New research from Gocompare.com Travel Insurance has found that certain policies restrict children, depending on whether they live away from their parents or if the family travels separately to the holiday destination.

Of the 750 annual family travel insurance policies the comparison site compared, 35% excluded cover for children if they don’t live at the same address as the parents.

Some 36% of policies restricted cover for independent travel to the insured adults only, meaning that any children insured under the policy wouldn’t be covered if they went away with extended family members, such as grandparents, or family friends.

When travelling with step-children, Gocompare found that 61% of policies covered all members even if they do or do not live with you but just over a third (34%) only provided cover if the step-child lives with the insured parent. Six per cent of policies compared excluded cover for step-children.

The maximum age of children also varied between policies from 11 to 25, with three quarters of policies setting the maximum age at either 17 or 18, with the provision that the child is in full-time education.  A child discount is available on 37% of the policies compared.

Alex Edwards from Gocompare.com said: “Travel insurance is a must for any trip abroad – whether you’re travelling alone, as a couple or family.  Without cover, you could be left picking-up the bill for expensive medical treatment if you fall ill or have an accident while abroad.

“As well as medical cover, travel insurance provides a financial buffer against holiday plans being cancelled because of unforeseen events including illness, injury or redundancy, travel delays and for lost or stolen baggage, passports or other belongings.

“When buying cover for your family holiday, it’s essential that you check the policy wording to make sure the policy suits your personal family circumstances and holiday plans.  Not all policies will cover your children if they don’t normally live with you and there can also be restrictions on cover for step-children.”

Edwards added that if step children are excluded, you can add separate cover, though you may have to pay a premium for this.