Americans are gearing up for an unprecedented spring break travel season. This comes amid a record-breaking partial government shutdown that affected TSA workers, creating long security lines at airports across the country.
An expected 171 million passengers could travel between March 1 and April 30, according to the trade air travel and cargo trade association Airlines for America. However, not every trip will go smoothly. Travel insurance can help protect your finances, whether your family faces a lost bag, a canceled flight or an injury.
CNBC Select has chosen the best travel insurance plans for families based on coverage options, cost and more. For more information on how we made our picks, read our methodology.
Best for families with young children: Allianz Travel
Who's this for? Allianz's OneTrip Prime policy covers one child under 17 for free for every insured adult.
Standout benefits: Allianz's Cancel For Any Reason upgrade reimburses up to 80% of trip expenses, more than most competitors. The Cancel For Any Reason upgrade covers up to 80% of prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs.
Child discount: OneTrip Prime and Premier plans cover one child under 17 for free for every insured adult. (Not available in Pennsylvania)
- OneTrip Prime and Premier plans cover one child under 17 for free
- CFAR coverage reimburses 80% of nonrefundable trip costs.
- Pre-existing condition waiver included with all plans
- Rates are higher than the national average
- Limited options for adventure travel
- CFAR plan must be purchased through a travel agent
- No discounts
Best for affordability: Faye
Who's this for? Online provider Faye is a top choice for families on a budget, with policies starting at under $5 per day (for 14 days) for domestic trips and under $6 a day for international trips.
Standout benefits: Faye's intuitive digital interface makes getting quotes, buying a policy and filing claims online fast and easy. The Cancel For Any Reason upgrade covers up to 75% reimbursement of nonrefundable trip costs
Child discount: No
- $2,100 per person trip delay coverage after six hours
- 100% digital claims process
- Can add coverage for pet care and vacation rental damage
- Only one plan is available
- Rates are higher than some competitors
Best for customization: Travelex Insurance Services
Who's this for? Travelex has upgrades to cover rental cars, adventure activities, vacation rentals, pet care, accidental death and more. The top-tier Ultimate plan includes the Cancel For Any Reason and Cancel For Business Reasons add-ons, plus the option to increase medical coverage from $250,000 to $500,000.
Standout benefits: The optional baggage upgrade allows you to increase the coverage limit for laptops, smartphones, sports equipment and other items if they're lost, stolen or damaged. Cancel For Any Reason upgrade is available with the Ultimate plan and covers up to 75% of nonrefundable trip costs.
Child discount: With the top-tier Ultimate plan, one child 17 or younger is covered for free with each insured adult.
Travelex Insurance Services
Policy highlights
Essential, Advantage and Ultimate policies plus last-minute Travel Med Go plan and standalone plans for emergency medical and flight coverage. Upgrades include rental car, pet and adventure activities coverage
Cancel For Any Reason coverage
Upgrade with Ultimate plan covering 75% of nonrefundable trip costs if purchased within 21 days of initial deposit and 31 days of departure.
Pre-existing condition waiver
Included with Ultimate plan if purchased within 21 days of initial deposit
Pros
- Ultimate plan covers one child 17 or younger per each insured adult
- Last-minute Travel Med Go plan covers travel delays, lost luggage and more
- Pre-existing condition waiver only available with top-tier plan
Cons
- CFAR plan must be purchased 31 days before departure
- No multi-trip or annual plans
Best for trip cancellation: Travel Insured International
Who's this for? Worried about school interfering with your family trip? All three Travel Insured International plans include an extension of the school year as a covered reason for travel cancellation.
Standout benefits: While many providers require Cancel For Any Reason plans to be purchased within 14 days of your initial deposit, you have 21 days to add it to your Worldwide Trip Protector plan. Upgrade bundles also available for rental cars, pets, theme parks, cruises, flights, baggage and extreme sports.
Child discount: The Worldwide Trip Protector and Deluxe plans cover children 17 and under for free when they accompany an insured adult.
Travel Insured International Travel Insurance
Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
Policy highlights
Travel Insured International has two simple travel insurance plans — the Worldwide Trip Protector and Worldwide Trip Protector Gold. Its plans are affordable and offer the option of cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage.
24/7 assistance available
Yes
Pros
- Optional CFAR coverage and interruption for any reason coverage
Cons
- Medical coverage can be lower than other options
Best for cruises: Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
Who's this for? Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection offers two cruise-specific packages that cover missed connections, ship disablement and diversion, financial default and prepaid excursion cancellation.
Standout benefits: Cruise plans include 24/7 global assistance, which can provide help in case of a medical or travel emergency, or concierge services for tickets or restaurant reservations. Cancel for Any Reason upgrade with LuxuryCare package covers 50% of prepaid, nonrefundable costs.
Child discount: No
- Speedy claims resolution including same-day compensation
- All plans include rental car collision coverage
- Pre-existing coverage waiver available with all plan
- CFAR policy only reimburses 50% of prepaid trip costs
- No add-ons available
What does family travel insurance cover?
Like any travel insurance policy, family travel insurance can reimburse prepaid, nonrefundable costs if your trip is canceled, delayed or otherwise disturbed. Common coverage types include:
Here are some types of coverage that are generally included in family travel insurance plans:
- Trip cancellation and trip interruption
- Travel delays
- Delayed or lost bags
- Emergency medical expenses or evacuation
- Optional add-ons including rental car coverage and Cancel For Any Reason insurance
How much does travel insurance cost?
While the exact amount any policy costs depends on the age of the traveler, the coverage limits selected and any optional add-ons you've chosen, a standard travel insurance policy costs between 4 and 10% of the overall prepaid, nonrefundable costs of your trip.
A plan with a Cancel For Any Reason benefit can add 40% to that cost.
Family travel insurance FAQs
Does travel insurance cover family members?
Yes, you can typically insure up to 10 family members on one travel insurance plan, including children, grandchildren and in-laws. More distant relatives may not be eligible, depending on the provider. Since age is a factor in the price, older relatives could make coverage more expensive.
Does travel insurance cover a death in the family?
In most cases, standard travel insurance will cover travel cancellation because of the death of a close relative, including spouses, children, parents, grandparents and in-laws. Aunts, uncles, cousins and other more distant family members may not qualify, however, so be sure to check the details of your policy
Can you get travel insurance at any age?
There is typically no minimum age for coverage — in fact, several leading companies cover children under 17 for free if they are accompanied by a paying adult. Some providers do cap coverage for seniors: Nationwide only approves travelers under 70 and Allianz's basic plan is only available to travelers under 75.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed financial decisions. Every travel insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of travel insurance products. To research the best travel insurance companies, we compiled over 100 data points on more than a dozen travel insurance companies. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Our methodology
To determine the best travel insurance companies for families, CNBC Select analyzed more than 20 top providers based on cost, coverage options, add-ons, customer service, the availability of Cancel For Any Reason coverage and requirements for pre-existing coverage waivers.
We weighed companies with family-friendly features more favorably, including free coverage for children and the extension of the school year as an approved reason for cancellation.
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
Our recommendations are organized by best for families with young children, for affordability, for TK, for Cancel For Any Reason coverage and for cruises
Premiums and policy structures cited for travel insurance companies are subject to change in accordance with company policies.
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