Travelling with kids is truly one of the best things that you can do. Not only do you open your children’s eyes to the world beyond their neighbourhood, a family trip offers quality time together creating memories.
But even the happiest of holidays don’t always go to plan – and we’re not just talking about toddlers throwing tantrums because they can’t have another ice cream or moody teenagers rebelling against the suggestion of walking tour.
No, we’re talking about events that can cast a real shadow on your family vacation such as lost luggage, flight cancellations, travel delays or medical expenses.
This is why a good family travel insurance policy is so important. Finding comprehensive travel insurance gives you peace of mind and means that you can relax and enjoy your holiday, knowing that all your family members are covered.
Disclosure: This post has been created in partnership with CoverForYou, an award-winning insurance company that provides comprehensive and affordable travel insurance. For more information please see my disclosure policy.
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- Capture the perfect family holiday photo with Flytographer
- Travel with kids during Covid: 9 essential items to pack
What is family travel insurance?
Family travel insurance, much like insurance for solo travellers or couples, offers financial protection for you and the entire family if you face certain problems when you’re travelling or on holiday.
Typically, travel insurance for a family covers up to two adults and one to five children. Children will need to be under 18 years old and live permanently with the policyholder. You will need to check with your provider to see whether the policy includes, for example, stepchildren or foster children.
Similarly, not all insurance policies will cover children if they travel separately to the main policy holder (if they go on holiday with their grandparents for example).
Read on to discover more about CoverForYou and for an exclusive discount.
What kind of family travel insurance policies are there?
If you are a family that likes to travel a lot then you will want to look at an annual plan that allows for multi-trips and if you are planning to travel abroad to a foreign country then you’ll want to make sure that the insurance policy covers you overseas.
If you only have one family holiday planned then a single trip policy is your best option as it will start and end of your selected dates. One thing is for certain, however, and that is that travel insurance is really important regardless of whether or not you’re staying in your home country. Here’s why!
1. If your baggage doesn’t turn up
Have you ever waited at the airport carousel for your luggage only for it not to show up? Yep, me too. Arriving on holiday ahead of your suitcase is frustrating, particularly if you have children in tow or if you’ve travelled long-haul on an international trip.
With the right family holiday insurance, however, you will be well looked after. Insurance will cover the cost of baggage loss as well as baggage that has been delayed, damaged or stolen while you are travelling. Make sure to check if your policy covers family travel items such as pushchairs or car seats.
2. If your phone gets damaged or is stolen
According to CoverForYou, the average value of phones and gadgets is now around £500 per item, which is a lot of money. Multiply this by the number of family members that you are travelling with and suddenly you could be faced with a rather hefty bill should anything happen to the laptops or iPads that have come along for the family holiday.
CoverForYou offer basic gadget coverage of up to £750 per device fora accidental damage, theft and loss with their single and annual insurance policies.
However, if you want to further protect your family’s various gadgets and devices then the company offer a gadget travel insurance add-on that will cover any number of gadgets owned by any named person on your policy. Gadgets included are: Mobile Phones, iPhones, iPads, Tablets, Camera’s, Go Pro’s, Smartwatches and Laptops.
The extended cover options are as follows: Extended Cover Level 1 offers £1,000 per device cover for accidental damage, theft and loss; Extended Cover Level 2 offers £2,000 (£1,500 per device) and Extended Cover Level 3 offers £3,000 (£1,500) per device cover. Extended Cover also provides cover for up to £10,000 of Unauthorised Usage as standard.
3. If you have to cancel your holiday
If you have to cancel or curtail a family holiday owing to unforeseen circumstances (because sometimes life just gets in the way) then cancellation cover will reimburse any money you have already spent.
Obviously, your travel insurance won’t cover you if you simply decide that you no longer want to visit California for summer but if you, or any one of your family members suffers an accident, bereavement or serious illness, then your insurance provider will look after you.
CoverForYou will cover your for travel and accommodation expenses that you have paid or have agreed to pay under a contract and which you cannot get back, as well as the cost of excursions, tours and activities which you have paid for and which you cannot get back. They will also cover the cost of visas which you have paid for and which you cannot get back.
4. If you require medical treatment
Getting ill on holiday is never fun but there’s a difference between catching a mild stomach bug in India for example and a medical emergency that requires hospitalisation or even medical evacuation (if you catch dengue fever for example). It’s vitally important that you have a travel insurance policy that covers the whole family in the event of medical emergencies.
Unfamiliar health systems, foreign languages and medical costs can all seem particularly frightening when you are on an international trip and add significantly to the trip cost. This is why travel insurance with medical coverage is so important. Family travel insurance can reimburse you for the medical bills you pay while abroad.
It’s important to note that some insurance companies do not cover for pre-existing medical conditions. However, CoverForYou is not one of them.
CoverForYou offers an online screening process so that your condition(s) can be confidentially and discreetly declared prior to purchase. You are then offered a premium that includes cover for your pre-existing medical condition. Note that this is not for all medical conditions.
5. If you travel during times of Covid
CoverForYou is one of only a handful of companies that offer Covid cover. I’ve heard too many stories of people catching Covid while overseas and having to pay for medical assistance as well as accommodation costs and additional travel expenses.
Yes, the world is a lot more open for travel than it was two years ago but Covid has not gone away and some countries such as Bermuda require all visitors aged two and older to take a COVID-19 test before entering the country.
CoverForYou Coronavirus cover includes cancellation due to you falling ill and being unable to travel or being required to self isolate (you will need to produce a medical certificate or official test result). They also include cover for curtailment of travel plans due to the death of a close relative due to Coronavirus*. As with all insurance policies, make sure to check the policy wording carefully.
6. Family Travel Insurance policy add-ons
All CoverForYou policies include over 100 sports and activities as standard. However, if you plan to make part in an adventure activity such as scuba diving or sea kayaking then you may need to take out an additional premium to cover you (for cruise ships the CoverForYou policies do not include covering an excursions that might be missed if you have to cancel or curtail your holiday).
Similarly, if winter sports are on your agenda then you will want to take out an add-on to your policy to ensure that your equipment is covered as well as ski pack and lift pass. The policy will also cover your travel and change of accommodation if you can’t hit the slopes as planned. These add-ons come at an additional cost but are still very competitive.
7. Why you should consider CoverForYou
It’s important to compare travel insurance policies before you purchase but here’s why I really like CoverForYou.
Family travel cover can be arranged online in minutes and at a very competitive cost. Scheduled airline failure protection and a 24-hour emergency medical helpline come as standard.
CoverForYou is rated Excellent on TrustPilot with nearly 14,000 reviews. They have won numerous awards including Best Travel Insurance Provider by Forbes Advisor (2022) and Best Claims Service by Moneyfacts Consumer Awards (2020).
Their travel insurance policies come with no excess to pay on claims.
There is a very clever CoverForYou app that allows you manage your policy documents as well as help you do things such as locate nearby hospitals and translates common medical issues and medicine names. It shares FCO advice as well as NHS recommended vaccinations and even help you to calculate just how long your jet lag might last.
And finally, children under the age of 3 are added for free with CoverForYou policies.
CoverForYou discount
If you like the sound of CoverForYou then you’re in luck! The company are offering a brilliant 15% off all travel insurance policies valid until 31/07/2023. Simply enter the code MNGDTV9W9P when you check out.
