FAMILY TRAVEL INSURANCE
Going on holiday with your children should be a relaxing stress-free time for you to unwind and have fun. But preparing for your family holiday can be very stressful, demanding and complicated.
When trying to remember all the things you need to pack, having to book the accommodation, flights, car hire, etc. it’s easy to forget about getting travel insurance.
Yet it is essential that you do have travel insurance for your family when you go away.
Family holiday insurance will insure your family against medical emergencies, illnesses, loss or theft of possessions, cancellations or delays of trip, personal liability and legal fees.
It is much like having normal travel insurance only it covers the whole family, rather than having to buy separate policies for each family member. Also children are often included free or at half price, meaning that these policies normally work out cheaper too.
However not all family travel insurance policies are the same.
Most policies will cover two adults and at least two children, whilst others will cover as many children as you have for a flat fee. You can even get policies that cover grandchildren, nieces, nephews and grandparents.
If you are a single parent you can still get family travel insurance cover, although the cost may be slightly higher and the choices of provider will be smaller. Similarly you can get family policies that cover non-married couples and non-birth related children.
Also it is worth checking the various travel insurance providers definitions of children. Most of them count anyone under the age of 18 as children whilst some companies include anyone up to the age of 24, if in full-time study.
Like with traditional travel insurance, family insurance cover can be single-trip or annual. A single-trip policy will cover one specific holiday whereas an annual or multi-trip policy will cover all trips for one year.
As you might expect annual policies are more expensive but if you take more than two trips a year it usually works out better value to buy this family annual insurance. Also some family annual plans will cover your children if they go on trips without you, such as school trips, throughout the year.
Cheaper family travel insurance policies are also available specifically for short breaks and weekend trips. Another option is to buy insurance that covers European destinations only, which is usually less expensive than a World travel insurance policy.
Some key points that you should check are:
- That the policy covers everything you want to do i.e. skiing, water sports etc.
- The excess amounts on your policy as they can vary a lot. Higher excess can mean lower premiums but it also means you have to pay more if you make a claim, so make sure you can afford it.
- Your house insurance policy as some of your belongings may be covered when taken out of the house too.
- That you have an adequate amount of cover for every member of your family.
Finally always remember that it is worth shopping around to find the best deals on your family holiday insurance. Travel agents and tour operators are usually the worst place to buy your travel insurance from. To compare family holiday insurance you should look online for a specialist provider as they can often offer you the cheapest travel insurance.