In this review, we take a look at Admiral travel insurance policies including what it covers and how much it costs. 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 Admiral travel insurance?
- Admiral travel insurance key features
- Admiral travel insurance policies
- What does Admiral travel insurance cover?
- Does Admiral travel insurance cover covid-19?
- Does Admiral travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
- How much does Admiral travel insurance cost?
- Admiral travel insurance policy excess
- How to claim on Admiral travel insurance
- Admiral travel insurance customer reviews
- Admiral travel insurance pros and cons
- Alternatives to Admiral travel insurance
- Summary
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What is Admiral travel insurance?
Admiral was established in the UK in 1993 and initially specialised in car insurance policies. It has since expanded to include home insurance, travel and pet insurance. Admiral Insurance is a trading name of EUI Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Admiral travel insurance key features
- Covid-19 cover
- Single and annual multi-trip policies
- 3 levels of cover
- Up to £20 million emergency medical cover
- 24-hour emergency assistance helpline
- Over 60s travel insurance (up to the age of 100, policy dependent)
- 5-star Defaqto rating for its Platinum policy
Admiral travel insurance policies
Here we explain the different travel insurance policies you can get with Admiral Insurance.
Admiral Single trip travel insurance
Single trip travel insurance allows you to insure a single trip abroad for up to 365 days of the year. With single trip travel insurance, you can choose to travel worldwide but you will need to check that your travel destination is covered under your policy as you may need a specific worldwide policy to include countries such as the USA. You can choose to insure an individual, couple, family or group with single trip travel insurance.
Admiral annual multi-trip travel insurance
Annual multi-trip travel insurance will insure you for multiple trips in a 365-day period. You are limited to a maximum of 31 days per trip, however, you can increase the maximum trip duration for the policy term, either up to 45 days or up to 60 days per trip. Annual multi-trip travel insurance is best for travellers that take multiple trips or holidays in a year and can be more cost-effective than multiple single trip travel insurance policies. You can get insurance as a couple, family, group or an individual.
What does Admiral travel insurance cover?
In this section of the review, we highlight the level of cover you can expect with an admiral travel insurance policy. There are three levels of cover with Admiral travel insurance and we highlight the differences between those in the below comparison table.
Admiral travel insurance policies
| Admiral | Admiral Gold | Admiral Platinum | |
| Policy excess | £100 | £75 | £50 |
| Emergency medical | £10m | £15m | £20m |
| Cancellation or curtailment due to illness | £1,500 | £3,000 | £5,000 |
| Delay/missed departure cover (limits apply per person) | £1,500 | £3,000 | £5,000 |
| Lost, stolen or damaged personal belongings | £1,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 |
| Money and important documents | £300 | £400 | £500 |
| Personal accident cover | £5,000 | £7,500 | £12,500 |
| Hijack cover |  |
|
£1,000 |
| Catastrophe cover | |
£1,000 | £1,500 |
| Legal assistance cover | £20,000 | £20,000 | £30,000 |
| Personal liability cover | £3m | £3m | £3m |
With Admiral travel insurance you also have the ability to tailor your travel insurance policy to suit your individual trip. If you are travelling on a winter sports holiday you will need to upgrade your travel insurance policy to include the winter sports travel insurance. The same applies if you are at any point in your trip travelling on a cruise. Failure to do so could result in a claim not being paid and you not being covered for your trip. Below we highlight the cover you can expect with the winter sports and cruise travel insurance upgrades.
Winter sports travel insurance upgrade
Adding the winter sports travel insurance upgrade to your travel insurance policy will ensure that not only are you covered for any lost or stolen baggage and emergency medical treatment expenses, you will also be covered for loss of your winter sports equipment and any potential problems that may arise associated with your winter sports holiday, such as piste closure or delays that are caused by an avalanche. It's worth noting that for annual multi-trip policies, you're covered for a maximum of 21 days per policy term when you include additional winter sports cover. The following table shows what level of cover you can expect with an Admiral winter sports travel insurance upgrade.
| Admiral | Admiral Gold | Admiral Platinum | |
| Excess | £100 | £75 | £50 |
| Lost, stolen or damaged equipment | £500 | £750 | £1,000 |
| Piste closure | £20 (max £200) | £20 (max £200) | £20 (max £200) |
| Ski pack cover due to illness (covers costs for equipment, lift passes etc) | £500 (max £250 per week) | £500 (max £250 per week) | £500 (max £250 per week) |
| Travel & accommodation caused by avalanche delay | £200 | £300 | £450 |
| Replacement equipment hire (per 24 hours) | £25 (max £250) | £25 (max £250) | £25 (max £250) |
Cruise travel insurance upgrades
Admiral's cruise travel insurance upgrade will ensure you are covered for any cruise-related problems whilst on your trip. You will be covered for the regular emergency, medical and lost belongings insurance on your standard travel insurance policy but it will also cover you for any problems that may arise whilst on a cruise, such as a missed port departure or cabin confinement due to being unwell.
With an Admiral cruise travel insurance upgrade you can expect to be covered for the following:
- Missed port departure
- Cruise cabin confinement
- Unused excursions
- Cruise interruption
How much cover you can expect will vary depending on the policy you have chosen and will be detailed in your policy documents.
Excess waiver
You can choose to waive the excess on your travel insurance policy if you need to make a claim with the excess waiver policy add-on. This cover can be added to your policy when obtaining a quote and comes at an additional cost.
Gadget cover
You get basic personal items cover with an Admiral travel insurance policy but it is possible to add on gadget insurance which covers tech items such as cameras, laptops and mobile phones and will pay up to £1,500 for the gadgets that you need to claim on in a single trip. Gadget cover will insure your item in the event that it is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip.
Does Admiral travel insurance cover covid-19?
If you take out a new Admiral travel insurance policy you will be covered for specific covid-19 related claims. We detail what you can expect to be covered for below but for full details on what you are and are not covered for, check your policy documents carefully.
Admiral will cover the following covid-19 related claims:
- Emergency medical and repatriation if you fall ill with covid-19 whilst you are away
- Cancellation or cutting short your trip if you test positive for covid-19 before your trip was due to start
- If you are refused boarding due to a positive covid-19 test
- Claims for pre-booked excursions if you are unable to attend due to self-isolation because of a positive covid-19 test
- If you are unable to travel due to a close relative dying or becoming seriously ill as a result of covid-19 before your trip was due to start
- If you have to cut your trip short due to a close relative dying as a result of covid-19 during the trip
You will not be covered for any covid-19 related claims if you:
- Are travelling against FCDO advice
- Had reason to believe your trip may be cancelled/postponed/cut short when you booked it (e.g you were waiting for a covid-19 test result)
- Have to quarantine after arriving in the UK or abroad
- Are cancelling your trip or are cutting it short because you are worried about coronavirus
- Cannot travel due to government restrictions including the inability to travel or local lockdowns
Does Admiral travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Admiral travel insurance aims to cover most pre-existing conditions if you declare them when you take out your policy. Admiral defines a pre-existing condition as a medical condition that you had at any time before you took out or renewed your policy, or booked your trip.
When completing the online quote for your policy, Admiral travel insurance will notify you if your pre-existing condition is covered. If Admiral is unable to offer cover for your pre-existing condition, you may need to seek cover from a specialist provider. More information on travel insurance providers that cover pre-existing conditions can be found on the Money Helper website.
It is important to notify Admiral travel insurance if you are diagnosed with any new medical conditions after taking out your travel insurance policy as this could affect your cover.
Admiral travel insurance policy exclusions
Below we detail some of the policy exclusions you can expect on an Admiral travel insurance policy. This list is not extensive, however, so you will need to check your policy documents carefully so you know exactly what you are covered for.
A standard Admiral travel insurance policy will not pay out claims for the following:
- Policy excess
- Travel against FCDO advice
- Travel against doctor's advice
- Travel abroad to receive medical treatment
- Pre-existing conditions unless declared when purchasing the policy
- Claims involving quad bikes or all-terrain vehicles where you were the driver or passenger
- Winter sports or cruises unless you have the relevant upgrade on your policy
Is there an age limit on Admiral travel insurance policies?
Travellers can be insured on an Admiral travel insurance policy up to the age of 100 years old for single trip policies and 90 years old for annual multi-trip policies. There may be limits and restrictions on your policy however depending on where you are travelling to and the details you have provided. If you wish to add a winter sports travel pack to your Admiral travel insurance policy there is an age limit of up to 75 years old for trips within Europe and 70 years old for trips outside of Europe.
How much does Admiral travel insurance cost?
In this section of the review, we compare the costs of an Admiral travel insurance policy. How much you pay for your travel insurance policy depends on numerous factors including your age, the travel destination, policy type and whether you have any pre-existing health conditions.
For the following quotes, we compare the cost of single and annual multi-trip policies to Europe. The single trip policies are for a period of 7 days and the individual has no underlying health conditions. We compare the cost of a range of ages. You can get an Admiral single trip travel insurance policy up to the age of 100 years old and up to 90 years old for annual multi-trip policies.
Admiral European single trip travel insurance policy cost comparison
| Admiral | Admiral Gold | Admiral Platinum | |
| Policy excess | £100 | £75 | £50 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | £15m | £20m |
| Cancellation or curtailment due to illness | £1,500 | £3,000 | £5,000 |
| Personal belongings | £1,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 |
| Maximum individual trip length | 365 days | 365 days | 365 days |
| European single trip individual cost 20-year-old | £15.58 | £22.02 | £24.47 |
| European single trip individual cost 30-year-old | £8.53 | £12.06 | £13.40 |
| European single trip individual cost 40-year-old | £9.10 | £12.85 | £14.29 |
| European single trip individual cost 50-year-old | £10.16 | £14.38 | £15.97 |
| European single trip individual cost 60-year-old | £12.68 | £17.93 | £19.91 |
| European single trip individual cost 70-year-old | £21.53 | £30.42 | £33.80 |
(Quotes correct as of 09/02/24)
Admiral European annual multi-trip travel insurance policy cost comparison
| Admiral | Admiral Gold | Admiral Platinum | |
| Policy excess | £100 | £75 | £50 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | £15m | £20m |
| Cancellation or curtailment due to illness | £1,500 | £3,000 | £5,000 |
| Personal belongings | £1,000 | £2,000 | £2,500 |
| Maximum individual trip length | 31 days | 31 days | 31 days |
| European annual multi-trip individual cost 20-year-old | £16.94 | £27.00 | £27.28 |
| European annual multi-trip individual cost 30-year-old | £12.94 | £19.60 | £22.66 |
| European annual multi-trip individual cost 40-year-old | £14.90 | £22.58 | £26.11 |
| European annual multi-trip individual cost 50-year-old | £17.16 | £25.98 | £30.05 |
| European annual multi-trip individual cost 60-year-old | £19.64 | £29.75 | £32.68 |
| European annual multi-trip individual cost 70-year-old | £51.95 | £78.68 | £86.42 |
(Quotes correct as of 09/02/24)
Admiral travel insurance policy excess
There is a policy excess payable per person, per claim on an Admiral travel insurance policy. The excess payable on an Admiral travel insurance policy reduces depending on which Admiral travel insurance policy you have e.g. the more comprehensive your policy, the lower the policy excess.
The policy excess is £100 for an Admiral policy, £75 on an Admiral Gold policy and £50 on an Admiral Platinum policy. However, if you purchased your Admiral travel insurance via a comparison site your excess may be different. If you are unsure of your policy excess, this can be checked via your policy documents.
There is the opportunity to waive the excess on your Admiral travel insurance policy if you purchase the excess waiver add-on. This will come at an additional cost and will therefore increase the cost of your travel insurance premium however it does mean that in the event of a claim you will not have to pay a policy excess.
How to claim on Admiral travel insurance
If you need to make an emergency medical claim on your Admiral travel insurance policy you can call the 24-hour emergency helpline on 0292 010 7777. You will need to notify Admiral if you have a medical emergency and medical expenses are likely to cost over £500 or if you need to cut your trip short.
With other claims, you can start your claim online via its online claims portal or alternatively call 0333 234 9914.
Admiral travel insurance customer reviews
Admiral has a Trustpilot rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars from over 96,000 customer reviews. 73% of customers have rated it as 'Excellent' with 10% rating it as 'Bad'. Admiral's customer reviews on Trustpilot include Admiral Insurance as a whole and are not specific to its travel insurance policies.
Those that have rated Admiral travel insurance policies as 'Bad' highlight problems with customer service and poor cover. Some also shared annoyance at their travel insurance policies auto-renewing for the following year which is something to look out for when taking out an annual multi-trip policy.
Those that have rated Admiral travel insurance as 'Excellent' have praised the claims process and good levels of customer service.
Admiral travel insurance pros and cons
Admiral travel insurance pros
- Up to £20 million emergency medical cover
- Policy excess waiver add-on
- Travel insurance for travellers aged up to 100 years old (personal circumstances could cause this to vary)
- Winter sports and cruise cover add-ons
Admiral travel insurance cons
- Annual multi-trip policy auto-renews so you will need to remember to cancel if you do not want this to happen
- No backpacker or long-term trip cover for trips over 365 days
- No cover if you have to quarantine after arriving in the UK or abroad
Alternatives to Admiral travel insurance
In this section of the review, we compare Admiral travel insurance to its competitors. We compare the cost of the most comprehensive travel insurance policies. The quotes are based on an individual aged 30 years old with no underlying health conditions on a 7 night trip to Spain in Europe.
If you would like more information on the travel insurance policies you can read our independent travel insurance reviews:
You can also easily and quickly compare travel insurance policies with comparison sites such as Quotezone* or MoneySuperMarket*. Comparison sites allow you to compare a range of travel insurance policies to find the best and cheapest policy for your needs. One thing to consider before using a comparison site, however, is that it may not compare every provider on the market so you may get a better deal elsewhere.
Admiral travel insurance vs Staysure travel insurance
| Admiral | Staysure* | |
| Policy name | Platinum | Signature |
| Excess | £50 | £0 |
| Emergency medical cover | £20m | Unlimited |
| Cancellation cover | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Lost or stolen baggage | £2,500 | £5,000 |
| European 7 night single trip travel insurance policy cost (30-year-old) | £13.40 | £34.99 |
(Quotes correct as of 09/02/24)
Admiral travel insurance vs LV= travel insurance
| Admiral | LV= | |
| Policy name | Platinum | Premier |
| Excess | £50 | £90 |
| Emergency medical cover | £20m | £10m |
| Cancellation cover | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Lost or stolen baggage | £2,500 | £3,000 (optional extra included) |
| European 7 night single trip travel insurance policy cost (30-year-old) | £13.40 | £38.48 |
(Quotes correct as of 09/02/24)
Summary
Overall, Admiral travel insurance offers a good choice of travel insurance policies at a reasonable price. Admiral travel insurance can be purchased via a comparison site, however, the policy excess may vary compared to when purchased directly with Admiral. Admiral does offer cover for coronavirus-related claims with its travel insurance although you may find better cover for covid-19 with other insurers. Its £20m of emergency medical cover is generous but it is possible to get more emergency medical cover with other insurers. Admiral travel insurance may however be appealing to those over the age of 60 with insurance policies for travellers aged up to 100 years old.
If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses or take advantage of any exclusive offers - MoneySuperMarket, Quotezone, Staysure
