Quick Answer
For families, the clauses that matter most are cancellation and curtailment (used far more often than medical), the policy’s definition of a ‘child’, whether cover applies if you travel separately, and whether the insurer bills hospitals directly. Declare every traveller’s pre-existing conditions.
Family policies are usually good value, and the useful comparison is not price but which events are actually covered when a trip goes wrong — which, with children, is more often a cancellation than a hospital.
What to Check for a Family Policy
1. Children are often covered free — but check the definition
Many family policies include children at no extra cost, but the definition of ‘child’ varies by age and by whether they are in full-time education. Verify the age cut-off.
2. Cancellation is the cover families use most
With more people on the booking, the chance that someone falls ill before departure rises sharply. Check that cancellation covers the whole booking when one traveller cannot travel.
3. Curtailment — coming home early
Distinct from cancellation and frequently overlooked. If a child is hospitalised or a relative at home dies, curtailment is the clause that gets you home and refunds the unused portion.
4. Does one policy cover the family travelling separately?
Some family policies only cover travel as a group. If a parent flies out later, check that they are still covered.
5. Pre-existing conditions for every traveller
Every person on the policy must be declared, including children and any grandparents travelling with you. One undeclared condition can affect the whole claim.
6. Pregnancy cover has hard limits
Most policies cover complications only up to a stated week of pregnancy, and airlines have their own separate cut-offs. Check both.
7. Baggage limits are per person, usually
Which helps families — but pushchairs, car seats and medical equipment may be treated differently. Ask specifically.
8. Winter sports and activities for children
Ski cover is almost always an add-on, and children’s ski school and equipment hire may need to be declared separately.
9. Direct billing matters more with children
Fronting a large hospital bill is harder when it is unexpected and you are managing a sick child. Prefer insurers who pay providers directly.
10. Keep one document accessible to both parents
Policy number, 24-hour emergency line and the insurer’s direct-billing instructions — saved offline on both phones, not in one person’s email.
This is general information, not financial advice. Cover, limits and exclusions differ by insurer, country of residence and individual circumstances, and they change. Read the policy wording itself — not a summary, and not this page — and speak to the insurer about anything specific to you.
Before you buy, and before you fly
Read the cancellation and curtailment sections first. With four or five people on one booking, the probability that someone cannot travel is meaningfully higher than for a solo trip, and this is the cover families claim on most. Check that one person’s illness allows the whole booking to be cancelled, not just their portion.
Then confirm the age definition for children, whether cover extends to grandparents on the same policy, and how pre-existing conditions are handled for each traveller. If anyone is pregnant, check both the policy’s week limit and the airline’s — they differ, and the airline’s applies at the gate.
Practically: save the policy number and 24-hour line offline on both parents’ phones, carry a copy of any child’s prescription in generic drug names, and note that many insurers require you to call them before incurring major medical costs, not afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are children covered free on family travel insurance?
Often yes, but the age definition varies and sometimes depends on full-time education. Check the specific cut-off.
What is curtailment?
Cover for cutting a trip short — getting you home and refunding the unused portion. Distinct from cancellation and often overlooked.
Does one policy cover travelling separately?
Not always. Some family policies only cover travel as a group — verify if a parent is flying out separately.