Children's cover on travel insurance varies between insurers, and it's not always clear how. We review and compare whether a child can be covered travelling alone, such as on a school trip or flying out to relatives, whether the policy requires a "responsible adult" without defining one, and what happens to the children if you're the one taken into hospital. If you see a policy you like, click through to get a live quote and a price comparison against 30 other insurers.
A comparison of 9 policies from 6 leading UK travel insurers.
Policies from Aviva, Admiral, GetAway, Staysure, LV= and Post Office are compared on their cover for travelling with a child. Comparison is based on cover levels and a line-by-line review of each insurer's full policy wording and IPID. Insurance policies and IPIDs were those publicly available from insurers. Review conducted on August 20th, 2026. Where a policy meets our criteria, a link to purchase via our partner Aequotech is provided, or we link directly to the insurer. Always review your policy wording before purchasing to check for wording updates and specific clauses.
A child is insured on the same terms as an adult, with no amount cut for their age and nothing off treatment abroad if you use a health card. But they may travel only with a responsible adult, and only a serious illness lets you cancel.
If you are the one in hospital, they send someone out to collect the children and take them home. Against that, the policy excess is £150 on every claim, and a child’s accident payout is a fifth of an adult’s.
A child is insured on the same terms as an adult, with no amount cut for their age and nothing off treatment abroad if you use a health card. But they may travel only with a responsible adult, and only a serious illness lets you cancel.
Up to six children go on one policy, and on a year-round policy they can travel without you if an adult meets them. But a child’s illness counts only once a doctor has seen them and prescribed something, and a child’s cash stops at £100.
Up to six children go on one policy, and on a year-round policy they can travel without you if an adult meets them. But a child’s illness counts only once a doctor has seen them and prescribed something, and a child’s cash stops at £100.
You can cancel because a child is ill without having to show it is serious. Each person only gets £500 towards what they paid for the trip and £300 for everything in their case, and a child can never travel apart from you.
Four ways a child can travel without you: with any named adult, with a relative of 24 or over, on a school trip, or out to relatives abroad. Their belongings need the paid belongings add-on, and cash for a child stops at £100.
Children are covered right up to 21, school, university and club trips are named, and from 16 travelling without an adult can be put on the policy. Belongings need a paid add-on, and a child’s accident payout is a tenth of an adult’s.
Children are covered right up to 21, school, university and club trips are named, and from 16 travelling without an adult can be put on the policy. Belongings need a paid add-on, and a child’s accident payout is a tenth of an adult’s.