Winter sports insurance: what you need to know!

Making sure that you are insured against all eventualities is essential after you have booked a skiing holiday and before you take to the slopes. Standard travel insurance will not always protect you against problems that may arise in connection with winter sports activities and you are likely to need to look for a more tailored policy.

What should your winter sports insurance policy cover?

There are an abundance of policies offered by different insurers available online. It is important to shop around before you buy.

All winter sports policies should offer personal accident cover as a priority. If you are skiing in Europe and have a European Health Insurance Card then you may be able to receive some treatment for free or at a discount, however, the cover offered under the European scheme is not extensive enough to look after you fully while on the slopes and it is essential that you purchase private insurance.

Your personal possessions should also be covered, including your ski equipment. Even if you do not yet own your own skis, boots or poles, you are likely to be liable for any damage to the equipment you hire.

Other items of cover should include cancellation or curtailment of your trip and piste closure.

Check what is not included under your policy.

The greatest variation between winter sports insurance policies is likely to be found in what they do not cover, i.e. in the exclusions section.

If you are an extreme skier you must read the policy information carefully to ensure that it will not be invalidated if you decide to go off-piste. Skiiers of all levels should make sure that you will protected during all activities in which you intend to participate.

Some exclusions will be largely standard; for example, most insurers will require that at all times you ski safely, wearing all the appropriate protective equipment; that you take notice of all local authority warnings. It makes sense that you should not recklessly expose yourself to hazard at any time during your trip.

It is a good idea to compare the policies of different insurers on the market. If you have little time, then take a look at the policies of AA Travel Insurance, Go Travel Insurance or 1Stop Travel Insurance. We recommend these insurers as they offer affordable policies with comprehensive cover.