Family travel insurance

What is family travel insurance?

Family travel insurance covers you and your kids when you go away on holiday. Plans typically include 1 or 2 adults, and between 1 and 8 children aged under 18. The children must live with you to be covered by your policy, but this can include stepchildren, foster children and adopted children.

The 2 adults don’t need to be married or in a civil partnership, but they do need to be in a relationship and live at the same address.

Once a child turns 18, they will no longer be included on the policy and will need their own separate insurance.

Depending on your policy, children under 18 may also need separate travel insurance if they’re going on holiday on their own or with another family member not covered by your policy. So you need to consider your needs for the whole year before deciding on the best type of family cover for you.

What does family travel insurance cover?

Much like a standard travel policy, a family travel insurance policy normally includes cover for:

• Cancellations cover if you need to cancel your holiday unexpectedly, or even if you need to cancel onward travel or accommodation
• Emergency medical treatment is also included just in case you or anyone covered under your policy falls ill or gets injured while you’re on holiday
• Lost baggage and possessions covers accidental loss, damage or theft of your baggage, other personal possessions, and money
• Legal cover which can pay compensation for personal injury, illness or death which happens on your trip

Insurers offer varying levels of cover and some have restrictions about travelling individually and as a couple. So be sure to check the small print before buying a policy to make sure it suits your family’s needs.

Should I take out single trip or annual family travel insurance?

Single trip cover means you’re insured for just one holiday. You typically give insurers the dates you’re travelling and you aren’t protected beyond this. If you go on another holiday, you’ll need to take out a new policy.

This cover level is ideal if you’re just planning one family holiday for the year. If you travel a lot, it can get expensive to buy a new policy each time.

Annual policies cover you for several holidays throughout the year. This means you’re protected each time you go abroad. It could save you time and money if you’re a family that travels regularly.

Although, you need to make sure the cover is broad enough to cover all the countries you’ll visit. If you’re planning a few trips, use a comparison site to check if single or annual cover works out cheapest.

Does family travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?

Some insurers may not cover you if you already have a pre-existing medical condition, or if you have several conditions. Others may only offer insurance at a much higher price. These conditions could include cancer, stroke, serious heart, respiratory and terminal conditions.  

Some insurers may not cover you if you already have a serious medical condition, or if you have several conditions. Others might only offer insurance at a much higher price.

If you can’t find suitable cover, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as set up a directory of insurers willing to cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions. Find them online, or give them a call on 0800 138 7777 for free impartial advice.