Don’t get caught with the wrong travel insurance this spring break.
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If you’re thinking of going somewhere this spring break, chances are you’ve also been thinking of travel insurance. But experts say you should also think differently, because spring break is not like any other vacation.
John Hilton is. He’s got a trip planned to Portugal this spring with his family, and he’s been weighing his options.
He’s priced out a few policies on TravelInsurance.com and called the companies to double check the coverage details. He already has an annual Medjet membership to cover medical evacuation to a hospital at home.
“We really only want the medical coverage,” says Hilton, a commercial director from Austin, Texas. “But I don’t want to screw myself by not including trip costs.”
A spring break like no other
Spring break is a different type of vacation. But this year, it’s more different than most, according to experts.
“Spring break trips often involve higher risks,” says Robert Gallagher, president of the US Travel Insurance Association, a trade group. “That makes it crucial to have policies that account for potential disruptions and medical needs.”
And that’s not all.
Geopolitical events, weather disruptions and record demand are creating new challenges for travelers. But you don’t have to be one of the spring breakers who forgets about travel insurance.
“As planning gets underway for spring break, it’s essential to ensure that coverage includes adequate levels of trip delay, interruption and cancellation benefits,” says Andrew Jernigan, CEO of Insured Nomads. “With geopolitical events, weather and especially peak travel these features are worth the expense.”
Where is everyone going this spring break?
More U.S. travelers are going abroad in 2025, according to TravelInsurance.com. Purchases of travel insurance for domestic travel for Spring 2025 are down around 4 percent over last year. Similarly, spring travel to Mexico is also down about 4 percent.
“Regionally, more spring breakers are going to Europe and the Caribbean in 2025,” says Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com. “Travel insurance purchases for Europe are up over 15 percent from last year while Caribbean purchases are up 6 percent. However, both East Asia and Southeast Asia have seen the biggest jump in travel insurance purchases for spring, with growth over last year of more than 50 percent.”
According to Squaremouth, the average trip length is 10 days, and the average trip cost per policy is $8,306, up 26 percent from last year.
Your destination can affect the cost of your policy, says Jenna Hummer, a spokeswoman for Squaremouth.
“For example, Mexico is considered to be a more high-risk location and travel insurance to Mexico can be slightly more expensive than domestic and European policies,” she says. “However, policy price is typically more dependent on age of travelers, length of trip and overall insured trip cost.”
In other words, spring break is expensive — and sometimes risky.
What kind of travel insurance are people looking for?
A review of recent travel insurance purchasing information by battleface suggests there are three benefits spring break travelers care about the most, based on sales:
- Trip cancellation (82 percent of policies)
- Trip interruption (70 percent of policies)
- Travel medical (58 percent of policies)
“‘Cancel for any reason’ insurance was also a popular benefit attached to nearly 36 percent of policies during this period,” says Clay Coomer, global head of marketing at battleface.
Travel medical — though not number one on the list — may be the most important, say experts.
“When we think of spring break, we often talk about younger travelers — many of whom feel invincible, like nothing bad could happen,” notes John Rose, chief risk and security officer for ALTOUR. “So, the first point of focus for them with travel insurance has to be medical coverage. Many young travelers assume their U.S. health insurance will cover them abroad, but that’s rarely the case.”
Put differently, you’ll want to make sure your policy covers cancellations, interruptions and medical emergencies this spring break — especially medical emergencies. And there’s one more factor adding to the urgency of this.
“The spring break window is limited by school and work schedules,” notes Beth Godlin, president of Aon Affinity Travel Practice. “So families often have tight restrictions on where they can go and for how long. That’s why helping protect every precious moment is so important.”
Don’t forget this: Pro tips for buying travel insurance for spring break
Experts say people traveling for spring break forget all kinds of things when it comes to travel insurance. Here are the biggest ones.
They forget to buy insurance. “College kids heading out for spring break are the poster children for the need to consider travel insurance,” says Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. And if you’ve ever been a college kid, you know that money is tight and you can be a little forgetful. So if you’re a worried parent, talk to your kids about travel insurance. “A good travel insurance policy can help manage the ‘what ifs’ so parents can worry less,” says Durazo.
They forget they can buy insurance — even if they book at the last minute. “If you are planning to take the trip at the last minute, you can still get insurance,” says André Disselkamp, CEO of Insurancy. For example, policies from Redpoint Travel Protection allow you to get coverage right up until departure. But he warns that you need to read the fine print carefully. Some policies will not cover pre-existing medical conditions if you buy a policy at the last minute. Pro tip: For maximum coverage, buy your policy at the same time you book your trip. “Early purchase can enhance pre-existing condition coverage, maximize trip cancellation benefits, and may even allow access to ‘cancel for any reason options,” explains Wendy Stahl, product director for travel insurance at AXA Partners.
They forget to get enough insurance. For spring break travel, you need a travel insurance policy that includes at least $50,000 in medical coverage, and basic protection against theft and general interruptions to your itinerary, says Mike Hallman, CEO of Medjet. His company, which is a supplement to travel insurance, has seen it all during spring break. “Car accidents, overturned golf carts, diving accidents, serious food poisonings, complications from not taking required medications, muggings and, sadly, disappearances,” he says. “Any time adventurous young people travel there is risk.”
They forget to consider “cancel for any reason” insurance. A “cancel for any reason” policy allows the traveler to call off the trip for any reason. “The cancel for any reason policies are pricier, though, and often only cover a portion of the trip as a way of getting the traveler some skin in the game,” explains InsuranceQuotes.com analyst Michael Giusti. But they’re worth considering when there’s limited flexibility and a high risk of cancellation. (A cancel for any reason policy typically lets you cancel before your trip and pays you between 50 and 75 percent of your prepaid, nonrefundable costs.)
They forget to have a little extra coverage for a delay. Since cancellation coverage is so important, make sure you go above and beyond. “Get a travel insurance policy that will get you into an airport lounge with a program like InstaPass or Priority Pass when flights are delayed and canceled,” advises Jernigan of Insured Nomads. “It’s extremely valuable so you can get into a calm place to regroup, rest and get refreshed.”
They forget that one policy can cover your entire family. If you’ve never purchased travel insurance, you might get sticker shock when you start pricing a policy. But shop around, says Carol Mueller, a vice president at Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP). Many insurance companies have family-friendly pricing. For example, BHTP’s ExactCare policy caters specifically to parents, covering two kids for each covered adult at no extra charge. “The plan covers a variety of spring break trip types including vacation rentals, theme park visits and all-inclusives,” she adds.
They forget to read the policy. This is perhaps the biggest mistake, and making this error during spring break have serious consequences. For example, with some plans, your coverage must have started at least two days before your departure to get trip cancellation benefits. “So if my vacation is scheduled to start on March 15 and I don’t purchase coverage until March 14 and need to cancel my trip, I’ve missed that important window and am not eligible for reimbursement,” says Jeremy Murchland, president of Seven Corners Travel Insurance. Bottom line: Read the fine print carefully.
Spring break is a different kind of vacation
Spring break is just not like other vacations — and especially this year. Jeff Rolander, vice president of claims at Faye Travel Insurance, says the two biggest oversights are having adequate emergency medical evacuation and coverage of extreme sports.
“A common scenario is a traveler who develops a serious condition while on an island in the Caribbean,” he says. “Emergency medical coverage can get them to a suitable facility in the U.S., typically in Florida.”
As for extreme sports coverage, you never know what kind of insurance you might need. You may decide on a whim to go skydiving or ride ATVs on the dunes and end up with an injury that a regular policy won’t cover. Harding Bush, the associate director for Global Rescue, says at a minimum people going on spring break should consider a policy with a medical evacuation and supplemental medevac protection.
“Both can be obtained for short-term travel, making them budget friendlier,” he adds.
Maybe that’s maybe the biggest takeaway from spring break 2025: Anything could happen. So don’t forget to pack a reliable travel insurance policy.
