The United Kingdom is still a popular holiday destination for Aussies. Whether you're visiting relatives, castle-hopping in Wales, hiking through the lakes and peaks of England, chasing Harry Potter from London to Edinburgh, or all of the above, you need to make sure your travel insurance is in place before you reach Platform 9 and ¾.

Luckily, we've combed the fine print of more than 65 travel insurance policies and analysed prices from nearly 15,000 quotes to find you the cheapest, and the best value, cover for your trip to the UK. 

On this page:

• Do you need travel insurance for the UK?
• Travelling around the UK
• Checklist for your UK holiday
• How much does travel insurance for the UK cost? 
• What is the cheapest travel insurance for the UK?

Do you need travel insurance for the UK?

Travel insurance is essential for every Australian's trip to the UK. If something goes wrong, if there's an accident, or even if your baggage is delayed, the right travel insurance policy can prevent your trip turning into a disaster. 

Medical Cover

The standard of the UK's medical facilities and care is similar to that of Australia. 

There's a reciprocal healthcare agreement in place between the UK and Australia, which means if you stay less than six months, some GP and hospital treatments are free. The services covered are limited to medical necessity and don't include dental or medicines. Make sure you take your medicare card as you'll need to show this and your passport to prove that you're eligible for subsidised medical care in Australia. 

The reciprocal agreement will not cover the cost of medical evacuation, which can be very expensive, so when you're purchasing a travel insurance policy it's essential to look in the product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure you have this cover.

Cover for terrorism and civil unrest

Smart traveller warns of the potential for terror attacks in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, related to Islamic extremism, extreme right-wing ideology and the status of Northern Ireland.

It's possible that some events in Northern Ireland could be classified as civil unrest and Smart traveller warns that tensions can worsen in the weeks leading up to July 12. So it's important to check you're covered for both terrorism and civil unrest

A travel insurance policy's PDS will outline the cover in case of terrorism and civil unrest. Many policies cover medical expenses, cancellation expenses and the cost of additional accommodation in case of civil unrest, but terrorism cover is often more limited. Beware, also, that travel to areas the Australian government recommends avoiding will affect your travel insurance cover. It's essential that you keep across government warnings before you travel, and follow the advice of local authorities.

Travelling around the UK

Hiring a car

The UK is a fabulous place for a road trip. It's compact, with diverse landscapes and historic villages, and they drive on the same side of the road as we do! You can drive a car or motorbike using your Australian licence for up to 12 months. Many travel insurance policies come with collision damage excess cover, meaning you don't need to pay the insurance excess reduction that the car hire company charges. If you choose a policy with this cover and damage a hire car, you will need to initially pay the car hire company, but then you can claim it back on your travel insurance.

Train travel

Train travel is also a popular choice for getting from A to B within the UK. The rail network is easy to navigate and extensive, but can be subject to industrial action, weather or trackwork. Did you know that travel insurance can help with additional costs if your transport is delayed by circumstances beyond the provider's control, such as a strike?

Smart traveller recommends you check the National Rail and Transport for London websites for the latest service updates.

Checklist for your UK holiday

• From 2025, Australians visiting the UK who don't require a visa will require an Electronic Travel Authorisation
• Check if your passport is still valid. If not, renew your passport online.
• Keep a print-out of your travel insurance details with you at all times while on your trip. It's also a good idea to share your insurance details with family or friends before you leave.

• Keep on top of the latest travel advice for the UK.

How much does travel insurance for the UK cost? 

A family of four with adults under 55 years will pay about $310 for a 22-day UK holiday, and a single person under 55 an average of $160. A couple with no children aged over 55 will pay roughly $590.  

The estimates above are based on nearly 1000 quotes for a 22-day UK holiday.

How comprehensive your cover is, your age, how long your holiday is, how far in advance you buy travel insurance and how much excess you nominate will all affect the cost of travel insurance.

What is the cheapest travel insurance for the UK?

We analysed a database of nearly 15,000 quotes looking at a huge variety of scenarios to identify the cheapest insurance policies for a trip to the UK.

Note that medical-only policies provide medical cover and cover for medical repatriation. They don't provide cover for things like cancellation costs, lost baggage or missed connections. 

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Best value travel insurance policies for the UK

Below, we reveal the best value policies for UK travel. Log in to unlock this members-only content, or join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

Top UK Policies

Exclusively for CHOICE members, we've listed the best value travel insurance policies for travelling to UK.

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