Nationwide travel insurance review 2022

Nationwide has been around close to 100 years after being founded in 1926. The Ohio-based company has many different products in the insurance and finance space, including coverage for trips. Nationwide travel insurance policies are available for single or multiple trips and can cover cruise trips too.

Travel insurance plans from Nationwide

Nationwide travel insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage. 

The travel insurance policies offered by Nationwide are available to consumers and are divided up by the type of trip: single trip, multiple trips, or cruise coverage. 

Single-trip travel insurance policies

Nationwide travel insurance offers two single-trip travel insurance policies: the Essential plan and the Prime plan.

As the name suggests, Nationwide Essential plan covers the basics. It offers some protection should anything happen ahead of your trip or while you're on your trip. 

The Prime plan takes your coverage to the next level, with higher coverage limits and the option to add on the coveted Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage at an extra cost.

Both plans include trip cancellation or interruption coverage in the event of terrorism in your destination city, travel assistance from Nationwide at no additional charge, and refunds with a 10-day review period (except in WA and NY). Note that for baggage and personal effects coverage, there is a $500 combined maximum limit for valuable items (see your policy's terms and conditions for details on what's considered valuable).

Here's how the two plans stack up in terms of coverage limits. For trip delay coverage, you'll be eligible for reimbursement for delays of six hours or more.

Annual and multi-trip travel insurance policies

If you're looking for travel insurance coverage for more than one trip and want to cover your partner and children, the Travel Pro Plan may be an affordable option. It's important to note that this policy only covers events after departure, not pre-departure events. This policy could be as low as $59 as of the time of writing.

The Travel Plus Plan is another multi-trip policy from Nationwide travel insurance that has flexible term limits for trip interruption and cancellation coverage, up to $10,000. This covers the gaps from the Travel Pro Plan, which only covers post-departure events. So if you needed to cancel the trip due to a covered illness or other reason, this is the plan for you.

If you want to increase the level of benefits for your after departure coverage, the Travel Pro Deluxe Plan does just that. It builds on the Travel Pro Plan, hence the name, and includes higher coverage limits for just $20 more. 

All plans include the same travel assistance from Nationwide that's included with the single-trip policies. Here's how the multiple-trip plans compare:

Cruise coverage

Nationwide travel insurance offers three cruise travel insurance plans.

If you're going on a short cruise or going for the first time, the Universal Cruise Plan may be a good starting point if you want added protection and to recoup nonrefundable costs. Just make sure that you qualify based on your state, as cruise coverage isn't available in all states.

If you're going on a longer cruise and want added coverage to protect your trip, the Choice Cruise plan is an option to consider. And if you're looking for the most benefits and go on many cruises, the Luxury Cruise plan offers the most coverage options.

All three policies can be refunded with a 10-day review period, except in WA and NY states.

Here's a comparison of the coverage you'll get with Nationwide's three different cruise travel insurance policies:

Additional coverage options from Nationwide 

Nationwide travel insurance has a number of additional coverage options that can add more protection to your policy but also add to the cost as well. These include:

• Financial default coverage, in the event your travel supplier ends up in default or bankruptcy. This is available with the Essential and Prime single-trip policies. 

• Pre-existing condition waiver, which may offer coverage for pre-existing illnesses or diseases if certain conditions are met. This is available with the Essential and Prime single-trip policies. 

• Accidental death and dismemberment, which can have limits of $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000 depending on the plan. This is available with the Essential and Prime single-trip policies. 

• Accidental death for flights only, which can have limits of $100,000, $250,000, or $500,000. This is available with the Essential and Prime single-trip policies. 

• Rental car collision or loss coverage, in the event something happens to your rental car, you can add on this coverage for up to $25,000 or $35,000 depending on the plan.This is available with the Essential and Prime single-trip policies (except in TX or NY). 

• Cancel for any reason (CFAR), which must be added to a policy and is available through the single-trip Prime Plan, the Choice Cruise Plan, and the Luxury Cruise Plan. 

How much does travel insurance from Nationwide cost?

The cost to get a travel insurance policy through Nationwide travel insurance will depend on several factors, including what type of coverage you get, whether you purchase any add-ons, as well as your destination, length of trip, and more. 

On Nationwide's website, you can get a quote for a travel insurance policy by providing the following:

• Destination
• Departure date
• Return date
• Age
• Residence
• Total trip cost
• Initial trip payment date

Let's review some potential costs. If you're a 35-year-old from Florida heading to Brazil for the last two weeks of the year in December and your total trip cost is $5,000 with an initial payment on September 1, your policy would be: 

• $196.89 for the Essential Plan
• $273.20 for the Prime Plan 

If you're a 55-year-old from Oregon heading to Mexico in the first 10 days of January via Carnival Cruise lines and spending $4,000 on the trip with an initial payment on September 1 and last payment on November 30, your policy would be:

• $172 for Universal Cruise Plan 
• $206 for Choice Cruise Plan 
• $244 for Luxury Cruise Plan 

How do I file a claim with Nationwide?

If you purchased travel insurance through Nationwide travel insurance and need to file a claim, you can contact a Nationwide representative. 

Claims through Nationwide are handled by Co-ordinated Benefit Plans, LLC. You can use their claims portal or call a representative, based on your type of policy. 

Single trip policy phone number: 888-490-7606 

Annual plan policy phone number: 866-281-1017 

Cruise policy phone number: 866-281-0334 

Rather reach out via email? You can contact Nationwide via NWTravClaims@cbpinsure.com.

If you need to send documents via mail, the mailing address is:

Co-ordinated Benefit Plans, LLC

On Behalf of Nationwide Mutual Insurance

Company and Affiliated Companies

P.O. Box 26222 Tampa, FL 33623

Compare Nationwide vs Allianz 

Nationwide travel insurance offers many different types of insurance coverage. While the company may be most well known for auto insurance, it offers travel insurance as well and has eight options. Allianz, a major player in the travel insurance space, has 10 options listed. 

Allianz may offer higher coverage limits for the policies offered and have a streamlined process for filing a claim online. Where Nationwide wins out is the fact that you can add Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) for an added cost, whereas CFAR coverage isn't available when purchasing an online policy via Allianz. 

Compare Nationwide vs John Hancock 

John Hancock is similar to Nationwide travel insurance in that it provides a wide range of insurance offerings and financial services. One of those offerings is travel insurance. John Hancock offers travel insurance through Bronze, Silver, and Gold policies. 

When comparing policies, the budget option may be slightly more affordable with Nationwide. However, mid-tier and higher coverage options may be more affordable with John Hancock. It depends on your policy, trip details, and age. One good thing is that you can add Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage under all John Hancock plan options. 

Compare Nationwide vs credit card travel coverage 

Rewards credit cards come chock full of benefits for cardholders, some of which they might be unaware of. One such perk can be travel interruption or cancellation coverage as well as rental car coverage. Credit cards may have sufficient coverage for quick trips. However, if you want the peace of mind of having solid medical coverage or higher limits, going the traditional travel insurance route may be a better fit. 

Methodology

For our review of Nationwide travel insurance, we looked at the leading travel insurance providers and compared the amount of options provided, coverage limits, cost, customer service options, and flexibility. 

Nationwide is a top contender for cruise-related travel insurance policies and stands out for having Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, though it's not available with every policy and comes with an extra cost. To find the best travel insurance policy for you, review various providers and compare quotes before buying a policy. 

Nationwide travel insurance — frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Is Nationwide good for travel insurance? 

Nationwide offers many different types of insurance policies, including travel insurance, and it could be a good fit depending on your needs. The company offers options for single trips, multiple trips, and offers robust coverage for cruise travel. Some of the policies may allow consumers to add Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage. 

Does Nationwide offer Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage? 

Nationwide offers Cancel For Any Reason coverage as an addition to several policies including the Prime Plan, Choice Cruise Plan, and Luxury Cruise Plan. To qualify, you must meet eligibility requirements and pay an extra cost on a plan that offers this coverage. 

Does Nationwide cover COVID? 

Nationwide may cover COVID as part of some travel insurance policies. For example, if you have qualifying trip cancellation or trip interruption coverage, you may be able to recover costs in the event of a COVID diagnosis before or during your trip.