Family travel insurance

Family travel insurance can cover you and your family if something goes wrong on holiday.  

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.

Buying one policy to cover your whole family can be 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.

You can typically choose from two main types of family travel insurance:  

Annual multi-trip 

This covers all trips taken within a 12-month period. An annual policy is likely to be the most cost-effective option if you’re taking more than one holiday with your children throughout the year.  

Single trip 

This covers one specific trip. A single-trip policy can be the cheapest option if you’re only going on one family holiday during the year. 

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, for example, will cost more than a policy for Spain. This is largely because of higher medical fees and repatriation costs

• 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

• What activities you plan to do – you may need extra cover for skiing or snowboarding. And extreme water sports like white-water rafting or 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 – travel insurance for a family of three could cost less than for a family of five, for example.

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

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.

The best time to take out family travel insurance is 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.

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

1. 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

2. Contact your insurance provider as soon as possible. There’s usually a time limit for reporting a claim, typically within 30-60 days of the incident. For medical emergencies, most providers have a 24/7 helpline you can call. They can talk you through the next steps of making your claim

3. 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.

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.