Most trusted price comparison site by consumers on Trustpilot
Why choose PayingTooMuch?
Cover for pre-existing medical conditions
Trusted insurers you can have confidence in
Talk to our friendly UK based travel insurance experts
Travel Insurance For The Over 50s
Compare travel insurance for people aged over 50
Compare great value travel insurance even with pre-existing medical conditions.
Get a quote
Price comparison without the guesswork
Compare travel insurance for the Over 50s
A lot of people have the misconception that once they get to 50, their travel insurance premium will sky rocket, however many are surprised to find that this isn't actually the case.
Once they reach a certain age, people are often prescribed different types of medication by their GP, for example cholesterol tablets. They then worry that having to disclose medication along with their age, will have an impact on their insurance premium.
However, providing the tablets are just for preventative measures (or treating a stable / well-controlled condition), there is little to no impact on the price of the policy (although it is important to declare the underlying condition that the medication is being used to treat.)
One of the main things to take into account when you are an older traveller, is that some companies will increase the excess on the policy (usually for anyone over the age of 69), so make sure you are aware of what the excess will be before you purchase. (The policy excess is the amount that you would have to contribute towards the cost of a claim.)
Visiting friends and family?
A large percentage of older travellers tend to go abroad to stay with family and friends, or travel to holiday homes that they own.
For this reason, people don’t always require certain benefits on their travel policy, like baggage or cancellation cover, because they either drive themselves or take cheap flight-only options and have their personal belongings at their destination already.
If this applies to you, then use our online comparison tool to compare policy features and benefits. There are policies available which cover medical expenses (and repatriation) only, with no baggage or cancellation cover – which if not required, could help reduce the overall cost of your insurance.
Get a quote
Will my travel insurance cover me for COVID-19?
New policies will cover you for emergency medical treatment for Covid-19 while you are away, as long as, before the trip begins, the Foreign Office (FCDO) has not advised against all but essential travel to your intended destination.
If the Foreign Office (FCDO) has advised against all but essential travel to your destination, you will only be covered if you select a product with the FCDO advice extension (Europe only).
Currently the Foreign Office (FCDO) advises against travel to certain destinations. Please see gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for full details.
What are the key benefits of travel insurance?
Before you buy a policy, it’s important to understand what you’re covered for and what you’re not.
Cancellation cover
Cancellation cover is designed to pay back any pre-paid expenses that would be lost if you’re forced to cancel your holiday before you travel.
It’s important to make sure that you choose a policy with enough cancellation cover for the costs you would need to claim for.
Medical Emergency Cover
Travel insurance is designed to pay the costs for a medical emergency while you’re on holiday. You may have to pay an excess contribution to the total costs or you can choose a ‘nil excess’ option if you wish.
Some policies will cover emergency dental treatment if it’s for the immediate relief of pain.
All policies will pay to bring you back to the UK when this is recommended.
Treatment in a private hospital or clinic abroad is not usually covered if a suitable public or state facility is available.
PayingTooMuch meets the eligibility requirements for inclusion on the Money Helper travel insurance directory, which the FCA has confirmed meets its criteria for a 'medical cover firm directory'. The Money Helper customer contact centre freephone number is 0800 138 7777.
Read our latest reviews
Read our latest reviews
Travel Insurance FAQ's
Yes, as your GHIC/EHIC card won’t cover you for other areas such as lost luggage, broken valuables, and cancelling your holiday.
GHIC/EHIC cards are helpful for some medical treatment abroad, but they don’t offer the same level of protection as travel insurance. If you needed to be flown back for specialist treatment, your GHIC/EHIC card wouldn’t cover the cost of this.
There are some restrictions on which countries you can use your GHIC or EHIC card. A GHIC card covers all 27 EU countries plus Switzerland and Montenegro. If you have a valid EHIC card, this covers all 27 EU countries, plus Montenegro, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
If you need to make a claim on your travel insurance, here’s what you need to do for the best chance to get your claim accepted:
- Keep your policy documents to hand, including your policy number. This makes it much easier when contacting your insurer so they can find your details quickly.
- Contact the local police or relevant authorities if it is related to a crime, so you can get an official report of the incident.
- Get hold of your insurer as soon as possible. This way you can find out if they can confirm whether they’ll cover you for treatment you need before you go ahead with it. In some cases you might have to pay upfront and claim the cost back when you’re home.
- Keep any evidence you have so that you can use them to support your claim, such as medical reports, police reports or receipts.
Travel insurance is a good idea for any staycations, or holidays in the UK. While the NHS will cover medical treatment, your travel insurance covers you against other areas such as cancellations.
Most policies will cover UK trips, but conditions will apply. This could include a minimum number of days and the distance from your home. You can check your policy documents for more details.
An excess is the amount you pay when you make a claim on your travel insurance. If you had an excess of £150 and you claimed on your insurance for £500, then the amount your insurer would pay out would be £350. This varies by providers, so always check your policy.
It’s a good idea to take out travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. This means that you’ll be protected for anything that could happen before you go away, such as flight delays or if you have to cancel your holiday.
If you tell us about your medical condition when applying for your policy, you’ll only see travel insurance policies that can cover your conditions.
Pregnancy isn’t classed as a pre-existing medical condition so you should be able to get travel insurance like you normally would. If you have any conditions related to your pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, then it’s important to tell us. This way you’ll get the right cover in case of any unexpected medical treatment you might need on your holiday.
Many travel insurers can allow you to extend your travel insurance if your holiday lasts longer than expected. But you’ll need to speak to your insurer who will let you know if it’s possible to extend your travel insurance.
It’s important you tell your provider when you want to change your travel insurance dates before extending your holiday. Providers will still have individual trip limits and will likely ask for additional payments to cover your extended duration.
As long as you’re not going to a country that the FCDO advise against travelling to, all of our policies should offer cover for COVID-19. This typically includes:
- Being diagnosed with COVID-19 before departure
- Denied boarding
- Close family relatives or those you live with getting COVID-19
- Family deaths or hospitalisations resulting in ventilation with COVID-19
- Being told to self-isolate (at home and abroad)
We work with well known insurers
Some useful travel insurance insurance guides
