Family travel insurance

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Compare travel insurance quotes for your family holiday from 44^[1] trusted providers and see if you could save.

Correct as of March 2025.^[1]

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 aged 18 or under who permanently lives with them. Policies can often cover up to a maximum of eight children.

Many policies can cover stepchildren, foster children and adopted children too. But check what the policy says about children who don’t permanently live with you.

Some policies can also cover grandparents, so if you’re planning a multi-generational holiday, you may be able to get the whole family covered on one policy.

Regardless of how your family is made up, always read the policy details carefully. Although annual family policies may cover adult family members who are travelling separately, children may need to be accompanied by an adult on the policy to make sure their cover is valid.

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. Here are the key benefits:

Convenience: you only have one set of terms to read through, one payment to make and one policy document to take with you. And if you do need to make a claim, you only need to do it once.
More affordable: it’s not always the case, but taking out a family policy can often work out cheaper than taking out multiple individual policies.
Free cover: some insurance providers offer free cover for children, or for kids under a certain age.
Option for child-free travel: an annual family policy could also cover any holidays you want to take without the kids in tow.

How much is family travel insurance?

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, this could bump up the price of cover for the whole group considerately. Therefore, it could work out cheaper for those with a medical condition to buy a separate 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.

Policy type – if you have multiple holidays planned throughout the year, an annual policy could work out cheaper than taking out separate single-trip policies.
Optional extras – if you choose to add on extra cover, for example to protect your family’s gadgets, this can bump up your premiums.
Excess – you can get a lower travel insurance quote by choosing to pay a higher excess. But make sure you can afford to pay it in the event of a claim.
How long you’re going for – if you choose a single trip policy, you’ll likely pay more to cover your family for a fortnight than a week.
How many family members are covered – for example travel insurance for a family of three could cost less than for a family of five.
Who you’re travelling with – travel insurance can become more expensive as you get older, so if you want to cover a grandparent travelling with you, you can expect to pay more. If any of the family has a serious medical condition it will usually be cheaper for them to take out a separate policy.

Compare quotes with us to see if you can find cheap family travel insurance cover that works for you.

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Customers with pre-existing medical conditions

If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. Whatever happens, tell your insurance provider the truth. If you give false information or miss something out, your claim could be rejected.

When you declare any medical conditions on our website, we’ll only show you quotes from insurance providers that 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

This could cover medical emergencies, the cost of any necessary treatment, overnight stays in hospital and repatriation, if needed.

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 as it won’t cover private healthcare or things like getting you back home in a medical emergency.

Cancellation or curtailment

This could cover you if you need to cancel or cut short your holiday for a reason included in the policy. It means you could get back what you’ve paid for flights, accommodation and excursions if, for example, you suffer a loss in the family, or you fall ill and are unable to travel.

Missed departures or delays

This could cover additional expenses you incur 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 flight because of an event out of your control.

Stolen, lost or damaged luggage

Make sure you have enough baggage insurance to cover the value of all your luggage and possessions. Don’t underestimate how much you travel with, especially if you have children.

Personal liability and legal cover

This could cover the cost of any damage or injury you unwittingly cause while you’re on holiday. It could also cover legal fees and expenses if someone does bring a claim against you.

What won’t travel insurance for families 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
High-risk destinations – including travelling to countries against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (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 you can opt for a single-trip policy to cover one break.

Your family holiday insurance policy will also need to cover the country you’re visiting:

The UK
Europe
Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico
Worldwide.

How to make a claim on family travel insurance

Here are the steps you’ll normally need to follow to make a claim on your family travel insurance policy:

Speak to the local authorities, if necessary. If you’re claiming because you’ve been a victim of a crime, you’ll need to get a police report to support your claim, and you may only have a short timeframe to do this.
Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible. You may need to report the claim within a certain timeframe. They normally have a 24/7 emergency helpline you can call. They can talk you through the next steps of making your claim.
Gather and keep hold of any evidence that supports your claim. Depending on your claim, that could be medical forms, a police report, bills and receipts for additional expenses.

Make sure to take a copy of your travel insurance documents with you when you go away – either a paper copy or a downloaded version. That way you’ll have all the relevant information to hand if you do need to make a claim.

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 up front. Or if you’ve made deposits on flights, accommodation or any pre-booked activities or excursions.

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
Snowboarding
Tobogganing
Dog-sledding
Even reindeer sleigh rides.

Just make sure you check the list of covered activities before you buy.

Should I choose single trip or annual travel insurance for my family?

If you travel more than once a year, an annual family travel insurance policy could work out cheaper overall. There’s a couple of things to consider, though:

If you have multiple travel plans but they don’t all involve your kids, check to see if your family annual travel insurance policy covers you for travelling independently.
If your trips vary between far-flung adventure holidays and weekend city breaks, the levels of insurance you need can vary significantly. A benefit of taking out single trip policies for each trip is that you have more flexibility to tailor the cover for each holiday.

Do I need family travel insurance for a UK holiday?

If you’re planning a family staycation, it may still be worth having family travel insurance for the UK. 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 may 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.

Does family travel insurance cover individuals?

Some family travel insurance annual policies may also cover any adults insured on the policy to travel independently. Policies vary, so check the terms carefully before you buy.

Does travel insurance cover cancellation due to family illness?

You may be able to claim back the money you’ve paid upfront for your holiday if a member of your family falls ill and is unable to travel. Check the terms of your policy to see under what circumstances you may be covered for holiday cancellation or curtailment.

Can I get travel insurance for a child only?

Some travel insurance providers may provide cover for a child under 18 to travel alone on a single trip policy. An adult will need to buy the policy for them though.

You’ll have less choice if your child is under 16 though, and you may need to look for a specialist provider.

Family travel insurance policies could cover your child if they’re travelling with other relatives, but they normally won’t cover a child to travel alone.

If they’re travelling with non-family members, group travel insurance could be an option. Although if your child is travelling on an organised school trip, it’s worth asking first what cover is already provided.

Where can I compare family travel cover quotes?

We can help you compare travel insurance for your family. Just give us a few details about your trip and the family members you want to cover, and we can show you a range of quotes in minutes.

What do I need to get a quote?

To get a family travel insurance quote, you’ll need to give us some basic information about you and your family and where you’ll be holidaying, including:

If you’re looking for cover for a single trip or an annual policy
Which destinations you want your policy to cover
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.

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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.”

- Anna McEntee, Home, pet and travel insurance expert

Why use Compare the Market?

We compare 44 travel insurance providers^[1]

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^[1]Correct as of March 2025.

^[2] As of April 8th 2025, Compare the Market had an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 79,257 people who left a review on Trustpilot. The score 4.8 corresponds to the Star Label ‘Excellent’.