--- title: Michael Palin, 83, Is Unsure He Will Travel Abroad Again After 37 Years Exploring the World description: Michael Palin says his Philippines series may be his last trip abroad. His journeys since 1989, and how to keep travelling well in later life. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-05T12:00:00.081Z updated: 2026-11-05T14:50:57.325Z canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/michael-palin-travel-abroad-again image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-37445545.webp categories: Author Journeys, Literary Culture content_type: Feature region: Global publication: The Quantum of Light --- Michael Palin has been travelling for television since 1989, when he set off to follow Phileas Fogg around the world in 80 days. At 83, he is no longer sure he will go abroad again. In an interview with Mishal Husain for Bloomberg in October, he said he did not know whether he would travel again, and suggested that Michael Palin in the Philippines, his latest series, could be his last journey overseas. The series aired on Channel 5 in three episodes from 28th September to 12th October 2026, alongside a book of the same name. Weeks later, a slip in his bathroom left him with three fractured ribs and a minor pelvic fracture. He cancelled his UK book tour and every other event for the next few months, called the accident a 'comedy fall with no audience there to see it' and thanked the NHS for his care. His official website has closed its shop while he recovers. Palin has not ruled out travel in Britain, which he said could still be part of his work. The doubt covers long trips abroad, and above all the destinations his team calls 'countries on the edge'. ## Michael Palin's Journeys From the North Pole to North Korea The BBC first broadcast Around the World in 80 Days over seven episodes in 1989, and in all Palin has made 13 serialised travel documentaries. He crossed the planet from pole to pole, circled the Pacific Rim in Full Circle, which covered 50,000 miles through 17 countries over ten months, and followed it with Sahara, Himalaya, New Europe and Brazil. After 2012 he moved his films from the BBC to Channel 5 and turned towards countries few presenters visit. Michael Palin in North Korea aired in 2018, Into Iraq in 2022, Nigeria in 2024 and Venezuela in 2025. The Philippines series followed this autumn, and the book follows him across the archipelago, from its beauty to the hardship of families living in extreme poverty. If you are in your 70s or 80s and weighing the same question about your own trips, a few changes to how you plan can keep you travelling abroad with less strain. ## How to Keep Travelling Abroad in Later Life **Buy travel insurance before you book, and declare every condition.** The UK has no legal upper age limit on travel insurance, and several specialist insurers set none. The ratings firm Defaqto finds that 67% of single-trip policies cover adults aged 80 or over. If you leave a medical condition off the form, the insurer can refuse your claim, so list everything, including conditions that are well controlled. **Carry your GHIC.** The UK Global Health Insurance Card is free from the NHS and gives you state healthcare in EU countries at the same cost as local residents. It does not replace travel insurance, as it will not cover private treatment or a flight home. **Book free assistance at the airport.** UK and EU airports must provide help for passengers with reduced mobility at no charge, from the check-in desk to your seat. Ask your airline at least 48 hours before you fly. **Take the train for journeys under six hours.** A rail journey lets you stand up, walk and arrive in the centre of a city. [France's new TGV M](https://thequantumoflight.com/article/tgv-m-paris-marseille-first-run-6th-november) makes its first run from Paris to Marseille on 6th November, and our [Back on Track series](https://thequantumoflight.com/article/back-on-track-renfe-seat-reservations-belgrade-trains) covers the best rail routes across Europe each week. **Build rest days into your itinerary.** Two nights in each place, rather than one, gives you a full day without packing. Choose hotels near the station or the old town so that most of what you came to see is within a short walk. **Keep your medicines in your hand luggage.** Pack enough for the whole trip plus a few extra days, in their original boxes, with a copy of your prescription. ## What Michael Palin Has Given Travellers On a UK tour in his seventies, Palin's message to audiences was to enjoy travel while you can. His Philippines book is in shops now, and whether or not he crosses another border, his journeys from the North Pole to the Philippines remain on screen and on the page for you to follow.