Family Travel Insurance

Why families shouldn't skimp on family travel insurance

Solo travellers only have themselves to worry about but it's a different kettle of fish if you're with the family - kids and possibly grandparents too.

If things go wrong, it can be major headache time if you don't have travel insurance.

Even something as simple as losing your luggage - the loss of the little 'uns comfort blanket, Spiderman T-shirt or that can't live without supply of Calpol - could spell blue murder.

And an emergency or accident involving your other half or one of the kids doesn't bear thinking about.

So when it comes to family, travel insurance isn't a luxury, it's a must-have.

One for All

Make sure that everyone in the family is covered by your insurance.

Most insurers include infants for free, but others offer free cover for older 'children' up to the age of 23 - but only if they're still living at home and/or in full-time education.

Nationwide

Nationwide will include up to 4 children on a family policy if they're aged 5 or under, or up to the age of 23 if they're in full-time education.

The 2 adults are covered to travel independently of each other with any of the insured children. No insured child can travel without one of the grown-ups in tow.

Endsleigh Insurance

Endsleigh Insurance charges anyone under the age of 18 at 50% of the individual rate. Different companies put different restrictions on cover - particularly ages of children - so check the fine print before you buy and in particular the level of medical cover for illness.

Health Matters

As with all types of travel insurance, you must be up front about anything that might affect the cover, namely any current or past medical conditions of any member of the family, including pregnancy.

You probably don't realise it, but if your gran, say, isn't doing too great and could be a candidate for a hospital stay, then you must declare this too - even if she isn't going on holiday with you.

If the worst comes to the worst and she's whisked into hospital, you may feel duty bound to cut the holiday short and fly home to be by her bedside.

The bottom line is that this could have been foreseen by you, so an insurer could throw out any claim you make for curtailment of the holiday.

So you must declare any pre-existing medical conditions for close relatives too.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

It couldn't happen to you . . . Could it?

The following story features on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website and gives a harrowing example of how badly one particular family was affected by failing to take out adequate insurance.

It was also shown on the BBC television programme 999

The family of 4 travelled by car to France, and got their E111 from the Post Office before they left.

They were involved in a very serious car accident in France, and resulting in the father being admitted to hospital with severe injuries.

The family's 2 children were hospitalised in a different hospital while the mother was left running back and forth between the two.

Fortunately, the children were discharged promptly and the mother was able to bring them back to the UK.

The father, however, was in hospital for weeks and eventually required an air ambulance to bring him home.

This family had NOT taken out travel insurance before they went, thinking that their E111 would cover their costs.

It DID cover most of the medical costs, but they had to take out a second mortgage on their home to pay for the air ambulance.