How to Buy Travel Protection for Group Trips – And Navigate the Dynamics of Group Travel

After years (and years) of trips with your immediate family, you get a great idea: What if you traveled with your cousins? Or another family? Or maybe even your friends?

It is a great idea, but it’s not something to be taken lightly. Travel changes relationships – for better and worse. You need to enter into this with a game plan – and some travel insurance with assistance services.

First, and most importantly, determine if all of you would travel well together. Consider these factors for starters:

• What are each person’s trip goals?
• Who’s an early bird? Who’s a night owl?
• How structured and planned out should the traveling be?
• Will it be go-go-go or slow and casual?
• How much physical activity should be involved?
• How close are the kids in age?
• Is sharing caring, or do you not like your stuff touched?
• How well do you really know the group? Maybe you want to try a weekend together before committing to 10 days.

When you have your answers, pick one person to be in charge.

When you’re traveling with your family, everyone knows who’s in charge – it’s Grandma, because if Grandma doesn’t go, no one goes. But if you’re traveling with a group of friends and there’s no clear-cut lead decision-maker, the result could be either lots of arguments or no decisions.

This is a bad thing, because it may mean that no travel protection gets purchased.

Travel protection is important for a group trip, because there are so many of you, and something that affects one of you could affect everyone.

Here's a comprehensive guide to help you and your fellow travelers understand and navigate the process of buying travel protection for your group trip:

Travel protection plans from Generali Global Assistance cover a maximum of 10 people. If you have a group of 14, this means some higher-level math comes into play.

Well, maybe not that high-level. Your options include:

• Splitting the group into two (e.g., seven and seven, 10 and four, or any other combination that works), with each sub-group buying its own plan
• Covering 10 people under one plan and having everyone else buy their own plan
• Breaking into smaller groups and having four or five separate plans

These machinations may be necessary because all the people covered under one plan must live in the same state. Each state has its own insurance regulations, and policies can vary from state to state.

If you’re concerned that these multiple plans might mean people pay more, relax. It doesn’t generally work that way.

Also read: 7 Questions to Ask to Find the Best Family Travel Protection

Here are the main reasons why travel protection is crucial for a group trip:

Diverse needs and risks: Each group member may have different health concerns, travel histories, risk tolerances, or situations back home. Individual policies, or group policies based on these parameters, ensure that each member's specific needs are met.

Trip Cancellation protection: If any group member needs to cancel, travel protection may help recover lost deposits and any other prepaid, non-refundable expenses. Learn more

Emergency assistance: 24/7 emergency assistance can be a lifesaver, especially when navigating unfamiliar places as a large group. Because let’s face it: When one of you is lost, all of you are lost.

Also read: 6 Ways to Get More Value Out of Your Travel Protection Plan

If you have to buy an individual plan, select a trip cost/amount that covers only your portion of the trip expenses. This includes your share of any costs like vacation rentals or group activities. Insure the prepaid, non-refundable expenses that you would lose if you needed to cancel the trip.

This also extends to a subgroup policy, if you go that route. Calculate as a group how much you have in insurable expenses and insure that amount.

Also read: How to Calculate Trip Cost Correctly for Travel Insurance

Because of things like flights from multiple airports and shared accommodations, insuring a group trip requires some coordination. Here’s how to go about it:

Understand individual needs: Have a group discussion to understand everyone’s specific needs and concerns. This might include health issues, travel experience, and what aspects of the trip they’re most concerned about.

Coordinate trip details: Gather all trip details, including flights, accommodations, activities, and any other expenses that are part of the trip cost.

Calculate trip costs: See above. You need a covered dollar amount for each entity, individual or group, that’s buying a policy.

Educate the group: People can be hesitant to protect their travels because they don't understand it. Share resources or have a group chat to explain how it works and what’s covered. A closed Facebook group is a great place for this. Our Travel Insurance 101 blogs are great for this.

Choose the right plan: Plans should best fit the needs of the group, considering factors like medical coverage, cancellation terms, and additional benefits like baggage protection. See more about this

Share plan details: Encourage each member or subgroup to share their plan details with someone other than them. In case of an emergency, it’s helpful to have someone who knows where to find this information.

Start early: Begin talking about insurance early in the planning process. This gives everyone ample time to research and decide on their coverage.

Designate a coordinator: While buying insurance may be decentralized, having a coordinator in the group can help keep track of who’s bought and who hasn’t.

Keep communication open: Maintain clear communication within the group. This includes updates on travel changes, insurance purchases, or any other relevant information.

Have a contingency plan: Discuss as a group what the plan would be in case someone has to cancel or in case of an emergency during the trip. This ensures everyone is on the same page.

Travel protection for a group trip is crucial in ensuring a smooth journey. By understanding the need for everyone to be covered, whether through individual policies or as a group, and selecting and coordinating the right coverage amounts, you may help safeguard your trip against unexpected events.

Remember, travel protection isn’t just a box to check off; it’s a vital component of responsible travel. With your group, gang or squad covered, you can focus on enjoying your adventure together. Get a quote today, it just takes a minute.

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