Gap Year Travellers Getting Older

Gap year travellers are steadily getting older a new survey has revealed, with over half of all those taking time out to travel over 25. A third of all gap year travellers were actually over 55. Of 10,000 people surveyed, 11 per cent said that they wanted to or are planning a gap year.

The US is the number one choice for gap year travellers, followed by New Zealand, South America, Australia and Europe.

It is astonishing at just how many travellers were people in their 30s who had hit the dusty trail to escape the recession. The school-leaver and university gap year student has suddenly become a critically endangered species.

Many people are finding the idea of doing some voluntary work also appealing during the time off. This can give an enormous boost to confidence as you can be helping people much worse off than yourself. In addition, on return to the UK and the jobs market this sort of activity is great to make your CV stand out. Some employers have commented that all things being equal an applicant with that extra special CV is very appealing.

Getting the right travel insurance is vital for extended stays abroad and the well known finance company which carried out the poll, said that there were some key things to remember.

If travelling, you should make sure you are covered for all destinations you will be visiting. Most insurance policies will cover unpaid voluntary work that you do, but it is wise to check details.

Declare any medical conditions or recent hospital visits and extended rather than annual policies are best, as the latter are often limited to a set number of days in a year. If you are intending to take part in any extreme sport remember that you may not be covered or need an add-on policy pack.

If you would like to know more about gap year travel why not ask AnswerBank Travel.