Need cheap over 60s insurance? Just click on a link below!
Over 60 and looking for a
holiday? There's plenty of choice, from cruising to exotic or exciting locations, to just pottering around in a country cottage in a peaceful location. Many over-sixties need not rule out activity breaks or venturing off the beaten track, and can be imaginative in their choice of destination anywhere in the world. You'll need holiday insurance though; you can compare multiple quotes at
Prudent Plus Travel Insurance.How about a quiet break in a holiday cottage?
If you want to get away for a peaceful holiday with your family - or just another special person - there is a huge selection of self catering properties available, both in the UK and abroad, some of which are in building of particular historical or architectural interest.Fancy booking a lighthouse? A wing of a castle? A villa in the sun, complete with a private swimming pool? Or perhaps a simple, cosy country cottage with spectacular views?
Just prefer a gentler pace?
If you're just after relaxation and won't be negotiating steep side streets, you can include beautiful areas such Madeira, the Italian lakes or the Neapolitan Riviera, whilst in the UK, hilly parts of Scotland, Wales, Devon or the Lake District have a more relaxed style, and beautiful scenery without too much difficult access. Just make sure you use a hotel near amenities such as restaurants and shops, or with good transport links nearby.
The mild climates of Bournemouth and Torquay are welcoming to all ages, and can be ideal if you book accommodation on the flat. If not, they also have excellent bus services! Cruises and coach tours will limit the amount of walking needed, increasing the choice of destinations. If you want sun and sand Menorca is a much more peaceful island than it's fellow Balearics with mainly flat terrain and some superb beaches. If you want more excitement go to Ciutadella during the San Juan festival - it will be packed with thousands of friendly folk celebrating the exciting partnership between man and horse, but you'll need to book early!
Make sure you're properly covered
Insurance companies haven't heard the sixty-is-the-new-fifty theory (let alone the new forty), so the cost of cover goes up with age, with those over seventy-four getting the heftiest increase. Some insurers won't cover this age group at all, so shop around for the best deal, and make sure yours accepts any pre-existing conditions. On the plus side, more expensive policies often include extra benefits not offered to younger clients, like extra emergency and medical cover.
Do remember that basic policies can give limited cover if you want to do anything exciting; even reasonably safe activities such as safari rides or helicopter trips may not be covered but are often available as optional extras. Check policies carefully before committing to one, finding yourself ill or injured after a non-insured activity is no joke. Compare multiple quotes now at
Prudent Plus Travel Insurance.
If you have concerns about health conditions that may cause problems while you're away, consult your doctor; and for some foreign trips, ask about any vaccinations or medication that you might need, as any traveller should.
DIY holidays
Information-gathering is essential wherever you go, especially if you are booking independently - and there's no need to rule out this option now that we have so many facts literally at our fingertips. It offers more control, meaning we can catch flights at a civilised hour, arrange our own itinerary and perhaps save on costs. Going solo? If, through circumstance or choice, you travel alone, booking your own hotel can save paying a single supplement for a broom-cupboard overlooking the rubbish bins. Many hotels, particularly chains, charge per room rather than by person. Although you're paying for the whole room yourself, it's still sometimes cheaper than a tour operator's surcharge - and you get the same facilities as everyone else. Alternatively, why not travel with a tour company that caters for travellers on their own - the better ones will keep supplements to the minimum and you'll enjoy far better personal security too.
Be aware of crime risks
Although some people become more nervous about crime as they get older, this is partly just perception and partly because many people do worry more as they age. There is no proof that petty crime is more of a problem for older travellers than anyone else. However, in many resorts tourists are seen as fair game so it's best to be vigilant and take sensible precautions. For more information see our
avoiding crime on holiday page.
Saving money
The assumption is that retired people have plenty of disposable income, but this isn't always the case, and no-one has unlimited funds anyway. Retirement usually brings flexibility so trawl the websites for cheap flight offers, and off-season or midweek hotel deals. If you're travelling by train or coach, book as far in advance as possible, although this will mean catching specified services. If you're opting for a package, there are still deals to be had if you can be flexible. In the UK, look out for senior citizen discounts such as special meal deals, cinema tickets and so on. In addition many museums, galleries and other venues have concessionary fees, and if it isn't displayed, it's always worth asking.
For train passengers, the benefits of a rail card cannot be stressed enough. You will soon make back the cost of the card, especially if you buy a three-year one, and you can choose to receive special offers by email every month.
Let the train take the strain
Long haul flights are very tiring, so take as many overnight stops as you can. If you're staying within Europe, consider Eurostar as an alternative to stressful airports. You'll find this more relaxing, and it's so much easier to be transported from city to city. Your luggage will stay with you, and you'll avoid those long airport waits, long queues, harrassed fellow passengers and overpriced food. The London terminal in its stunning St Pancras home is an experience in itself. Get there early to sip a drink upstairs whilst watching continental departures, next to a statue of the station's saviour, Sir John Betjeman. Or have a coffee downstairs among the bars and shops, and listen to the accomplished (and less so) playing the free pianos around the concourse.
Where to go ....
There is no reason over-sixties shouldn't frequent the same locations as younger tourists, particularly in a family group of offspring and grandchildren, but for a quiet spell alternative, head for Europe and Scandinavia, with their mix of culture, familiar cuisine and good transport links. If you want to be a bit more adventurous, Jordan's good infrastructure and communications may tempt you to absorb its antiquities and visit the Dead Sea, said to have benefits for skin conditions and to relieve pain.
India can teach you how to de-stress, with its emphasis on yoga and meditation. It might not be quite like a certain well-known film franchise or TV series, but it would be a memorable trip, and will set you on the right path. A beach or cottage holiday with a few good books will also leave you in the right frame of mind to make the most of your new leisure time. Try the mild climate of the Canaries to break up the winter months, or consider one of the cruises available to suit all tastes.
Need some help because of disabilities?
If you have a health issue, disability or limited mobility, specialist companies understand your needs and will offer support. Do your own research to find resorts and cities that don't have too many bridges or steps. For example, Venice would be a nightmare but the flatter Netherlands, Belgium and parts of France are ideal. In London, buses cope well with wheelchairs but the tube network is poor, although it's slowly improving. Escalators might suffice if you have a dodgy knee, get short of breath or are laden with luggage, but check the Transport for London website for stations with step-free access, lifts or ramps. This advice applies wherever you're going, in whichever country! Some cruise ships and many river boats are very disabled-friendly; some cruise ships have superb medical facilities, just a few minutes from each cabin. For more information see our
disabled-friendly holidays page.
... And what to do
If you have ever wanted to learn a craft or skill, now's the time. Create, write, cook pasta in Italy, paint in Provence or take up folk dancing. If your retirement is to be more about self-indulgence, take a culinary trip, a tour of vineyards or a wine-tasting holiday. Make a bucket list!
Adapt to whatever you feel you can do, or have always wanted to try. Hiking, which can be as energetic or as gentle as you like, is a good start. Remember that it's good to stretch yourself, and that you can do anything if you want to do it enough. Forget about being sensible - be the first to make sixty the new thirty!
Looking for life insurance?
Life insurance doesn't have to be unaffordable. This applies even as we get older, since policies are available which are designed to cater for the needs of those approaching, or over, pensionable age.
By shopping around and comparing premiums and benefits you could cut the costs even further. However, which of us have the time or inclination to do that? Luckily there is a better way.
Our partners have access to a panel of insurers, all of which are, of course, fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which ensures that the regulated companies meet the highest ethical standards and will work hard to find the best policies for you.
All you have to do is provide a few details, and these will be passed on to insurers on the panel. They will get back in touch with you and get quotations for you.
You just then compare the prices and the benefits, and decide which policy is best for you.
To maintain your privacy all information is passed on using highly secure technology and only insurers who will be able to find you an excellent deal will be invited to quote.
Don't delay. Compare life insurance quotes now.
