Travel Insurance – Older Holidaymakers
Senior citizens are one of the most likely groups to holiday abroad, but it is also this group that can have the most difficulty in getting an affordable deal on travel insurance.
There are insurance companies that specialise in providing cover for the over 65′s, as well as a number of non-specialist policies available that cater for the older traveller.
However, some insurers no longer offer multi-trip annual travel insurance cover to older holiday makers, meaning that the older generation are often excluded from the cheapest travel insurance options available.
There are now a range of providers that offer cheap travel insurance for the older holidaymaker, however some customers still find themselves having to pay much higher premiums for the chance to go abroad due to the increased risks associated with their age group.
Because of the higher cover prices for their age group, many are tempted to make the trips without taking out travel insurance in order to avoid paying a high price for cover which may exclude existing medical conditions.
The stereotypical view that older holidaymakers have an increased risk of falling ill or having an accident whilst on holiday makes it difficult for the older traveller to find an affordable travel insurance deal.
In the event of complications happening whilst on holiday, treatment can be expensive – not too mention the costs involved when booking an earlier flight home.
However, with a wider variety of specialist providers now offering affordable deals, older holidaymakers now have more options when it comes to selecting travel insurance for overseas excursions.
Travel Insurance – Unusual Mishaps
Just in case you aren’t lucky to have one of those helpful friends to recount some of their personal holiday travel insurance stories, we’ve compiled a list of a few of the more unusual ones.
Bag Overboard!
A man was on a three day trip aboard a small pleasure boat in Thailand. As they were on the return journey, everybody’s luggage was up on deck ready to disembark. Unexpectedly, the seas became extremely rough and the boat was in danger of capsizing. Some quick thinking by the local Thai captain and crew averted a disaster, but not before the entire boatload of luggage had slid overboard with one final terrifying lean! The gentleman in question had thousands of pounds of video equipment in his bag, as well as an engagement ring he planned to present to his girlfriend on the last night of their holiday. But while his bag went to a watery grave, his story had a happy ending. His travel insurance paid for everything including a new ring, and they lived happily ever after, with a great tale to tell! (Some of his new friends from the trip however, who hadn’t purchased holiday insurance, did not fare so well.)
Stop Police!
A hapless tourist on the trip of a lifetime to Israel, was minding his own business crossing the road. Out of nowhere a police car moving at over 80 km/hr came careering over the crossing and struck him. Horrified onlookers watched as he was thrown ten feet into the air before landing on a traffic island. Miraculously his injuries were not life threatening, but he was in hospital for weeks. The local Israeli police were extremely quick in assisting with the police report (surprise surprise!), and his travel insurance paid for a private room, all his medical expenses and his travelling expenses back to the US. Two years later, when the man was fully recovered he returned to Jerusalem to continue his tour of the city – by bus!
Hands in the Air
Two young friends were backpacking through South America on a gap year holiday. Before they left, all their uni friends had clubbed together to buy them some cheap travel insurance. The boys had announced publicly that they had thought it was an unnecessary expense – but luckily their mates disagreed. Half way into their three month holiday, the boys were crossing the border from Belize. They got a taxi from the border at Guatemala to take them to their next town. As the taxi crawled along the heavily potholed road, two masked gunmen leapt from the roadside brandishing their weapons and firing shots in the air. They demanded the driver steer the taxi into a ditch, and made off with the boys’ bags. After a few hours of pushing, the boys and driver managed to extricate the car and drove straight to the police station. Due to the foresight of their friends’ the boys’ considerable expense to replace everything was covered by their travel insurance – and they lived to hear the immortal words – “We told you so!”
Once bitten, twice shy, three times….?
This is a combination of several stories, but a classic example that animals really will bite the hand that feeds them! While in rural India, a girl was patting a gorgeous little puppy that suddenly turned on her and bit her finger and wrist. Although it wasn’t a bad wound, when four days later it was revealed that the puppy had bitten several other people and then had died – she immediately took herself to the nearest big city hospital for a rabies shot. After several anxious days she was given the all clear, and her travel insurance paid for her travel and medical expenses including antibiotics.
In Thailand a man stopped to pet a local man’s pet monkey on a leash. The man handed over the monkey for a cuddle, and as it nestled into the tourist’s arms it suddenly turned vicious and took a large chunk out of his face! Rabies shots, antibiotics and some minor surgery later, the man returned the UK to lodge a rather large claim on his travel insurance.
On a “walk with the lions” tour in Zimbabwe, an elderly woman could not help reaching out to stroke the head of a young lion cub – although she had been told not to. The cub reared its head and caught her arm with its teeth. Twelve stitches and an overnight stay in hospital later, the woman was so shaken she cut short her travel plans. Luckily her travel insurance paid for her hospital and flight expenses, and she returned home to continue her safari at the city zoo!
Travel Insurance – Family Travel
When preparing to travel with a family, there can be a multitude of different things to sort out – from tickets to taxis to the airport, as well as packing clothes, equipment and toys in between.
In amongst all the hassle of packing, arranging and ensuring your young ones will have enough to keep them occupied until you get to the hotel or resort at your destination, the thought of arranging insurance for your holiday might slip to the back of your mind.
Checking that you have adequate travel insurance before your trip is essential in order to ensure that you and your group are covered in the event of accidents and theft during your holiday. Just visit http://www.ms-payday-loans.com for more information.
Checking that you have adequate travel insurance before your trip is essential in order to ensure that you and your group are covered in the event of accidents and theft during your holiday.
Annual travel insurance policies can be purchased for longer periods of time, should you be making multiple trips during a short period of time.
Such deals can often work out cheaper than single-trip travel insurance and can help cover all members of your group during your holiday your family from a range of factors.
When searching for cover it is important to shop around, research different policies and the type of cover that they offer and, most importantly, to read the small print to check for any snags which could affect any claims.
Factors will depend on location and any planned activities during the holiday. Whilst activity holidays can be fun for all, but it is important to make sure you’re covered for sports such as jet-skiing and other activities that have an increased risk of injury.
It is also essential to ensure that your possessions are covered for the duration of your trip in order to protect against any financial loss as a result of theft, luggage and passport loss, travel delays and any other legal expenses.
There are also a wide range of companies that specialise in and offer family travel insurance. These policies can be catered to meet the needs of your holiday and help to cover costs should you or your children require any medical assistance during your trip.