Do I need travel insurance for a school trip?

Sending your children away on a school trip can be incredibly exciting for them, but also a little bit daunting as a parent. It'll be an opportunity for them to open their eyes to a whole new part of the world and enjoy it with friends. However, as you're packing them off with a smartphone and their backpacks, it can beg a few questions about what insurance will be needed.

Do I need to buy this, or will the school buy this?

It's best to contact your school about this; the school can take out a policy to cover everyone, but they should tell you that they've done this. If not, you can get your children insured as part of a group, but either way it's a good idea to definitely make sure they're insured! Taking out school trip travel insurance will keep them covered even if the school don't take out a group policy.

Insurance for a child only

If your child is travelling, regardless of who they're with, it's always best to have insurance to cover the cost of anything that happens to their belongings or any personal accidents that may occur while abroad. Here are a few things the insurance should cover:

• Lost luggage
• Personal accidents and repatriation
• Medical treatment
• Theft
• Loss of valuables

If you're travelling within the EU, its strongly recommended that your child brings their EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) with them, or at the very least registers for one. While this is no replacement for travel insurance, its accepted in many state hospitals across the EU and will help to cover the cost of any treatment needed while away.

School ski trip travel insurance

We have a winter sports insurance policy out there to cover school skiing trips. This policy covers all the usual necessaries, such as equipment, medical cover and organiser's liability. However, as mentioned before, you should always contact the school beforehand if they have already taken out a policy.