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Seniors Travel Insurance
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Written by
Madeline Pettet
Edited by
Laura CrowdenSee our range of travel insurance providers
iSelect does not compare all providers in the market or all products offered by our partners in your area. Not all policies or special offers are available to all customers and some may only be available over the phone or on the website. Learn more.
Why might I need travel insurance for seniors?
There’s no age limit on having fun and nor is there one for who should get travel insurance. Purchasing travel insurance is all part of preparing for your trip and can go a long way to giving you peace of mind as you take in the sights or claim that lounge by the pool.
What will I be covered for?
Depending on your policy, your travel insurance can cover medical assistance, like having to go to hospital; damaged, lost or stolen luggage; cancellations; and even the excess on your rental car.
What types of holidays can I get cover for?
Cruises
If the open sea and a multitude of destinations are calling, you may want to keep your feet on dry land long enough to pick up some cruise travel insurance. Cruises come with their own special set of risks, like the increased chance of catching anything viral someone else has brought aboard. You might find having this insurance is even a requirement for boarding the ship. While some comprehensive policies will include cruise cover as standard, it is more commonly offered as an optional extra sometimes referred to as a ‘cruise pack’.
Leisure
From sight-seeing to shopping to trying local delicacies, it all comes under leisure where travel insurance is concerned. Unlike more high-octane and adrenaline-spiking activities, if something were to happen to you while enjoying one of these pursuits, you wouldn’t need a speciality travel insurance policy or additional travel insurance policy to have cover for these kinds of activities.
Cycling
Hopping on a bicycle can be a great way to explore a place, not to mention balance out an indulgent lunch or two. Whether it’s self-guided or as part of a tour, a cycling holiday (as long as you aren’t getting too extreme or competitive) doesn’t require special travel insurance; a standard policy should do the trick.
Fishing
If you’re happiest with a rod in your hand, there’s plenty of exciting fishing holidays to be had. From inland adventures to getting a taste of the sea, a standard travel insurance policy could be all that you need. However, if you want to add some other aquatic escapades to your trip, like jet skiing or water skiing, you may need to buy additional insurance to be covered.
What kinds of travel insurance are there?
Domestic
Whether you’re planning on grey nomad-ing around the country or taking a shorter, more direct trip, domestic travel insurance could prove worthwhile. While emergency medical costs generally aren’t covered (thankfully, you’ll likely be able to rely on Medicare and health insurance for that), your travel insurance can still save the day when it comes to cancellations, delays, rental vehicle excesses, and lost, stolen or damaged luggage.
International
An overseas trip is exciting but can come with increased risks, like needing medical treatment while in a foreign country. This could mean you come home with a bill bigger than any souvenir you can pick up — unless you’ve got international travel insurance. As a general rule of thumb, if the Smartraveller website has the country rated as a Level 1 or 2, there’s a good chance you can find cover to go visit.
Annual multi-trip
If you’re a regular jetsetter or just happen to have a bunch of grandchildren planning destination weddings, a multi-trip travel insurance policy could mean you can purchase just one travel insurance policy for the year and get the cover you need for all your trips. Just make sure it includes all the locations you’ll be travelling to, and there are often limits to the duration of any one trip.
What optional extras can I add to my Travel Insurance?
Rental car excess
Hiring a car to see sights off the beaten track is a great way to travel — unless you get in an accident and have to pay the excess to get the car fixed. Of course, if you add rental car excess cover to your travel insurance, it’s your insurer who’ll be paying that bill.
Golf
If you’ve got your sights set on famous greens, adding golf cover to your travel insurance policy could foot your green fees, should you be unable to play, plus give you some peace of mind if something were to happen to your clubs.
Adventurous activities
If you’re taking a holiday that’ll have your heart pumping or come with a little more risk, there are a range of travel insurance extras, like snow sports and adventure packages, to keep you covered as you ski, hike to the summit or ride on a motorcycle tour.
What should I consider when taking out travel insurance as a senior?
Will my age affect my travel insurance?
Different travel insurance policies have different age limits — even when they’re from the same insurer. Having said that though, it’s very possible to find options that provide cover for someone up to 100 years old. Keep in mind though that your premium and excess may go up as you get older as the likelihood of you needing to make a claim increases. You may also need to deal with some restrictions, like how soon you can purchase a policy before a trip and how long your trip can be.
Will my pre-existing medical condition affect my travel insurance?
While pre-existing medical conditions aren’t necessarily an indicator for age, we tend to collect more of them as we grow older. But even if you have a fair few to your name, you could still get travel insurance; which conditions are covered will just depend on your policy and you may need to pay an additional premium to have those conditions covered. Reading the policy document could help you understand what’s in and what’s out.
Common travel insurance for seniors myths debunked
| Myth | Truth |
| Travel insurance is unaffordable for seniors. | While your premium and excess can go up as you get older, travel insurance is still about covering what you need. So, you may find that you can adjust your premium by tweaking your cover. Comparing policies too can help you find one that offers better value. Plus, don’t forget that your policy may turn out to be extremely worthwhile if something does happen to you or your belongings while you’re away. |
| You can’t get cover for pre-existing conditions. | Although it can differ between insurers and policies, you may be able to get cover for your pre-existing conditions. For instance, if it’s been some time since you last had the condition or were treated for it, it may not be considered a pre-existing condition by the insurer. Alternatively, minor conditions may be automatically covered while others may be covered after a medical assessment and for an additional premium. |
| You need to put down the age you’ll be when you’re travelling. | Nope, the age that applies to your policy is the age you are when you purchase it. You can also check your policy document or speak with your insurer to confirm this. So, if you’re planning a special birthday trip, this might be some extra incentive to purchase travel insurance sooner rather than later. |
| Insurers only use one age limit. | Untrue again. The applicable age limit for travel insurance can vary between both insurers and policies. For instance, your insurer’s standard travel insurance policy may have a limit of 85 years of age, while their snow sports package has one of 75. Looking through the policy document for any given travel insurance policy should give you a better idea of what age limit applies. |
iSelect does not compare all travel insurers or policies in the market. Travel insurance is only available through our website and not all policies are available at all times or in all areas. Not all policies available from our partners are compared by iSelect and due to commercial arrangements and customer circumstances not all policies compared by iSelect will be available to all customers. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers.
iSelect General Pty Limited ABN 90 131 798 126, AFS Licence Number: 334115. Any advice provided by iSelect is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice iSelect gives you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on iSelect’s advice or purchasing any policy. You should consider iSelect’s Financial Services Guide which provides information about our services and your rights as a client of iSelect. iSelect receives commission for each policy sold.