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Home / Home Featured / How to find family travel insurance

How to find family travel insurance

March 21, 2014 by Gretta Schifano 34 Comments

 

Suitcases packed. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Suitcases packed. Copyright Gretta Schifano

If you’re travelling abroad with your family then it’s really important to make sure you have decent travel insurance. It doesn’t really cost very much but the cost of not having it could be huge. 48% of people don’t realise that without travel insurance they’re liable to pay for their own medical bills abroad. Such bills can be huge –  an air ambulance from the Canary Islands to the UK can cost between £12,000 to £16,000.

Repatriation

I’ve actually been flown back from Italy twice by my holiday insurers and really appreciate the help they gave me. Both times were life-or-death family emergencies which meant we had to fly home immediately. Both times were horrendous but without insurance would have been so much worse. I hope that nothing like this ever happens to you but if it does then I hope that you’re insured.

Family travel insurance

Here are my tips to help you find the best family travel insurance policy:

  • Take out travel insurance as soon as you book a trip just in case you have to cancel your plans.
  • If you’re a UK resident travelling to Europe make sure everyone in the family has their own European Health Insurance Card, also known as an EHIC. This card entitles you to free or reduced cost public healthcare in Europe. An EHIC is free and you shouldn’t pay anything for it so make sure you apply for this card on the official government website because there are some unofficial EHIC websites which charge a fee. ((N.b. post-Brexit, when your EHIC expires you can apply for a free GHIC Global Health Insurance Card to replace it).
  • You still need travel insurance as well as an EHIC because the EHIC scheme doesn’t cover things like repatriation.
  • When you’re applying for travel insurance make sure you answer the questions fully and accurately, otherwise your policy may be invalid. Give full details of any medical conditions or medical treatment up front.
  • When choosing between European or Worldwide cover be careful to choose the right area – Turkey, for example, isn’t included as a European destination.
  • If you’ll be skiing, snowboarding, white water rafting or taking part in any other potentially dangerous activities make sure you mention this to the insurers as you probably won’t be covered for these in a standard policy. You may have to pay an extra charge.
  • The cheapest policy may not be the best and may be inadequate. Look at the cover provided by the policy and make sure it’s enough for you. For example, the cancellation cover must meet the cost of your holiday and the insurer should provide 24 hour emergency service and assistance. Work out the value of your possessions and make sure that they’ll be covered by the policy if they’re lost or stolen.
  • Multi-trip policies can work really well if you travel more than once a year. These cover you for a whole year for whichever geographical area you choose and can be very cost-effective. They also save you time and hassle as you don’t have to find travel insurance every time you book a trip.
  • Make a copy of your insurance and other documents and leave them with a friend or relative at home.
  • Take your insurance documents with you on your trip and make sure you know what the emergency contact number is in case you need it.

It's vital to have the right travel insurance in place before you set off on a trip, especially if you're travelling with your family. Hopefully you'll never need it, but just in case you do, click through for helpful advice on how to find the right travel insurance for you.

I think that’s everything! Do you have any tips to add to the list?

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Categories: The journey
Tags: family travel insurance, travel insurance

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Catherine says

    December 28, 2014 at 11:31 am

    We always buy family travel insurance, and this year had to claim after our eldest broke his arm rather badly a week before we were due to go away and we were advised to cancel.

    My tip would be to check the excess: I hadn’t appreciated that on our policy it was per person, rather than per party. We actually only claimed for a single Eurotunnel crossing and one campsite stay, so £300 in total…but had to pay £250 excess, since our policy was £50 each. Apparently not all policies do this, so I will definitely check in future.
    Catherine recently posted…On “having it all”…and being shortchanged.My Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      December 28, 2014 at 8:42 pm

      That’s a really good tip, thank you. I’m sorry about your son’s arm and I hope that you managed to have a holiday when he was better.

      Reply
  2. kirstie says

    March 28, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    Some useful stuff here. Thanks for sharing your ideas. We almost booked extra ski insurance recently until we realised a certain amount of days were covered within our existing travel policy. It’s worth reading the small print!
    kirstie recently posted…Catalonian Pyrenees: Five Fabulous Family Ski ResortsMy Profile

    Reply
  3. agatapokutycka says

    March 25, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    This is great round-up.
    Nothing to add from my side
    agatapokutycka recently posted…The Colours Of Spring #hdyggMy Profile

    Reply
  4. wendy says

    March 24, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Very useful advice , travel insurance is so important

    Reply
  5. Lori says

    March 24, 2014 at 8:52 am

    I have never really thought about travel insurance until I was stung with a bill in February in France. Thankfully it wasn’t too much but I wouldn’t travel without it now. Great post. x
    Lori recently posted…12/52My Profile

    Reply
  6. Kara says

    March 24, 2014 at 7:02 am

    I am really lucky that our travel insurance is provided as part of my bank account

    Reply
  7. Charlotte says

    March 23, 2014 at 6:39 pm

    This is such useful information, travel insurance is something that worryingly gets overlooked a lot by travellers!
    Charlotte recently posted…Silent Sunday – 23/03/2014My Profile

    Reply
  8. anna says

    March 22, 2014 at 9:43 pm

    My husband deals with all our insurances, I don’t have a clue!
    anna recently posted…Afternoon at Denham Country ParkMy Profile

    Reply
  9. model mummy says

    March 22, 2014 at 8:31 pm

    Really great post and i have no tips to add as looks like you’ve covered everything!
    I have a health card but have not yet gotten around to getting one for my toddler yet so i have book marked the page and off to get her one now! Thank you!
    model mummy recently posted…Blog your heart outMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Susanna says

    March 22, 2014 at 5:57 pm

    Really useful Gretta, and a reminder that the cheapest may not be the best!
    Susanna recently posted…Wales: Going down a coal mine, literallyMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Carole at Healthier Mummy says

    March 22, 2014 at 6:32 am

    You’ve reminded me that we need to buy travel insurance for our upcoming family holiday to France. Useful tips – I’ll be referring to your blog before I buy.
    Carole at Healthier Mummy recently posted…Cooking class for kids: making pizzasMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Sarah Bailey says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:32 pm

    I don’t really go abroad that often, but when I do I make sure I’m covered it just helps with a bit of peace of mind knowing if anything happens all will be ok. x
    Sarah Bailey recently posted…Premier Housewares Slate Serving Tray: ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Astrid says

    March 21, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    Very informative post. I’m sorry you had two family emergencies while traveling.
    Astrid recently posted…If I Knew Then…My Profile

    Reply
  14. Rachel @ activities4kidz says

    March 21, 2014 at 8:29 pm

    Some really useful tips. We won’t be going abroad for a few years but still handy to read about and remember!
    Rachel @ activities4kidz recently posted…Binky LinkyMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Louisa says

    March 21, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    Some really useful information thank you. We are wondering about travelling abroad and to be honest hadn’t even factored insurance into the overall cost.
    Louisa recently posted…ConfidenceMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Hannah Staveley says

    March 21, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    Helpful post as I do get very confused with all this ,.x
    Hannah Staveley recently posted…My 2nd Graze BoxMy Profile

    Reply
  17. You Baby Me Mummy says

    March 21, 2014 at 4:54 pm

    Thanks for sharing, really useful information x
    You Baby Me Mummy recently posted…Bathroom Revamp – Top tips for small spacesMy Profile

    Reply
  18. Michelle says

    March 21, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    Thanks for all the great advice. We always buy travel insurance, wouldn’t dare travel overseas without it. When you think of the cost of things like medical bills, emergency flights etc the small cost of insurance is worth it for peace of mind should the worst happen.
    Michelle recently posted…I Like That Poem [World Poetry Day]My Profile

    Reply
  19. Kirsty - Hijacked by Twins says

    March 21, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    These are great tips, I hate looking for insurance and always find it such a chore so the tips will be great for next time we need holiday insurance x
    Kirsty – Hijacked by Twins recently posted…Word of the Week – AttachmentMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Sarah Ebner says

    March 21, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    Such a useful post, Gretta. I’ve never seen a post on this before.
    Sarah Ebner recently posted…An Amazing Time At clueQuest! (by all of us!)My Profile

    Reply
  21. Jen Walshaw (@Mum_TheMadHouse) says

    March 21, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    Great tips. We have family cover with our bank account.,
    Jen Walshaw (@Mum_TheMadHouse) recently posted…NineMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Clare Mansell says

    March 21, 2014 at 1:53 pm

    Useful advice and I love the photo of the cat checking out the suitcases, mine always used to hate it when they came out!
    Clare Mansell recently posted…The four houses that got us to where we are today…My Profile

    Reply
  23. lisa prince says

    March 21, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    i have been on a few holidays away a few years back but not with my family . I would think it be most improtnt thing to do , to be insured , hopefully you wont need to use it again hun x

    Reply
  24. Mummy of Two says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:45 am

    Thanks for the advice. We don’t often go abroad so it’s not something I really have to think of, however, we are going to Florida next year so I will need to start thinking about this soon!
    Mummy of Two recently posted…Little Bakers #FlashbackFridayMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Nicola Baird says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:44 am

    A very useful post. The EHIC card lasts a long time too, which is a blessing. I recommend honesty on the documents (ie, fill in fully). I have one daughter who has to have medicine to keep her asthma under control. When she was 10 our family took a 4 month trip (involving homeschooling) so we could travel to the very humid (and gorgeous) Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. I was v nervous about putting down asthma on that travel insurance form, but it only cost £10 extra for her cover, and the peace of mind it gave me was astonishing. Never under-estimate peace of mind!

    By the way have just written a piece on ways to rent out a spare room, or your home to help make travel more affordable at
    http://islingtonfacesblog.com/2014/03/19/sponsored-rachel-zatz-traveller-airbnb-host/
    Nicola
    Nicola Baird recently posted…Ways to help boys enjoy craftMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 21, 2014 at 11:58 am

      Thanks Nicola, that sounds interesting, I’ll pop over and have a read.

      Reply
  26. Sylvia @ Happiness is homemade says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:44 am

    I never buy insurance when we go on holiday, maybe I should next time! Great tips, thanks for sharing 😉

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 21, 2014 at 11:59 am

      Oh, please buy it next time, you’ve made me worry about you now!

      Reply
  27. Kizzy says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:37 am

    Great tips we have got travel insurance for upcoming trip to France and I cannot get over how cheap it was!
    Kizzy recently posted…#ThePromptMy Profile

    Reply
  28. mellissa williams says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:21 am

    I have travel insurance with my credit card. I get charged £5 a month and it’s a really good deal, a brilliant card as they don’t charge you any transaction fees for using your credit card abroad.

    Recently I went to Rome and almost forgot about the EHIC card, I rang the day before and they covered us straight away over the phone. Even if your card hasn’t arrived you can still be covered.

    Thanks for these great tips 🙂
    mellissa williams recently posted…Choosing The Perfect Wedding Reception VenueMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      March 21, 2014 at 11:59 am

      That’s good to know, I didn’t realise they had a phone service too.

      Reply
  29. Gude @HodgePodgeCraft says

    March 21, 2014 at 11:10 am

    Really helpful post, thank you for all the tips. I agree, I wouldn’t travel without insurance for all of us – so important!
    Gude @HodgePodgeCraft recently posted…How to blow-out eggs for Easter decorationsMy Profile

    Reply
  30. Jo Bryan says

    March 21, 2014 at 10:56 am

    Really useful advice. I know that its really wise to shop around as prices vary and read the small print to see what is covered.
    Jo Bryan recently posted…Freebie Friday 21st MarchMy Profile

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Packing a medical kit for family trips says:
    July 11, 2014 at 10:28 am

    […] which entitle us to free or reduced cost public healthcare. I also check that our travel insurance (here are my tips for finding family travel insurance) is up to date and that I have the emergency insurance contact number in my […]

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  2. Top 10 family holiday budgeting tips says:
    June 22, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    […] an annual travel insurance policy than to buy insurance each time you travel. (You can read my post here about how to find family travel […]

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