We believe that life is for living, and your ability to travel shouldn’t be limited once you reach retirement age. This can often be when the world, and all that it offers, can truly open up to you.
Prior to this, children, work commitments and the constant treadmill of everyday life can mean that our dreams have to be put off until another day. If you’re 65 or over, isn’t it time you gently push all those other commitments to one side? Why not put yourself first and seize the day?
Before travelling, you should always make sure that you are in good health ahead of your holiday, and the NHS advises that you think about vaccinations, deep vein thrombosis and medication that could affect you while you’re away.
Whether you want to sit and admire the beauty of the Taj Mahal, explore the vast oceans on a world cruise or saunter through the lush vineyards of France, there isn’t a better time to do it, and now you can with our travel insurance for over 65’s.
Emergency medical expenses and repatriation up to £15 million are covered under our Gold policy. While you also have cover for cancellations, curtailment, and personal items that are lost, damaged or stolen. You can also get additional cover with your policy for things like winter sports or golf, while you can also have extra protection for gadgets like your phones or tablets.
Columbus Direct policies also include 150 sports and activities for free, which means that you can enjoy scuba diving, zip lining and shark diving without any extra worries.
Relax and let us shoulder the responsibility. All you need to do is decide where you want to go first, pack your bags and remember your sun cream!
There are a few different options that you can choose from for your travel cover, depending on your age and whether you plan to have a long stay.
Travellers who are over 65 can get single trip travel insurance that covers up to 185 days of travel up to 69 years old and 31 days of travel up to 85 years old. Confirmation of your policy is subject to a medical screening, which is done when you apply for cover.
If you are planning to go on more than one holiday over a one year period, then you can instead get annual multi-trip cover, which is available to anyone up to and including 74-years-old. This option gives you cover for as many holidays as you want, as long as they are within your chosen trip limit of 31, 45 or 60 days.
There is also the option to get additional protection added to your policy, such as golf cover, gadget cover, and cruise cover, as well as protection for travel delays and disruptions caused by natural catastrophes such as Volcanic Ash and terrorism events with our Extended Trip Disruption cover.
It is important that you let us know of any pre-existing medical conditions that you are aware of when booking travel cover with us.
If you face any problems on holiday that occur because of a pre-existing condition that you didn’t tell us about, then you might not be able to make a claim.
Pre-existing conditions include any illness or medical ailment that has required you to take tablets or other forms of medication, as well as any treatments, reviews, surgeries, check-ups or tests in the 12 months prior to getting your policy. These include both minor and major illnesses, such as asthma, or if you are taking tablets for blood pressure.
You can add conditions to your policy during the online application, which will include a medical screening that will notify you if we can accept your conditions and explain whether you need to pay any additional premiums.
If your medical circumstances change after receiving your policy but before you go on holiday, then you should declare it to us before you travel. You can do this by getting in touch with Customer Services as soon as you know about your change in health. We will then follow the same medical screening process and let you know if you new condition can be accepted by us.
A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives UK citizens access to medically necessary state-provided healthcare at a reduced cost or for free while you are travelling in Europe, or in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Travel insurance is still essential for any trip abroad as the EHIC does not cover private medical care, mountain rescue or repatriation. Some countries also have different health processes, and some treatments might not be included in your EHIC coverage.
It’s also worth remembering that it is not valid on cruises, and the EHIC could become invalid depending on the outcome of Brexit. If Britain leave the EU with no deal, then the EHIC would no longer be useable for UK travellers.
Travel insurance also gives you protection beyond medical support, including cover for flight delays, as well as lost, stolen or damaged luggage.
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