For many Over 65s seeing the world is the number one aim of their retirement, but where do you start? Below we have created a quick guide on everything from saving money to bucket list inspiration, to help anyone planning an adventurous retirement.
Taking regular and prescribed medication can add a whole new level of stress and anxiety to travelling – what if the airline loses your luggage with your medication inside? What if disrupting your routine affects your health? Are you even allowed to travel with ‘drugs’?
Don’t panic – thousands of people travel with medication every day, so as long as you’re prepared there shouldn’t be an issue. Below we’ve written a quick guide to help anyone travelling with and managing medication whilst abroad.
Today’s ‘senior citizens’ are fitter and stronger than ever before, proving once and for all that travel isn’t just for the ‘young’ but the young at heart too! However, once you turn 65 or 66 you may find yourself pushed into a new age bracket, which may make it harder to find reasonably priced travel insurance.
To help anyone 65 or over and looking for travel insurance, we’ve compiled this useful guide.
For travellers looking to make the most of a few days away, city breaks offer an easy way to experience new places without committing to a longer holiday.
According to ABTA’s Holiday Habits research, city breaks consistently rank among the most popular types of holidays taken by UK travellers, alongside beach holidays and other short breaks.
Read moreThe number of senior travellers is growing every year, but some seniors risk their health and safety by not following some simple travelling rules and guidelines. Here are our top tips for senior travellers;
Imagine drifting away on a calm and crystal clear sea, you are lying in the sun, drink in hand, taking in the sea air in true relaxation. You dock only to explore exotic and beautiful places that you could only dream about in your youth; Hawaii, Australia, Asia, South America, Greece, Africa, the Bahamas and many more.
Now imagine spending your entire retirement doing this!
It has been reported that spending most of the year sailing on a cruise ship could prove cheaper than paying to live in a retirement home in the UK. To add to this, in recent years nursing homes have fallen out of favour, with undercover journalists discovering bad treatment and poor hygiene in several nursing homes across Britain.
Many people are looking forward to escaping the UK this year, in search of some nice weather plus peace and quiet. To help give these people some inspiration, below are the top ten holiday destinations for senior travellers this year:
The newly coined term ‘Grey Gapper’ describes people who are 55 and over, and who have decided to take a gap year. Gap years are normally associated with young people and students, who are taking a break from education to backpack around the world, staying in hostels and partying a lot. However, according to a survey by the Post Office, ‘grey gappers’ are now on the increase, with 25% of people aged 55 and over taking a long break to travel the world.
This is actually not a shocking statistic; this age group is typically in an extremely comfortable position to partake in an extended adventure. They are mature people with savings, grown up children and empty nests, years of hard work, stress and pressure behind them; so why not shed some responsibility and indulge? This generation saw the birth of the package holiday, starting in the UK and rapidly expanding to places such as Spain and France. Therefore, many ‘senior citizens’ choose to visit the places they could only dream of when they were young; countries such as India, Australia, New Zealand, France, China and America are begging to be explored.
On the other hand, the information that these grey gappers are partaking in some extreme activities during their adventures is a bit more surprising! In fact, 13% said they had tried;
Travelling the world and Experiences such as theseare normally on everyone’s ‘life to do lists’, so why not treat yourself now? The statistics prove that they are by no means limited to the young, and given the state of the economy your savings probably aren’t gathering much interest in the bank.
Unfortunately, further research has found that a quarter of people who are 50+ find it hard to find travel insurance, as many are turned down by companies simply because of their age. Therefore, the Post Office found that 13% of the people they surveyed were travelling and partaking in adrenaline pumping activities either without adequate cover or without any kind of insurance. This is not the sensible and mindful behaviour you would normally expect from this mature generation.
Taking the Grand Kids away can be extremely stressful and tiring, but on the other hand, if you follow the simple tips below it could be an enjoyable and memorable experience for everyone.
Pack a small number of their favourite toys and games, this should keep them amused during travelling and quite points. A pack of cards, story books and a portable DVD or music player are also great ways to keep them amused and calm them down.
It can be tempting to take the kids somewhere they will love, but this could end up simply wearing you out. Try to pick a resort and destination that has something for the children and something for you. For example a great pool or a lovely beach, that way everyone will enjoy themselves and get a real holiday.
Remember that children need their own passports now, and while they are under 16, their passports will only be valid for five years. Make sure they have a valid passport before you travel.
Make sure the entire group have invested in quality travel insurance. It is absolutely vital that you invest in travel insurance to protect your grandchildren whilst away.
It will be a lot cheaper, and at least you know they will like the food. However when it comes to dinners, I would definitely suggest getting them to try something new, make it fun and they will enjoy the discovery.
Keep an eye on your Grand Kids at all times, especially if they are playing in water or away from you.
Most importantly, simply enjoy spending some quality time with your grandchildren!
Travel insurance for over 65s can become expensive and confusing, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions. However, travel insurance is absolutely vital for anyone going on holiday or travelling abroad, and once you retire you will have more time to travel and enjoy yourself – so why shouldn’t you?
To make sure you get superior cover at a great price, here are our top tips for buying over 65s travel insurance;
When you buy any travel insurance policy you should check that;
Holidaysafe is a trading name of Travel Insurance Facilities Plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 306537. Registered Office: Suite 12, 20 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4YU. Travel Insurance Facilities Plc registered in England No. 3220410. All rights reserved. All policies offered are on a non-advised basis.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has up-to-date advice on staying safe abroad, see gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. FCDO Travel Advice can change so check regularly for the latest information and sign up to email alerts for your destination. For more general travel information, visit the FCDO Travel Aware website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk.
Ɨ Please note, Holidaysafe’s online prices automatically include a 15% discount against our Customer Service Centre prices. This is discounted from our core policy price before you add any additional cost of optional extensions or additional medical premium. Discount codes cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or discount. Only one discount code may be applied per purchase.
* For full pricing, discount and reviews T&Cs please click here
