65 Travel Insurance has recently obtained quotes from a variety of travel insurers who cater to people over 65 years. The results are listed below:

Date completed: 21st December 2009
Cheapest travel insurance: Staysure.co.uk – GET QUOTE

• Staysure.co.uk (Single trip – Comprehensive) – £15.29
• EHIC Plus – £19.55
• Insure for All – £21.49
• Saga – £28.08
• Direct Travel (Silver) – £39.98

The quotes will be to compare price and is based on the following conditions:

65 year old – male
European holiday
Single trip – 14 days
No medical or pre-existing conditions

PLEASE NOTE: Depending on your circumstances price should not be be sole factor in determining the most appropriate travel insurance for yourself. You should take in to consideration any excess payable, cover for pre-exisiting conditions and you should read the terms and conditions before purchasing any policy.

Even though travelling costs have gone down, for most over-50s people, it’s quite difficult to find the right travel insurance that fulfils their requirements. Elderly travel insurance should be selected very carefully after comparing a lot of policies as their prices increase once you are over 65. Typical annual premiums exceed £100, and this situation will not change for the citizens of UK as the population grows older.

If you are travelling with your elderly parents for more than 45 days on a trip and if they have pre-existing medical conditions, then don’t assume that the senior travel insurance that you have purchased will cover everything. Elderly travellers should always check with the insurer whether they require additional “top-up” payments or not. Many policies contain caveats and exclusions, so besides checking the price, also look for medical, cancellation, and baggage cover. If you don’t take care of these issues at the beginning then you run the risk of your claims being refused later on.

Staysure.co.uk has launched a new travel insurance policy for over-50s age group, which is five times cheaper than the competition. If a 50-year old couple decides to go on a Europe trip for seven days, they’ll have to pay £14 minimum. This policy covers 220 medical conditions, without charging any extra money for it. Those who are up to 85 years of age can go for single policy cover and those up to 81 years of age can go for annual cover.

Age Concern Insurance Services provides customized travel insurance for the elderly, without any restrictions like upper age limits. According to Joe Young from the company, they aim to cover as many pre-existing medical conditions as possible.

As per the travel policy offered by Marks & Spencer’s, a 70 year old traveller who is in good health needs to pay a high premium of £148 that includes the Caribbean, USA and Canada. But it’s worth it as it has a good level of health cover. However, those who apply for this insurance have to go through additional screening, online or over the phone, for serious medical conditions like cancer that they may be suffering from in the last one year. The cover offered by Marks & Spencer’s is definitely much more than a standard policy. Average cancellation cover is between £2,000 and £3,000, up to a maximum of £6,000. Baggage cover is £2,500 and medical cover is £10m.

Rias, Saga, and Age Concern provide travel insurance for the elderly, while Marks & Spencer offers competitive products. So, before picking a policy, it is better to scan the entire travel insurance market for the elderly rather than to opt for a specialist.

Sharing, caring and loving – that’s what Christmas is all about. And you can’t imagine Christmas without gift giving and loads of shopping. Each year if you buy from the same market then why not try out something new this year? Check out the best Christmas markets across 13 European countries:

1. Germany –
a. Berlin (23rd November to 31st December)
b. Cologne (27th November to 23rd December)
c. Nuremberg (27th November to 24th December)
d. Munich (27th November to 24th December)

2. France –
a. Paris (5th December to 31st December)
b. Strasbourg (28th November to 31st December)
c. Reims (20th November to 26th December)
d. Lille (18th November to 30th December)

3. Belgium –
a. Bruges (20th November to 3rd January)
b. Brussels (27th November to 3rd January)

4. Netherlands – Valkenburg (21st November to 21st December)
5. Czech Republic – Prague (28th November to 1st January)
6. Sweden – Gothenburg (13th November to 23rd December)
7. Slovenia – Ljubljana (3rd December to 2nd January)
8. Estonia – Tallinn (29th November to 7th January)
9. Austria – Vienna (22nd November to 26th December)
10. Denmark – Copenhagen (20th November to 30th December)
11. Switzerland – Basel (26th November to 23rd December)
12. Hungary – Budapest (20th November to 29th December)
13. Luxembourg – Luxembourg City (27th November to 24th December)

You can also take you elderly parents for a great shopping spree this Christmas, but don’t forget to buy senior travel insurance as it will be of great help in case of emergencies.

There is some good news for travellers over 65 years of age who wish to travel around the world but cannot do so because of pre-existing medical conditions. Most over-65 travel insurance plans, especially, for people with pre-existing medical conditions are priced higher than regular travel insurance policies, just because of the risks involved for the cover provider.

However, with the new over-65 pre-existing medical condition travel insurance policy from Essential Travel, you may not have to cancel or curtail your travel plans any more. The new policy allows over-65 travellers to avail of a travel insurance policy that takes care of them while on a trip abroad. It is almost like a boon for travellers who have pre-existing medical conditions. With an easy online screening process in place to identify existing medical conditions and map a policy accordingly, seniors now only have to worry about packing their bags and getting the tickets!

Also, with a whopping £10 million being available as medical cover, as well as a considerable flexibility in choosing the policy or medical cover one wants, Essential Travel has literally opened the gates to the over 65 travel enthusiasts. Families now do not have to worry about leaving their grandparents behind while on a trip to Egypt, as Essential Travel makes it a cakewalk to obtain a travel insurance for the seniors, even with the severest of pre-existing medical conditions such as a chronic or terminal illness.

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!

The general notion is that older people tend to be weak and immobile, who need help to walk down the pavement to the next block. This notion might change with the World Masters Games that opened in Sydney on 12th October 2009. Involving about 28,000 athletes, mostly older people (some of whom have even crossed the 90-mark!), the grand event is all set to break the conventional notions of old age!

One of the prime examples of this is Ruth Frith, a 100-year old great-grandmother, who is also the oldest competitor in the event. Even at this age, Ruth managed a 4.07m in shot-put for the 100-104 aged category, and emerged with a gold medal. And to top it all, she also had some riveting advice for the younger generation – “Don’t eat vegetables, because I never eat vegetables. I know people that like diets that will scream at me, (but) don’t eat vegetables. I never have”!

Oleg Kotelko, another star at the event, won the shot-put and 100-meter finals in her category, leaving a world record in shot putting with a 5.6 meter throw in her wake. At just 90, she quipped most exuberantly, “There was no one else my age, but it felt really good and I’m quite pleased. I also beat an 80-year-old,”

But what has also helped mark this event as a stand-out is the fact that most athletes here participate for the sake of the thrill in finding new friends and exploring the host city, rather than fighting it out for prizes. And with thousands more travelling to the Australian city, the game also makes the cut as a great reason for elderly travel.

Besides all these, older people, especially, 80 and 90 year-olds competing in steeple-chases and shot-putting is no mean deal, even if the medals and competition are all secondary to the camaraderie they share with each other!

It’s official now! Dorset has climbed to the top spot in Britain’s ageing population explosion, with an all-time high of 19.2 percent of over-65 people living there. The average age of citizens living in West Somerset is a whopping 52, with about 30% of the citizens aged over 65.

But what is the reason behind this trend? UK government statistics show that high-priced properties in the recession-hit British economy have been one of the main reasons why young people avoid Dorset as a residential option. Another factor that has influenced the average age of the Dorset population is the fact that wages offered in the area are much lower than the average wage offered elsewhere in the country. This has made students and young professionals stay away from the region.

The consequence of the two issues combined together is the actual reason behind Dorset’s aged population – high property prices and low pay makes the area almost inaccessible for the young who do not have the financial capability to live in the region.

Therefore, people retiring and returning from London after selling off their city-properties maintain an artificial lever on the prices, stopping it from going down. However, the concentration of an increasingly ageing population has not affected the region’s economy as the age-charting map has uncovered the startling fact that more and more over-50s and over-65s are participating in work and allied activities.

So, whether old or not, inactivity and sedentary lifestyles are yet to catch up with Dorset!

For all those Britons who have always had an unquenchable thirst for travel across the seven seas, there is good news in store! The Post Office, after an intensive survey, has found that aged travellers, especially, the over-65s are the most diligent and fearless in pursuing travel trips and plans – both domestically as well as abroad.

This comes as a pleasant surprise for mature travellers, as the recession has already weakened the finances of many.

Over-65 travel insurance had already become a major issue of concern for those travelling out of Britain and to places such as Africa or Asia, where the security issues and health concerns compel the tourists to have a travel insurance cover.

The Post Office has relieved a majority of such world-trekkers, many of whom were risking travel without travel insurance. It has also relieved a lot of stress from the children of parents who are over-eager to travel.

The travel insurance plan for the over-65s from the Post Office comprehensive yet well priced policy. Annual multi-trip over-65 travel insurance policies save the candidates from spending a fortune every time they decide to travel. Apart from the core travel cover for over 65s, additional benefits such as cover for baggage, waiver on excesses or golf cover are also readily available at through the Post Office.

However, the upper limit of their travel insurance has been set at 74. However good these plans may seem, always check the terms and conditions that have been set down by the Post Office before purchasing the travel policy.

The move from one of Britain’s most reputed and organized institutions has been welcomed by one and all, especially, from the older age group. As Rachel Croft, Head of Travel Insurance, Post Office, asserts, “We understand that finding affordable travel insurance can prove difficult for older travellers and can lead to people having to take out policies that impose high costs or heavy stipulations, which is why we are extending our multi-annual travel insurance policy to the over-65s.”

With a good multi-trip travel insurance to cover your back, you are ready to conquer the world, for travelling is an art that is never too late to practice and enjoy!

Good news awaits all the over-50s people who have always cherished dreams of nights spent on magnificent luxury cruises at sea. Saga, one of the premier service providers for the over-50s in UK, has announced an eclectic mix of offers on their holidaying and cruising services. During recession, when everybody wants to save even on holiday expenses, Saga offers a great avenue to enjoy the old-school experience of cruise-stays, albeit at affordable price ranges.

Saga cruises have always been in the favourites list of over-50s couples. Saga ocean cruising is a great vacation idea for mature couples. These cruises offer an all encompassing trip, which include the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Black Sea.

But what makes Saga cruises stand out from the rest of the exotic cruise services?

• First and foremost, it caters exclusively to the over-50s market. This makes it easier for you to deal with issues such as security, health concerns, etc. as most of your co-passengers will be of your age-group.

• Prices are another reason to root for Saga cruises as they offer a guarantee (Saga Price Promise) of non-fluctuating prices irrespective of wavering fuel costs, stocks or exchange rates.

• Early birds can also avail 35% discounts or added benefits while on the cruise. This is great, especially, for the over-50s people who are often on the lookout for an opportunity to save.

There are reasons aplenty for the mature touring groups to look up to Saga ocean cruising and Saga river cruising services for the experience of a lifetime. But what matters most is the quality of comfort and a secure environment that Saga provides for the over-50s, including couples – all intent on enjoying the adventure and eloquence of a cruise vacation to the fullest!

Before you head off on your Saga cruise make sure you have Cruise Holiday Insurance.

65 Travel Insurance has recently obtained quotes from a variety of travel insurers who cater to people over 65 years. The results are listed below:

Date completed: 22nd September 2009
Cheapest travel insurance: 1st Stop Travel Insurance – GET QUOTE

• 1st Stop – £13.91
• Atlas Direct – £16.65
• ASDA – £21.16
• Insure for All – £21.49
• Churchill – £29.28

The quotes will be to compare price and is based on the following conditions:

65 year old – male
European holiday
Single trip – 14 days
No medical or pre-existing conditions

PLEASE NOTE: Depending on your circumstances price should not be be sole factor in determining the most appropriate travel insurance for yourself. You should take in to consideration any excess payable, cover for pre-exisiting conditions and you should read the terms and conditions before purchasing any policy.