Why does age matter?
Unfortunately, travel insurance prices can rocket as you age because, according to the insurance industry, you are statistically more likely to fall ill while on holiday.
Some travel insurers have relatively low maximum age limits, such as 65 or 70, so they won't cover some older travellers. And those that do will often charge higher premiums.
Our guide will help you find the right cover if you're an older traveller and ensure you don't pay over the odds for your travel insurance.
If you are over 65 and have pre-existing medical conditions, see our medical conditions travel insurance guide for more.
Insurers that don't have maximum ages
When we quizzed more than 80 travel insurance firms in 2021, the following told us they don't have maximum ages for new customers. Click on the links for our in-depth insurer reviews:
- AllClear
- Avanti
- Co-op
- Free Spirit
- GoodtoGo
- Insure and Go
- OK to Travel
- Riviera
- Saga
- Staysure
- Virgin Money
Insurers take various factors into account when offering cover, so these companies aren't guaranteed to cover you - nor are they the only ones providing cover to older customers.
However, if you're struggling to track down cover on account of your age, they may be a starting point. By clicking each name, you'll be able to see what we think of the cover each offers.
- Find out more: the best and worst travel insurance
Travel insurance signposting
Where insurers don't offer cover and have maximum age limits, they are required to 'signpost' you to an insurer or broker that can provide travel insurance.
This requirement comes under the terms of an agreement signed by the government, the Association of British Insurers and the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) in April 2012.
- Find out more: how to find cheap travel insurance
Help finding travel insurance if you're over 80
A traveller buying cover on their 66th birthday has access to more than nine in 10 policies on sale, assuming other factors (such as pre-existing medical conditions) haven't diminished their options.
Once you hit your eighties, though, your age alone bars you from all but a quarter of policies.
Combine this with higher premiums and you might begin to think travel insurance isn't worth buying.
Fortunately, cover is out there - if a little more tricky to find.
Search widely
We recommend casting as wide a net as possible, which means beginning with comparison websites. It's also worth considering how you plan to cover your trips.
Some insurers will provide single-trip policies they won't offer annual quotes for. If you don't intend to travel regularly, you might find there's a better selection of single-trip cover.
Include specialist companies in your search
The older you are, the more likely you are to have medical conditions that need declaring - which can be a further barrier to finding insurance.
Some companies specialise in covering people with medical conditions, and so may be able to offer you a reasonable price that more mainstream insurers can't. These companies have conventionally been tricky to find - but fortunately there's now an official directory of them for you to check.
For further information on getting cover if you have medical conditions, see our guide on the topic.
Try a broker
Brokers will offer advice and search the market to find the right policy for you at the most competitive price available. Call Biba's 'Find a broker service' on 0370 950 1790 to be put in touch with a broker.
Watch out for differences in cover
Some policies restrict some of the cover available to customers once they pass a certain age. For example, it's not uncommon on annual policies for the maximum length of cover for an individual trip to be reduced for customers older than 65 or 70 - which could be relevant if you have lengthy holidays planned. These limitations should be expressed in the policy wording.
