The 5 Best Family Travel Insurance Plans
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.
Travelex Insurance Services »
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Travel Select plan offers complimentary coverage for children 17 and younger
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Primary coverage with no deductibles
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Travel Select only includes up to $50,000 in protection for emergency medical expenses (optional upgrade available)
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Meager policy limits ($200) for delayed baggage and sporting equipment
This plan comes with:
- 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
The Travel Select plan also comes with minimal coverage for baggage delays and sporting equipment delays. Several upgrades are also available, including cancel for any reason (CFAR) insurance, additional medical coverage, adventure sports coverage and car rental collision insurance.
Allianz Travel Insurance »
- Plan Name: OneTrip Premier
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Single-trip travel insurance plans include free coverage for children ages 17 and younger
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Allianz offers annual travel insurance plans for families
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Not all plans cover kids for free
The OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier plans from Allianz mostly differ in terms of the coverage limits that apply with each policy. For example, the Prime option comes with coverage up to $100,000 for trip cancellation and $150,000 for trip interruption, whereas the policy limits for these coverages with the Premier plan are $200,000 and $300,000 respectively.
Both of these single-trip plans also come with coverage for emergency medical expenses ($50,000 with OneTrip Prime and $75,000 with OneTrip Premier), emergency medical evacuation coverage, protection for lost or delayed baggage, trip delay insurance, and 24/7 travel assistance. Either plan can be customized with CFAR coverage, which reimburses up to 80% of prepaid travel expenses per covered traveler.
It’s worth noting that Allianz offers other travel insurance plans that cover children for an additional cost – including the company’s annual travel insurance plans.
- Plan Name: Trip Protection Choice
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Get coverage for up to 10 people in a single policy
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Generous policy limits for emergency medical expenses and evacuation
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Kids aren’t covered for free
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Emergency dental coverage is capped at $750
The Trip Protection is offered in two different tiers: Basic and Choice. The Choice plan comes with higher policy limits and more coverage overall, which is why it’s best for families who want the most robust travel insurance protection that money can buy.
Benefits that come with the Trip Protection Choice plan include:
- 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
Other coverages range from protection for baggage and baggage delays to accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) benefits. Several optional protections can also be purchased to customize this plan, including cancel for any reason insurance, rental car coverage, event ticket registration fee coverage, and insurance for sports equipment and rentals.
World Nomads Travel Insurance »
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Includes coverage for up to seven children on a single policy
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Provides coverage for more than 200 adventure activities and sports
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No free travel coverage for kids with paid adults
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No option to customize coverage with CFAR protection
The Explorer Plan from World Nomads is the recommended option for families who want higher limits for trip cancellations and their travel gear. This plan comes with:
- 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
Other coverages that can be included in the plan are for trip interruptions, trip delays, baggage delays, rental cars, and accidental death and dismemberment. Nonmedical emergency transportation services and 24-hour travel assistance are also offered to consumers.
- Plan Name: Preferred Travel Insurance Plan
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Free coverage for one child 17 or younger with each paying adult relative on the plan
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Choose from three tiers of travel protection based on your needs
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Travel medical expense coverage is low ($15,000) with Essential plan
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Essential plan also has low limits for baggage delays ($200) and lost or stolen luggage ($750)
U.S. News recommends the Preferred plan from this provider, which is also the most popular policy AIG sells. The Preferred plan comes standard with:
- 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
Optional insurance can also be purchased for car rentals, lodging expenses and security evacuation with the Preferred plan.
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
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