Family travel insurance
One policy priced for the household, with children usually covered free.
What it is
A family policy covers two adults and their children under a single premium rather than as separate policyholders. Where it applies it is straightforwardly cheaper than buying individually — the question is whether your household matches the insurer's definition of a family, which varies more than you would expect.
The cover is a standard single-trip or annual policy; the difference is the pricing unit.
Children are typically included at no extra cost up to an age limit, and the adults are usually priced as a couple. Limits, however, are often shared rather than per-person: a €2,000 baggage limit may be the total for the whole family, not €2,000 each. The medical limit is normally per person, which is the one place you want it to be.
What it covers
- Emergency medical cover, normally per person rather than shared
- Children up to the policy's age limit, usually at no additional premium
- Cancellation for the whole party if one insured member cannot travel
- Baggage and delay, frequently as a shared family limit
- In many policies, cover for one adult travelling alone with the children
- Two adults and dependent children travelling together
- Households that take more than one trip a year, in the annual version
- Single parents — but check the definition first, it is not always included
- "Family" definitions differ sharply. Some require the adults to live at the same address, some cover only the policyholder's own children, and the child age limit ranges from 16 to 23 for those in full-time education.
- Shared limits are the standard trap. Check whether baggage and cancellation limits are per person or for the party as a whole.
- Cover for family members travelling separately — one parent flying out early, a teenager coming home first — is common but not universal.
Less than the same cover bought individually, and priced mainly off the adults. Because cancellation is rated on total prepaid cost, a family booking pushes that section up even where the per-person rate falls.
See what drives the priceCommon questions
Usually yes, up to the policy's age limit and while travelling with an insured adult. That is the main reason a family policy beats individual ones. What is not free is exceeding the definition — a child over the age limit, or a niece travelling with you, generally needs their own policy.
Many family policies do, and a good number do not. If part of the household will travel independently — different dates, different flights, a child going ahead with grandparents — confirm that the policy covers independent travel before you buy, because it is a common exclusion and an expensive one to discover late.
Frequently, and some insurers price a specific single-parent family tier. Others define a family as two adults and will not sell it to one. It is worth checking directly rather than assuming either way.
packset.travel is an independent trip-planning tool, not an insurer or broker. This is general information, not insurance advice — always confirm cover levels and entry requirements with the insurer and the relevant consulate before you travel.
Whether insurance is legally required depends on your passport and your destination, not on which policy you buy. Check the corridor first — it decides whether you need a certificate or just sensible cover.