In my 20s, I treated travel insurance like a scam. I’d rather spend that extra cash on street food in Bangkok or a surfboard rental in Costa Rica, and for a while, I got away with it. But the older I got (and the more miles I logged) the more I saw how reckless that mindset was. Friends stuck with $10,000 hospital bills after scooter crashes in Bali, a buddy airlifted out of the Alps, even a couple I met in South America who had their entire backpack stolen with passports inside.

I’ve had my own close calls too, the kind that could’ve ruined a trip (and my bank account) if I hadn’t been covered. Now in my 30s, travel insurance is non-negotiable. These aren’t abstract “what ifs”…they’re real stories, mine and others’, that explain exactly why skipping insurance in 2025 could be the costliest mistake you make.

For a limited time only, I’ve been able to secure 50% off rates with my travel insurance partners. Here are my favorite travel insurance companies in 2025.