Family holidays are some of the most memorable experiences in a child’s life, and some of the most logistically complex. When things go wrong (and with kids, they sometimes do), you want to know your whole family is covered.
How Family Policies Work
Most travel insurance providers offer family policies that cover two adults and their dependent children under a single premium. Children are typically covered for free or at a very small additional cost. Key things to confirm: the age definition of “dependent child” (usually under 18 or 25 if in full-time education), whether stepchildren and adopted children are included, and whether the policy requires all family members to travel together.
Key Cover Considerations for Families
Medical cover for children: Children can be unpredictable travellers, ear infections on flights, stomach bugs from unfamiliar food, playground injuries. Ensure your policy includes full medical cover for all children.
Companion cover: If one parent is hospitalised, does the policy cover the other parent’s additional accommodation and costs to stay with them?
Disruption and delay: Delays affect families harder than solo travellers, multiple hotel nights, meals, and activity changes add up quickly.
Cancellation: If a child falls ill before departure and the whole trip needs to be cancelled, comprehensive cancellation cover ensures you’re reimbursed for non-refundable bookings.
Luggage and Prams
Families travel with more gear, prams, car seats, bouncers, mountains of clothing. Check your policy’s personal belongings cover and per-item limits. Some policies treat prams and baby equipment as separate items with specific sub-limits.
Choosing the Right Family Policy
- Compare family-specific policies that include all children under one premium
- Check medical cover is high enough for all family members (AUD $5M+ per person)
- Confirm the policy covers the children’s ages correctly
- Look for generous cancellation cover, family holidays involve more non-refundable bookings
- Check luggage cover for baby equipment and prams
