What does ski travel insurance cover?
Ski insurance usually covers everything that a regular travel insurance policy does, but it also has extra cover designed to insure you on the slopes.
This includes:
- Medical treatment
- Ski pass cover
- Hospital transportation and repatriation
- Cancellations
- Baggage and personal possessions
- Piste closures cover
- Off-piste cover
- Loss, theft or damage of your own or hire equipment
- Adventurous skiing
Medical treatment if you’re injured while skiing or snowboarding on the slopes
Ski pass cover should you lose it
Hospital transportation and repatriation if you injure yourself or become seriously ill while skiing and need to be transported to a local hospital, or brought home to the UK
Cancellations if you’re forced to cut your holiday short or cancel due to extreme weather conditions
Baggage and personal possessions such as your documents, money and electronic gadgets could be covered against loss, theft or damage
Piste closures cover means that you may be compensated if the slope is closed due to lack of snow or bad weather conditions. Some insurers offer it but check the small print before buying to be sure
Off-piste cover that may require you to be accompanied by a qualified guide. It’s best to check your policy details if you want this cover
Loss, theft or damage of your winter sports equipment, including hire equipment
Adventurous skiing can be covered but it depends on your insurer. You’ll need to check your policy details to be clear on what type of skiing is covered.
What isn't covered by ski travel insurance?
Some types of skiing might not be covered by your ski insurance.
These include:
- Competitive skiing
- Freestyle skiing
- Heli-skiing
- Ski stunting
- Acrobatic skiing
If you’re going to be doing something a bit more daring than average on your skiing holiday, you might need to take out extreme sports travel cover rather than regular winter sports travel insurance.
Ski insurance claims may be refused by some insurers if you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when an accident/incident occurred.
And leaving your ski equipment unattended may mean that claims under your ski holiday insurance for loss, damage or theft are refused.
Insurers may also specify that you must wear protective equipment like helmets or goggles while skiing.
If you’re unsure about what’s covered, you should check your ski travel insurance policy wording or contact the insurer before you buy.
How much does ski travel insurance cost?
The price of your ski insurance policy depends on a few things:
- How long and how often you go skiing, if you‘re planning on skiing a few times a year it might be cheaper to take out an annual ski travel insurance policy rather than separate ones for each trip.
- Your age is used by insurers when considering ski insurance prices. On average the older you are, the higher the risk there is of you making a claim for medical costs.
- Where you’re going skiing is also important. Travel insurance for Skiing in places like Canada and the USA will generally cost more. This is because medical costs and the cost of returning home are considerably higher in these countries.
Here are a few average ski insurance policy prices for popular skiing destinations around the world:
| Destination | Average price for a 1 week policy1 |
|---|---|
|
Austria
|
£34.31
|
|
Canada
|
£70.09
|
|
Switzerland
|
£27.79
|
|
France
|
£29.21
|
|
Iceland
|
£31.76
|
|
Italy
|
£30.55
|
|
Norway
|
£32.89
|
|
USA
|
£65.57
|
|
Bulgaria
|
£31.79
|
|
Andorra
|
£29.99
|
1. Confused.com travel insurance data May 2022 – November 2022
What our travel insurance expert says
An injury could reduce your time on the slopes, but without ski insurance, the medical costs could put a fair dent in your bank balance. Make sure you’ve got the right cover in place before you go skiing to avoid any pricey bills.
Jac Morris
Travel Insurance Product Executive
Need more help?
What is ski travel insurance?
Ski insurance is a specific winter sports policy designed to give you cover for when you’re on the slopes.
It includes all the insurance you’ll need for a regular skiing holiday – equipment cover, ski pass cover, emergency medical treatment and return travel to the UK if you have an accident.
It can be added to a regular travel insurance policy.
Does standard travel insurance cover skiing?
A regular travel insurance policy won’t cover you for skiing or other winter sports. This is because you may need special medical treatment or even repatriation back to the UK if you get injured. To make sure you’re covered, you should add the winter sports extra when you’re getting a quote.
What’s the difference between piste and off-piste?
On-piste is a regular marked route or run, whereas off-piste refers to unsupervised areas which are not marked as an official route in a ski resort - the snow is usually deeper and hasn’t been groomed. This means skiing off-piste is considered more dangerous and may not be covered by all ski travel insurance policies. Always check before you buy, if you want to ski off-piste.
Can I get cover for skiing off-piste?
Yes, some insurers will offer cover for off-piste skiing, but not all insurers do.
Those that do, may require you to have a qualified guide with you at all times when off-piste. If it’s something you’re planning on doing, you should check the details of the policy before you buy to make sure you have the right cover in place for your ski trip.
Does travel insurance cover ski theft?
A good ski travel insurance policy should cover your ski equipment if it's lost or stolen. If your ski equipment stolen you'll likely need to report it to the police.
To be able to claim, it's important you do not leave your skis unattended.
If you haven't selected winter sports cover with your policy, however, you might find that your skis are not covered. This means it's essential to check you have travel insurance for skiing before you buy your policy.
Do I need single trip or annual ski travel insurance?
If you're likely to be ski-ing several times a year, it could work out cheaper to get annual or multi-trip travel insurance, rather than several single policies.
It's not so clear cut if you are going on several holidays over the year, but only need winter sports cover for one of them. In these cases it's worth getting quotes for single and multi-trip policies to see which offers best value for money.
If you’re travelling with your family and are looking for cover as a group, a family travel insurance policy may be something to consider.
Can I get cover for my skiing equipment?
Yes, with a winter sports insurance policy, your ski equipment will be covered against loss, damage and theft. It's important you don't leave your kit unattended though, otherwise your policy might not pay out.
Does winter sports insurance cover mountain rescue?
Yes, mountain rescue should be included in your ski insurance, but only if it's a medical emergency. You can't claim for search and rescue if you go missing and your fellow skiers can't find you.
Do I need specialist ski insurance?
Regular ski insurance should be suitable for most skiers. But if you are ski-ing off-piste without a guide, or taking part in freestyle or competitive ski-ing you may need specialist cover.
If this is a concern, you can contact the insurer to confirm before you buy your policy.
What are the different types of travel insurance?
European travel insurance
it will cover you for any holidays that you've got planned in Europe this year.
Long stay travel insurance
is the perfect policy for those who plan to travel for an extended period.
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