Gap-year travellers getting older

The profile of a gap-year traveller as a school-leaver travelling abroad for a life-changing experience appears to be an outdated one.

New research shows that more than half of gap year travellers from the UK are over 25.

And instead of fresh-faced 18 year olds, one third of all gap years are taken by the over 55s.

A poll by American Express Travel Insurance of 10,000 customers shows that 11 per cent want to or are planning to take a gap year; 89 per cent of respondents were over 30.

The USA is the top destination for gap-year travellers, followed by New Zealand and South America.. Australia and Europe were the fourth and fifth most-favoured destinations.

If you are planning on going abroad for an extended period of time, getting a travel insurance policy that covers you for all eventualities is vital.

American Express has the following tips on what to look for in travel insurance for gap years:

Ensure that you are covered for all destinations you intend to visit.

If you are planning to work while away, check to see whether the policy covers this. Most policies cover work that is unpaid and does not involve manual labour.

Declare any on-going medical conditions and recent hospital visits.

You will generally need extended rather than annual insurance policies. Annual policies typically cover multiple trips with a maximum number of days taken during a 12-month period, whereas extended policies provide continuous cover for anywhere between six and 18 months.

If you want to try your hand at extreme sports, such as bungee jumping and sky diving, ensure you are covered. In many cases you will need to buy an add-on to your policy to be covered for extreme sports. XXX