Senior travellers swap travel agents for web browsers to plan their getaways.

Ten years ago, some would have it that most seniors’ understanding of the digital revolution bordered on the luddite. Fast forward a decade and the internet is as much a part of seniors’ lives as it is those of teenagers. And new figures are released every day to back it up.

Findings from a new study into travel planning have revealed that an overwhelming majority of over 55s (87% to be precise) are choosing to go online via a laptop or desktop computer to conduct their holiday research. By comparison, just one in five are taking the traditional route of visiting the travel agents. (more…)

Following last week’s post on Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, the campaign’s creators, Bowel Cancer UK, write a guest post about the signs and symptoms of the condition and tell us why the campaign is so important.

Bowel Cancer UK is encouraging men and women to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease this Bowel Cancer Awareness Month – April 2012.

Bowel cancer (also known as colorectal or colon cancer) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, affecting both men and women. Every year over 40,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer and more than 16,000 people die of the disease. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Bowel cancer is very treatable, especially if it’s caught early. That’s why awareness of the symptoms is so important. (more…)

Today is Columbus Day. It’s the day that many countries in the ‘New World’ celebrate as the day when the Americas were first ‘discovered’ by Europeans. But myths of Columbus and his voyage abound. Many believe that Columbus set out to prove that the world was round rather than flat. However, the truth is that Columbus set out to find a western trade route to the Far East. He didn’t even discover the New World first – that claim now goes to Leif Ericson. In fact, Columbus’ famous voyage of 1492 wasn’t plain sailing at all.

Here at World First we’re happy to say that we are able to provide cover for many people who find it hard to get cover elsewhere. We cover people up to the age of 100 as well as those with medical conditions and were the first travel insurance company to offer a policy for travellers living with HIV and AIDS. We also insure families and backpackers and those who take time out to travel the world. But would we have insured Columbus?

Er…. unlikely. Columbus was a travel insurance nightmare.

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Occasionally we write guest posts for other blogs who are looking for a little expert travel insurance advice. In this post for independent baby product retailers Justanotherbaby.co.uk we explained how to pick up a great travel insurance deal for the family that doesn’t cost the earth.

Family holidays are always exciting. What better than jetting off to make memories in the summer sun with excited kids? But sometimes it can feel like there are so many niggly bits to take care of before you leave. Don’t worry. Your travel insurance needn’t be one of them. In fact, organising travel insurance for the family can be a doddle. And we’ll show you how.

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Yesterday, 4^th January 2011, VAT went up from 17.5% to 20%. It means that everything, from petrol to pyjamas, will become just that little bit more expensive. The same goes for Insurance Premium Tax, in case you hadn’t heard. Like VAT it has gone up from 17.5% to 20% for holiday and travel insurance premiums, which will be a blow to people hoping for a little low cost sunshine or snow this spring.

But not for World First Travel Insurance customers. World First have announced that they are waiving the increase and passing the savings back to you until the end of January. So that means you’ll get the same great value cover at last year’s prices but without having to compromise your trip away by travelling with inadequte or no travel insurance cover.

 Of course if you’ve yet to plan your trip away you can still benefit by taking the opportunity to buy cheap annual travel insurance that will cover you fro the next 12 months. If you take more than one trip abroad this year it could end up saving you a small fortune. And let’s not forget about the savings you could make if you suffer from a medical condition and require medical travel insurance. World First cover thousands of conditions and offer screening online for people up to the age of 100.

 So why wait? Beat the Taxman with World First.

If there’s one thing that the recent bad weather and Spanish air traffic strikes have proven, it’s that you can never be absolutely sure that you’ll get there – or back again – when you think you will. And let’s not forget the volcanic ash problems earlier this year. The fact is that if you are travelling with a medical condition, you might need a little more than a toothbrush and spare undies to take to the airport. 

If you are travelling with a medical condition and have purchased medical travel insurance then World First recommend that travelling with the medication you plan to use and some extra in case of delays and disasters. Whilst it may not be your fault if you were delayed it is still your responsibility to make sure you have plenty of supplies so you don’t end up creating a medical emergency through a lack of medication. In some instances, especially if you face long delays or are worried about losing your luggage, it could be worth taking twice as much as your normally need and splitting in between your hand luggage and suitcase.  (more…)

Cruises have changed much in the last ten or twenty years and whilst they have not necessarily become more “democratic” they are certainly a long way from the stuffy old image of jewellery and tuxedos. Modern cruise-goers, part by preference and part because of airline-style restrictions on luggage, are starting to travel light.

If you’ve never been on one before, the logical question to ask is “What do I pack to go on a cruise?”. Here’s a brief list… (more…)

Now this is interesting! Whilst World First can’t actually book your holiday for you as we’re not travel agents, we can make planning it just that little bit easier with a new service called Essential Holiday Extras. Extras puts those little annoyances of the journey like where to park, where to stay or getting away from the crowds into a convenient, easy to use online booking system so that all you have to worry about is where you put your passport and whether or not you’ve remembered the factor 50. (more…)

Backpackers old and new have always travelled across Europe and the world by train. As relatively characterless and antiseptic high-speed trains gradually take over the travelling landscape, it shouldn’t be forgotten that there is a wonderful architectural heritage in our train stations (and some pretty rubbish ones as well, but we’ll ignore them). (more…)

What with volcanic ash and airline strikes, holiday cancellation insurance has been in the news quite a lot recently, and not always in a positive light. Well, we can’t actually guarantee to pay out every time but maybe we have the next best thing.

World First has just launched two new cancellation policies that will cover you in almost any scenario you could imagine. (more…)