The old E111 form is now invalid, and  has been replaced by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) . This provides UK residents with free or reduced cost medical treatment for illness  or an accident in the EU. If you apply on-line at www.ehic.org.uk you should receive your free card within 7 days. You can also apply by phone on  0845 606 2030  0845 606 2030 or pick up an application form at the Post Office.

We recommend that you take the EHIC, but you should still take out travel insurance, as, in France, you're charged a proportion of the medical fees for any treatment you receive, which your insurance will cover. Also the EHIC doesn't provide free treatment at private clinics which may be the only option in some places. You'll also need travel insurance to cover the cost of repatriation if you need to return home early.

Although we do not sell travel insurance, we are often asked for recommendations - please see below links to companies which have been used by our clients who live in the UK.

Companies sympathetic to pre-existing medical conditions or clients over 65.

Travel insurance for anyone with a medical history is often difficult to find at a price that is not prohibitive. Please see below links to some companies which we have used, or which have been recommended to us:

Medical Information Anywhere has teamed up with Master Travel Insurance Consultants to offer policies starting at £44.50 for 17 days’ cover, with a typical medical excess of £150. Only people with a terminal prognosis, awaiting surgery or travelling against medical advice are excluded. For more details visit www.miaonline.co.uk, or telephone  01268 782745  01268 782745 to apply.

Insurepink is a company dealing specifically with people with breast cancer. The travel insurance policies have been developed by a woman who has experience of the condition. For a quote visit the website or call the free number  0800 0223213  0800 0223213 , quoting “insure pink” as a reference.

In Tune have no upper age limit for their travel insurance policies and will cover many pre-existing medical conditions that other insurers will not even consider. All the company’s profits go to Help the Aged. For a quote, visit the website or telephone the call centre on the free number  0800 0223 192  0800 0223 192 quoting "intune" as a reference. Opening times Mon-Fri - 8.00am-6.00pm, Sat - 9.00am-3.00pm.

Recently we have heard of a Devon-based insurance company called World First which offers competitive travel insurance quotes for older people with pre-existing medical conditions. Telephone  0845 908 0161  0845 908 0161 .

Clients living overseas.

Clients who are homeowners in continental Europe and the USA may find that their household insurance policies also provide cover for rented properties.

The following companies have been used by some of our clients who live overseas:

Travelguard (USA)

Travelinsure.com (Australia)

QBE (Australia)

If you have any personal recommendations of travel insurance companies, please let us know.