website. Alternatively, you can phone 0330 678 6225.
If you are making a claim for trip cancellation or curtailment (cutting your trip short) you need to contact your airline or tour operator first. If this is unsuccessful you should then try to contact your card provider to try and obtain a refund before contacting LV=. If those steps are unsuccessful you can then contact LV= to make a claim.
When making a claim you will need to provide evidence of the costs you are claiming for or evidence that you have contacted another provider and were refused a refund.
LV= travel insurance customer reviews
LV= has a Trustpilot rating of 4.4 out of 5.0 Stars. 80% of customers have rated it as 'Excellent' with only 4% rating it as 'Bad'. The reviews on Trustpilot are based on LV= general insurance policies as a whole and are not specific to travel insurance. Of the travel insurance reviews we have looked at customers have cited great customer service and quick and helpful claims. Those that have rated it 'Bad' said that they have experienced high premium renewals and some said that they had problems with the online claims process.
LV= travel insurance pros and cons
LV= travel insurance pros
- 10% online discount
- No upper age limit on single trip policies
- The premier policy is 5-star Defaqto rated
- Online claims process
LV= travel insurance cons
- Baggage cover is not included as standard
- Possible to get higher emergency medical cover with other insurers
Alternatives to LV= travel insurance
Below, we compare LV= travel insurance to some of its competitors. We compare the most comprehensive travel insurance policies with each of the providers and the quotes are based on a 30-year-old individual travelling to Europe for 7 nights. We have added baggage cover to the LV= policy costs to make the policy comparisons fair. To find out more about the providers read our independent reviews:
You may also wish to compare a large range of travel insurance providers. The quickest and easiest way to do this is via a comparison site such as Quotezone* or MoneySuperMarket*. This allows you to compare a host of insurers, helping to find the best deal for your situation. It is worth considering, however, that not all comparison sites are whole of market so it is possible that you can find a better deal elsewhere.
LV= travel insurance vs Post Office travel insurance
| LV= | Post Office | |
| Policy name | Premier | Premier |
| Excess | £90 | £50 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | £10m |
| Cancellation cover | £10,000 | £5,000 |
| Lost or stolen baggage | £3,000 (optional extra included) | £3,000 |
| 7-night single trip European policy cost (30-year-old) | £38.48^ | £44.66 |
^ Price includes online discount (Quotes correct as of 23/02/24)
LV= travel insurance vs Staysure travel insurance
| LV= | Staysure* | |
| Policy name | Premier | Signature |
| Excess | £90 | £0 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | Unlimited |
| Cancellation cover | £10,000 | £10,000 |
| Lost or stolen baggage | £3,000 (optional extra included) | £5,000 |
| 7-night single trip European policy cost (30-year-old) | £38.48^ | £34.99 |
^ Price includes online discount (Quotes correct as of 23/02/24)
Summary
Overall, LV= provides a good level of cover for travel insurance. Its emergency medical expense cover provides a reasonable amount of cover but it is possible to get more with other providers. This is something that is worth considering if you are travelling to a destination with high medical fees. LV='s cancellation cover is generous but like with most travel insurance providers you do have to contact your airline and tour operator before you can make a claim.
LV= has no upper age limit on its single trip policies and you have to be under the age of 79 for its annual multi-trip policy which means that it is a great option for older travellers. LV= also covers pre-existing conditions via its medical screening process. The 10% online discount is also a great addition to the policy but it is worth noting that this could mean that you see a hike in your premium the following year should you choose to renew your travel insurance policy with LV=.
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