1Cover vs Southern Cross travel insurance - Guide to coverage, pricing, and more

Deciding on the right travel insurance is key to a worry-free trip, making unexpected hiccups like medical emergencies or flight changes far less daunting. When exploring new places, knowing you and your loved ones are supported abroad brings invaluable peace of mind.

Among the most popular choices for travellers are 1Cover and Southern Cross travel insurance. To help you choose the best provider for your needs, we've compiled a direct comparison of their coverage, pricing, and other important factors below. You can also learn more about the Wise card, an easy way to stretch your dollars when paying in foreign currencies.

Things to look out for when choosing a travel insurance

Navigating the many travel insurance options available in New Zealand can be overwhelming. To help you narrow down your choices and ensure you get the right travel insurance for your needs, here are some key questions to ask yourself:

• What activities are you planning to do? Are these covered?
• What level of medical protection do you require, including pre-existing conditions?
• How are claims made? How long do they take to be resolved?
• What's your budget, and would an annual multi-trip plan be more cost-effective for frequent travel?
• Can you easily adjust your policy details while traveling?

Keeping these points in mind will help you identify the best travel insurance for peace of mind. Let's now dive into a comprehensive 1Cover vs Southern Cross comparison, starting off with an overview of each popular provider in New Zealand.

1Cover Overview in New Zealand

1Cover is an insurance company specialised in travel insurance with over two million customers. It offers a range of travel insurance plans including¹:

• Travel Insurance
• Domestic Travel Insurance
• Annual Travel Insurance
• Senior Travel Insurance
• Family Travel Insurance
• Already Overseas
• Long-Term Travel
• Group Travel

Beyond these core plans, 1Cover provides a variety of optional add-ons and specialised covers. This allows you to tailor your travel insurance policy for specific adventures or medical considerations, such as Ski Insurance, Cruise Insurance, or Pregnancy travel insurance.

Southern Cross Overview in New Zealand

Southern Cross comprises several health and insurance brands ranging from private healthcare, family covers, pet covers, travel insurance and more². Their travel insurance plans include³:

• International comprehensive
• Annual Multi-trip
• International Medical
• Working Overseas
• Domestic
• Study in NZ (Non resident)
• Visiting NZ (Non resident)

Southern Cross offers key options like coverage for certain chronic illnesses, pregnancy travel complications and more. They also have add-ons for different sports and adventure activities available.

1Cover vs Southern Cross: Main features comparison

1Cover vs Southern Cross: Travel insurance cost comparison

The following estimates travel insurance cost for a week-long trip covering two adults, both aged 35.

New Zealand to Thailand

The pricing above was quoted on 9/05/2025.

New Zealand to United Kingdom

The pricing above was quoted on 13/05/2025.

New Zealand to Japan

The pricing above was quoted on 13/05/2025.

Overall, Southern Cross travel insurance quotes for these sample trips, particularly International Medical Only plans, appear marginally more affordable than 1Cover travel insurance.

To find the best value travel insurance for your specific needs, it's essential to compare comprehensive travel insurance policies and the add-on costs. While these additions can increase your premium, they often provide vital coverage to ensure you’re fully protected. Add-ons are highly recommended for trips involving special activities such as cruise cover or adventure sports, or for those requiring rental car excess cover. Always evaluate how these choices impact the total cost and coverage of your international travel insurance policy.

Southern Cross vs 1Cover: Choosing the right travel insurance

When selecting travel insurance for your next journey, both 1Cover and Southern Cross Travel Insurance offer strong protection, but with distinct benefits that may better suit different traveler profiles. 1Cover is a straightforward choice for travellers primarily seeking dedicated travel-specific coverage without needing broader insurance integration. Southern Cross Travel Insurance might be preferable when you're already using other Southern Cross products such as health insurance or pet coverage.

Regardless of your choice, it's crucial to ensure your planned activities, including adventure sports or specific medical needs like senior or pregnancy travel cover, are adequately insured. It's also essential to thoroughly understand the claims process before departure and review policy limits for trip disruptions, cancellations, and medical emergencies. The ideal choice ultimately depends on your specific travel needs, existing insurance relationships, and the particular details of your upcoming journey.

Travelling soon? Safeguard yourself from foreign transaction fees with the Wise card

After sorting out your travel insurance, it’s time to plan the most cost-effective way to spend abroad. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 8x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up NZD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in NZD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card

Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected New Zealand banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://payout-surge.live/nz/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/small%3E%3C/p%3E%3Csmall%3E

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.