Gransnetters share where they would like to travel in the world and what it is that's stopping them with Staysure

I would love to go to India and had planned to go in 2019 for my 60th birthday, put on hold due Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
What’s stopping me now, health, worry about travelling on my own mostly.

I long to visit New Zealand and Australia. The scenery looks spectacular on films and TV. Would love to see Sydney Opera house and experience a musical event inside. Also take a photo from the bridge. Melbourne for cricket and more photos. Also see koalas and kangaroos who have survived the awful fires. I would love to visit the Great Barrier reef. New Zealand is also famous for marine life, but I would also love to see The Emerald Lakes and Lake Gunn. There is so much to see and experience.
I also have relatives in Australia.
It really is a wonderful dream.
But money plays a part - too expensive. Also health conditions that I have had since I was 30 and gathered more as I went along - now in my 70s. Would really love to go before I get too old.

i would love to go to australia and see my extended family out there.they are descendants from my great grandfather first marriage. yes i have met them back in 1994 .but would love to go see them before it gets too much with spinal and kidney dis function....so melbourne would be the ideal place. they would put me up in their home ,so no need for a hotel. £300 would help towards the price of the flight.

So many places still to visit but would love a big visit to Australia and New Zealand. Also, Canada and Alaska visits too. Many things stopping me including having to cancel recent holidays due to bereavements. Several other incidents with close friends that make me very cautious about booking a big expensive trip. Here's hoping the year gets better.

If you could book a ticket right now, where in the world would you like to visit?

My OH and myself have always wanted to go to the Galapagos Islands, we are both keen wildlife photographers, and this place is on the top of our bucket list.

What are the barriers that are stopping you from going (eg health, finances, mobility, fear of flying)?

There are 2, 1 is the cost and the second is the length of the flight.

Is travel insurance important to you when booking a trip?

Yes, as soon as we book, we get travel insurance, we have had to cancel in the past due to ill health and our travel insurance meant that we did not loose out on anything but out small deposit.

Does travel insurance give you the piece of mind that you’ll be protected when abroad, or do you have some reservations about what will be covered

Yes it gives me peace of mind, we always answer the questions honestly, so there would not be any issue with any potential claim.

I would love to visit New Orleans, ride on a boat along the Mississippi, take in the jazz music and try the creole food.
It's a dream, on a smallish pension, and my OH having a long term health condition, I would expect the insurance cost may be very high.
If we were able to afford (lottery win permitting) I would certainly take out travel insurance to cover us against any health costs and lost luggage.

It would be to Italy, in particular the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Italy. It is within a travel budget, and the insurance for a week I hope would not be to expensive, I would of course have to read the small print to ensure that everything I need has been covered.
The flight is not too long, and to see the beauty of this landmark would bring a tear to my eye and warm my heart.

I would love to sit in front of the Taj Mahal & have a photo taken, just like Diana’s iconic photo all those years ago. Problem is my hubby isn’t too keen nor my friends & it’s not somewhere I’d travel to alone

Would love to travel across Canada via the mountain rocketeer train then round off with an Alaskan cruise. Husband will no longer do long haul 2-3hrs is his max flight time at a push will do 4.

My dream destination would be Antarctica. I am lucky enough to be able to holiday a lot and I often do so on my own. The reason I haven't, as yet, realised my dream trip is that the cost is so extortionate. As a single traveller I would have to pay almost double on a cruise to Antarctica (and I don't feel at my age that I can share with a stranger). I am happy to pay out for holidays but this is far too expensive. Maybe if I win the lottery!!!

I'd like to go to this bu am too old and decrepit. I need things that are more comfortable now and even long flights are really out unless I can afford first class and quick boarding and a departure gate that is easy to reach or help getting there. I can't afford it either, probably. But I'd love to see the animals up close. And to help fund the project.

The Jane Goodall Institute Australia
10 hrs·
Have you ever wanted to experience the real Uganda? Travelling off the usual tourist path, visiting small communities and seeing incredible wildlife with an intimate group of like-minded travellers? Well, here’s your chance!

RAW Africa Eco-Tours has four places left on the 14-day trip to Uganda in June 2020. This trip supports the work of the Jane Goodall Institute Australia.

RAW Africa Ecotours specialise in community and conservation-based ecotourism and this tour to Uganda is a once in a lifetime opportunity made for those passionate about animals, people and our shared environment. In fact, late last year, a few of the JGIA team (past and present) headed to Uganda to experience it. Our small group was transformed by this trip that immersed us in places rich in conservation and cultural values. We can’t wait to return.

Dr Jane Goodall believes that in order to save great apes and other species, communities must be inspired and empowered to live in balance with wildlife and the natural environment. Protecting animals also means protecting human communities and the ecosystems they both rely on.

So, what are you waiting for? Email [email protected]
today to find out more and book your place.

The RAW Africa Eco-Tours trip to Uganda includes
Gorilla Trekking Permit
Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
All transfers, transport, activities, accommodation and meals as per itinerary
All tips/gratuities (except for RAW Africa staff)
Accommodation (9 nights comfortable guest house; 4 nights eco-lodge)

Photography by Phil Hines

Japan - to start with - if ever that gets done, I hope my confidence will be higher and the world will be my oyster. I would have to travel on my own and I just can't make that jump. Have to admit insurance would be a problem these days, but I've not even made enquiries.

If you could book a ticket right now, where in the world would you like to visit?

I would love to go to Antarctica, and experience the beauty, nature and sights before I cannot travel that far.

What are the barriers that are stopping you from going (eg health, finances, mobility, fear of flying)?

I have some mobility issues, but can still fly, I have minor health conditions, so am not sure how much my holiday insurance would be, finally the finances, I do have a nestegg and a good works pension, so may be able to afford, just need to get myself organised with flights, accommodation, and a stop of point half way there, as it is sooo far away. Business class would be a dream, but it's so far out of my £££'s limit.

Is travel insurance important to you when booking a trip?

Yes, for peace of mind just incase the worst happens

Does travel insurance give you the piece of mind that you’ll be protected when abroad, or do you have some reservations about what will be covered.

I would have to read the exclusions before I take out any holiday insurance.

I've never been outside of Europe. Dream Destination Costa Rica, being able to go horse riding on Pacific and Atlantic beaches. Also being able to walk over the top of the forest and looking down on the bird life. Absolutely no chance of being able to afford such a trip, and we can't take our dog.

Canada and The North Pole, the fresh air, sigh.. but an armchair traveller is all I will be, as I have sever arthritis and travelling so far wouldn't be good for me. But I can dream

Dream would be a World Cruise - What's stopping me - cost and not yet retired, so at moment can only go school holidays. Also cost of travel insurance for other half, who had a mild heart attack, but now fully fit and stented, so future proofed and unlikely to reoccur, but we'll probably still be penalised for that. Possible would be North Lights trip or Singapore in future if we can get reasonable priced cover for him.

I would go to Antarctica, although mobility could be an issue. OH rates Staysure as the best - it paid out without question when he claimed for a cancelled holiday because of his wife's cancer diagnosis and treatment (several years ago.)

Ohh gosh there’s so many things I’d love to see; the spectacular Northern Lights, somewhere warm with no light pollution that I could lay back on the ground and watch a sky full of stars and maybe even a solar system or two, the vast Grand Canyon, the lost civilisation of Machu Pichu, swimming around the fish of the Great Barrier Reef, Whale watching in Arctic waters.... gosh I could go on and on!! Unfortunately raising 5 children over 34 years left little money to do holidays other than the bucket and spade variety. Now at 55 we’d hoped to do these things but with ill health, I now can’t get travel insurance without donating the cost of a kidney to cover it! Yes I feel a bit robbed but console myself with the thought that it’d be a waste anyway as I’ll probably get dementia and wouldn’t remember it anyway! Always a silver lining somewhere

Ive always wanted to visit japan to see the eautiful gardens and national parks ut i find it super expensive and the long flight rather scary !

Alas, impaired mobility and cost are the two commonest things, to which I have had to adapt. Sin e the abe of 14 I have stayed in Youth Hostels all over the UK and in Europe, but never thought insurance necessary at "home". While still working, I got as far as the US and did Route 66 with a friend and into Turkey in Asia in the other direction on my own.I would still be doing this sort of thing on my own but arthritis has beaten me since my late seventies. If Gransnetters are still active in their sixties I advise them not to waste time, but get going. They will have rather a shock at the cost of travel insurance after 65 even though they may be perfectly fit. What Brexit will bring for former budget travellers in Europe will be anybody's guess

I'd love to go to either New Zealand or Australia. My two main problems are my DH who used to love travel but can't be bothered to go anywhere anymore, and my fear of flying. I can just about manage a short flight to Spain but the thought of being on a plane for more than 10 hours just terrifies me. I'd also like to visit Central America mainly for the hummingbirds. Many years ago we lived in California and we saw some there but there are many, many more species in places like Costa Rica.

I would love to visit my friends in America but my real dream would be to travel through Europe by train and end up in Croatia. It is, and always will remain, just a dream as finances would never allow it.

I would love to return to Las Vegas, but my husband isnt well enought to make the long flight. My DS, DiL and DGS (9) live there, so its a long wait for them to come and visit.

Being a Tolkien fan, I’d love to experience New Zealand where Lord Of The Rings was filmed.
Also a recent episode of Ben Fogles New Lives In The Wild, has further teased me into wanting to travel to New Zealand.
I hope it would turn out to be a precursor to actually living out there, and a reccy there would hopefully help me decide.
I would really appreciate a travel insurer to be “different from the rest”, and not be afraid to advertise on their website in a way that was clear even to the dimmest of us.
To make it easier to calculate the whole cost of the venture once the correct cover of insurance was calculated.
I have not as yet looked at the Staysure site, as holidays have been put on hold until I have saved enough to follow my dreams.
Good luck to fellow entrants to this competition, & may the best (wo)man win... lol.

I know this is an old cliche but I would love to go on a safari in Africa. I would take my mom and son with me. I would love to see the animals in their own environment, not locked up in zoos. My.mom loves elephants whereas I love all the wild cats, especially tigers. My son loves all animals without a favourite. The reason we cannot go is because my mom is terminal with end stage kidney failure but it is a wonderful dream.