If you’ve reached your sixties, you may find that finally you have a little extra time to enjoy life’s little pleasures.
One of the first things you may want to do more of is travelling. Whether it’s a relaxing break on a sunny beach, or a sightseeing city trip you’ve dreamed about, now is the time to do it.
However, as you have probably already discovered, over 65s travel insurance can be quite expensive. As you get older, insurers expect you to put in more medical claims, particularly if you have ongoing medical conditions.
And it’s not just the higher premiums you have to deal with. Many insurance providers won’t cover people over a certain age. This makes it even harder to find a travel insurance annual policy to suit your individual needs.
What can I do if I’m over 65 and also have a medical condition?
Direct Line can provide annual multi‐trip cover for you if you’re younger than 75 on the date the policy starts. If you’re older than that, we can still offer cover but it will be for single trips only.
If you have a medical condition – often known as a ‘pre‐existing’ condition – you need to be honest about your situation and choose the policy that best suits your needs. Bear in mind, your insurance or part of it may become invalid or you may not be able to get your claim approved if you withhold important information from your insurer.
How do I choose the best over 65s travel insurance for me?
Read all the documentation carefully before you buy cover. Make sure your policy covers things like the cost of returning to a hospital in the UK if something happens during your trip due to a medical emergency and you need to be brought home. You’ve got to be certain what’s covered and what’s not before you make your decision. This way you can travel with peace of mind and the knowledge that you’re properly insured wherever you are.
If you’re planning to travel a lot, an annual multi-trip cover might work out cheaper for you but these usually have an upper age limit. If you plan to travel only within Europe, you’ll find that a European cover rather than a worldwide one is better for you.
Good to know
Before you go, speak to your GP and do some research on your destination. Take a look at the NHS travel list, the Know Before You Go advice on GOV.UK’s website or try NaTHNaC – they’ll give you all the countries around the world and what kind of vaccinations or other medication you may need if you visit them.
