Travel insurance might have seemed the best option to avoid getting into serious trouble while travelling or globe-trotting. However, how would you feel if the travel insurance itself was a ripoff in the first place? Don’t raise your eyebrows, because this is exactly the case with most over-65 individuals, who find the insurance premiums doubling up or shooting through the roof, just because they happen to be on the wrong side of 65.

Many insurance companies have defended the price jump, justifying that with over-65 travellers the chance of an insurance claim is thrice than young tourists, with the claim value again being thrice the normal claim rates.

Most of the elderly lot will take this into their stride and travel anyway, while the rest simply drop their plan to travel. Many often risk the dangers of travelling without buying travel insurance. But do you really have to be duped like this? Not really. Check out the listed tips to avoid being the latest victim of travel insurance ripoffs that have become so commonplace today:

• You Need to Choose Your Insurance Very Carefully – Shop around for a travel insurance deal. Take into account at least 10 insurance agencies before you settle for one, because most would not pay for existing ailments and have other adverse conditions. Try to find the one that costs the least with the maximum benefits.
• Specialists or Not? – Try to use a specialist insurance agency that has had a client base of over-65 travellers, but do not stick to them as a commandment. In fact, at times, using your neighbourhood bank or travel insurance agency might land you a better deal than specialists who care only for policies and deadlines.
• The Double-Agent – Don’t trust your agent blindly. Most agents try to sell off insurance policies that are of no use to you, except being about 90% more expensive than what other insurance policies would have cost.
• The Fine Print – Read the fine-print, (with a magnifying glass if so needed) in thorough detail. A lot of conditions, claim considerations, etc. are mentioned in fine print deliberately for you to miss them. Don’t give them the satisfaction and pleasure by doing so!

If you have these points in place, even the best travel insurance agent cannot get you to buy a useless policy, even if you are in desperate need of one!

Travelling or the yearning for it does not wean away with age. In fact, the urge to travel to uncharted territories and heavens on earth only grows more as you grow older. However, unlike in youth, simply packing your bags and jet-setting to far corners of the world can be a challenge during the later stages of life.

Travelling, for older people, can require extensive planning. A few tips would only help in that direction:

• Check whether problems of jet lag or a change in the food can affect you worse than others. If yes, then you need to cut down on extensive flying and trying out experimental dishes.

• Consult with your doctor when you start planning for the trip. You are going abroad my friend! A thorough check-up is a must.

• Vaccines and medicines – These days pandemics (such as swine flu or bird flu) wreak havoc on your holiday and health. Getting yourself properly vaccinated and carrying the right medicines is very important for each travelling individual queuing up for elderly travel tours!

• Travel insurance is another aspect that needs attention. Often elderly travel enthusiasts skip travel insurance in order to cut down on burgeoning travel costs. But this is a gross mistake as travellers are often left stranded without insurance in the middle of nowhere. To avoid such situations, make sure you have the right over 65 travel insurance plan to back you up in case of an emergency.

While these points are enough to catch you from getting caught unaware in the midst of a mess-up, travelling abroad is a risk even for the sturdiest of older people. However, in case of elderly travel, other factors such as travelling in groups and signing up with a proper travel agency are crucial.

Unlike youngsters who may be able handle untoward situations, sometimes through ignorance, elderly people can lack the emotional power and stamina to tackle similar situations. A thorough understanding of the destination and information regarding the food, weather and culture is one of the most important elderly travel tips you can have before setting out into the sun!