✍️ PeaceCover Editorial Team 📅 September 2026 ⏱️ 7 min read
📌 Key Takeaway: PassportCard won every 2025 Canstar category — Domestic, International, Cruise and Seniors — while Zoom stands out for not restricting COVID-related cancellation cover like many competitors.

Top-Rated Travel Insurers in 2026

Canstar's 2025/26 Travel Insurance Awards assessed 53 providers and 148 products across four consumer profiles — Domestic, International, Cruise and Seniors. PassportCard stood out by winning across all four categories, building on its 2024 result.

PassportCard

The only insurer to win every category in 2025 — Domestic, International, Cruise and Seniors — making it a strong default to quote first regardless of your trip type.

Travel Protect & WAS Insurance

Both won across Domestic, International and Cruise categories, consistently competitive for most standard leisure trips.

1Cover, Southern Cross, Zoom & World2Cover

1Cover and Zoom both won International and Seniors awards; Southern Cross and World2Cover both took out International and Cruise. Zoom is also notable for not restricting COVID-19 cancellation benefits the way many competitors do — worth checking directly if a COVID-related cancellation is a real concern for your trip.

Qantas & Fast Cover

Qantas won the Domestic category specifically, while Fast Cover took out the Seniors award — both worth a direct quote if either applies to your trip.

How to Actually Compare

  • Check the medical cover limit and whether it's unlimited for international trips — a capped medical limit can fall well short for a serious hospitalisation overseas, especially in the US
  • Confirm cancellation cover limits match your actual non-refundable costs, not just the headline 'up to $X' figure
  • Check COVID-19 specific terms directly, since coverage and cancellation rights vary meaningfully between insurers even now
  • If your trip includes a cruise, snow sports or adventure activities, confirm these are included as standard or need a specific add-on — a comprehensive-sounding policy can still exclude them by default

This page is for educational purposes and isn't personalised financial advice. Premiums, terms and eligibility vary by insurer, destination and individual circumstances — always check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Smartraveller advice before travelling.