5 Best Travel Insurance Companies in Ottawa
Having travel insurance is important as it helps cover yourself against various risks like stolen luggage or unexpected medical costs. To help you feel more secure, we prepared this list of the best travel insurance companies in Ottawa.
But before we move on to that, let’s first take a glance at how much travel insurance might cost you.
How much does travel insurance cost in Ottawa?
The cost of travel insurance is affected by multiple factors. Among these include the cost of the trip, the age of the traveler, and the number of travelers.
Since the trip cost has the strongest impact on travel insurance rates, we decided to use this as the basis for showing you the average costs. Please take note that the policy’s level of benefits can also affect the rates.
Best Travel Insurance Companies in Ottawa
To narrow down our choices, we used the following criteria in our selection process:
1. Scrivens
Criteria | Ratings |
Coverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Competitive Rates | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Claim Process | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
As a proud member of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, we trust that Scrivens offers great services. Its over 90 years of experience in the business further affirms this.
We like Scrivens because it has various types of insurance plans you can choose from. You can get insurance plans that extend from life and home to car and business.
For worry-less vacations, you may opt to purchase some of its travel insurance plans. Under these plans, clients are protected against non-refundable losses like airfares, hotels, and other tour-related expenses.
These plans may also cover medical emergencies, damage to personal properties, and death. There are, however, seemingly limited details about these plans on the company’s website.
So, should you plan to get one, be sure to first discuss the entire plan coverage with the provider.
We like that the company has an available app that allows you to securely access your documents online 24/7. There are multiple payment methods too, which add convenience to the entire process.
The company offers retirement plans as well. Its website has tables that show things like GIC rates that are regularly updated, which we find useful for clients who might want to invest.
Pros
- Offers various insurance plans
- Retirement plans
- Multiple payment methods
- 24/7 online service
Cons
- Limited details on insurance plan coverage
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
Protected by a reputable insurer
“More than once in the past 20 years Scrivens has helped me save on insurance cost while remaining protected by a reputable insurer. Many thanks for the peace of mind.” —Ann Carmichael, Google Reviews
Nothing but a pleasure
“Andrew at Scrivens has been our go to insurance broker for many years and has always provided the most helpful, friendly, and professional service imaginable. He has always been eager to quickly answer any questions we may have and has always been able able to find us the best pricing possible. It’s been nothing but a pleasure working with Andrew!” — Chris, Google Reviews
2. Jarrett Thompson Insurance and Financial Services Inc.
Criteria | Ratings |
Coverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Competitive Rates | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Claim Process | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Feedback | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
With its years of experience, we believe that Jarrett Thompson Insurance and Financial Services Inc. is one good place to visit for travel insurance plans.
We appreciate that it has partnered with some companies like Intact Insurance and Travelers to serve its clients better and provide services at competitive rates.
Its offers extend from auto and home to living benefits and travel. When it comes to its travel insurance, the company offers CoverMe® travel insurance plans.
We like these as they are simple and provide affordable coverage for emergency medical expenses, baggage loss, and trip cancellations. Through them, you can get coverage for as much as $10 million in emergency medical expenses.
For added flexibility, clients also have different options. If you’re traveling with kids, you might want to avail yourself of its multi-trip plans.
What’s interesting about this is that your kids are also provided with the same protection if they are traveling with you. But since there are limited details provided, we suggest that you discuss these with the company’s representatives first.
Visitors coming to Canada can also get travel insurance that meets the medical insurance requirements of super visas for both parents and grandparents.
Also worth noting is its free account review, which is great when thinking of optimizing your insurance policies.
Pros
- Offers a variety of insurance plans
- Partnerships with other insurance companies
- CoverMe® travel insurance plans
- Free account review
Cons
- Limited details on some products offered
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
Wanted the best for her client
“Maggie was wonderfully helpful. She was quick, responsive and knowledgeable about my policy process. I felt as if she really valued my time and wanted the best for her client as we worked through everything. Thank you so much for your work!” — Quintana Crawford, Google Reviews
Highly recommended for your insurance needs
“I’ve been working with Maggie for many years and can’t say enough great things about the experience. She is a true professional and always available to answer questions and assist me when needed. I highly recommend her services for your insurance needs! She is top notch!” — Fouad Haddad, Google Review
3. Rhodes & Williams Insurance Brokers
Criteria | Ratings |
Coverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Competitive Rates | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Claim Process | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
Established in 1935, Rhodes & Williams Insurance Brokers has been in business for many years. Although this does not always equate to the best services, we trust that its years of experience somehow reflect service quality.
It’s also nice to know that it has a BBB rating of A+, which indicates that it is a trusted company.
Currently, this provider offers various personal and business insurance plans. You can even have your pets insured if you have some.
There are travel insurance plans under its recreational insurance leg. It’s good to know that they cover emergency medical care, trip cancellation, baggage losses, and theft.
These plans, however, are provided by SecuriGlobe, which is the company’s partner for such insurance premiums. So should you need to see the coverage and pricing, you might need to talk to a different provider.
When it comes to claims, we appreciate that the website has provided a short video clip that explains how the claim process would go. There’s also the customized app, which helps access policy details and management accounts more easily.
We commend its info lab because it conveniently provides you with various details about the company and your insurance policies. There are also different payment methods you can choose from, but you can always choose to make online payments for extra convenience.
Pros
- A wide selection of insurance plans
- A+ BBB rating
- Informative website
- Multiple payment methods
Cons
- Limited details on some services
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
One phone call made all the difference
“I had the best experience in all my years of shopping for insurance here at Rhodes & Williams. Heather Ross is simply a pleasure to deal with. She is knowledgeable and patient in finding the best rates as well as making sure that the policy will serve any customized needs. One phone call made all the difference for me. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to renew or acquire a policy. Many thanks!” — Danny Mercier, Google Reviews
Competitive rates and first-rate service
“Mandy is always very responsive, helpful, and professional. Providing highly competitive insurances rates and first rate service. Thank you !” — Tracy P, Google Reviews
4. BrokerLink
Criteria | Ratings |
Coverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Competitive Rates | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Claim Process | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
We like BrokerLink because it has different insurance plans you can avail of. You can get insurance plans for your home, your business, and your travels.
There are even some plans that are perfect for groups, associations, and farmers, too. One downside we found, however, is that there is limited information about these plans.
Wanting to know more about them might require you to make a call or request a quote.
Zeroing in on its travel insurance, we like that this type of coverage can help protect you against medical emergencies, lost or stolen baggage, and even trip interruptions and cancellations.
There are multiple options for these as well. You may opt to go for worldwide single-trip or multi-trip plans, which are great if you’re a frequent traveler.
You can also go for the all-inclusive coverage, which covers emergency medical coverage and losses due to canceled trips or lost baggage. To help you save costs, you can choose to get plans together with others.
We like that its travel insurance is great for international students, too, although there are limited details provided for this. Long-term travel insurance, on the other hand, might work for you if you’re traveling for more than a month.
It’s also great to know that the company offers extra service by providing claims advice, so you can get through the process with relative ease.
Pros
- Different insurance plans
- Multiple travel insurance plan options
- Discount on group plans
- Claims advice
Cons
- Limited details on the website
- Closed on Sundays
Customer Reviews
Amazing for both corporate and personal insurance
“These folks have been amazing for us for many years with both corporate and personal insurance. Most importantly they choose companies that really cover you and don’t leave you in the cold when a claim comes up.” — Chris Welch, Google Reviews
Always provides the best service
“They have been taking care of me for many years. They are quick to respond and always provide the best of service. Thanks!!!” — Peter Rourke, Google Reviews
5. Newman Insurance
Criteria | Ratings |
Coverage | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Competitive Rates | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Claim Process | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Customer Feedback | ★★★★✩ (4/5) |
Among the many things we like about Newman Insurance is that it offers different insurance products that are tailored for your needs. It’s great that you can customize your insurance plans to align with your goals and priorities.
When it comes to travel insurance, the company has multiple options available. You can choose to get emergency medical travel plans, snowbird travel plans, or multi-trip travel plans, which are nice if you frequently go on a shopping spree or business trip to the U.S.
There’s a policy for trip cancellation as well, which allows you to reimburse costs when unexpected events like death in the family occur.
The only issue we found is that most of these services lack details on the website. There are also no price guides provided, so you’ll have to inquire to get them.
The company’s online payment system that lets you conveniently pay bills with ease is also commendable. That way, you don’t have to drive to a bank or the company’s office to settle your payments.
Especially with the threat of COVID-19, we appreciate that it goes paperless and sends important policy documents through email. This also helps you stay on track with announcements and updates.
Pros
- Offers various insurance plans
- Customizable plans
- Convenient online payment
- Paperless
Cons
- Most services have limited info
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
We will stay loyal
“We have been customers for almost two decades now. Mackenzie Ray is really excellent to deal with and she gets my husbands humour. Mackenzie has actually brought savings to our attention! That is unheard of. They find us great rates. I have had to deal with a claim and it was very well handled. I highly recommend this company. Bob Brown delivers a professional and we will stay loyal, as they have definitely treated us well!” — Gen MacDonald, Google Reviews
Always very responsive and helpful
“Pete Harrison from Newman has been serving our insurance needs for years, both personal and business. It’s a complete pleasure to deal with Pete and the Newman team. Always very responsive and helpful. Highly recommended.” — Vince Murphy, Google Reviews
FAQs about Travel Insurance in Ottawa
Traveling with peace of mind is crucial to making every trip enjoyable and memorable. So we hope that our list will help you experience only fun-filled, worry-less getaways.
Are you having a hard time planning your vacation? The top travel agencies in Ottawa might help you figure things out.