Travel insurance is designed to cover any unexpected problems that may arise whilst on your holiday. In this review, we take a look at Southdowns travel insurance, including what it covers, how much it costs and how to make a claim. 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 Southdowns travel insurance?
- Southdowns travel insurance key features
- Southdowns travel insurance policies
- What does Southdowns travel insurance cover?
- Does Southdowns travel insurance cover covid-19?
- Does Southdowns travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
- Is there an age limit on Southdowns travel insurance?
- Southdowns travel insurance policy exclusions
- How much does Southdowns travel insurance cost?
- Southdowns travel insurance policy excess
- How to claim on Southdowns travel insurance
- Southdowns travel insurance customer reviews
- Southdowns travel insurance pros and cons
- Alternatives to Southdowns travel insurance
- Summary
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What is Southdowns travel insurance?
Southdowns is an insurance intermediary that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Southdowns travel insurance policies are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A which is part of the AXA Group. Worldwide medical and emergency services are provided by AXA Travel Insurance Ltd.
Southdowns travel insurance key features
- Single and annual multi-trip travel insurance
- Cover for a number of pre-existing medical conditions
- Coronavirus cover
- Online claims process
- Up to £20 million emergency medical and repatriation costs
- 5 star Defaqto rating for select Gold, Platinum and Silver policies
Southdowns travel insurance policies
Single trip travel insurance
Single trip travel insurance is designed to cover an individual, couple or family for a single trip on holiday for a set amount of days. Southdowns single trip travel insurance will cover trips for those aged 75 and under for up to a maximum of 90 days depending on the policy you have chosen and your age. Single trip travel insurance is good for those who go away once or twice a year. If you are a frequent traveller you may wish to look at a Southdowns annual multi-trip travel insurance policy as it may be more cost-effective.
Annual multi-trip travel insurance
Annual multi-trip travel insurance is good for frequent travellers as it is designed to cover multiple trips away in a policy year. This can make it more cost-effective than numerous single trip travel insurance policies. A Southdowns annual multi-trip travel insurance policy will cover travellers aged 65 and under for up to 31 days per trip, depending on the policy you choose. Southdowns annual multi-trip travel insurance will insure couples and families, as well as individuals.
What does Southdowns travel insurance cover?
In this section of the review, we highlight the key levels of cover you can expect with a Southdowns travel insurance policy. Exactly what you are covered for is detailed in your policy documents so you will need to read these carefully so you know exactly what you are covered for. Southdowns travel insurance offers more cover for its more comprehensive Platinum and Gold insurance policies such as hijack and catastrophe cover as well as mugging and concierge cover with the Platinum cover. There is also the option to add gadget cover to all policies and the option to add travel disruption cover to Silver Plus, Gold and Platinum policies.
Southdowns travel insurance policy
| Bronze | Silver Plus | Gold | Platinum | |
| Excess | £100/£200 | £50 | £50 | £50 |
| Emergency medical expenses | £20m | £20m | £20m | £20m |
| Cancellation | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £6,000 |
| Baggage | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 | £3,500 |
| Personal accident | £10,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 | £30,000 |
| Gadget cover^ | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Passport & Visa | £500 | £500 | £600 | £650 |
| Missed departure |  |
£1,000 | £1,000 | £1,000 |
| Delayed departure | |
£200 | £300 | £350 |
| Abandonment | |
£2,000 | £3,000 | £6,000 |
| Personal liability | £2m | £2m | £2m | £2m |
^ Optional extra
Does Southdowns travel insurance cover Covid-19?
Southdowns travel insurance includes some coronavirus cover and we summarise what you can expect to be covered for below, although this list is not exhaustive. It is important that you check your policy documents carefully to ensure that you know exactly what is covered. If you need to make a claim in relation to covid-19 you will be required to provide a medical certificate, an official covid-19 positive test result and evidence for the need to self-isolate (if applicable).
Southdowns travel insurance includes the following coronavirus cover:
- Cancellation due to testing positive with covid-19 and being unable to travel
- Cancellation because you have to self-isolate and therefore cannot travel
- Cutting your trip short due to a close relative falling ill with covid-19 in the UK
- Emergency medical treatment as a result of covid-19 whilst abroad
- Cover for additional accommodation or transport expenses as a result of a positive covid-19 test before you are due to travel home which means you have to self-isolate or quarantine in your travel destination
Does Southdowns travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Southdowns travel insurance has a medical screening process when you generate a quote, which allows you to see if your particular medical condition will be insured on the policy. If you have a pre-existing medical condition that you have received treatment for or taken regular medication for in the past two years then you are only able to take out a Select Silver, Gold or Platinum policy. If Southdowns travel insurance is unable to offer you cover for your pre-existing condition then you may have to seek specialist cover. You can find a list of specialist medical travel insurance providers on the Money Helper website (formerly known as the Money Advice Service).
It is important that you declare all pre-existing medical conditions as failure to do so can result in your policy being cancelled and a claim not being paid.
Is there an age limit on Southdowns travel insurance?
Single trip Southdowns travel insurance policies can only be purchased by travellers aged 75 years and under while annual multi-trip travel insurance policies with Southdowns travel insurance have an age limit of 65 and are therefore not available to anyone aged 66 and over.
Southdowns travel insurance policy exclusions
In this section of the review, we list some of the policy exclusions on a Southdowns travel insurance policy. This list is not a comprehensive list and so it is best to read your policy documents carefully so you know exactly what is and isn't covered.
Southdowns travel insurance policy exclusions:
- Policy excess
- Participation in any winter sports
- Claims related to excess alcohol consumption that results in impaired judgement
- Travel against FCDO advice
- Travel against medical advice
- Any claim due to a regional quarantine
How much does Southdowns travel insurance cost?
In the following comparison tables, we compare the cost of Southdowns travel insurance policies. How much you pay for your travel insurance policy varies depending on your age, the trip duration, the trip destination and whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions. For the purpose of these quotes, we have compared the cost of a healthy individual travelling to Europe. The single trip policy quotes are for a 7-day trip abroad.
Southdowns single trip travel insurance policy cost comparison
| Bronze | Silver Plus | Gold | Platinum | |
| Excess | £100/£200 | £50 | £50 | £50 |
| Emergency medical expenses | £20m | £20m | £20m | £20m |
| Cancellation | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £6,000 |
| Baggage | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 | £3,500 |
| Single trip limit | 31 days | 60 days (reduces to 31 for those over 61) | 90 days (reduces to 31 for those over 61) | 90 days (reduces to 31 for those over 61) |
| European single trip policy cost (20-year-old) | £11.12 | £14.02 | £16.11 | £65.54 |
| European single trip policy cost (30-year-old) | £9.46 | £11.14 | £12.26 | £60.13 |
| European single trip policy cost (40-year-old) | £9.11 | £10.55 | £11.60 | £56.31 |
| European single trip policy cost (50-year-old) | £9.11 | £10.75 | £11.82 | £25.99 |
| European single trip policy cost (60-year-old) | £9.69 | £12.40 | £13.80 | £24.87 |
| European single trip policy cost (70-year-old) | £17.16 | £22.13 | £24.62 | £38.78 |
(Quotes correct as of 06/02/24)
Southdowns annual multi-trip travel insurance policy cost comparison
| Bronze Gadget | Silver Gadget Plus | Gold Gadget | Platinum Gadget | |
| Excess | £100/£200 | £50 | £50 | £50 |
| Emergency medical expenses | £20m | £20m | £20m | £20m |
| Cancellation | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 | £6,000 |
| Baggage | £1,750 | £1,750 | £2,000 | £3,500 |
| Individual trip limit | 24 days | 31 days | 31 days | 31 days |
| European annual multi-trip policy cost (20-year-old) | £19.00 | £22.40 | £31.97 | £52.80 |
| European annual multi-trip policy cost (30-year-old) | £19.68 | £24.98 | £28.54 | £46.99 |
| European annual multi-trip policy cost (40-year-old) | £19.68 | £24.98 | £28.47 | £49.90 |
| European annual multi-trip policy cost (50-year-old) | £23.83 | £30.51 | £32.81 | £54.19 |
| European annual multi-trip policy cost (60-year-old) | £29.40 | £38.33 | £71.47 | £119.45 |
| European annual multi-trip policy cost (70-year-old)^ | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
^Not available to travellers 66 and over
(Quotes correct as of 06/02/24)
Southdowns travel insurance policy excess
There is a policy excess payable on some claims with a Southdowns travel insurance policy. The excess varies between £0 - £200 and is payable per person insured on the policy. How much you have to pay varies depending on the type of policy you have, and the more comprehensive your Southdowns travel insurance policy, the less excess you will have to pay.
There is no excess payable for emergency medical and repatriation claims with a Southdowns Platinum policy.
How to claim on Southdowns travel insurance
If you wish to make a claim on a Southdowns travel insurance policy you can do so via the online claims portal with AXA. Alternatively, you can contact the AXA Travel Insurance Claims team on telephone number 0345 873 4425. You will need to provide proof of travel, proof of the claim event and any invoices or receipts. If you wish to make a claim for gadgets you need to refer to the gadget section in your policy documents and contact the specified administrator.
Southdowns travel insurance customer reviews
Southdowns travel insurance has a Trustpilot rating of 4.4 out of 5.0 stars from over 5,000 reviews. 77% of customers have rated it as 'Excellent' citing good value for money and an easy-to-use website. 7% of customers have rated Southdowns travel insurance as 'Bad' citing a lengthy claims process and problems getting hold of a claims team or customer services.
Southdowns travel insurance pros and cons
Southdowns travel insurance pros
- Up to £20m emergency medical and repatriation cover
- Southdowns aims to cover most pre-existing medical conditions declared during the quotation process
- Coronavirus cover
- Select Platinum, Gold and Silver policies have a 5 star Defaqto rating
Southdowns travel insurance cons
- Age limits on both single and annual multi-trip policies apply (age limit is lower on annual multi-trip policies)
- No winter sports cover
Alternatives to Southdowns travel insurance
Below, we compare Southdowns travel insurance to some of its competitors. We compare the cost of the most comprehensive Southdowns travel insurance policy to the most comprehensive travel insurance policy from Coverwise and Staysure*. For the comparison, the quotes are based on a 30-year-old individual with no underlying health conditions travelling to Europe for 7 days. To find out more about Coverwise and Staysure travel insurance you can read our travel insurance reviews:
You may also wish to look for travel insurance using a comparison site such as Quotezone* or MoneySuperMarket*. A comparison site allows you to compare multiple travel insurance providers all at once to help you find the best deal for your situation. One thing to consider, however, is that most comparison sites are not whole of market and this could mean that you may get a better deal elsewhere.
Southdowns travel insurance vs Coverwise travel insurance
In the comparison table below, we compare Southdowns to Coverwise travel insurance. Southdowns and Coverwise travel insurance are underwritten by the same insurer, Inter Partner Assistance which is part of the AXA group. Because of this, we have compared the same policies with each provider to see if there is a difference in cost for what is essentially the same cover.
It is worth noting, however, that with Southdowns travel insurance there is the opportunity to get a quote for Platinum cover which is something that is not available when running a quote with Coverwise, despite it being mentioned on the Coverwise website.
More information can be found in our Coverwise travel insurance review.
| Southdowns | Coverwise | |
| Policy name | Gold | Gold |
| Policy excess | £50 | £50 |
| Policy underwriter | Inter Partner Assistance | Inter Partner Assistance |
| Emergency medical cover | £20m | £20m |
| Cancellation | £3,000 | £3,000 |
| Baggage cover | £2,000 | £2,000 |
| 7-night single trip European policy cost (30-year-old) | £12.26 | £12.55 |
(Quotes correct as of 06/02/24)
Southdowns travel insurance vs Staysure travel insurance
The following comparison table compares Southdowns travel insurance to Staysure travel insurance*. Staysure has unlimited emergency medical cover compared to £20 million with Southdowns. Staysure also has higher cancellation and baggage cover, plus you can purchase Staysure's Signature single trip policy* at a lower cost than the Southdowns Platinum single trip policy. Southdowns travel insurance is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance and Staysure travel insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited.
More information on Staysure travel insurance can be found in our Staysure travel insurance review.
| Southdowns | Staysure* | |
| Policy name | Platinum | Signature |
| Policy excess | £50 (£0 for medical claims) | £0 |
| Policy underwriter | Inter Partner Assistance | Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited |
| Emergency medical cover | £20m | Unlimited |
| Cancellation | £6,000 | £10,000 |
| Baggage cover | £3,500 | £5,000 |
| 7-night single trip European policy cost (30-year-old) | £60.13 | £34.99 |
(Quotes correct as of 06/02/24)
Summary
Overall Southdowns has a good range of travel insurance policies for your trip abroad and offers a decent amount of emergency medical cover at £20million. One of its drawbacks is that it does not offer cover for any winter sports so would not be suitable if you were travelling on a winter sports holiday. As with all travel insurance policies it is best to shop around to ensure you are getting the best deal.
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