With demand for international travel to destinations around the globe back in full force and many airports experiencing staffing shortages, buying travel insurance makes more sense now than ever before. Sure, prices for airfare and hotels are causing sticker shock among those who are ready to explore, but having a travel policy in place will ensure you won’t lose the money you spent if your trip is canceled or interrupted for reasons beyond your control.

While many travel credit cards offer some forms of travel insurance coverage as a cardholder perk, limits tend to be low and you typically won’t get any coverage for emergency dental or medical treatment. By purchasing insurance for international travel from one of the best travel insurance companies, on the other hand, you can get a full suite of protective benefits that can protect you against financial losses caused by trip delays, emergency medical evacuations, lost luggage and even mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 when you’re overseas.

Which travel insurance companies offer the best coverage options for international trips? U.S. News editors compared more than 20 of the top providers to find the best travel insurance providers for trips around the world.

For more information on how travel insurance works, see the FAQ section.

Allianz Travel Insurance offers a range of plans that can work well for international trips, whether you want to lock in travel insurance for a single trip, multiple trips or an entire year. You can use this provider to purchase a comprehensive international travel plan that includes all the major coverages you would expect, but you can also purchase specialized coverage for international medical expenses, car rentals and more.

For international trips in particular, the OneTrip Prime plan is a top choice: It includes key benefits like trip cancellation or interruption coverage as well as coverage for emergency medical situations and emergency transportation. Coverage for preexisting conditions can be added to the plan; children aged 17 and younger get covered for free when traveling with a parent or grandparent.

This plan comes with an epidemic coverage endorsement for COVID-19, as well as robust coverage limits for the following:

Individuals planning an international trip can also customize their coverage with add-ons for preexisting conditions, rental car protection and cancellation benefits that apply if getting called into work derails your travel plans.

GeoBlue offers international travel medical insurance that applies specifically to health care expenses incurred outside your home country. Travelers can buy coverage for a single trip or multiple trips at once, but you can also purchase extended coverage for international travel that lasts at least three months.

The company’s Voyager single-trip plan is likely the best choice for an international trip that requires travel health insurance coverage. Not only does this plan include coverage for COVID-19 testing and treatment, but it also comes with a post-departure trip interruption transportation benefit worth up to $1,000; quarantine benefits worth up to $50 per day (for a maximum of 10 days); and your choice of medical limits and deductibles. This plan even covers preexisting conditions for medical services and medical evacuation, provided individuals already have a current U.S. health plan.

AIG Travel Guard is another travel insurance company that offers protective international plans for trips nearly anywhere around the world. Basic coverage options included in every plan span trip cancellation and interruption coverage, luggage protection, baggage delay coverage, coverage for travel medical expenses and Medevac protection for emergency medical evacuations. That said, you can also customize your coverage with any (or all) of the following add-ons:

AIG Travel Guard offers three main international travel insurance plans to choose from with varying limits that can suit your needs best – a basic Essential plan, a mid-tier Preferred plan and a comprehensive Deluxe plan. These options make it easy to choose among existing plans yet also customize your coverage based on the specific limits you need for your trip.

Generali Global Assistance is a top provider for international trips, as well as for travel insurance plans with coverage for pandemic-related claims. This provider offers three different tiers of travel insurance coverage: a basic Standard plan, a mid-tier Preferred plan and a Premium plan. Each tier offers similar coverages, yet the limits are higher for Preferred and Premium plans.

For international trips, consider the Premium travel insurance plan from Generali. This tier of coverage includes the following:

This tier of travel insurance from Generali can also be customized with coverage that lets you cancel your trip for any reason and get 60% of your prepaid travel expenses back.

World Nomads is a good option for international travelers who love adventure sports since this company intentionally provides coverage for more than 150 activities like scuba diving, mountain biking, bungee jumping, surfing, skiing and more. World Nomads also lets you tailor your travel insurance to your needs, but every plan includes coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions, emergency accidents and sickness, travel delays, delayed or lost baggage, and rental cars. Plans also include 24-hour travel assistance services, which can help you coordinate alternate travel arrangements or medical care if something goes wrong during your trip.

Many World Nomads plans also offer coverage for COVID-19, although you’ll want to read over the policy details for any plan you’re considering to make sure. With this coverage, you can be protected financially from costs involved in pandemic-related health care or quarantine if you test positive or get sick while overseas.

Coverage limits vary based on your state of residence and the plan you choose. With that in mind, you’ll need to get a free quote to see what World Nomads has to offer.

Squaremouth is not a travel insurance company, but this website does make it easy to shop around and compare quotes for international travel insurance. This insurance platform lets you enter information about yourself and your upcoming international trip just once. From there, you can see how different plans stack up in terms of coverages, costs and any limits that apply.

The good news about Squaremouth is that it only offers plans from top insurance providers with an AM Best rating of A- or better. For example, you can use this platform to compare travel insurance policies from companies like Berkshire Hathaway, Generali Global Assistance, GeoBlue, Nationwide and more.

Just remember that, if you shop around and compare travel insurance plans on Squaremouth, you’ll still need to research individual companies and their coverage options before you settle on a plan.

International travel insurance works the same as travel insurance for domestic trips. These plans include various coverage options and coverage limits, and a deductible may or may not apply. Travelers can choose to purchase international travel insurance for a single trip or multiple trips; long-term plans for missionaries and expats are available from some providers.

While travel insurance policies can include a broad range of coverages, the main protections you’ll want for international trips include the following:

Also note that many travelers opt to purchase travel insurance that offers cancel for any reason protection when booking an international trip. This type of coverage lets you cancel your trip for any reason at all, even if you just decide you don’t want to go.

That said, adding cancel for any reason coverage to your policy will make your travel insurance plan more expensive. Most plans also have limits on how much of your prepaid travel expenses can be refunded, which are usually capped at 60% or 70% of your trip costs.

While coverages offered through travel insurance plans tend to be broad, keep in mind that this type of insurance won’t cover every situation that could arise. Some common issues that are not covered by travel insurance plans include:

Many travel credit cards offer travel insurance benefits to cardholders, but you should know that these coverages have some limitations. For example, travel insurance plans from credit cards never provide meaningful amounts of coverage for medical emergencies or dental emergencies. Meanwhile, limits on other travel protections may be limited, and you have to pay for each trip with your travel credit card for coverage to apply.

With this in mind, you should make sure to research your plan and know what you’re getting before you rely on this protection for an expensive international trip.