There are so many stereotypes concerning travel and life for the over 60s. Of course, there are certain health problems that all travellers should acknowledge, but having taken these into account it is important to remember that you are only as old as you feel.

Ageing

Comfort and the natural process of growing older are not mutually exclusive. If anyone is considering travelling, even for a short hop across the Channel then the idea of planning is paramount. In the same way that many older people appreciate the benefits of a stairlift rental in their own homes, make sure that if you are taking a ferry or a long cruise that the vessel possesses all possible aids that will make moving around the boat simple. Nearly everyone takes a while to discover their ‘sea legs’ but for those who have restricted mobility, rails and other accessories will ensure safety and peace of mind.

Planning

A recent report has discovered that an increasing number of pensioners use their Senior Railcards as a cost-effective means of visiting their grandchildren. The report goes on to claim that this increase is mainly down to grandparents wanting to help their families with childcare and other duties. This might be one of the reasons but with an efficient national rail service the 25 million older train users might also believe that it’s a lot more comfortable to take a train in the middle of the day rather than to have to encounter the bad driving and expensive fuel costs that dominate so much of British motoring.

Touring

Another area of growing popularity are tour packages where a holidaymaker can travel in comfort and see some of the more interesting sights of their destination country. As long as the tour company knows in advance about various health problems they can ensure that hotel rooms are suitably furnished and that anyone with mobility problems can have ground floor rooms. Most of these professional tour companies have a Tour Director travelling with the group and it is their job to ensure that all tourists in their charge have a splendid time. Effective holiday insurance is a necessity, nobody ever plans to be ill but at least if the insurance company is aware of any pre-existing conditions, then should the worst happen the claimant can rest easy in the knowledge that their stay in an overseas hospital will be paid for.