At a glance
Travel insurance for your caravan holiday covers you and your belongings while you are away, but not the caravan itself
It can also cover emergency medical costs, stolen possessions and prepaid bookings
Caravan or motorhome insurance covers damage to the vehicle and usually its contents too
Check your cover is valid abroad – insurance is required by law for motorhomes and campervans.
How does insurance work for caravan holidays?
If you own a caravan, campervan or motorhome, you’ll need to make sure you have the right insurance in place ahead of your getaway.
Essentially, there are two types of insurance you’ll need to think about:
Cover for the vehicle
If you drive a motorhome or campervan, you are legally required to have suitable motor insurance. This is usually bought on an annual basis.
The type of cover you need is determined by the type of vehicle you have.
Depending on the type of caravan, campervan or motorhome you own – and the level of cover you choose – this type of policy can cover both damage to the vehicle and its contents.
If you’re taking your campervan, caravan or motorhome on holiday overseas, you’ll need to make sure your policy includes European cover.
Cover for your holiday
This is a travel insurance policy that can cover you for holidays in your caravan, motorhome or campervan, either in the UK or further afield.
It can be bought for a specific holiday or on an annual basis.
It’s not legally required, but it could protect you from being left out of pocket if you need emergency medical treatment while you’re away, or if you need to cancel your holiday due to a covered reason like an illness or family bereavement.
Separate or combined cover?
You’ll normally need to buy these policies separately because they cover different risks.
However, you may be able to buy both cover for your vehicle and cover for your holidays from a specialist caravan and motorhome insurance provider.
Customers with pre-existing medical conditions
If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive.
Whatever happens, don’t lie to an insurance provider because this could mean any claim you make further down the line is likely to be rejected.
When you declare any medical conditions on our website, we’ll only show you quotes from insurance providers who will cover them, with no exclusions.
If your condition is more serious, MoneyHelper has a directory of insurance providers who may be able to provide quotes over the phone. You can call them on 0800 138 7777.
Insurance for your caravan, motorhome or campervan
The insurance you need for your holiday home on wheels will depend on what type of vehicle it is.
Touring caravan insurance
If you tow your caravan behind your car, touring caravan insurance offers cover if your caravan is involved in an accident, stolen or damaged by fire, storms or flooding. It can also cover your caravan contents from theft or damage.
If you go abroad, make sure you have European towing and European breakdown cover in place. Without it, getting your caravan back to the UK is likely to be expensive.
Static caravan insurance
Some parks won’t let you keep a static caravan on site unless you have mobile home insurance in place.
This typically covers storm damage, fire and theft, as well as your caravan contents, fixtures and fittings.
Campervan travel insurance
Campervans and motorhomes aren’t classed as caravans because they’re vehicles, as well as accommodation.
If you own a campervan or motorhome, or are hiring one for your holiday, you’re legally required to have motorhome insurance. This will cover you against injury or damage to others, as well as accidents, theft and your camper’s contents.
Types of travel insurance for caravan and motorhome holidays
Travel insurance for caravan and motorhome holidays works similarly to regular travel insurance.
It’s designed to protect you (and your possessions) while you’re enjoying your holidays, rather than the vehicle you’re travelling and staying in.
Before taking out caravan and motorhome travel insurance, consider who you need to include in the policy and what you want it to cover. The most common types of policy are:
Single trip
Single-trip travel insurance can cover you for a one-off holiday. You can visit multiple destinations on your holiday, so it could cover you to stay in a static caravan abroad for a couple of weeks or take the camper on a longer tour of Europe.
Annual multi-trip
If you’ve planned several trips away in your caravan or motorhome, an annual travel insurance policy could be less hassle and may work out cheaper overall.
Annual policies usually have a limit of 31 days for trips abroad. So, if any of your holidays are longer than this, you’ll need to pay for extra cover or take out long-stay travel insurance.
Family cover
If you’re going camping with the kids, a family travel insurance policy can be better value than buying individual policies. You can find single-trip and annual family travel policies.
What does a caravan holiday insurance policy cover?
A caravan travel insurance policy can cover you for a wide range of things that could go wrong while travelling, including:
Illness and medical emergencies – if you, or someone named on your policy, needs urgent medical treatment abroad or needs to be repatriated to the UK, you can recover the cost of your medical expenses.
Theft and loss of belongings – you could be covered if your personal possessions are lost, stolen or damaged while you’re away. If you’re taking valuables like a phone or laptop, you may need to get extra cover.
Cancelling or cutting short a trip – this can compensate you if you’re forced to cancel or cut short your holiday because of a bereavement or illness. It can cover the cost of pre-booked transport, campsites, and excursions.
Travel delays – you can be financially protected if your ferry or Eurotunnel shuttle is significantly delayed or cancelled due to strikes or bad weather.
Personal liability – this can cover your legal expenses if you’re found to have caused damage or injury to another person while on holiday.
Do I need extra travel cover?
If you’re planning some active adventures on your caravan holiday, check your policy wording to make sure it includes your chosen activity.
If you’re hitting the slopes or planning adventurous sports during your trip, you may need to pay a bit extra to add winter sports or extreme sports cover to your policy.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you may need specialist travel insurance with medical conditions. You must tell your insurance provider about your health condition – if you don’t, your policy could be invalidated.
Some providers put an age limit on their travel cover, but this doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying a caravan break. You may need specialist over-65s travel insurance instead of a standard policy.
Whichever policy you choose, always carefully read the terms and conditions so you know what’s covered and if there are any exclusions.
FAQs
What else should I think about with caravan travel insurance?
To get the right level of cover for your trip, here are a few things to bear in mind.
Know the value of your belongings – add up how much it would cost to replace everything you’re taking away with you. Make sure you have enough cover, especially if you’re holidaying with expensive gadgets or equipment.
Check your excess – how much you agree to pay towards any insurance claim can affect the price of your policy. The higher your excess, the cheaper your cover tends to be.
Read your vehicle policy – make sure you’re covered to take your campervan, motorhome or touring caravan abroad and check the terms.
Does travel insurance cover campervan hire?
If you hire a campervan, motor insurance is normally included in your rental agreement.
But many policies won’t include your personal possessions – only the camper itself. A travel insurance policy can cover your belongings if they’re lost, stolen or damaged.
Do I need travel insurance for a caravan holiday in the UK?
It’s a good idea to have it. You won’t need insurance to cover the cost of emergency medical treatment because we have the NHS. But travel insurance can help if your holiday is cancelled, you need to cancel or cut it short for a covered reason or your belongings are stolen.
What insurance do I need if I hire out my caravan?
If you have a static caravan and you want to hire it out your when you're not using it, some policies will offer you the option to add this kind of cover to your policy for an additional cost.
If you are lending your caravan to friends or family check the policy carefully to see what's covered or not. Some but not all policies will include friends and family as standard.
Check your policy very carefully as some policies will cover only immediate family members for towing, for example, giving you the chance to choose extended towing cover as an optional extra.
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With more than eight years’ experience in writing and sub-editing content, Karen started her career in fashion before making the move to insurance. She now specialises in producing clear, engaging content that helps people make better financial decisions.
Karen’s areas of expertise include insurance products, such as car insurance, travel insurance and life insurance, as well as utilities such as energy comparison.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
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