Travel insurance is an essential addition to your holiday as it can help to cover the costs of emergency medical treatment or repatriation if you fall ill whilst you are away. In this review, we take a look at Direct Line's travel insurance policies, including what they cover, how much they cost and whether Direct Line travel insurance covers covid-19. We recommend that you read this article in full, but you can jump to specific sections of the article using the following links.
- What is Direct Line travel insurance?
- Direct Line travel insurance key features
- Direct Line travel insurance policies
- What does Direct Line travel insurance cover?
- Does Direct Line travel insurance cover covid?
- Does Direct Line travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
- Does Direct Line travel insurance have an age limit?
- How much does Direct Line travel insurance cost?
- Direct Line travel insurance policy excess
- How to claim on Direct Line travel insurance
- Direct Line travel insurance customer reviews
- Direct Line travel insurance pros and cons
- Alternatives to Direct Line travel insurance
- Summary
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What is Direct Line travel insurance?
Direct Line launched in 1985 with a single insurance product; car insurance. Since then its aim has been to 'always put the customer first' and it now offers a host of additional insurance policies including pet insurance, home insurance and travel insurance amongst others.
Direct Line's travel insurance policies have 3, 4 and 5 star Defaqto ratings and there is a choice between single and annual multi-trip policies. Direct Line's travel insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited.
Direct Line travel insurance key features
- 20% off annual European travel insurance
- 3, 4 & 5 star Defaqto rated policies
- Up to £10m emergency medical cover
- Covid-19 cover as standard
- Winter sports and personal belongings additional cover
- Cruise cover included as standard
- Single trip cover for up to 90 days
- 24/7 multilingual advice
Direct Line travel insurance policies
In this section of the review, we highlight the different types of travel insurance you can get with Direct Line travel insurance. You can insure an individual, family or couple with a Direct Line travel insurance policy but if you wish to get insurance for more than five people you will need to call Direct Line to arrange this.
Single-trip travel insurance
Direct Line's single-trip travel insurance policy will insure you for one trip abroad and is a good option if you are only planning to go away once in a period of 12 months, otherwise, it may be cheaper for you to look at annual multi-trip travel insurance. Direct Line will insure single trips for up to 90 days but this is reduced to 42 days for those aged 60 and over. You can purchase a single-trip travel insurance policy as an individual, couple, group or family. And you are unable to get winter sports cover if you are aged 75 years or older.
Annual multi-trip travel insurance
Annual multi-trip travel insurance insures you for multiple trips in a year and is a good choice if you are a frequent traveller and could be cheaper than multiple single-trip policies. Direct Line's annual multi-trip policy insures you for up to 42 days for each trip. Like single-trip travel insurance, you can get insurance for an individual, couple, group or family. Annual multi-trip travel insurance has an upper age limit of 75 years old, anyone over the age of 75 can only be insured on a single-trip travel insurance policy.
If you turn 75 during the annual multi-trip insured period you will still be covered until the policy ends.
What does Direct Line travel insurance cover?
In the following comparison table, we compare the various Direct Line travel insurance policies.
| Single Trip | Annual multi-trip | |
| Policy excess | £75 | £50 |
| Individual trip limit (age limits apply) | Up to 90 days | Up to 42 days |
| Medical expenses | £10m | £10m |
| End Supplier Failure cover |  |
|
| Personal belongings | Optional extra | Optional extra |
| Cancellation cover | £5,000 | £5,000 |
| Personal accident | Up to £25,000 | Up to £25,000 |
| Lost or stolen passport | £500 | £500 |
| Delayed personal belongings | £200 | £200 |
| Delayed or missed departure | £200 per person for delay and up to £600 for missed departure | £200 per person for delay and up to £600 for missed departure |
| Abandoned journey | £5,000 | £5,000 |
| Legal expenses | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| Personal liability | £2m | £2m |
Direct Line policy extras
You can also tailor your Direct Line travel insurance policy to suit your trip with the following optional extras.
Personal belongings cover
Personal belongings cover can be added to your single or annual multi-trip travel insurance policy at an additional cost. Personal belongings cover insures your bag and its contents for up to £1,500 if it is damaged, lost or stolen when travelling. Below we highlight the cover you can expect with the personal belongings add-on:
| Lost or stolen belongings | £1,500 |
| Single item cover | £300 |
| Valuables | £300 |
| Consumables e.g food and drink/tobacco | £100 |
Winter sports cover
Winter sports cover can be added to your policy if you are planning on partaking in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. You can also be covered for winter sports-related claims such as piste closure and equipment loss or damage. You have to be under the age of 75 in order to have winter sports cover.
| Ski equipment | £500 |
| Replacement equipment hire | £300 (£25 per day) |
| Unused equipment hire, ski passes and ski school tuition fees | £250 |
| Piste closure | £200 (£20 per day) |
Does Direct Line travel insurance cover covid-19?
Direct Line offers cover for covid-19 as standard on all of its travel insurance policies and we highlight some of what you can expect to be covered for below. For more information on exactly what Direct Line covers, refer to your policy documents.
Direct Line will cover the following covid related claims:
- Cancelling your trip because you or a close relative is diagnosed with covid-19 and are unable to travel
- Cancellation if you or a close relative has to quarantine
- You wish to cancel or cut short your trip because the FCDO have advised against all but essential travel to your trip destination after you've booked (as long as the advice wasn't present when you booked your trip or purchased your travel insurance)
- Cover for travel to a destination where the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel
- Cover for additional costs for accommodation or transport due to having to quarantine as a result of covid-19
- Emergency medical expenses for covid related illness while you are away
There are, however, some things to consider before taking out travel insurance with Direct Line, particularly if you are looking for coronavirus cover. If you wish to make a coronavirus-related claim you will not be covered if you are able to recover the expenses from another avenue e.g. your travel provider or credit card provider. You will also not be covered if you claim because a member of your party no longer wanted to travel, you didn't have the correct documentation, proof of covid-19 testing or vaccine to enter the country. If you choose to cancel your trip because you don't want to quarantine when you return to the UK, you will also not be covered. For more information on travel insurance providers that cover covid, read our article 'The best travel insurance with covid cover'.
Does Direct Line travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Direct Line says it aims to cover most pre-existing conditions but you will need to telephone Direct Line to get a quote. You can call Direct Line on 0345 246 8704.
Does Direct Line travel insurance have an age limit?
There is no upper age limit on a Direct Line single-trip travel insurance policy and an upper age limit of 75 years old on a Direct Line annual multi-trip travel insurance policy. If you wish to purchase winter sports travel insurance you will only be covered up until the age of 75 years.
Direct Line travel insurance policy exclusions
In this section of the review, we list some of the general exclusions on a Direct Line travel insurance policy. This list is not extensive, however, so you need to ensure that you check your policy documents carefully so you know exactly what you are and are not covered for.
Typically, Direct Line will not pay out claims for the following:
- Policy excess
- One-way trips, all trips must start and end in the UK
- Trips in the UK for only 1 night
- Undeclared pre-existing medical conditions
- Claims for medical conditions currently under investigation
- Travel against FCDO advice
- Expenses that can be covered elsewhere e.g your travel provider or your credit/debit card provider
- Claims related to quad bike use
How much does Direct Line travel insurance cost?
In this section of the review, we compare the cost of a Direct Line travel insurance policy. How much you pay for your travel insurance policy will vary depending on the type of policy you choose, the destination and how long you are going away for. Your age and the number of insured people on the policy will also affect the cost. In the following comparison table, we compare the cost of an individual travel insurance policy to Europe for 7 nights. The quotes include the cost of baggage cover which is an optional extra with a single trip and annual multi-trip policy.
Direct Line travel insurance policy cost comparison
| Direct Line Single Trip | Direct Line Annual Multi-trip | |
| Policy type | Single trip | Annual multi-trip |
| Policy excess | £75 | £50 |
| Medical expenses | £10m | £10m |
| Cancellation cover | £5,000 | £5,000 |
| Baggage cover^ | £1,500 | £1,500 |
| Individual trip limit | Up to 90 days | Up to 42 days |
| European policy cost 20-year-old | £22.99 | £50.22 |
| European policy cost 30-year-old | £22.99 | £50.22 |
| European policy cost 40-year-old | £22.99 | £50.22 |
| European policy cost 50-year-old | £24.20 | £52.87 |
| European policy cost 60-year-old | £29.53 | £64.51 |
| European policy cost 70-year-old | £58.01 | £126.76 |
| European policy cost 80-year-old | £105.08 | N/A |
(^Baggage cover is optional but is included in the above quotes) Quotes correct as of 21/02/24
Direct Line travel insurance policy excess
The excess payable on a Direct Line travel insurance can vary depending on what you are claiming for e.g. medical expenses or baggage claims. Currently, the standard excess is £75 on a single-trip policy and £50 on its annual multi-trip policy.
How to claim on Direct Line travel insurance
If you need to make a claim on your Direct Line travel insurance policy you can call Direct Line on 0345 246 8680 Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm or you can submit a claim online.
Before you make a claim with Direct Line you need to provide proof that you've contacted your travel provider to see if a refund is available.
Direct Line travel insurance customer reviews
Direct Line has a rating of 3.7 out of 5.0 stars from over 18,000 reviews on the consumer website Trustpilot. One thing to consider, however, is that this rating is based on Direct Line as a whole and is not just related to its travel insurance policies. Those that have reviewed the travel insurance complain of high insurance premium renewals, problems getting in touch with customer services and delayed claims. Others, however, noted efficient customer service and a reasonable travel insurance premium cost.
Direct Line travel insurance pros and cons
Direct Line travel insurance pros
- Up to £10m of emergency medical cover
- Natural disaster cover
- 24/7 multilingual advice
Direct Line travel insurance cons
- Have to call Direct Line to get a quote for pre-existing conditions
- Only covers UK trips that are booked in commercially operated accommodation for over 2 nights
- No longer offers backpacker cover for new customers
Alternatives to Direct Line travel insurance
In this section of the review, we compare Direct Line travel insurance to other travel insurance providers. The below quotes are based on a 30-year-old individual with no underlying health conditions travelling to Europe for 7 nights. For more information on the travel insurance policies mentioned below, read our travel insurance reviews:
Another great way to compare travel insurance is via a comparison site such as Quotezone* or MoneySuperMarket*. Using comparison sites allows you to compare multiple travel insurance policies at once to find the best policy for your trip. One thing to remember when using comparison sites is that they are not always whole of market and some companies, such as Direct Line, are not shown on the site.
Direct Line travel insurance vs Staysure travel insurance
| Direct Line | Staysure* | |
| Excess | £75 | £0 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | Unlimited |
| Cancellation cover | £5,000 | £10,000 |
| Baggage cover | £1,500 (optional extra) | £5,000 |
| European 7 night policy cost (30-year-old individual) | £22.99 | £34.99 |
(Quotes correct as of 21/02/24)
Direct Line travel insurance vs Admiral travel insurance
| Direct Line | Admiral | |
| Excess | £75 | £50 |
| Emergency medical cover | £10m | £20m |
| Cancellation cover | £5,000 | £5,000 |
| Baggage cover | £1,500 (optional extra) | £2,500 |
| European 7 night policy cost (30-year-old individual) | £22.99 | £13.40 |
(Quotes correct as of 21/02/24)
Summary
Overall, Direct Line has a good choice of travel insurance policies and with no upper age limit on the single trip travel insurance policy it may be a good option for those over the age of 75. Direct Line also offers a good amount of emergency medical cover at £10m as well as up to £5,000 cancellation cover. If you would like to look at other travel insurance policies to see how Direct Line compares, read our article 'The best travel insurance providers in the UK 2024'.
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