Best Travel Insurance Switzerland 2026: TCS ETI, AXA Intertours, CSS & Allianz Compared
For most Swiss households in 2026, the TCS ETI Schutzbrief is the best travel insurance: an annual contract, unlimited medical costs abroad in the Plus variant, and full coverage of the rental car deductible. If you do not want TCS membership, AXA Intertours is the modular alternative without a membership requirement, and CSS is the only option that lets you take out a short policy of 17 or 31 days. Allianz Secure Travel Complete is the strongest USA travel cover on the Swiss market, and Zurich Relax Assistance is worth a look when you want to bolt vehicle breakdown assistance onto a clean annual contract.
Facts checked: 21 May 2026. Premiums vary by age, household size, chosen coverage, travel region, and the settings in each insurer’s online calculator. The figures below come from current product sheets and rate calculators.
Swiss travel insurance: comparison of the five major providers
Quick overview
| Provider | Best for | Contract type | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCS ETI Schutzbrief | TCS members, frequent travelers | Annual only, 365 days | Sold only as an annual product |
| AXA Intertours | Modular structure | Annual and single trip | Add-ons require a base module |
| CSS | Short policy terms | 17 days, 31 days or 1 year | No rental car deductible module |
| Allianz Secure Travel | USA and long-haul travel | Annual and single trip | Medical cover only in Complete |
| Zurich Relax Assistance | Families with a car | Annual only | No short-term single trip product |
Coverage in detail
| Provider | Trip cancellation | Medical costs abroad | Baggage | Rental car deductible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCS ETI Schutzbrief | Up to CHF 120,000 per event | Plus: unlimited, supplementary | Plus: up to CHF 2,000 | Plus: full, Standard CHF 500 |
| AXA Intertours | Selectable CHF 80,000 to 200,000 | Add-on, only with Personal Ass. | Add-on CHF 1,000 to 30,000 | Add-on CHF 10,000 |
| CSS | CHF 5,000 to 40,000 by variant | Unlimited emergency cover | Up to CHF 2,000 (opt. 8,000) | Not offered |
| Allianz Secure Travel | Basic CHF 2,500 to Complete 50,000 | Complete only: CHF 1,000,000 | Complete: CHF 3,000 | Complete only: CHF 10,000 |
| Zurich Relax Assistance | CHF 30,000 per person | Not included | Optional, CHF 200 deductible | Not included |
For expensive travel destinations such as the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, or Singapore, the question is not primarily whether the policy organises assistance and repatriation, but whether it covers treatment costs on the ground that Swiss health and accident insurance do not pay. Many policies arrange rescue and repatriation but do not automatically settle a six-figure US hospital bill. This is where the Swiss market splits: TCS ETI Plus covers medical costs abroad with no limit, Allianz Secure Travel Complete up to CHF 1 million, and CSS pays unlimited emergency treatment once the medical costs module is booked. AXA Intertours offers the medical costs abroad module as an add-on with a CHF 500,000 limit. Zurich Relax Assistance arranges assistance but does not include a dedicated medical costs module.
TCS ETI Schutzbrief: cancellation insurance and travel protection
The ETI Schutzbrief is by far the best-known travel cover package in Switzerland. TCS states that ETI protects roughly 700,000 people year-round and positions the product as Switzerland’s number one annual travel protection. ETI is exclusive to TCS members.
ETI is an annual product: 365 days, valid for all private trips in the chosen region (Europe or worldwide). A trip already booked is covered as long as the premium is paid before the insured event occurs. There are two tiers, Standard and Plus.
TCS ETI Standard coverage
- Cancellation costs up to CHF 120,000 per event, deductible CHF 200
- Rescue costs, repatriation, and emergency assistance
- Travel legal protection: CHF 250,000 Europe, CHF 50,000 outside Europe
- Rental car deductible: TCS pays up to CHF 1,500, customer carries the first CHF 500
- Ticket reimbursement: CHF 1,000 individual, CHF 2,000 family per policy year
- Breakdown assistance abroad
TCS ETI Plus additionally
- Cancellation costs with no deductible
- Unlimited medical costs abroad, supplementary to KVG and UVG
- Travel baggage up to CHF 2,000 per event, replacement purchases up to CHF 500
- Full coverage of the rental car deductible with no customer contribution
The emergency number is +41 58 827 22 20. TCS operates its own 24-hour assistance centre rather than outsourcing to a third-party assisteur.
Prices and membership
ETI itself has its own tariff, on top of which comes the TCS section membership. Renewal fees for the membership are section-dependent and currently sit between CHF 96 and CHF 113 for individual members, CHF 142 to CHF 159 for families and couples, and CHF 71 to CHF 83 for youth members. This is the key update compared to older comparisons online, which still quote CHF 24.
Advantages
- Very comprehensive benefits, especially in the Plus variant
- Unlimited medical costs abroad (Plus) is rare on the Swiss market
- Rental car deductible fully covered (Plus), making the rental counter CDW unnecessary
- In-house assistance centre rather than an anonymous assistance provider
Disadvantages
- TCS section membership is mandatory
- Sold only as an annual product, no single trip option
- Plus variant becomes pricey for individuals once you add the section membership
- Baggage and medical costs abroad only in Plus
AXA Intertours travel insurance: modules, coverage, and caveats
AXA Intertours is modular. It uses three base modules and four add-ons. When you buy Intertours, you assemble your cover from these building blocks. The product is sold both as an annual contract and, less well-known, as a single trip policy.
Module structure
Base modules (sold individually or in combination):
- Cancellation cost insurance
- Personal Assistance (rescue, repatriation, on-site assistance)
- Breakdown assistance (vehicle support)
Add-ons (require at least one base module):
- Travel baggage
- Rental car deductible
- Travel legal protection
- Medical costs abroad (only available in combination with Personal Assistance)
AXA grants 10% off when two base modules are combined and 25% off when all three are bought together.
Coverage from the product sheet
- Cancellation: selectable insured sum of CHF 80,000, 100,000, 120,000 or 200,000. From a CHF 100,000 sum upward, the deductible can be set between CHF 200 and CHF 5,000. Ticket limit CHF 2,000, course limit CHF 5,000.
- Personal Assistance: CHF 1 million, no deductible, worldwide. Search costs up to CHF 20,000.
- Breakdown assistance: CHF 100,000, no deductible. Geographically limited to Switzerland, Europe and the Mediterranean-bordering states, with the exclusions listed in the product sheet. That is also why AXA modules cannot be described as worldwide across the board.
- Travel baggage: insured sum CHF 1,000 to CHF 30,000, deductible CHF 200 to CHF 500.
- Rental car deductible: CHF 10,000, no deductible.
- Travel legal protection: CHF 600,000, no deductible.
- Medical costs abroad: CHF 500,000, no deductible, worldwide excluding Switzerland, only sold together with Personal Assistance.
Single trip insurance
AXA also offers Intertours as a one-off policy. You can buy it online up to one day before departure, and it covers one trip for up to 11 people with a maximum of 5 under the age of 18. Trip duration can run up to 125 days. The same seven-module structure applies, no cancellation is needed, the contract ends automatically after the trip, and apart from baggage the single trip product has no deductible.
Advantages
- Freely combinable modules instead of fixed packages
- Selectable insured sum and deductible for cancellation
- Medical costs abroad available as a CHF 500,000 module
- Real single trip product for travelers who only go away once a year
Disadvantages
- Add-ons always require at least one base module, so Intertours is freely modular only inside that logic
- Medical costs abroad only in combination with Personal Assistance
- Breakdown assistance is not worldwide but limited to Switzerland, Europe, and the Mediterranean
- Older statements such as “no rental car deductible” or “no medical costs” are out of date. Both can be booked as add-ons, just not as stand-alone covers
CSS travel insurance
CSS positions its travel insurance as the most flexible product on the Swiss market. Instead of an annual contract, you can take out the policy for 17 days, 31 days, or one year. The building blocks are modular, similar to AXA: medical costs, Personal Assistance, cancellation costs, travel baggage, and foreign legal protection.
Packages and entry prices
The three packages do not just differ in price, they bundle different modules. Economy is built around a medical emergency abroad, Balance around trip cancellation, and Premium covers everything.
| Module | Economy (from CHF 30) | Balance (from CHF 62.80) | Premium (from CHF 102.20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Assistance | Included | Included | Included |
| Medical costs | Included | Not included | Included |
| Foreign legal protection | Included | Not included | Included |
| Trip cancellation | Not included | Included | Included |
| Travel baggage | Not included | Not included | Included |
Modules can also be booked individually. The entry prices apply to single adults on a short-term term; actual premiums depend on contract length (17 days, 31 days, or annual), insured sum, and the number of insured persons.
Coverage per module
- Medical costs: unlimited cover for emergency doctors, medication, and hospital stays when health and accident insurance fall short. The basic-insurance franchise and deductible are excluded.
- Personal Assistance: rescue and repatriation worldwide, unlimited. Search actions up to CHF 20,000. Hospital advance up to CHF 10,000. Close-person hospital visits up to CHF 3,000. Extra costs for early or late return: CHF 2,500 individual, CHF 5,000 multi-person household.
- Cancellation costs: short-term CHF 5,000 (individual) or CHF 10,000 (multi-person), annual CHF 20,000 (individual) or CHF 40,000 (multi-person).
- Foreign legal protection: CHF 250,000 in Europe, CHF 50,000 outside Europe.
- Travel baggage: optional, up to CHF 2,000, extendable.
The CSS emergency number is +41 58 277 77 77.
Advantages
- The only one of the providers compared here that offers short policy terms (17 or 31 days)
- Modules freely combinable
- Unlimited emergency medical cover
- Clear emergency line and established claims handling
Disadvantages
- No module for the rental car deductible
- Medical cost module is comparatively expensive when added on its own
- No combined vehicle assistance module like TCS or AXA
Allianz Secure Travel
Allianz sells Secure Travel as an annual and as a single trip insurance. The annual variant covers unlimited trips within one year worldwide. There are three tiers: Basic, Plus, and Complete. Medical costs abroad and the rental car deductible are only included in Complete, which is the real differentiator.
Annual premiums for ages up to 65
| Tier | Individual | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | CHF 96 | CHF 190 |
| Plus | CHF 159 | CHF 259 |
| Complete | CHF 285 | CHF 557 |
Annual contract benefits
- Basic cancellation: CHF 2,500 individual, CHF 5,000 family
- Plus cancellation: CHF 10,000 individual, CHF 20,000 family
- Complete cancellation: CHF 50,000 individual, CHF 100,000 family
- Medical emergency assistance (rescue, repatriation) in all tiers
- Medical costs abroad only in Complete: CHF 1,000,000, dental treatment capped at CHF 3,000
- CDW / rental car deductible only in Complete: CHF 10,000
- Complete baggage: CHF 3,000 individual, CHF 5,000 family, theft deductible CHF 200
- Complete legal protection: CHF 250,000 Europe, CHF 50,000 worldwide
- Vehicle breakdown and accident assistance applies in Switzerland and Europe
Single trip insurance
For single trips, the premium is calculated as a percentage of the trip price:
- Basic: 7% up to CHF 5,000 trip price, 6.5% up to CHF 10,000, 6% up to CHF 25,000, minimum CHF 15
- Plus: 7.5% / 7% / 6.5%, minimum CHF 25
- Complete: 8% / 7.5% / 7%, minimum CHF 35
Maximum cancellation for single trips: Basic CHF 25,000, Plus and Complete CHF 50,000 each. Complete additionally includes medical costs abroad CHF 1,000,000, CDW CHF 10,000, and legal protection CHF 250,000 Europe / CHF 50,000 worldwide.
Advantages
- Strongest USA package (medical costs CHF 1 million in Complete)
- True single trip product for expensive one-off journeys
- High cancellation sum in Complete (CHF 50,000 individual, CHF 100,000 family)
Disadvantages
- Medical costs abroad and rental car deductible only in the most expensive tier
- Without medical cover, Basic and Plus are essentially cancellation-only policies
- Vehicle assistance limited to Switzerland and Europe
Zurich Relax Assistance
Zurich Relax Assistance is an annual product with worldwide coverage. Zurich explicitly states that Relax Assistance is not a short-term single trip insurance. There are six package variants in total. The base package covers cancellation costs, travel protection (Personal Assistance), and a replacement trip.
Optional modules are vehicle breakdown assistance, foreign travel legal protection, and travel baggage including baggage delay. Breakdown assistance and cancellation can also be bought individually, which makes Zurich interesting for price-sensitive households.
Coverage
- Cancellation costs: CHF 30,000 per person and event, maximum CHF 120,000 for all insured persons combined. Worldwide coverage.
- Replacement trip: CHF 30,000 per person and event, maximum CHF 120,000 for the household variant.
- Travel baggage: deductible CHF 200, except in cases of baggage delay. For baggage delay, reimbursement up to 30% of the insured sum.
- Breakdown assistance: applies in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, European states and Mediterranean-bordering and island states. Excluded countries include Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. The public product page states that if the vehicle becomes unusable, Zurich covers extra costs up to CHF 5,000 including a replacement vehicle.
Emergency numbers from the policy conditions: 0800 80 80 80 in Switzerland, +41 44 628 98 98 from abroad.
Advantages
- Cancellation and breakdown assistance also available individually
- Clear separation between Personal Assistance and the replacement trip
- Solid baggage-delay component
Disadvantages
- Medical costs abroad are not part of the standard scope
- No short-term single trip product
- Breakdown assistance is geographically restricted, with a long exclusion list
Is Swiss basic health insurance enough abroad?
Swiss basic health insurance only partly covers travelers abroad. Within the EU, EFTA, and the United Kingdom, medically necessary treatment is settled via the European Health Insurance Card at local rates. That works for routine consultations, but it is not a full safety net.
Outside the EU, EFTA, and UK, Swiss basic insurance covers emergency treatment only up to twice the amount the same treatment would cost in Switzerland. Other medical services abroad are generally not covered by basic insurance. For accidents abroad, Suva also pays for necessary treatment and transport under UVG but can cap the amounts and recommends supplementary cover for expensive destinations. This is the source of the famous USA hospital horror stories: one night in intensive care can cost more than a Swiss family car. Once you have used up the doubled Swiss tariff, you pay the rest yourself unless travel insurance with medical cover is in place.
For the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Singapore and other high-cost destinations, travel insurance with the medical costs abroad module is therefore not a comfort feature, it is risk management. On the Swiss market, TCS ETI Plus, AXA Intertours with the medical costs add-on, and Allianz Secure Travel Complete cover this risk substantially.
Is my credit card enough as travel insurance?
Most premium credit cards advertise travel insurance. The practical caveat: TCS notes in its own FAQ that credit card travel insurance often requires the trip to be paid with that card, commonly at least 50% of the trip cost. If you pay the flight on a different card or wire a package via a travel agent in advance, you fall outside the cover. On top of that, the usual Swiss credit card issues apply: high foreign currency fees, no direct contact with the insurer, and lean claims service.
For travel, a dedicated travel insurance is the better plan. The annual fee on a premium credit card (CHF 500 or more) easily covers TCS membership plus ETI Plus, with far cleaner benefits.
Do I need travel insurance?
The decision depends on your travel profile. Someone who drives to Italy once a year benefits less from travel insurance than someone who flies to Asia, the USA, or on safari several times a year. It also depends on how much you are willing to lose. Three hotel nights in Germany is a light loss. A three-week safari is not.
A rough rule of thumb:
- Only European trips, small trip values: cancellation cover is usually enough
- At least one long-haul trip per year: cancellation plus medical costs abroad
- USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, or Singapore: medical costs abroad with a high limit is essential
- Renting cars abroad, especially in the USA: a policy that takes over the rental car deductible saves an expensive counter CDW
Frequently asked questions
Is the TCS ETI Schutzbrief a cancellation insurance?
Yes, ETI includes cancellation insurance up to CHF 120,000 per event. The deductible is CHF 200 in the Standard variant and is waived in the Plus variant. ETI is more than cancellation, though: it bundles cancellation, assistance, vehicle breakdown, legal protection, rental car deductible and (in Plus) medical costs and baggage into one annual contract.
Can I take out TCS cancellation insurance for a single trip?
No. TCS states in its own FAQ that the cancellation insurance is part of ETI and can only be bought annually. If you want a single trip cover, look at AXA Intertours (one-off Intertours), CSS (17 or 31 day variants), or Allianz Secure Travel single trip.
What does AXA Intertours cover?
Three base modules (cancellation, Personal Assistance, breakdown assistance) and four add-ons (travel baggage, rental car deductible, travel legal protection, medical costs abroad). Add-ons require at least one base module. Cancellation and Personal Assistance are worldwide; breakdown assistance applies only in Switzerland, Europe, and the Mediterranean-bordering states.
Does AXA Intertours include medical costs abroad?
Yes, but as an add-on and only in combination with the Personal Assistance base module. Insured sum CHF 500,000, no deductible, worldwide cover excluding Switzerland. Statements like “AXA has no medical costs cover” are out of date.
Which travel insurance covers the rental car deductible?
TCS ETI Plus covers the full rental car deductible with no customer contribution. In the Standard variant the customer carries the first CHF 500. AXA Intertours offers a dedicated rental car deductible module with a CHF 10,000 insured sum and no deductible. At Allianz, the rental car deductible (CHF 10,000) is only included in the Complete tier. CSS and Zurich Relax Assistance do not offer a dedicated rental car deductible module.
Which travel insurance makes sense for the USA?
For the USA, what counts is medical costs abroad and the rental car deductible. Three solutions work in practice: TCS ETI Plus (unlimited medical, full rental car deductible, annual contract), AXA Intertours with Personal Assistance, medical costs abroad (CHF 500,000) and rental car deductible modules, or Allianz Secure Travel Complete (CHF 1,000,000 medical, CHF 10,000 CDW). For a single USA trip, Allianz Secure Travel Complete as a single trip policy or AXA Intertours as a single trip policy is often the cheapest match.
Is Swiss basic health insurance enough abroad?
Inside the EU, EFTA, and the UK, yes, for medically necessary treatment via the European Health Insurance Card. Outside that zone, basic insurance only covers emergencies up to twice the equivalent Swiss treatment price and generally does not cover other medical services. For the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, or Singapore, a travel health insurance therefore makes sense.
Which travel insurance is better: TCS ETI or AXA Intertours?
TCS ETI is the better choice when you are already a TCS member or want the full Plus package (unlimited medical costs, full rental car deductible, baggage) bundled together. AXA Intertours is the better choice when you do not want a membership, when you want to set the insured sums yourself, or when you only need to insure a single trip. For frequent travel to the USA or other high-cost countries, ETI Plus and an AXA configuration with Personal Assistance plus medical costs add-on perform equally well.
Conclusion: which Swiss travel insurance pays off?
There is no single best travel insurance, only the best one for a given travel profile:
TCS ETI Plus for Swiss residents who travel a lot, rent cars, and want medical costs abroad bundled into one package. TCS section membership is required.
AXA Intertours for those who do not want TCS, who want to assemble their own modules, or who specifically want to insure a single trip. With Personal Assistance plus the medical costs and rental car deductible add-ons, the result is a USA-ready policy.
CSS for short trips (17 or 31 days) and households looking for a flexible, modular cancellation and assistance cover without tying themselves to an annual contract.
Allianz Secure Travel Complete as the USA and long-haul tariff with the highest medical cost limits on the Swiss market. Basic and Plus are not full cover without medical costs abroad.
Zurich Relax Assistance for families who want a clean annual cancellation and breakdown package, while handling medical cover through their health insurance or a separate product.
If you have no clear preference, the first question to answer is: am I traveling to a high-cost healthcare country in the next twelve months? If yes, basic packages without medical costs abroad fall out of the running, and the choice narrows to TCS ETI Plus, AXA with the medical costs add-on, or Allianz Secure Travel Complete.