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Senior Senior Travel in the UK

Senior Senior Travel in the UK

Old Jun 18, 2007, 4:41 pm
  #1  
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Senior Senior Travel in the UK

My father is 89. He has a new girlfriend - 76. They want to go to Europe. I don't know if they'll go to Europe (I am not encouraging the trip) - but I have suggested that if they wind up going - that their trip should be to the UK. Most of the questions I have don't pertain specifically to the UK - but since that it a logical first destination - I thought I would post my questions here.

First off - there seems to be a big problem with medical insurance. My father is in excellent health for his age - but he is 89. Medicare doesn't cover health care abroad. He has a medigap policy which provides $25,000 in overseas medical costs. I don't think this is enough (and there doesn't seem to be any medical evacuation coverage). But I'm not sure - since I know nothing about medical costs overseas. Only time we ever had medical care abroad was when my husband broke a filling in Italy over 20 years ago - and he got a temporary filling in a small town in Italy for about 10,000,000 lira - which - at the time was about $6 .

I took a look at a website called insureyourtrip.com - and although there seems to be trip insurance available for people on medicare - the choices are very limited and extremely expensive (like more than $2000 for a 2 week trip) for senior seniors (people over 85). Is there a reasonable alternative that anyone knows about?

Second - having just returned from a trip to Germany where I stayed in a nice hotel which had one of those huge tubs with a handheld shower - which even a healthy 89 year old probably couldn't navigate - is there any particular touring group - web resource - whatever - where you can insure that you will get a regular room with a shower - or handicap facilities that include a shower? Or do you just have to go hotel by hotel - find out what's offered - and book things yourself?

I suspect the UK has a large elderly population. And it must have local tours of the country which cater to the elderly. Is anyone here familiar with any such tours? We have companies here like Tauck - but I think its idea of elderly is anyone over the age of 50. The needs of really old people can differ significantly from people like me (at 60 - I'm not young - but I know I can handle things better than my father). One advantage of touring with such a group in the UK (as opposed to other countries in Europe) - is that there wouldn't a language problem (unless everyone else in the group was from Scotland ). Robyn
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Old Jun 20, 2007, 2:49 am
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First of all, the good news - emergency medical treatment is free in the UK (for everyone including visitors). You can find more information here:

http://www.avert.org/freenhs.htm

However, this would not cover dental treatment - which we have to pay for as well (unless we are very poor).

Hotel rooms with showers (as opposed to bath tubs) seem to be the exception rather than the rule here, so your father would probably have to make a point of booking a "disabled" room each time.

I know of one (fairly well-known) national company that organises trips for senior citizens - www.saga.co.uk. There may well be others.
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Old Jun 20, 2007, 6:29 pm
  #3  
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Thanks for your reply and the information. Biggest problem in terms of medical is medical evacuation insurance. Although my father is very healthy for his age - I think most people should have medical evacuation insurance when abroad. We've seen many cases of friends who have gotten sick - even people in their 30's and 40's - who need to come home quickly for various medical reasons. It's very cheap coverage if you're young - and very expensive if you're old.

Also - my father got in touch with a couple of US tour companies - and their tour reps agreed with me in terms of discouraging him from taking any of their tours abroad (although they thought most north American tours would be fine). He is spry for 89 - but he is 89.

On my part - I told him the only way he should consider going to Europe is going to a big city like London business class (and London was my first choice because it's a great city - and you won't run into any language problems) - and staying in a top end hotel in the city for maybe a week. Seeing some shows - eating at some nice restaurants. Arranging for a car and driver to put together some personalized sightseeing both in the city and perhaps a day trip or two outside the city. So he can walk when he feels like walking - and rest when he feels like resting. Not feel forced to keep up with people 30 and 40 years younger than he is. He is willing to travel this way. But his girlfriend - who has a lot more money than he does - can't bring herself to pay for luxury travel. I don't know what she's saving it for - but this is something they will have to work out themselves .

FWIW - this is the way we did our last trip to the UK - I think our fifth if I remember correctly (we're younger - but my husband has a really bad knee). We went to - among other things - the Chelsea Flower Show - Gordon Ramsay at RHR - and saw Jerry Springer the Opera. It was a fantastic trip. Robyn
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Old Jun 25, 2007, 4:08 am
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I hope that (a) I live to 89, and (b) if I do I'm able to get a new girlfriend and that (c) I'm up for new experiences! I think your father sounds great, and I wouldn't discourage him if I were you (the tour company doesn't want the hassle, but still wants your money in the 49 states...) but I would encourage him to think very carefully about it so that he can enjoy it to the full.

The one sticking point seems to be the medical repatriation cover. Unless your father has a medical history which suggests he might need repatriating clinically I would suggest going without. Yes people of any age sometime need to come home early, but in the vast majority of cases they can do this on a scheduled airline without constant nursing supervision. I would suggest an airline ticket with some flexibility (for a change fee, say), and an upmarket hotel with a good concierge who can help make local arrangements and liaise with you in the unlikely event of a change of plan.
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Old Jun 26, 2007, 8:57 am
  #5  
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I agree that the medical evacuation insurance shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Unfortunately - my father's girlfriend says she will only do a tour. I think that tours are great for some people - but they are IMO a problem for people who travel slowly - for whatever reason. The Tauck people told my father he had to be able to walk 1/2 mile in 15 minutes - and that - if he got tired - he couldn't stay on the bus at any time during tour stops (that's when the drivers take their breaks).

My husband and I are younger - 60ish - and we don't even consider tours because - among other things - my husband has a really bad knee - and needs to rest during our sightseeing (sometimes more - sometimes less). Doesn't bother me. When he wants to rest - I just find a nice store with comfy chairs. He sits - I shop . But that is why I recommended an independent trip with a car/driver when desired for my father Traveling at one's own pace. It's really the easier way to do things.

And I recommended the UK because it is the easiest place for an English-only traveler to do things on his/her own. Plus London is probably - if not the best city in the world - certainly among the top 3. Especally if you like the theater (which my father and his girlfriend do).

But I will let my father argue these things out with his girlfriend. Nothing in it for me to get in the middle. Robyn
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Old Jul 1, 2007, 4:39 am
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I think it is great that your father has so much get up and go! But a note of caution; and please dont think I'm being unkind. The reason why the insurance cover you mentioned is so expensive is because statistically, your father is a risk. ie they're not willing to put their money on his health for the duration of the trip. While I do admire the guy's spirit, I think it is a bad idea.

A trip through LHR is an awful experience even in the best of health. Any chance you could get them a beach break somewhere in the US...hell, get them to the Venetian or Paris in Las Vegas maybe?
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Old Jul 1, 2007, 5:30 am
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IMHO, if an 89 year old guy has the gumption to go on a trip to Europe, he should be encouraged. ^

As to the insurance, Amex has a program which might work. http://home3.americanexpress.com/cor..._solutions.asp

I believe that, in addition to the paid insurance program, Amex also offers "free" medivac coverage with certain of its cards. Might be worth looking into.
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Old Jul 1, 2007, 6:05 am
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Originally Posted by Irelandflyer
A trip through LHR is an awful experience even in the best of health.
I'm sorry, but LHR (with no connection) travelling in a premium cabin (or with status) is fine. It's connections and no fasttrack that make it awful.
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Old Jul 2, 2007, 4:55 pm
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We never have to worry about LHR. Most of our flight connections here from Florida are to Gatwick . Really had a pleasant experience last trip to Gatwick - flying Virgin Atlantic upper class on a Continental reward ticket.

I think the problem one encounters with someone like my father is he has no experience traveling independently outside the US (has only been out of the country once - not counting WWII - on a big group tour to Israel). So I'm not sure he can "roll with the punches" in terms of what might happen when traveling independently. Although how much can happen if you're talking about a nice flight - a limo pickup at the airport - and just staying in a single city? Which is why I recommended this mode of travel to him.

I've found that when problems happen - mostly all it takes to solve them is money. Although my best friend had to bail out her elderly parents when they got stranded in the UK after 9/11 - they missed their flight and couldn't deal with the reservations mess after. But that happened to one of my cousins too (she got stranded in Italy) - and us as well (we got stranded in NYC and wound up having to rent a car to drive back to Florida). And - fingers crossed - 9/11 was one of those once in a lifetime events/travel messes.

With tours - well they do everything for you - but you do have to do everything at the pace the tour sets. Which would be too much for my father. Robyn (I'm not that old - but the older I get - the slower I travel - and the more I see)
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Old Jul 2, 2007, 5:29 pm
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What about to a smaller, less busy city, with more opportunity for days out? IIRC CO serve a number of cities throughout the UK - Edinburgh or Glasgow, Cardiff, even York (going to MAN, then the direct train through to York) or arranging a taxi pick-up from MAN.

It might then be possible to get onto some of the daily coach trips organised by companies like Wallace Arnold who are used to taking seniors around, while staying in a good hotel with the concierge to help them out if necessary. The smaller cities are easier to get out of, so might be a better option if they do want to see a bit more than a city?

Just a thought
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Old Jul 3, 2007, 11:52 am
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Originally Posted by Wingnut
I'm sorry, but LHR (with no connection) travelling in a premium cabin (or with status) is fine. It's connections and no fasttrack that make it awful.
Er...imagine the fun a guy in his eighties, with or without a premium ticket would have there today......
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Old Jul 3, 2007, 1:22 pm
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Well, unless flying from T4, things would have been as normal. And aside from that, you can hardly blame the airport for some idiot leaving a bag unattended. That can happen anywhere.
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Old Jul 3, 2007, 5:54 pm
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Originally Posted by Wingnut
Well, unless flying from T4, things would have been as normal. And aside from that, you can hardly blame the airport for some idiot leaving a bag unattended. That can happen anywhere.
Never broached the question of blame. And I suspect that most people realise that it is the owner of the bag who is responsible, and of course it could happen anywhere.

Bottom line...if there ever was a good time for an elderly person to be attempting such a trip, common sense would dictate that it probably isn't right now.
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Old Jul 3, 2007, 9:43 pm
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Well, you started off by saying how awful LHR was as an airport. You then backed that statement up by referring to the evacuation of T4 today. By linking the two, you did broach the question of blame.

As such, you've reached a "bottom line" through erroneous accounting. Why on earth would common sense dictate that an elderly person shouldn't attempt such a trip now?
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Old Jul 4, 2007, 7:20 am
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Originally Posted by Wingnut
Well, you started off by saying how awful LHR was as an airport. You then backed that statement up by referring to the evacuation of T4 today. By linking the two, you did broach the question of blame.

As such, you've reached a "bottom line" through erroneous accounting. Why on earth would common sense dictate that an elderly person shouldn't attempt such a trip now?
I know this is only an internet forum, but please do not patronise me by putting words in my mouth. How patronising it is for you to suggest that you're revealing to anyone that the idiot who left the bag is responsible.
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