For the average 55 year old, travel should not pose any real problems. Whilst air travel can be tiring, provided travellers keep hydrated and on long flights try to take naps where possible, they should not feel the ill effects of travel.
Travel destinations can change with age, as many people find that they are no longer travelling with small children or extended families. For many people over 55 that travel this means less package holidays and sitting by the pool and more independent travel, opening up a wider range of travel possibilities. Some popular travel destinations for people over 55 include: London (UK), Scotland, Lake Garda (Italy) and Paris (France).
Whilst for others, cruising or cultural tours to more distant destinations become more popular with destinations such as Thailand, Peru and the Northern lights proving increasingly popular places of travel for people over 55.
One critical issue for people that travel that are over 55 to be aware of however, is if they regularly take tablets or are living with an ongoing medical condition like diabetes, hypertension or cancer. For travellers in this position, ensuring they have travel insurance that will cover their existing conditions is critical, as in the event of a medical emergency while travelling, standard travel insurance that excludes pre-existing medical conditions will not cover their medical expenses.
Fit 2 Trip is one of the few travel insurance companies to offer travel insurance to people over 55 that travel with pre-existing medical conditions. Fit 2 Trip uses its online medical screening system to allow customers to enter their medical information and receive a quote for travel insurance, which is based on their own individual health circumstances, as well as the destination they are travelling to. This means that policies are tailored to the individual traveller and travellers can feel confident that their medical condition is covered.
Finding out during or after a medical emergency that your travel insurance will not meet your medical expenses can be devastating, particularly in countries like the United States, where medical costs can be extremely high.
For people that are over 55 that travel, it is also important to note, that the Tarjeta Sanitaria Europa (TSE) or European Health Card cannot be used as a .supplement for Travel insurance. When travelling abroad the Tarjeta Sanitaria Europa does not guarantee free medical treatment for Spanish citizens. It is important for travellers to remember that each country’s health system is different and medical treatment that is free in Spain may not be free abroad.