Traveling with family can be one of the most fun and fulfilling ways to travel, but it can also require extra planning and precautions. To help you through the process of selecting and purchasing the right travel insurance to protect everyone on your trip, we’ve compiled the tips below.  

IMG travel insurance plans ideal for families 

It’s important to have travel insurance for every member of your family that is traveling—partners, children, parents, and other relatives. IMG’s top recommended plans for families are iTravelInsured Choice, iTravelInsured Travel SE, and iTravelInsured Travel LX. Each of these plans offer trip cancellation benefits that can refund up to 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if your trip is cancelled for a covered reason. For example, if a family member falls ill before a spring break trip and the entire trip is canceled, these benefits can reimburse prepaid, non-refundable expenses such as deposits, cancellation fees, and change fees. Additionally, multi-generational travel brings together family members from various locations, making travel plans more susceptible to disruptions caused by severe weather events like hurricanes, blizzards, or floods. Trip cancellation benefits can provide coverage for these unforeseen circumstances, offering peace of mind and financial protection. 

iTravelInsured Travel LX also offers Cancel/Interruption For Any Reason coverage as an optional add-on.* If you must cancel your trip for a reason not otherwise covered by the plan, you can get reimbursed up to 75% of your non-refundable insured trip cost. The Cancel For Any Reason benefit could apply if you had an unexpected family issue come up that wasn’t overwise covered or just decided the week before your trip you didn’t want to travel anymore. 

Insurance for traveling families versus expat families 

If you and your family are traveling for 180 days or fewer, you will want to look for a short-term travel insurance option. Whether your family is taking a week-long vacation or spending a summer abroad, a short-term travel insurance plan offers the protection you need in the event of the unexpected, such as a travel delay or medical emergency. iTravelInsured Choice, one of IMG’s most popular travel insurance plans, is designed specifically for cost-conscious travelers spending $10,000 or less per person on their trip and offers well-rounded coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, medical emergencies, and other travel mishaps.  

If you and your family are traveling abroad for longer than 180 days and living the lives of an expat family, you will need to make sure you have a long-term insurance plan in place, as your domestic health insurance plan may not provide sufficient coverage for you and your family while you’re living or working internationally. IMG’s Global Medical Insurance is a long-term, annually renewable, worldwide medical insurance program that is great for expat families. Global Medical Insurance allows you to choose from several plan options, customize your length of stay and area of coverage, and select from multiple deductibles and modes of payment. 

Traveling with children or elderly family members 

When traveling with children or elderly family members, there are some additional factors to take into consideration before setting off on your adventure, such as allowing additional time for travel and planning for any special or additional accommodations they may need. 

In addition to these things, it is especially important to make sure you have the proper travel insurance in place, as children and elderly family members may be more susceptible to injury or illness while traveling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while children may face the same health risks as adults while traveling, the health consequences can be more serious for children. Similarly, according to the National Institutes of Health, the elderly may suffer more from travel-related health problems due to their age or underlying health conditions. 

Because of this, IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel SE plan could be a great option for those traveling with children or elderly family members, as the plan offers up to $250,000 in medical coverage per person for unexpected illnesses and accidents while traveling. Additionally, this plan also offers access to 24/7 non-insurance telehealth services. If your child or elderly family member experiences a non-emergency medical issue, such as a sore throat or runny nose, they can virtually meet with a board-certified medical professional who can help diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications over the phone or through online video consultation. 

How to choose the right coverage for your family's needs 

Every traveler and every trip are unique. When deciding on the appropriate amount of travel insurance coverage, it’s important to consider potential worst-case scenarios. 

For example, if you or someone in your family experiences a major medical emergency while traveling and needs a medical evacuation, these types of transports can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you and your family are planning to travel to a developing nation or a country with limited infrastructure, you may want to consider purchasing a travel insurance plan that includes emergency medical evacuation coverage. Many of IMG's most popular plans include evacuation coverage up to $1M.  

Overall, it’s important to think about the potential for these types of scenarios and the associated costs when determining the amount of coverage needed for a particular trip. 

It’s also important to consider your insured trip cost when choosing a travel insurance plan. For example, IMG’s iTravelInsured Choice plan insures trip costs up to $10,000 per person. In comparison, if you’re taking a more elaborate trip, IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel SE and iTravelInsured Travel LX plans insure trip costs up to $250,000 per person.  

Family travel insurance plans vs. individual travel insurance plans 

At IMG, we make it easy to turn any individual travel insurance plan into one that works for your family as well. All of the plans within our iTravelInsured Travel Series make it easy to add family members to your plan to make sure you and your loved ones are protected in the event of the unexpected. 

Money saving tips 

Traveling with the entire family can be expensive. To combat some of the high-ticket prices, consider traveling with your family during the off season. This can translate into cheaper flights and accommodations, with the potential added bonus of avoiding crowds at your destination. 

Another great way to save money when traveling with your family is to get creative and seek out free attractions and activities, like going to the beach, exploring trails, and perusing farmer’s markets. For even more tips on how to budget well while on vacation, visit this guide IMG has curated. 

When your biggest concern is saving money on travel insurance, consider IMG’s iTravelInsured Choice plan. As mentioned previously, this plan is designed for cost-conscious travelers and provides customers the benefits they need at an economical price. 

How to make claims for multiple family members 

If you encounter the unexpected while traveling and end up needing to file claims for multiple members of your family, you will need to submit a claim for each individual family member. These should be separate claims including a claim form and any relevant bills and receipts related to that claim for each individual. If you're an IMG customer, the fastest and most convenient way to submit a claim is through the MyIMG online customer portal, which guides families through a step-by-step process for filing a claim. 

*These (CFAR/IFAR) benefits can only be purchased at the time the base plan is purchased. These benefits are bundled together and cannot be purchased separately. Not available to NY residents. Additional costs and terms apply