best travel insurance for babies

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How Does Travel Insurance Work?

Travel insurance is a must have for traveling the world and keeping peace of mind. This applies whether you are traveling for fun or taking a business trip to another area. The benefits of travel insurance include more than just peace of mind, however.

Having travel insurance can save you money on a range of costs in case your trip is interrupted. In the absence of insurance, you could be out of pocket for travel tickets purchased and other expenses that you had prepaid.

Below, find out how travel insurance works, and what it benefits are for the individual traveler.

Types of Travel Insurance

If it’s your first time buying travel insurance, you may be confused at the variety of offers from travel insurance companies. The numerous types of insurance products for travelers is partly responsible for the complexity.

Travel insurance comes in the following broad categories:

• Trip cancellation – Covers the interruption and cancellation of your trip.
• Medical and evacuation – Will pay medical costs such as for sudden illness and evacuation to a treatment center
• Baggage – Covers lost or stolen baggage

You can also buy hybrid insurance plans that cover all aspects of your trip.

Buying Travel Insurance

Before buying travel insurance, you need to determine the right type of insurance for your needs.

If you are traveling close to home, chances are you won’t need medical and evacuation cover. However, if you are traveling to a far off country and engaging in high-risk activities such as sports, injury insurance cover, for example, might be in order.

Once you decide on the right type of travel insurance, check with the major travel insurance providers for your state. Compare multiple providers to make a well-informed selection.

Understanding the Benefits Included in a Plan

When you buy a travel insurance plan, make sure to educate yourself on all the included benefits. This will make sure you know what is available and can make use of the benefit if need arises.

Typical benefits to check out include trip cancellation, lost baggage, and medical assistance. For each benefit offered in your plan, make sure you understand what amount the benefit will provide. Trip cancellation benefits, for example, may cover all or part of your ticket and hotel expenses.

How Travel Insurance Claims Work

When you go on your trip, make sure to bring with you your travel insurance policy credentials. This includes your policy number and any other proof that you are actively enrolled in the policy.

Alert your travel insurance company immediately if the need arises to file a claim. This might be in the form of lost baggage, a cancelled trip, or medical events.

Collect any receipts and documentation that will be necessary to support the claim. This includes, for example, a police report in case of stolen baggage.

Once you submit the claim forms with documentation, the insurer will assess your claim. Check with them after a reasonable time for progress on your claim.

Costs and Fees Associated with Travel Insurance

Costs for insuring your trip depend on the total trip cost. This is true, for example, for vacation packages that cover all your travel expenses such as on a cruise. The travel insurance company might charge anywhere from 5% to 10% of the total trip cost in insurance fees.

Optional add ons such as “cancel for any reason” will cost extra. You may save some money by selecting a higher deductible for your travel insurance plan. Be careful with this, however, as you could end up paying more out of pocket if something goes wrong on your trip.

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How Much Is Travel Insurance?

Going on a dream vacation sounds like paradise, but sometimes, life happens and your plans just don’t work out. Purchasing travel insurance can give you some peace of mind and guard against the unexpected. Travel insurance plans work differently than other forms of insurance . They also have distinct, and often confusing, pricing models. Let’s clear the air about travel insurance policies before you take to the air.

What Does Travel Insurance Really Cover?

Travel insurance coverage varies from one carrier to the next. The most popular type of insurance that travelers purchase in North America is Cancellation & Interruption protection. This covers the non-refundable costs of your trip if you can’t travel due to unforeseen circumstances such as an illness or financial issues of your travel carrier. This plan also covers you if you (and your family, if applicable) would happen to fall ill during your trip and have to return home. You can purchase insurance to cover other aspects of your trip as well, such as protecting against potential flight issues and lost or damaged baggage.

What is the Average Cost for Travel Insurance?

The peace of mind afforded to travelers does come at a cost. The price is dependent on which insurance provider you choose for coverage and how much coverage you desire. If you choose a comprehensive policy, you will generally spend between four and eight percent of the total trip price. This means if your dream getaway costs $8,000, you can expect to pay between $320 and $640 to insure it.

Is Travel Insurance Worth Getting?

Many consumers are unaware that they may already have some hidden insurance benefits. Many credit cards offer coverage for lost luggage. Some even have insurance benefits for trip cancellation (up to a pre-determined limit). Check with your credit card issuer to see what benefits they have for travelers . Also, be sure to know what your health insurance already covers. If it provides you with benefits when traveling out of the country, there would be no need to double up and spend the money on additional coverage through a travel insurance policy.

Why Should You Purchase Travel Insurance?

Having peace of mind while traveling is worth the price for many commuters. Protecting your financial investment in your trip and that warding against unforeseen events are just a couple of the reasons why travelers choose to insure their trips. When the unexpected occurs, it’s better to be prepared with trip insurance.

How Can You Get Travel Insurance?

The best way to get the insurance you desire is to shop around. You may be offered insurance automatically when you book your flight online. Some companies, like Expedia, that offer vacation bundles, will also insure parts of your vacation or the whole package . This may not be the most cost-effective option for you, and it’s always wise to stop by or call a travel agent and see what he or she is able to offer you. There are also plenty of websites that offer free price quotes from several different insurers, all based on your customized needs.

If you can’t bear the thought of your best laid plans falling apart, you can always fly by the seat of your pants with some last minute travel .

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Baby and kids travel insurance for peace of mind

We're sure you're itching to get away sometime soon , and whether you're travelling with your newborn baby, tyrannous tot, or kids who are excited to explore the big wide world, you're going to want to get them covered with travel insurance.

Not only will it give you all the peace of mind, but it will also protect your child should anything unfortunate occur such as falling ill or getting injured, or if they happen to misplace their passport.

But do babies even need travel insurance? What are the options for kids, how has Covid-19 affected insurance policies, and what should you consider in your travel insurance policy?

We've done the research and found out everything you need to know to make sure your little one is covered, safe, and sound.

Do babies need travel insurance?

According to MoneySuperMarket , everyone in your family should have travel insurance, including toddlers and newborn babies.

It's also worth making sure that any larger baby accessories, such as travel cots and buggies, are insured too if they're being kept in the hold and are securely packed to avoid damage.

If you are planning to travel by air, you should check with your paediatrician first and foremost for their recommendation as to whether your baby can fly. You should also check the airline's policy for travelling with infants - while many budget airline will let children fly from as young as a few weeks old, some may have different requirements.

What free insurance is available for my child?

Before you travel, you should make sure to get your child a free health insurance card that gives them the right to state-provided healthcare during your stay in the country you're visiting.

However, your card is not a substitute for travel insurance so you should make sure to arrange this as well.

If you and your baby or child are travelling to a country that is part of the European Economic Area, and if you have rights under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, you'll need to arrange for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to give them access to free or discounted medical treatment in the EU.

For most people post-Brexit, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) replaces the EHIC card if you're a UK citizen.

To apply for this free healthcare cover abroad, visit the NHS website where you can enter your own details and arrange cover for yourself or any additional family members.

What are the options for kids' travel insurance?

There are a number of travel insurance options available for children, dependent on who they are travelling with:

Standard travel insurance policy:  This will apply if your child is travelling alone and is standard for all travellers regardless of age. However, the majority of travel insurance policies won't allow a baby to have their own - they'll most likely need a policy with an adult.

Family travel insurance policy:  This will apply if your child is travelling with you as a family. Family travel insurance covers one or two adults and anywhere between one to eight children, all of whom have to be under 18 and live in your home. If you only have one child, you could look into getting a couple's travel insurance policy and buying separate standard travel insurance for your child. This may work out cheaper than the family cover so is worth investigating.

Group travel insurance policy:  This will apply if your child is travelling with non-family members. If you are not the organiser of the trip, check if group travel insurance has been arranged. If not, you may want to buy standard travel insurance for your child to be sure.

What should I consider when buying children's travel insurance?

When buying your child's travel insurance you should make sure it covers any pre-existing medical conditions they have so they can get access to the medication they need or if their medication is lost.

Whether you're taking a single-trip or multi-trips could affect the cost of your insurance, with multi-trip coverage being a better option if you plan to travel from country to country, or to various countries from the UK in a short span of time.

You should consider what extra cover you or your child may need, depending on what your holiday entails and what you plan to bring. Additional cover options could include expensive items, sports insurance, and loss of luggage. With this, you should also keep an eye out for any exclusions so you have all the basics to keep your little one covered.

What should the insurance cover?

As a basis, your travel insurance should cover the following:

Medical expenses

Repatriation

Cancellations

Theft, loss, and damage

If your child is likely to be partaking in activities or sport that have their risks, you should check that this is covered too.

How has Covid-19 affected travel insurance?

You can now get travel insurance that offers Covid-19 cover, covering travel cancellations after a positive test result, medical costs, and additional transport and accommodation should you fall ill with Covid-19 while away.

However, not all policies across providers for Covid-19 are the same so you'll need to check if this is in place if you want the added security.

Currently, with the travel traffic-light system in place in the UK, it's advised that you should only visit countries on the green list. If your destination moves from a green list country to amber or red, you should be aware that you may incur additional costs and/or face travel restrictions that will not be covered by your insurance.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to red-listed countries on the traffic light system and so if you decide to travel anyway against the outlined rules, you won't be covered by your travel insurance policy.

To find out more about how the pandemic may affect your policy, visit Compare The Market for helpful answers to more FAQs on the subject.

Where can you find travel insurance for babies and children?

As well as searching comparison websites such as Compare The Market , GoCompare , and MoneySuperMarket to find the best deals available, we've listed providers many of whom provide enhanced Covid-19 cover too.

1. Holiday Extras Travel Insurance

www.holidayextras.com

Description

Voted best insurance provider by the Globe Travel Awards 2020

Holiday Extras offers:

2. Staysure Travel Insurance

www.staysure.co.uk

Winner of Best Travel Insurance Provider 2020 in the British Travel Awards

3. AXA Travel Insurance

www.axa.co.uk

AXA offers:

• Single and multi-trip travel insurance cover
• Family travel insurance

4. Admiral Travel Insurance

www.admiral.com

Admiral offers:

• Single and annual multi-trip travel insurance cover
• Group and family

5. RAC Travel Insurance

www.rac.co.uk

RAC offers:

Family travel

6. Post Office Travel Insurance

www.postoffice.co.uk

Winner of the Best Travel Insurance Provider award at the Your Money Awards 2021

7. Sainsbury's Bank Travel Insurance

www.sainsburysbank.co.uk

Sainsbury's Bank offers:

Travel tips for travelling with a baby or child

Babies and young children are susceptible to heatstroke, so you should try to avoid hotter countries in the summer months, and make sure you provide plenty of sun protection for their skin.

Make sure to check the safety advice for countries before you visit, to avoid the risk of taking your little one to a potentially unsafe environment. The latest information can be found on the Government’s foreign travel advice

If your child needs liquid medicine or a specific dietary drink, and you need to carry more than 100ml of this in hand luggage, get a doctor’s letter or a prescription to verify this. You’ll also need a doctor’s note for children’s medicine only available on prescription, and for EpiPens.

If you're travelling with your baby, pack a survival bag and you’ll be just fine, whatever happens. Make sure it includes: a collapsible potty; change mat and nappies; hand sanitiser; wet wipes; nappy sacks, to seal away anything smelly; a full set of spare baby clothes ; and an avocado or banana, with a fork or masher if your baby is weaning on purées .

See if you can reduce what you need to take with you by renting baby equipment, from pushchairs to toys, at your destination. In the UK, thebabyloft.co.uk  hires baby equipment, while kidelio.com covers France. Whatever your destination, Google ‘baby equipment rental’ to find out more.

Work out whether you’ll need to use tap water or bottled water to make up feeds or to drink. In France, Italy, Germany and most of Spain, tap water is safe to drink – you’ll still need to boil it before preparing a bottle though. Bottled water can contain high amounts of sodium and sulphate, so look for those with no more than 200mg of sodium (it might show on the label as Na) and no more than 250mg of sulphate (SO4) per litre. Again, you’ll still need to boil it, as it’s not sterile.

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Top Three Options for Travel Insurance for Children

Monito's Managing Editor, Byron has spent several years writing extensively about financial- and migration-related topics.

Links on this page may earn us an affiliate commission. This does not affect the opinions and recommendations of our editors.

Let's face it — travelling with children of any age can be a real hassle! As parents, you'll not only have to put up with a barrage of questions and over-excitement but probably even the odd tantrum too. Nonetheless, for most parents, seeing their young ones revel in new experiences and soak in the sites and sounds of travel makes the hassle worthwhile in the end.

However, travelling with children isn't only a hassle, it can also be expensive! And — over above the food, accommodation, transport, and toys and souvenirs you'll surely be buying for your children — the last thing you want to have to fork your credit card out for is a medical bill or any other unforeseen travel expense.

Fortunately, by taking out an affordable health or travel insurance package for your entire family before you travel, you'll be able to get (at least a little bit more) peace of mind during your trip. Below, we go over our picks for the three best options for travel insurance for children: —

Top Three Travel Insurances for Children

• 01. Best medical coverage — VisitorsCoverage scroll down
• 02. Best for aventurous travel — PassportCard Nomads scroll down
• 03. Best all-round travel coverage — Insured Nomads scroll down
• 04. FAQ about travel insurance for children scroll down

Best Medical Coverage ⁠— VisitorsCoverage

One of the best-known international insurance providers on the web, VisitorsCoverage is a pioneering Silicon Valley insurtech offering comprehensive packages for families travelling with children at an affordable rate. As of 2018, the company had around a million customers and is currently rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, making it a trustworthy and credible choice for your travel insurance partner.

VisitorsCoverage offers many plans and models, and depending on your needs and preferences, you may want to compare and explore their complete catalogue of plans. However, for the sake of this article, we focus on only one of their plans below that we think is excellent travel insurance for children and families:

Plan: VisitorSecure

Price: Around $130 for a family of four (two young children) per month.

Term duration: Up to 364 days.

Eligibility:

• Children cannot be younger than 14 days old.
• You cannot be travelling for fewer than five days.
• Not available if you live in Australia, Canada, or the US States of Maryland, New York, or Washington.

Coverage: VisitorsCoverage is comprehensive and includes medical and travel-related benefits for families with children, although they focus on medical benefits. A few highlights include:

• COVID-19 treatment¹.
• Pre-fixed limited coverage in or out of the PPO network (after deductible).
• Outpatient and inpatient care.
• Flu vaccinations¹.
• Doctor's visits (including specialists).
• Transport coverage.
• Dental accident coverage.
• Emergency room coverage.
• Emergency medical evacuation.

Deductible: $0, $50, or $100, depending on selection.

Maximum limit: $50K, $75K, $100K, or $130K, depending on selection.

Best for: A great plan that combines comprehensiveness with affordability, we think VisitorSecure by VisitorsCoverage is the ideal travel insurance for children, especially if you're mainly focused on more comprehensive medical coverage and don't mind not having any travel-related coverage.

¹ Minimum purchase of 30 days of coverage to be eligible

Best for Adventure ⁠— PassportCard

Brimming with a sense of curiosity and adventure, many children love hiking, swimming, skiing, and many other sporting activities when on holiday abroad. If you know your holiday will probably include some more adventurous activities, it's wise to find insurance that will cover such activities.

PassportCard Nomads is an online travel insurance provider aimed at expats and digital nomads, including sports accident coverage. On its most basic plan — PassportCard for Digital Nomads — families can cover themselves with travel insurance for up to six months, during which time they enjoy a range of unique insurance perks for people on the go, including camera, baggage, and laptop insurance, as well as search and rescue coverage.

PassportCard comes with three plans, all of which come with a red travel insurance card and a unique insurance number to show to the doctor. Below, we break down the Starter Plan:

Plan: PassportCard for Digital Nomads

Price: Starting at $59 per person, per month.

Term duration: Up to six months.

Coverage: PassportCard covers all the basics and goes above and beyond when it comes to travel:

• Emergency coverage.
• Medical coverage.
• Pregnancy (up to 12 weeks).
• Search and rescue.
• Sports accident coverage.
• Theft of camera, laptop, or baggage.

Deductible: $0

Maximum limit: $500,000.

Best for: Because of its higher limit of liability and no deductible, we think PassportCard Nomads is best for families looking for a low-cost travel insurance plan with broad coverage — especially if they stand to benefit from more adventurous coverage such as outdoor sports and camera and laptop insurance.

Best Travel Coverage ⁠— Insured Nomads

If you don't mind paying slightly more per month and are looking for a well-rounded and comprehensive travel- and medical-related insurance policy for you and your children, then we recommend Insured Nomads . Aimed at travellers, remote workers, and globetrotters alike, Insured Nomads is another savvy insurtech platform offering travel insurance for children and families that's ideal for extensive medical- and travel-related coverage.

Founded and run by expats around the globe, Insured Nomads provides an impressive range of travel insurances, including a more extensive scope of medical-related coverages than the other providers in this article. We go over Insured Nomads' basic plan below:

Plan: Travel Insurance World Explorer

Price: Around $325 for a family of four (two young children).

Term duration: One trip of between 7 and 364 days.

• You cannot travel to Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, or the Crimea region.

Coverage: This plan offers a comprehensive set of medal benefits and coverage for basic travel insurance for kids. These include:

• Online consultation (telemedicine).
• Medical, emergency, and accident coverage.
• Medical transportation coverage
• Evacuation and repatriation.
• Life insurance.
• Adventure sports and marine activity coverage.
• Electronics, camera, cellphone, and sports equipment coverage.
• Flight delay provisions.

Deductible: $0, $100, $250, or $500 based on selection.

Maximum limit: $250K, $1M, or $2M, based on selection.

Best for: Although easily the priciest of the three plans on this list, we think Insured Nomads gives the best combination of medical- and travel-related coverage, making it good travel insurance for kids whose parents are looking for comprehensive benefits all around. (Insured Nomads also offers an even more comprehensive global health insurance plan for expats who plan to live abroad for an extended period.)

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance for Children

While you'll not be required to take out travel insurance for your children in all countries, we strongly encourage you to do so anyway. Because the cost of healthcare in foreign countries can be high, taking out travel insurance for you and your kids will mitigate some or all of the risk of covering those costs yourself if you or they need medical attention during your trip.

Yes, medical travel insurance is almost always worth it, and we recommend taking out travel insurance whenever visiting a foreign country. Taking out travel insurance will mitigate some or all of the risk of having to cover those costs yourself in case you need medical attention during your stay.

Health insurance doesn't cover normal holiday expenses, such as flights and hotels, but in case you run into medical trouble while abroad, it may cover some or all of your doctor or hospital expenses while overseas. However, not all health insurance providers and plans offer coverage to customers while abroad, and that's why it's generally best to take out travel insurance whenever you travel.

Although there's overlap, health and travel insurance are not exactly the same. Health insurance covers some or all of the cost of medical expenses (e.g. emergency treatment, doctor's visits, etc.) while travel insurance covers costs that are commonly associated with travelling. This can (and usually does) include medical expenses, but it also often includes coverage for personal belongings, as well as other benefits.

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The 5 Best Family Travel Insurance Plans for 2023

Travelex Insurance Services »

Allianz Travel Insurance »

Seven Corners »

World Nomads Travel Insurance »

AIG Travel Guard »

Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Family Travel Insurance Plans.

Table of Contents

• Rating Details
• Travelex Insurance Services
• Allianz Travel Insurance

The best travel insurance plans can provide you with considerable peace of mind, but the real value comes into play when you wind up using your coverage. Hassles like flight delays, lost luggage and unexpected injuries can be stressful and traumatic, yet travel insurance can reimburse you for the financial costs associated with these mishaps.

If you are planning to travel with your entire family in tow, you already know that the stakes are higher and the potential for losses even greater. For example, you'll want to make sure children traveling with you have travel medical insurance as well as coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions.

You'll need to compare the best family travel insurance plans of 2023 if you want to find the right one for you and ensure each of your dependents is covered by your policy. U.S. News has compiled this guide to the best of the best when it comes to companies offering family travel insurance, since these top picks make it easy and affordable to add children to your plan.

• Seven Corners
• World Nomads Travel Insurance
• AIG Travel Guard

Best Family Travel Insurance Plans in Detail

Travel Select plan offers complimentary coverage for children 17 and younger

Primary coverage with no deductibles

Travel Select only includes up to $50,000 in protection for emergency medical expenses (optional upgrade available)

Meager policy limits ($200) for delayed baggage and sporting equipment

• Trip cancellation protection worth up to 100% of prepaid travel expenses (up to $50,000)
• Trip interruption coverage worth up to 150% (up to $75,000)
• Up to $2,000 ($250 per day) in coverage for trip delays
• $750 for missed connections
• $50,000 for emergency medical and dental expenses
• $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains
• $1,000 in insurance for baggage and personal effects

Single-trip travel insurance plans include free coverage for children ages 17 and younger

Allianz offers annual travel insurance plans for families

Not all plans cover kids for free

Get coverage for up to 10 people in a single policy

Generous policy limits for emergency medical expenses and evacuation

Kids aren't covered for free

Emergency dental coverage is capped at $750

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to 100% of prepaid trip costs
• Trip interruption coverage up to 150%
• Trip delay coverage up to $2,000 ($250 per day)
• Up to $1,500 in protection for missed tours or cruise connections ($250 per day)
• Up to $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses
• Up to $1 million in protection for emergency evacuation

Includes coverage for up to seven children on a single policy

Provides coverage for more than 200 adventure activities and sports

No free travel coverage for kids with paid adults

No option to customize coverage with CFAR protection

• Up to $100,000 in emergency medical insurance
• $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation
• $3,000 in insurance for lost baggage and belongings
• $10,000 in insurance for trip cancellation

Free coverage for one child 17 or younger with each paying adult relative on the plan

Choose from three tiers of travel protection based on your needs

Travel medical expense coverage is low ($15,000) with Essential plan

Essential plan also has low limits for baggage delays ($200) and lost or stolen luggage ($750)

• Up to 100% in coverage for trip cancellation
• 150% in coverage for trip interruption
• $1,000 in baggage insurance
• $300 in protection for baggage delays
• $50,000 in insurance for emergency medical expenses
• $500,000 in protection for medical evacuation

Family Travel Insurance: Coverages You'll Need

As you compare the best travel insurance plans for families, you might be wondering which types of coverage are most important. Ultimately, that depends on the cost of your trip, where you're traveling and the travel issues you worry about the most.

Frequent traveler Linda L. Adkins of Spokane, Washington, says she purchases travel insurance for every trip since her U.S.-based health insurance policy doesn't apply when her family travels overseas. She worries not only about emergency medical expenses that could come into play, but also about the high costs of medical evacuation if a family member needs to be transported a long distance or even back to the U.S.

Adkins has also endured scenarios where her luggage was temporarily lost by an airline while traveling internationally, and she says her delayed baggage benefit was useful when it came to purchasing clothing and toiletries. "I spent almost $100 per day for three days in a row while we waited for our bags," she says.

Adkins saved her receipts and received reimbursement through her travel insurance provider's baggage delay benefit.

U.S. News recommends having the following types of coverage (at a minimum) in place for every trip with kids:

• $50,000-plus in primary insurance per traveler for emergency medical expenses
• Coverage for COVID-19
• $100,000-plus in coverage for emergency medical evacuation
• Adequate protection for trip delays and lost or delayed baggage

Frequently Asked Questions

Credit card travel insurance can provide coverage for families, although the types and amounts of protection you receive can be limited. As an example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card comes with trip cancellation coverage for up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per covered trip, as well as lost luggage reimbursement worth up to $3,000 per passenger if the cardholder or an immediate family member has their luggage lost by a common carrier.

Fine print with the card also states that trip delay coverage can apply if common carrier travel gets delayed by more than six hours or requires an overnight stay, and that both the cardholder and their family members can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for incidental travel expenses including meals and lodging.

For credit card travel insurance to apply, the cardholder needs to pay for common carrier travel for all of their family members with the credit card in question. In other words, simply carrying a travel credit card with travel insurance benefits won't be enough.

Travel insurance plans are built to cover every person listed on the application for coverage. This means you can apply for travel insurance as an individual or as a family who wants all members covered under a single plan.

That said, some travel insurance plans are superior for families since they offer free coverage for dependents. Others offer comprehensive travel insurance policies that provide broad coverage for groups up to 10 people.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is an award-winning content creator who has been writing about travel insurance and travel for more than a decade. She has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world, and she has experience navigating the claims and reimbursement process. In fact, she has successfully filed several travel insurance claims for trip delays and trip cancellations over the years. Johnson also works alongside her husband, Greg – who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states – in their family media business.

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• Medical Plan
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• Complaint resolution process
• Understanding travel insurance
• Choosing travel insurance
• Before your trip
• On your trip
• Travel Tips
• Get a quote online

Packing essentials when travelling with a baby

Do you need travel insurance for your baby?

In the unfortunate event that your baby or toddler should suffer a mishap while being on vacation, making sure that they are eligible for  travel insurance coverage  may help eliminate the stress of a costly mishap so that you may instead focus on taking care of your infant.

Be aware that for most policies, a travelling infant needs to be at least 15 days old as of the effective date of the policy to be eligible for travel insurance coverage through their parent’s plan. Make sure your travel insurance paperwork is up-to-date and accurate, and remember to include infants on the policy. If your child has a medical emergency while travelling, your travel insurance documentation will serve as proof of coverage. Find the right plan for you and your family by visiting our "Find a Plan" page .

Paperwork? You need it.

Travel system.

A lot of thought and consideration goes in to choosing the best travel accessories for day-to-day life. The car seat and stroller should be at the top of your packing checklist for flying with an infant or toddler so that the seamless transfer from vehicle to stroller can continue, and safety remains a top priority. A good option is a collapsible umbrella stroller that can be checked at the gate, but make sure that this will be durable enough to handle any outdoor activities on the other end—if you’re planning to hike, for instance, you might be better off renting an ‘all terrain’ stroller at your destination.

It is almost impossible to hold a baby for an entire flight, particularly for overnights, so make sure to book a seat where the airline can provide you with a bassinet, usually at the front of a section. Make sure to request this as early as possible, as there are a limited number per flight.

Clothing and hygiene

Food and drink, entertainment, make a plan and stick to it.

Travelling with an infant or small child may seem daunting but being well organized will get you a long way. Start preparing to pack a few days before you travel. Keep a running list of things to take, or put items out on a table or dresser as you think of them. If there is genuine concern that fellow passengers will be disturbed on the flight, people do bring “bribe bags” for fellow passengers. These include earplugs and candy or chocolate with a note asking for forgiveness if the baby cries a lot.

Wherever you are going, make sure to pack travel insurance to keep your journey safe   and have a great time on your trip! This is just the beginning of many adventures with your child, and it will be a memory you'll cherish forever. Travel insurance is underwritten by CUMIS General Insurance Company, a member of The Co-operators Group of Companies, administered by Allianz Global Assistance, which is a registered business name of AZGA Service Canada Inc.

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• Main content
• Kids may be covered
• Family travel insurance
• Kids traveling without parents
• School trips
• Multi-trip travel insurance
• Travel insurance for young adults
• Travel insurance for parents

Travel insurance and children: everything you need to know

Our experts answer readers' insurance questions and write unbiased product reviews ( here's how we assess insurance products ). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners ; however, our opinions are our own.

• Your travel insurance may already cover your entire family, including children.
• Travel insurance can cover a single trip or multiple trips within a set time.
• Travel insurance for families should have larger coverage limits than single-traveler plans. 

Before they were four months old, my daughters went on their first long-haul international flights, stopping in Dubai before reaching Australia to visit family. Since then, I've learned a lot about traveling with kids. It essentially boils down to expecting the unexpected. Whether it's a child needing a sudden ER visit just before departure (shoutout to my oldest) or your luggage with all the baby essentials going missing (which happened to my second), you've got to be prepared to roll with the punches, which is where travel insurance comes in.

You might not think much about travel insurance and kids, but if you're a jet-setting family, you probably should. The question of what travel insurance covers is broad. It may cover medical emergencies abroad, lost luggage, and interrupted trips. Some policies will even cover cancellations for illness, which parents know always seem to strike at the worst possible times. Here's what you should know about travel insurance before starting your next family vacation.

Your travel insurance policy may already cover kids

If you're already familiar with buying travel insurance for yourself, you'll find buying travel insurance for children easy. Many policies allow you to add children 17 or under as long as they travel with at least one legal guardian. Some policies enable grandparents to add kids too. Often, adding kids is free, but if you're traveling with more than one kiddo, you may need to pay for additional travel insurance coverage.

Family travel insurance is a good option too

While adding your kid to your travel insurance policy is the simplest way to get coverage, it's not always the best travel insurance for your family's needs. More extensive trips and larger families often have to purchase family travel insurance. These packages are designed to cover medical, cancellations, and lost luggage for your entire group. As your costs go up, so does your travel insurance coverage.

Kids traveling without parents need different travel insurance

Sooner or later, your child might want to go on a trip with their cousins, friends, or neighbors. Children traveling without a parent need travel insurance for unaccompanied minors or single-child travel insurance. Child-specific travel insurance provides the same coverage as other policies, targeting the youngest solo travelers.

Children don't need travel insurance coverage for school trips

Many people (myself included) go on their first travel adventures with their school. The good news is that your child won't need travel insurance for these excursions since the school or organizing party likely already has them covered. However, just as you'd want to know which adults will accompany your child, it's a good idea to find out precisely what type of coverage is included with the price of group travel.

High-flying families can buy a multi-trip travel insurance policy

If your little ones have frequent flier miles, you might be the type of family to benefit from a multi-trip policy, also known as annual travel insurance. This type of policy covers your entire family for the whole year, which means you'll have one less to-do item on your list before booking flights on a whim.

Annual plans may have more limitations. Of course, you should expect to also pay more upfront for the same coverage. Depending on how often you travel, though, an annual plan could save you compared to buying a new one for every trip. Just make sure you check your policy documents for any restrictions.

Big kids qualify for travel insurance too

As more experienced parents like to tell me, the years fly by. At some point, your kids aren't, well, children anymore. But many are still dependent on mom and dad. Luckily, some travel insurance policies allow you to add older offspring, often till the age of 21.

If you've started a tradition of buying travel insurance, your bigger kids might purchase separate policies for spring break weekends and other friend trips. For many parents, looping young adult dependents into the family plan is one more way to reduce unnecessary hassles.

Parents traveling without kids should consider a cancel for any reason policy

Sometimes kids can impact your travel plans, even when traveling without them. Parents traveling sans children can enjoy the extra peace of mind from cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance . As the name suggests, this coverage lets you cancel because of a sick kid, a must-see school event, or anything else. Of course, each policy has a time limit.

You have to cancel your plans before the trip happens. Some companies may have different cutoffs. So make sure to check your policy documents. However, as long as you meet that deadline, you won't have to worry about unseen coverage exclusions.

I just added this for a girls' trip to Italy without my daughters this spring. While I would hate to miss the pizza and gelato for any reason, knowing I could change plans if there were an emergency with my children was well worth the cost of adding cancel for any reason coverage.

Traveling with families is expensive and stressful, even for those who love it. However, travel insurance is a small expense that can reassure you that you're ready for whatever happens.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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