Hitting the Slopes Without Ski Travel Insurance: Why Take the Chance?

It's a fact: skiing and snowboarding holidays carry with them significantly higher risks than beach holidays or city breaks - which explains why insurers offer separate policies for winter sport getaways. Yet despite the obvious risks, countless Brits continue to hit the slopes without insurance cover, exposing themselves to exceptionally costly medical bills.

A number of things can go wrong on a skiing holiday - the most severe being serious injuries - or, in the worst case, death. But a serious injury isn't the only thing that can halt the fun on your skiing and snowboarding holiday. Extreme weather issues - such as blizzards and avalanches -  could also result in your trip being cancelled; or, you may find yourself the victim of theft. And with expensive equipment like skis, snowboards, and other wintersport gear, theft without insurance is sure to put a damper on anyone's holiday.

Erik Nelson at insurer Norwich Union told the Independent: "Winter sports is a high-risk activity so you need insurance to cover all eventualities – especially expensive medical costs, which can escalate quickly. For example, a broken leg would incur between £3,500 and £7,000 in medical costs in Europe, but in America this would be £13,000 to £16,000."

Many Brits turn to their European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) for cover, which entitles holders to free or discounted medical treatment on the same terms as all nationals in EU states. However, cover is provided solely on a medical basis and is basic - so it excludes things like air ambulances or repatriation. Moreover, because EHICs are only for medical purposes, they don't cover things like trip cancellations, loss of baggage or personal liability - which can turn out to be extremely costly.

For this reason, <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://uk.insurancewide.com/insurance/travel/">ski travel insurance</a> is vital for anyone who's planning to hit the slopes. Specialised winter sport cover will cover all the aspects of a ski trip that regular insurance and EHICs won't. And given the high risks and high costs associated with ski trip mishaps, it simply makes sense to secure a policy that caters to your ski trip.

With countless policies available on the market, it can be difficult to determine which level of cover is right for you. But industry specialists recommend about £2m for medical expenses, £1m for personal liability, £3,000 cancellations, £1,500 for baggage cover and £250 for lost or stolen cash.

However, a spokesperson at the Ski Club of Great Britain urges skiers and snowboarders to shape their insurance cover based on what they plan to do on their holiday. She said: "Some policies do cover advanced skiers for off-piste runs but they might not insure beginner skiers who try tobogganing or dog-sleighing. So you need to be sure you are fully insured."