Best Domestic Travel Insurance (2024)

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Whether you’re planning a skiing trip to Thredbo or a drive along the Great Ocean Road, it’s important to ensure that you’re covered in the event not everything goes to plan. As such, Savvy can help you find the best domestic travel insurance for your needs by comparing a range of options right here.

With trusted partners amongst our panel, we give travellers exploring Australia the best chance of finding a suitable policy which offers the cover required to enable them to travel with peace of mind. Start the comparison process with us today and access your cover before you know it.

There are many ways to go about securing the best domestic travel insurance policy. While the definition of what the best policy is varies depending on the traveller, following some of these key pointers will help you get the most out of your travel insurance so you can rest assured you’ll be covered in the event of an incident.

Compare your options with Savvy

The first, and perhaps most important, thing you can do when on the lookout for the best travel insurance policy is to compare a range of options, which you can do with Savvy. By looking at a variety of offers and learning more about insurers across Australia, you can gain a better understanding of what a suitable level of coverage is and find offers which won’t break the bank.

Consider your needs as a traveller

Different travellers have different needs when it comes to their policies, so it’s crucial to look inwards and analyse your situation to help you secure the best overall policy for you. For example, those planning a one-off trip would look to go for the standard single-trip insurance policy. However, it’d likely be cheaper for those leaving home several times throughout the year to purchase a multi-trip policy to cover up to 90 days’ worth of travel over 12 months.

Study the PDS to find out what is and isn’t covered

The Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) tells you everything you need to know about your insurance policy and what it covers. Crucially, though, it’ll also enable you to find out more about what isn’t covered, which is often more important to be aware of. For instance, a particular policy may not offer much COVID-19 cover for cancellations, which is highly relevant to know before you buy.

Look at the available claim limits

Domestic travel insurance won’t offer unlimited coverage across all areas, with many of these being dictated by a claim limit. If you’re looking to insure particular items, such as your jewellery or luggage, or cover you in the event of disruptions to your holiday, take the time to consider different upper limits between offers. For example, personal effects cover may only reach up to $5,000 with some insurers but $15,000 with others.

Think about the optional extras available

If you’re a thrill seeker looking for cover to take part in adventure sports while you’re away from home, it’s worth checking between providers to see whether insurance is offered either automatically or as an optional extra. An example of this would be if you were planning a domestic cruise. While some companies will cover this automatically, others will require you to pay an additional premium to insure you while at sea.

When comparing travel insurance policies, considering what they cover is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle. While these may differ slightly between providers, the key areas of coverage offered by comprehensive domestic insurance are:

• Cancellation costs: if you have to cancel part or all of your trip due to a covered event (such as falling ill, suffering a family emergency or having your annual leave cancelled by your employer), your insurance can cover any fees charged. This is particularly useful for bookings which are often non-refundable, such as flights, accommodation and guided tours. You can often claim an unlimited amount through this cover.
• Personal effects: you’re also afforded a level of cover should your belongings be lost, damaged or stolen whilst away from home. This may be up to a set limit of between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on your insurer.
• Rental vehicle excess: you can also be covered in the event your rental car is damaged whilst in your care. Your domestic travel insurance can cover the cost of the excess charged to you by the hire car company, often up to $5,000.
• Personal liability: should you find yourself liable for injury to another person or damage to their property, your travel insurance policy offers personal liability cover. Depending on the type of policy you take out, this can range anywhere from $1 million to $5 million total.
• Accidental death: if you pass away due to an accident whilst away from home, your family can claim for the costs relating to the return of your remains to your home and potentially funeral costs. This is capped at $25,000 by some insurance providers.
• Delay, disruption and resumption: any costs relating to the delay, disruption or resumption of your holiday can be claimed for under a domestic policy. While disruption claim limits can reach up to $50,000, delay and resumption are likely to come with much lower limits of $2,000 to $3,000.

Travel insurance companies will calculate the cost of your policy premium based on several factors, which are important to bear in mind when entering the quote process. The variables which will play a part in determining the cost of your domestic travel insurance are:

• Level of cover: are you taking out a comprehensive or basic policy? While comprehensive insurance is more expensive, it offers protection in a wider range of areas (namely those listed above). However, if you’re only travelling light without many bookings along the way, you may look to a basic policy as a cheaper alternative.
• Type of policy: not only will the level of cover dictate the cost, but also the type of insurance you choose. Are you taking out a policy to cover your whole family or a large travelling party? Multi-person policies are more expensive than individual ones in isolation but are likely to be cheaper overall when splitting this cost amongst travellers.
• Your age: how old you are will play a major role in your insurer’s determination of how much of a risk you’re at of making a claim. As such, senior travellers will typically pay much more for premiums and be required to pay a larger excess than those seeking cover under 30.
• Length of your trip: the longer you’re away from home, the more likely it is that something will happen which prompts you to make a claim. As such, insurance for shorter trips will cost less than those for long-term travel arrangements.
• Size of your excess: the travel insurance excess is what you’ll pay out of pocket when making a claim. This can have a direct impact on the cost of your insurance: greater excesses often come with cheaper premiums, while policies with low to no excess will often be more expensive to take out.