Travel Insurance Annual single policy £17, family £31

The game changes for the 65 and overs, primarily because insurers' risk charts predict more claims are likely so, sadly, even those in perfect health pay more. Those rejected on grounds of health should see the note below.

• Age 65-69:
  
  In Europe: EHIC Plus* is the cheapest at £35.64 for individuals and £58.80 for a couple (all policyholders need a Free EHIC Card too, else you're likely to not be covered for medical costs). Also, you must insist you're taken to a state hospital not a private clinic, as only treatment in state run institutions is covered by the policy.
  
  If this doesn't suit, an alternative to try is Planet Earth* (31 days per trip policy) at £45.65 for individuals and £82.17 for couples.
  
  

  Worldwide: If you're going further afield, HolidayRisk.com* is £77.95 for an individual. For couples, Elect Travel Insurance* are the cheapest at £131.63.

  All these premiums are exclusive via comparison site Moneysupermarket (and you could pay more direct).

• Age 70-74: If travelling in Europe, the cheapest by some distance is to get annual insurance from EHIC Plus* at £57.26 for individuals and £94.49 for a couple (all policyholders need a Free EHIC Card too, else you're likely to not be covered for medical costs).
  
  Also, you must insist you're taken to a state hospital not a private clinic, as only treatment in state run institutions is covered by the policy. If this doesn't suit, try HolidayRisk.com* at £64.95 for individuals and £102.95 for couples.

If you're travelling further afield, HolidayRisk.com* again provides a competitive premium. For individuals, the premium for Worldwide cover is £77.95. For couples, this increases to £138.90 via Moneysupermarket.

• Age 75-79: If travelling in Europe, the cheapest by some distance is to get annual insurance from EHIC Plus* at £62.24 for individuals and £102.71 for a couple (all policyholders need a Free EHIC Card too, else you're likely to not be covered for medical costs).
  
  Also, you must insist you're taken to a state hospital not a private clinic, as only treatment in state run institutions is covered by the policy. If this doesn't suit, try Cosmos* at £136.41 for individuals and £155.18 for couples.
  
  For individual Worldwide cover, Planet Earth* charges £199.95 but increases to £359.91 for couples. These prices are via comparison Moneysupermarket - you'd pay more direct.
  
• 80 and Over: This is where it gets really pricey. Overall, the Co-Operative Insurance have offered the best priced travel product, though online quotations are no longer available.
  
  Castle Cover do give online quotations. For an individual it ranges from £210.36 for European cover, to £314.97 for Worldwide cover. For couples, you get a combined discount, meaning the price per person is £178.86 for cover in Europe, or £252.16 (per person) for Worldwide cover, but is still the cheapest we've seen.

Anyone who's had a past serious medical condition or disability is likely to be quoted ludicrously high amounts from most traditional insurers, and it's even worse for those who are also over 65.

Don't despair, online quotations are still available for those with a medical history via Moneysupermarket.com* yet there are a number of ways to cut the cost and still ensure you're protected:

• Staying in Europe? Get an EHIC card
  
  The EHIC card gives you free or discounted medical treatment in any state run European Union (and a few other countries) hospital - Read full guide.
• Consider single trip cover
  
  Different countries' medical costs vary, and annual policies need to price this in, putting the average cost up. Therefore, unless you're going to a country with high medical costs, like the USA and Spain, it's often worth getting a quote for a single trip policy rather than annual.
• Cheaper policies from Specialist Insurers
  
  There are a number of insurers that specialise in giving policies to those with prior illnesses, there are no hard or fast rules so get quotes from as many as you can.
  
  If you'd rather pay a high excess rather than a high outlay for the premium, Global Travel Insurance* offers good rates, but you'll pay between £500 and £1,500, depending on age, to claim treatment for your condition.
  
  If not, there are a few good specialists for those with pre-existing conditions, MIA Online, Orbis and InsuranceWith which also offers good rates to customers with disabilities. Travel Plan Direct is also worth a check. For breast cancer sufferers, check policy details and quotes from insurers Insurepink.
  
  Get benchmark quotes from them and then see if you can beat it using Saga, Age UK and Insureandgo* (you'll need to phone the latter).
• Get a packaged bank account
  
  Travel Insurance is often one of the perks you can get for paying a monthly fee for a bank account (usually between £12 and £25). Normally we shout from the hilltops to avoid paid-for current accounts like the plague, but this may finally be a use for them (see all the Best Bank Accounts for normal use).
  
  Some of the policies on offer are more comprehensive than those available elsewhere - mainly as the bank account makes it pretty expensive. Yet for anyone with pre-existing medical conditions, if you speak to the bank and it confirms the policy would cover you, it could actually be quite cheap.
  
  All the big banks offer these; give Lloyds TSB's Gold and Platinum accounts a quick check first as it is often the most accessible. Other options are the Nationwide's* Flexaccount current account or the Sainsbury's Gold* card.
• The worse case scenario solution
  
  If cover is still unaffordable, the price may drop considerably if you ask insurers to exclude pre-existing conditions; though it's then your judgment call on the risks of going with limited cover.

While single trip policies have got a bad rep due to over expensive travel insurance where you can pay £50 for a week by a pool in Spain, done right they can be an extremely cheap way of getting protection.

There's a huge variance in price depending on the length of stay, where you're headed and you're profile, to name just three. As such it's impossible to give any definitive winner, so the best option is to use a comparison service.

In terms of range and price there are three, do check them all if possible - MoneySupermarket*, Confused.com* and Squaremouth*. The prices are much cheaper than annual policies.

As an example, taken in November 2011, these meet our minimum cover amounts and are indicative of the prices available:

• For individuals: ~
  European trip: The Essentials policy from Virgin, exclusively via price comparison Moneysupermarket* (you pay more direct), costs from just £6.30 for a week.
  
  Worldwide: Holiday Extra's Supersaver policy costs from £12.50 for Worldwide travel (including the USA and Canada) again through Moneysupermarket*.
• For families:
  European trip: Virgin Travel Essentials policy, exclusively via price comparison Moneysupermarket* (you pay more direct) costs from £10.15 for a week.
  
  Worldwide: Holiday Extra's Supersaver policy costs from £25 for Worldwide travel (including the USA and Canada) again through Moneysupermarket*.
• With winter sports cover:
  European trip: Debenhams comes up trumps in Europe at £10.30 for individuals and £19.70 for families for a week's tip, exclusively via price comparison Moneysupermarket* (you pay more direct).
  
  Worldwide: The AA is cheapest for individuals at £30 for a week and Debenhams at £54 is cheapest for families for a week's Worldwide travel (including the USA and Canada) again through Moneysupermarket*.
  

Once you've got the comparison sites results always double check the quotes and what's included on the providers' own website. The impact can be most keenly felt by those with non-standard circumstances when it's even more important to confirm your requirements.