"Insuring your whole family under a single policy is more convenient than balancing multiple individual ones, and it could work out cheaper too. Some travel insurance providers might even offer free child cover on certain plans."
What our travel insurance expert says
What does family holiday insurance cover?
As with all travel insurance policies, the level of cover you get depends on the provider you choose. Read the policy details carefully to make sure you have the cover you and your family need.
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Cancellations and curtailment - If you have to cancel your holiday due to unexpected circumstances, your travel insurance should cover the costs of your flights and accommodation. This includes having to cancel or cut your trip short because of things like family illness or death.
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Emergency medical treatment - If you or a family member falls ill or is injured while on holiday, travel insurance can cover your medical expenses. It's best to consider buying travel insurance even if you and your family have valid Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) as you may still have to pay for treatment. The GHIC can be used alongside travel insurance to help cover medical costs.
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Lost, stolen or damaged belongings - If anything happens to your family's belongings, including luggage and travel documents, travel insurance can cover the cost of replacements.
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Repatriation - If you need to be brought back to the UK following an illness or injury, travel insurance can cover the cost of transportation for you and your family.
What's not usually covered?
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Travelling against government advice - For example, if you travel to a country that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against, your travel insurance will be invalid.
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Undeclared pre-existing medical conditions - If you or anyone named on the policy have a pre-existing medical condition, you should let your insurer know. If you don't, any medical treatment you receive for the condition is unlikely to be covered.
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Incidents involving drugs or alcohol - If you're injured in an accident that occurs while you're under the influence, you aren't covered.
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Injuries from adventure sports - If you're planning any adventure sports, like skiing, you might need additional cover. Standard travel insurance often doesn't cover risker activities like this, so check your policy details before buying.
How much does family holiday insurance cost?
What affects the price?
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The number of people named on the policy - The more people you want to insure, the higher the price will likely be.
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Whether anyone has a pre-existing condition - Pre-existing conditions mean you or a family member are more likely to require medical treatment while you're away, so you might find insurance costs more.
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The ages of the people named on the policy - Typically, the older you are, the more risky you are to insurers. So, you're likely to pay more for insurance.
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Where you're travelling - The cost of medical care, repatriation and flights can vary greatly depending on where you're travelling. For example, insurance for the USA is likely to cost more than for France because their medical bills are extremely high, and flights are likely to cost more.
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How long you and your family are travelling for - The longer you're away, the higher your risk of needing medical care or something going wrong. So, your insurance might cost more.
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The type of policy you buy - Generally, annual policies are more expensive than single-trip policies because they offer a higher level of cover.
1Cheapest single-trip policy, based on a family of 4 with no pre-existing medical conditions travelling for 1 week. Confused.com data - May 2024.
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Why choose Confused.com?
- Founded in 2002, we have over 2 decades' worth of experience in insurance. Based in Cardiff, we help millions of customers with their travel insurance needs each year.
- We’re regulated by the FCA as are the 39 travel insurance providers we work with. All of our providers are trusted brands so you’re in good hands whoever you choose.
- Our customers have rated us ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot.
- Need any help? Our Cardiff-based team is here to help. Take a look at our contact page and get in touch.
Need more help?
How do I claim on my family travel insurance?
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Contact your insurer - You should contact your insurer as soon as possible. Many require you to begin the claims process within 24 hours of an incident. Check your policy documents to make sure you're within the timeframe.
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Give them the details of the claim - You might be asked to provide evidence to support your claim. This includes things like receipts for replacement belongings, flight information, or bills from any medical treatment. It's important that you keep any of these, just in case.
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Your claim will be processed - This may take some time as your insurer investigates the claim. But, once they've confirmed the claim is legitimate, you should receive your payout. Remember that there might be an excess to pay on any claims you make.
Can I get family holiday insurance if I'm a divorced or separated parent?
If your children don't live with you, you should still be able to add them to most family travel insurance policies. But, you should check your policy details to make sure. Most require the 2 adults named on the policy to live at the same address. So, if you're travelling with another adult who lives at a different address, you should have your own travel insurance policies.
Some providers offer single-parent family travel insurance policies. So, if you're a single parent travelling with your children, you might be able to get a one-adult insurance policy.
Can I travel by myself on a family travel insurance policy?
Some annual family insurance policies allow this, but you should double check your policy details before you travel. Otherwise, you risk not being covered.
Will each family member need their own EHIC/GHIC?
Yes, if you're travelling within Europe, each family member needs to have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). These are often required by travel insurance providers if you're claiming for any medical expenses, so it's important that you and your family have them.
Travel insurance guides
ETIAS: What is it and when does it start?
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System or ETIAS is a new form you need to get before you travel to Europe and the Schengen area in 2025.
Holiday checklist – what should I pack?
What should be included in your holiday checklist? Everything you need to pack for beach holidays all the way to city-breaks.
How to get emergency travel documents
If you’re abroad and have lost your passport, you need to get an emergency travel document to get back to the UK. Read on for advice on getting an emergency passport.
Travelling to the USA? Then don't forget an ESTA
All your questions answered on an ESTA application, how long it lasts and whether you need one to travel to the USA
How to claim on your travel insurance
Making a claim should be relatively straightforward. Even so, there are ways to speed up the process.
What are the different types of travel insurance?
European travel insurance
it will cover you for any holidays that you've got planned in Europe this year.
Long stay travel insurance
is the perfect policy for those who plan to travel for an extended period.
Page last reviewed: 09 May 2024
Reviewed by: Alvaro Iturmendi
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Our service is free and compares a wide range of trusted household names. Confused.com is an intermediary and receives commission from theidol.com if you decide to buy through our website which is based on a percentage of the total annual premium. We pride ourselves on impartiality and independence – therefore we don't promote any one insurance provider over another.
Our service is free and compares a wide range of trusted household names. Confused.com is an intermediary and receives commission from theidol.com if you decide to buy through our website which is based on a percentage of the total annual premium. We pride ourselves on impartiality and independence – therefore we don't promote any one insurance provider over another.
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