Group travel insurance

Preparing for a holiday as a group or family can be a stressful time. Not only do you have to think about getting yourself ready, you may have to check other members of the party are organised too.

Taking out travel insurance doesn’t need to be stressful, though. You can even buy cover that extends to the whole group should you wish.

Many insurers now offer some level of Covid-19 cover, but this can vary quite a lot between providers. Examples of what may be covered include:

• Emergency medical expenses: Including repatriation (getting you home), and additional expenses (for example, a quarantine hotel stay) if you fall ill with Covid-19.
• Cancellation: If you test positive (or a close relative passes away due to Covid-19) prior to your holiday and are unable to travel.
• Curtailment: If you test positive for Covid-19 pre-departure, upon arrival at your destination, or while on holiday. Additionally, look for a policy that offers curtailment cover in the event a close relative passes away from Covid-19 during your holiday.

The main advantage of group travel insurance is that one policy can be used to cover a number of people, making it quicker and easier to organise than numerous individual policies.

Another plus point is that a group travel insurance policy is likely to be cheaper, as some insurance companies discount cover.

Families can also benefit from free cover for children under a certain age. And what’s more, you may find you have higher levels of cover on items such as baggage than you would with a stand-alone policy.

When buying group travel insurance, you can choose between single-trip or multi-trip annual cover. The latter is generally the better choice if you and your family, for example, travel more than twice a year.

Buying an annual policy also avoids having to organise travel insurance again next time you go away. Just remember to renew your policy after 12 months if you are likely to be taking a few trips.

A group travel insurance policy works in exactly the same way as an individual policy, apart from the fact that it covers a group of people, rather than just one person.

Policies can cover all kinds of groups: families, friends that are travelling together, clubs, but as with all insurance policies, it's important to read the terms and conditions before buying to see exactly what is covered – and what is not.

If you are over 65, for example, you may have to take out a specialist policy. Similarly, if anyone in the group suffers from a pre-existing medical condition, a specialist policy may be required. (It is essential to let your insurer know about any pre-existing conditions, as not declaring them could invalidate the policy.

Other things to look out for include what happens if you take out a family policy and your children go away with relatives, for example. Some insurers will cover them subject to certain conditions, so it is worth checking before forking out for a separate policy.

It's also important to find out whether the adults on a family annual policy are covered to travel separately, as well as how much excess the policy requires you to pay towards a claim.

Some group travel insurance providers charge an excess for each member of the party, which could end up costing more than your claim.

You will also have to decide whether to opt for a European or worldwide policy. While it may sound obvious, check that the country you are travelling to is actually covered. Some insurers don't consider Turkey, for example, to be within Europe, meaning you would have to buy their worldwide policy to cover trips there.

Do not skimp on ensuring you are getting the best protection.

It's really important that you get a comprehensive level of cover. There are plenty of cheap insurance policies out there, but there is little point buying one of these if it will let you down when you need to put a claim in. We recommend that you look for a policy with at least the following levels of cover per person:

• £2million for medical expenses (medical expenses abroad and emergency repatriation can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds so it is essential you have a high level of protection in place)
• £1million personal liability
• Cancellation cover that will at least cover the cost of your trip and any scheduled activities
• £1,500 baggage (or enough to cover the cost of replacing all your possessions)
• £250 cash
• Policy excess under £100
• Cover for scheduled airline failure or end supplier failure (as appropriate) if your holiday is not ATOL protected
• Delay cover

You can get added protection in Europe by ensuring that you and the other members of your group have GHICs.

If you're travelling to Europe, it's important to ensure everyone in your family or group has a valid GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) that gives access to medical care for the same cost as a local resident. If you don't have a card, you can apply for one for free through the NHS website.

Never accept the first price you come across. We recommend that you compare a wide range of policies on offer and take the time to read the terms and conditions so you can relax in the knowledge that you've found the best policy for your circumstances.

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The TravelSupermarket Limited travel insurance comparison service is operated by Moneysupermarket.com Limited. Registered in England No. 3945937. Registered Office: MONY Group House, St. David's Park, Ewloe, CH5 3UZ.

Moneysupermarket.com Limited is an appointed representative of MONY Group, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190).

TravelSupermarket Limited (FCA FRN 953671) is an appointed representative of MONY Group plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 303190). MONY Group Financial Holdings Limited, registered in England No. 3157344.