Family travel insurance
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What is family travel insurance?
A family travel insurance policy typically covers one or two adults who live at the same address, plus at least one child (up to a maximum of eight children) aged 18 or under who permanently lives with them.
Regardless of how your family is made up, always read the policy details carefully. Some policies may not cover family members who are travelling separately or children accompanied by a non-family member. And check what the policy says about children who don’t permanently live with you, like stepchildren.
What are the benefits of buying family travel insurance?
Family travel insurance is simple – one policy that will cover the whole family is easier than buying individual policies for each family member – and it can often work out cheaper too.
If you buy family travel insurance, you might also get:
- Extras: your policy could give you higher levels of baggage cover, alternative accommodation cover and increased cancellation cover.
- Free cover: some insurance providers offer free cover for children.
How much does family travel insurance cost?
The amount you’ll pay for a family travel insurance premium can depend on several factors, including:
- Where you’re travelling to – a policy for the USA, Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, for example, will cost more than a policy for Spain. This is because healthcare costs in those countries can be much higher than for Europe.
- Whether anyone in your family group has a medical condition – some serious conditions aren’t covered as standard, so you may have to pay more for a specialist policy.
- What activities you plan to do – you may need extra cover for skiing or snowboarding and extreme water sports like white-water rafting and jet-skiing.
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 your claim is 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.
What does family travel insurance cover?
Family travel insurance could provide you and your children with cover for:
- Medical expenses – for medical emergencies, the cost of any treatment, overnight stays in hospital and repatriation, if necessary. If you’re travelling to Europe, an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) or GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) will give you access to state-provided healthcare in the EU – but it’s not a substitute for travel insurance.
- Cancellation or curtailment – if you need to cancel or cut short your holiday for a reason included in the policy.
- Missed departure or delays – if your flights are delayed because of an insured event. You could also be compensated for accommodation and additional travel expenses if you miss your departure because of an event out of your control.
- Stolen, lost or damaged luggage – make sure you have enough insurance to cover the value of your luggage and possessions. Don’t underestimate how much you travel with, especially if you have children.
- Personal liability – this could cover the cost of any damage or injury you unwittingly cause while you’re on holiday.
- COVID-19 cover– many travel insurance policies now include cover for disruptions to your holiday as a result of COVID-19. When you get a travel insurance quote with us, it’s easy to compare levels of COVID-19 cover. Just use the ‘more details’ option on the quote results page.
What won’t family travel insurance cover?
Standard family travel insurance typically won’t cover:
- Accidents and injuries as a result of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Extreme sports and activities.
- Pre-existing medical conditions that haven’t been declared to your insurance provider.
- Natural disasters – some policies may offer limited cover, so check the terms and conditions carefully.
- Acts of terrorism – again, you may have limited cover, but you should at least be covered for emergency medical treatment following a terrorist act. Check the policy.
- Travel to countries against FCDO advice.
What types of family travel insurance are there?
You can choose annual family travel insurance to cover you and your children if you’re going on more than one holiday in a year, or opt for a single-trip policy to cover one break.
Your policy will also need to cover the country you’re visiting:
Frequently asked questions
When should I buy family travel insurance?
It’s a good idea to take out family travel insurance as soon as you book your trip. That way, you’ll be covered for any claims you may need to make before you go. This is especially important if you’ve paid for your holiday in full or have made deposits on flights, accommodation or any pre-booked activities or excursions.
Do I need to mention any pre-existing medical conditions?
You should declare all medical conditions when looking to buy a policy. To get a quote with us, you’ll need to answer a few questions about your family’s health, including details about pre-existing medical conditions.
Will each family member need a GHIC?
Everyone, even small children and babies, will need their own GHIC to get state-funded medical treatment within the EU and Switzerland. They’re free and you can apply online at the official NHS website.
Can I get a family policy for winter sports?
If you’re planning a winter holiday with your family, you can buy winter sports insurance as an add-on to standard family travel insurance.
A good winter sports policy could cover you for activities like skiing, tobogganing, dog-sledding and even reindeer sleigh rides. Just make sure you check the list of covered activities before you buy.
Should I choose single trip or annual family travel insurance?
If you travel more than once a year, an annual family travel insurance policy could be your best option. There’s a couple of things to consider, though:
- While you may travel more than once a year, a family annual policy might only be worthwhile if you’ll all be travelling together.
- If your trips vary between far-flung adventure holidays and weekend city breaks, the levels of insurance you need will vary significantly. A worldwide annual policy is more expensive than one that covers just Europe, so you might be better off taking out single trip policies for each trip.
Do I need family travel insurance for a UK holiday?
If you’re planning a family staycation, it’s still worth having UK travel insurance. Even though you and your family can get NHS treatment anywhere in the UK, you might still want cover for cancellations and baggage loss or damage.
Can I get family travel insurance as a separated or divorced parent?
If you’re separated or divorced and your children don’t live with you, some providers will still include them under family or single-parent policies. Check the policy details or give the provider a call so you know exactly who’s covered before you buy.
Where can I compare family travel cover quotes?
We can help you find the right family travel cover for you and your family. Just give us a few details about your trip and the family members you want to cover, and we’ll give you a quote in minutes.
What do I need to get a quote?
To get a quote, you’ll need to give us some basic information about you and your family:
- Where you’re travelling to
- Dates of travel
- Whether you want to add extra cover for gadgets, winter sports or a cruise
- Details about each family member you want to cover
- Any medical conditions
- Level of cover and excess limits.
What our expert says...
“Family travel insurance can offer better value for money as it’s often cheaper than taking out individual policies. But if you have just one child, then joint travel insurance for you and your partner, and a single policy for your child could be cheaper.”
- Helen Phipps, Insurance comparison expert
Why use Compare the Market?
We compare 42 travel insurance providers[1]
Compare annual and single trip policies
Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot[2]
[1] Correct as of September 2023.
[2] As of October 2023, Compare the Market had an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 35,144 people who left a review on Trustpilot. The score 4.8 corresponds to the Star Label ‘Excellent’.
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