Younger travellers are also noticing an increase in the cost of travel insurance policies, however the rise is expected to be in the region of less than 9% which is significantly less than the 121% increase effecting the cost of cover for some OAPs.

The hike in the price of travel insurance for older people has caused concern amongst charities and consumer groups who fear that elderly travellers may be priced out of the insurance market which could lead these people to travelling without any type of cover.

The rising cost of travel insurance may push over 65’s towards taking out the cheapest possible option for insurance, however this could leave them open to problems if the policy doesn’t offer adequate cover for their needs. In some cases, experts believe that the sudden hike in holiday insurance premiums will deter older people from travelling abroad altogether.

In their defence, insurance companies say the premium cost reflects the increasing claims experienced for specific groups and that the price of travel insurance takes into account each travellers risk factor, which in many cases, means older travellers are placed in a high risk category due to the increased risk of health problems.

As the winter starts to kick in, many of us may be planning a skiing or snowboarding trip to the Alps, however before you get your skis on, it’s worth double checking your travel insurance policy to ensure you have adequate cover should you encounter a problem while out in the snow.

The research by Defaqto found there were major discrepancies between the types of cover offered for winter sports holidays as 80% of those travel insurance policies examined offered less than £1,000 of cover for theft or loss of sports equipment, while over half of those policies offered less than £500 and 6% offered no cover whatsoever for theft of equipment.

In the event that the Piste is closed due to severe weather conditions or a serious accident, 56% of the policies examined offered cover of £20 or less per day, while 5% offered no cover at all and 43% had a maximum limit of £2,000.

For natural disasters such as avalanches, 16% of policies looked at by Defaqto offered £500 or more, while a third of travel insurance policies offered £200 or less while 20% offered no avalanche cover at all.

So the message to take from this latest research is to thoroughly check your travel insurance policy covers you for the aspects of your trip which are most important, and also the cheapest option isn’t always the best as it could cost you dear in the long run if it fails to cover you for a problem you encounter.

Independent research company, Defaqto, found that half of the annual travel insurance policies available in the UK don’t cover a child if he or she travels independent from an adult. According to the small print on the policies, a relative or guardian must accompany the minor in order for the cover to be valid.

Although the majority of families will travel together, in some cases youngsters will travel alone with the intention of meeting up with a family member later into the journey. If this is the case for you, you’re advised to check your annual insurance policy to ensure your child has adequate cover while travelling alone.

Other research also found that the cost of a single trip travel insurance policy has increased by 23% over the course of the last 3 years. With holiday insurance costs rising at such a steep rate, the use of price comparison websites is on the increase as more and more people seek to track down the most affordable deal available on travel insurance.

The British Travel Awards are voted for by consumers and are highly regarded with the travel industry as they set an extremely high benchmark for quality.

As well as walking away with the gong for best travel insurance, the Post Office were also crowned the Best foreign Exchange Provider at the annual BTA’s this year, marking the fourth consecutive year they’ve won this award.

A spokesperson for the Post Office said the company is extremely pleased that their customers have continued to believe in them and use their services following what has been a very difficult year for the travel industry.

The Post Office issues almost 1 million travel insurance policies every year. The Post Office have also introduced a new tiered travel insurance option which allows customers to choose a level of cover to suit their needs according needs and also financial situation by offering 3 different price brackets for travel insurance.

The Post office also boasts a good track record when it comes to its claims procedures with all travel insurance claims being dealt with and settled, generally within five days.

It’s believed the high profile ash cloud disaster which caused travel chaos earlier this year after flights in and out of the UK were grounded because of the threat of the volcanic ash, and the highly publicised BA industrial strikes, have prompted travellers to invest in travel insurance to safeguard against any of these problems.

Many insurers are now offering policy add-ons, known as Travel Extension Disruption, so as to cover for issues which could arise as a result of any ash cloud problems due to the increased demand in this kind of cover from holidaymakers.

The study found that 1 in 5 British travellers are now checking the finer details of their travel insurance policies before setting off on holiday to clarify what they are, and aren’t covered for. Plus, 7% say they are prepared to pay more for better cover.

It’s estimated that 90% of British holidaymakers this year will take out some kind of travel insurance policy, while 60% of those will turn to a price comparison website to shop around for a low cost deal on cover.

The survey revealed that a worrying 1 in 10 tourists are still taking unnecessary risks by travelling abroad without taking out any kind of insurance policy.

As the children break up from school for the summer break, families are looking to head off to the sun for a well earned holiday. However travel insurance is crucial for all holidaymakers, especially if you’re travelling with youngsters. Now, with the value for money offer from The Sun and Flexicover Direct, the cost of cover for your whole family will work out a lot less than you may think.

As an added bonus, each person who takes out cover using the special offer will be entered into a monthly prize draw for the chance to win a European city break worth £1,000.

A range of different policies are available through Flexicover Direct including single trip and annual trip policies, plus cover for those heading out on gap year travels.

300 medical conditions are covered as standard by the policy, and 120 sporting activities. Travel insurance policies with Flexicover Direct don’t have an upper age limit and if you carry a European Health Insurance Card, there’s no excess charge.

Figures published by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance found that as many as 500,000 holidaymakers have taken vacations without making their travel insurance provider aware of a medical ailment they are suffering from.

Back pain was one of the most common medical issues which travellers had failed to tell their insurer about with 254,000 people admitting to having travelled last year without telling their insurance company about their back issue.

Travel insurance experts have warned that omitting details about your health, which you may believe is irrelevant to your travel policy, could end up costing you dear as a failure to disclose information can invalidate your cover. If this were to happen after falling ill abroad, the policyholder could be hit with the full extent of paying for medical treatment while abroad.

Some of the reasons given for not fully disclosing medical conditions to insurers were that people felt uncomfortable discussing their personal health issues over the phone with a stranger, while others said they were afraid of being refused cover because of an ailment.

A study which was carried out by an independent research company found that the number of holiday insurance policies which are now available has risen by almost 10% despite the fact that travel to overseas destinations has fallen drastically.

1,018 travel insurance policies are currently on offer, when 12 months earlier there were  just 930. 50% of the new travel insurance policies were introduced by five of the biggest national insurance companies.

As the country slumped deeper into the economic recession last year, more and more people cut back on non-essential spending, which included holidays for many. For this reason, a huge percentage of people chose to not take a holiday abroad last year, with many opting for the cheaper option of the stay-cation which involves holidaying in the UK.

According to recent statistics, overseas travel decreased by 16% during 2009. However travel agents and insurance companies are hoping to recoup some of the losses from last year as thousands of Brits prepare to leave the country to support England in the football World Cup which is being held in South Africa.

New research has shown that some families are putting themselves at risk by travelling abroad without ensuring that their travel insurance policy adequately covers any dependents who may be travelling with them. Should an uninsured child fall ill while abroad, the family could be hit with huge medical costs.

The independent research company which carried out the study discovered that there are a number of grey areas concerning insurance cover for families. The research found that the definition of a “family” in the case of some insurance companies needs revising in order to be up to date with modern life.

Most insurance companies will cover a child who lives at the same address as the policyholder. However if the child lives at a different address to that of the parent with whom they are travelling, which is often the case if the mother and father have split up, then the child will not be covered under many insurance policies.

Another issue which could lead to families travelling abroad without adequate travel insurance is that almost half of the insurers involved in the research don’t cover children which travel to a destination independently, even if they live at the same address as the policy holder.

The advice being given by the research company is to clarify with your chosen insurer to ensure your children are fully covered before leaving the country.