AXA travel insurance in 60 seconds
AXA Travel Insurance at a glance (2026)
Already booked? Buy now, not laterTravel insurance only covers cancellations from the date you take out the policy. Buying within 24 hours of booking gives you the most cancellation protection, see our travel insurance guide.
AXA travel insurance cover and tiers in 2026
AXA travel insurance is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA UK Branch, a sister company in the AXA Group, with medical assistance run by AXA Assistance UK. The 2026 line-up has four named tiers. Single trip covers a single holiday up to 120 days; annual multi-trip covers any number of trips in a year, with each trip capped at 45 days. Cruise, winter sports and gadget cover are optional bolt-ons.
The AXA travel insurance product range
AXA Standard
Entry tier with £10m medical, £1,500 cancellation and £1,000 baggage. Suitable for short, low-cost European trips where you do not need premium add-ons.
- Medical to £10m.
- Cancellation to £1,500.
- £125 excess per claim.
AXA Comfort
Mid-tier policy with £15m medical, £3,000 cancellation, £1,500 baggage and a lower excess. Best balance of price and cover for most European and worldwide trips.
- Medical to £15m.
- Cancellation to £3,000.
- £75 excess per claim.
AXA Premium
High-end cover with £20m medical, £5,000 cancellation, £2,000 baggage and travel disruption up to £5,000. Recommended for USA and Caribbean trips.
- Medical to £20m.
- Cancellation to £5,000.
- Travel disruption to £5,000.
AXA Lifestyle
Comprehensive luxury cover with £20m medical, £7,500 cancellation, £3,000 baggage and zero excess on most sections. Includes business equipment cover up to £2,500.
- Medical to £20m.
- Cancellation to £7,500.
- Zero excess on most sections.
Winter Sports
Standalone add-on for any tier. Covers ski equipment (owned and hired), piste closure compensation and pre-paid ski pass losses. Off-piste skiing covered with a qualified guide.
- Ski equipment to £1,500.
- Piste closure compensation.
- Off-piste with a guide.
Cruise
Bolt-on for ocean and river cruises: missed port, cabin confinement, formal wear loss and unused excursion cover, plus medical evacuation from ship to shore.
- Missed port cover.
- Cabin confinement benefit.
- Ship-to-shore evacuation.
Standard vs Comfort vs Premium vs Lifestyle
| Section | Standard | Comfort | Premium | Lifestyle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical & repatriation | £10m | £15m | £20m | £20m |
| Hospital benefit | £300 | £500 | £750 | £1,000 |
| Emergency dental | £250 | £350 | £500 | £750 |
| Personal liability | £1m | £1.5m | £2m | £2m |
| Cancellation & curtailment | £1,500 | £3,000 | £5,000 | £7,500 |
| Travel disruption | £1,000 | £2,500 | £5,000 | £5,000 |
| Baggage | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 | £3,000 |
| Single-item limit (baggage) | £200 | £300 | £500 | £750 |
| Missed departure | £500 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £2,000 |
| Loss of passport | £250 | £500 | £750 | £1,000 |
| Business equipment | Not covered | Not covered | £1,500 | £2,500 |
| Excess per section | £125 | £75 | £50 | £0 |
Source: AXA travel insurance Insurance Product Information Documents (IPIDs), 2026.
Why Premium beats Comfort for USA tripsThe US healthcare market routinely produces 7-figure bills for serious illness or accident. Comfort's £15m medical cap is usually enough, but Premium and Lifestyle's £20m cap plus higher travel-disruption cover is the safer choice for the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
Optional add-ons
- Winter sports: skiing, snowboarding, piste closure and ski equipment cover up to £1,500. Up to 17 days a year on annual policies.
- Cruise pack: missed port, cabin confinement, formal wear and unused-excursion cover for ocean and river cruises.
- Gadget cover: single-item gadget cover up to £1,500, including laptops, phones, tablets, cameras and headphones. Recommended if your baggage single-item limit is too low.
- Excess waiver: removes the per-section excess on Standard, Comfort and Premium policies.
- Hazardous activities: covers a long list of activities normally excluded as standard (scuba diving to 30m, bungee jumping, paragliding and more).
Heads-up on pre-existing medical conditionsAXA runs a dedicated medical screening line for declaring pre-existing conditions; the current number is on your policy documents and on the axa.co.uk/contact-us page. Many conditions are covered at no additional cost; failure to declare a known condition is the most common reason a claim is rejected. Always declare before you travel.
AXA travel insurance prices in 2026
Travel insurance premiums are based on age, destination, trip length and any pre-existing medical conditions. AXA prices are mid-market in 2026: slightly above average on Standard, very competitive on Comfort and Premium where the high medical caps push value per pound above most rivals. Indicative annual multi-trip quotes for a 35-year-old with no medical conditions, Europe-only cover:
| Policy | UK average | AXA quote | Selectra take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Standard, Europe | £42 | £48 | Slightly above average; Comfort is better value |
| Annual Comfort, Europe | £78 | £72 | Best value for most travellers |
| Annual Premium, Worldwide ex USA/Canada | £128 | £124 | Strong if you travel beyond Europe |
| Annual Lifestyle, Worldwide | £245 | £258 | Premium price, zero excess justifies it |
| Single-trip Premium, 2 weeks USA | £72 | £78 | Recommended for US trips |
Source: ABI Travel Insurance Premium Tracker Q1 2026 + Selectra quote tests on axa.co.uk, 35-year-old, no medical conditions, May 2026. Personal quotes will vary with age and medical history.
If you book travel insurance through a TopCashback or Quidco link, you can typically recoup an additional 10–15% on AXA travel insurance. Cashback is paid after the cooling-off period ends, so the policy must be live.
AXA travel insurance cancellation policy
AXA refunds the full premium if all of the following apply:
- You cancel within 14 days of receiving your policy documents.
- You have not made, and do not intend to make, a claim.
- No incident has occurred that may lead to a claim.
- You have not started travelling.
After the 14-day cooling-off period, you can still cancel the policy but you will not receive any refund on a single-trip policy. Annual multi-trip policies are eligible for a pro-rata refund minus a £25 admin fee. Cancellation must be confirmed in writing or by phone, using the number on your policy documents.
AXA travel insurance customer service
AXA does not run a single travel insurance switchboard: it routes you to a different team for quotes, policy changes, claims and medical emergencies abroad. The 24/7 medical emergency assistance line is the one to programme into your phone before you fly, and you will find it printed on your policy schedule and certificate. To make sure every number you use is current, take it from your own documents or AXA's official contact page rather than a number copied from a third-party site.
How to contact AXA about travel insurance
- The number on your policy documents: your schedule and certificate list the 24/7 emergency medical assistance line and the claims and policy lines for your specific cover, take the emergency number with you when you travel.
- The official AXA contact page: axa.co.uk/contact-us lists AXA's current travel quote, claims, medical screening and assistance lines with their opening hours.
- The MyAXA account: sign in to view documents, amend a policy and upload claim forms and supporting documents online.
- Our on-site summary: see the AXA contact page for an overview of how to reach each AXA team.
We no longer publish individual AXA phone numbers on this page. AXA changes and re-routes its customer and assistance lines periodically, so the only reliably accurate sources are your policy documents and AXA's own contact page. The emergency assistance number on your certificate is the one to save before you travel.
Information to have ready before you call
- Your full name, policy number and the date the incident occurred.
- A copy of your policy schedule (available in MyAXA) and the IPID for your tier.
- For medical claims: name and contact details of the treating hospital and any local doctor.
- For baggage or theft claims: a police report or property irregularity report (PIR) from the airline.
- For cancellation: written proof of why you cannot travel (doctor's note, employer's letter, FCDO advice page).
Travel claims must be registered within 31 days of returning home. Claims forms and supporting documents can be uploaded directly through MyAXA, which is faster than posting paper forms.
AXA travel insurance reviews and ratings
Industry bodies rate AXA travel insurance highly on cover, especially Premium and Lifestyle. Customer scores are more mixed, with the same complaints we see across all big UK travel insurers: claim documentation requests and pre-existing medical surcharges.
| Source | Standard | Comfort | Premium | Lifestyle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defaqto 2026 | 3 stars | 4 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Fairer Finance 2026 | 2 stars | 3 stars | 4 stars | 5 stars |
| Which? 2025 survey | 3/5 overall (consumer panel) | |||
| Trustpilot AXA UK | 3.6/5 (12,000+ reviews) | |||
Sources: Defaqto and Fairer Finance public ratings 2026, Which? consumer survey 2025, Trustpilot May 2026.
What customers like
- Defaqto and Fairer Finance 5 stars for Premium and Lifestyle, with industry-leading medical limits of £20m.
- Zero excess on Lifestyle means small claims pay out in full, no out-of-pocket cost.
- Medical emergency team gets consistently good reviews for fast medical response and direct hospital settlement; the 24/7 number is on your policy certificate.
- Pre-existing medical screening is one of the broadest in the UK market; many conditions covered at no extra cost.
Common criticism
- Standard tier receives only 2–3 stars from industry raters; for the small price gap, Comfort is the better buy.
- Claim documentation requests, customers report having to re-send receipts and proofs of ownership.
- Pre-existing medical loading: declared conditions can dramatically increase the price; the dedicated medical screening line is essential.
- Single-item limits: £200–£500 may not cover a high-end laptop or camera, add the gadget cover bolt-on.
Selectra's verdict on AXA travel insurance in 2026
Strengths: highly rated Premium and Lifestyle tiers (5 stars on Defaqto and Fairer Finance), industry-leading £20m medical cap, strong medical assistance team and broad pre-existing condition cover.
Weaknesses: Standard tier is poor value (skip it), single-item limits on baggage are modest without the gadget bolt-on and renewal pricing can climb sharply after the first year.
For most travellers, AXA Comfort is the sweet spot: enough medical cover for Europe and most worldwide destinations at a competitive price. For the United States, Canada or any trip costing £5,000+, step up to Premium or Lifestyle. Either way, run a side-by-side comparison with Aviva, AA and LV in our UK insurance providers guide.
AXA travel insurance FAQ
AXA travel insurance is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA UK Branch, a sister company within the AXA Group, and arranged by AXA Travel Insurance. Both are authorised by France's Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. Medical claims and emergency assistance are handled by AXA Assistance UK.
Yes, on declaration. AXA runs a dedicated medical screening line, with the current number shown on your policy documents and at axa.co.uk/contact-us, where you describe your conditions. Many common conditions (controlled hypertension, asthma, type 2 diabetes) are covered at no extra cost; serious or recent conditions may attract a surcharge. Failure to declare a known condition is the most common reason a claim is rejected.
Yes. All four tiers cover emergency medical treatment overseas, repatriation costs and accommodation if you test positive for Covid-19 abroad. Cancellation cover includes positive Covid tests within 14 days of departure, but does not cover changes in FCDO travel advice or government restrictions, the standard market position since 2023.
The 24/7 worldwide emergency assistance number is printed on your policy schedule and certificate, and is also listed on the official axa.co.uk/contact-us page. The AXA Assistance team can authorise hospital treatment, arrange direct settlement with foreign hospitals (avoiding upfront payment), arrange repatriation, find replacement passports and liaise with airlines on flight changes. Save the number from your certificate in your phone before you fly.
Yes, both are available as paid bolt-ons on any tier. Winter sports covers up to 17 days a year of skiing or snowboarding, ski equipment up to £1,500, piste closure and pre-paid ski pass losses. Cruise cover adds missed port, cabin confinement, formal wear loss and unused excursion benefits to any policy.
Call AXA on the number shown on your policy documents (or listed at axa.co.uk/contact-us) within the 14-day cooling-off period for a full refund, provided you have not travelled and have not made a claim. After 14 days, single-trip policies cannot be refunded; annual multi-trip policies are eligible for a pro-rata refund minus a £25 admin fee. You can also start the cancellation from MyAXA.