Several agencies are able to offer cheap travel insurance cover to people in different age groups and with different medical conditions. This ability to offer low cost travel insurance rests on the fact that they source policies from several different and reputed insurance companies. They are thus able to find the best bargains, suited to different situations and needs.

Cheap travel insurance does not mean skimping on the quality of cover. UK and EU residents would typically be covered for emergency medical (including dental pain relief), repatriation, personal liability, legal, trip cancellation and loss or damage of personal belongings. Covering pre-existing medical conditions and hijack/kidnap would, of course, cost a little more.

A realistic meaning of cheap travel insurance is that the prices would be competitive compared to policies with similar cover. The actual insurance costs would be dependent on factors such as the insured person's age, trip duration and destination.

Travel insurance is primarily meant to cover expenses of emergency medical treatment while you are abroad. The medical condition could be such that treatment cannot wait till you return back home.

Typically, the cover would extend to other travel risks such as loss of baggage, damage to belongings and trip cancellation or interruption.

Good agencies would offer policies to cover a range of needs. Cover should be available for different ages - from newborns to over 100. Cheap travel policies would typically have certain age cut-offs. Travellers below age 65 would find it easier to find low cost policies. If you have no pre-existing medical condition, you might find lower cost policies up to your 75th birthday.

After that, travel insurance would begin to cost more. Pre-existing medical conditions also lead to higher costs, and persons with such conditions might not get insurance cover beyond age 85.

Travellers might need cover for single trip, annual multi-trips, long stay and even one-way trips. Cheap travel insurance becomes more difficult for travellers planning to engage in winter sports and hazardous adventures. Cover for vehicle breakdowns during motoring trips cruises with greater cancellation possibilities and costs might also cost a little more.

Then comes group travel, cover after you have left your country, policies for people of non-UK residential status and pregnant persons.

A good agency would not only be able to offer cover for all the different situations but also find the cheapest travel insurance for each.

These days, agencies offer you the option to purchase insurance online. Servicing you online lowers their costs and they would be willing to share the cost savings with you. However, online purchase option might not be available to over aged persons.

You could buy insurance online if you are aged under 65. A quote can usually be obtained within minutes based only on your age.

Online filling of forms providing personal details can also facilitate actual issue of the policy.

Purchasing online makes it more likely that you get cheaper travel insurance.

Agencies that seek out insurance bargains and bring these to you would not be policy issuers. The actual issuers would be different insurance companies. You should carefully read the terms and conditions and make sure that the policy provides the kind of insurance cover that you need.

You have a limited time, up to a typical maximum of 14 days, to cancel the policy and ask for a refund. You would have even less time if you start the trip earlier.

Hence, make it a point to go through the policy document and check that you have got what you wanted. Seek competent help if you can't do it yourself.

With cheap travel insurance available, it is no more worth the risk to travel without travel insurance. Just make sure that you get the best value for money, with lowest possible rates for the particular kinds of insurance cover that you want.