Winter Sports Travel Insurance

Be covered with a Winter Sports policy

When you’re planning a winter holiday, you may be thinking of skiing, nordic walking or going on a reindeer sleigh.* But if you’re planning this type of holiday, it’s important to make sure your travel insurance covers your adventures.

You might want to consider adding Winter Sports cover, so you’ve got the reassurance that we’re there to help if the unexpected were to happen.

For annual policies which include Winter Sports for up to 21 days, get your quote online today. Or for single trips, talk to our friendly team on 0800 033 4902.

Why do I need travel insurance that covers winter sports?

When you’re off on a holiday that involves winter-themed activities, there’s the unfortunate risk of injury, more so than if you were relaxing by the pool in the sun.

Being covered for winter sports can reduce the unnecessary expenses of medical bills, if you have an accident during your activity, loss or damage of your equipment and other costs that you weren’t prepared for.

In 2017, 1 in 20 people made claims on their Annual Travel Insurance**. So, it’s more common than you might think to need to make a claim.

Who is eligible for Winter Sports cover?

You’re eligible for Winter Sports cover with us if you are under the age of 71.

As for Annual Multi-trip policies, you’re automatically covered for 21 days of Winter Sports travel insurance, if you choose a Comprehensive policy and are 70 years of age or below.

What does our Winter Sports travel insurance cover?

What’s covered:

Winter sports’ equipment:

We will pay the above price for hiring replacement winter sports equipment, if yours were to be stolen, lost or damaged, during your holiday. Make sure you provide us with receipts and written confirmation of the original purchase and its replacement hire. We will take into account the age of your lost items to work out a claim.

Ski pass:
You’ll be covered if your ski pass, which you’re carrying (or left in a safety-deposit box or safe) were to be stolen, lost or damaged.

Ski pack:
The above price covers the unused part of your ski pack, if you’re unable to take part in winter sports because of illness or injury (as long as you are medically certified as being unfit for your activity.)

A ski pack includes ski-school fees or ski instructor fees, and the cost of any lift pass that you have booked. You must make sure you have a Medical Certificate to sent to us if you need to claim to state you couldn’t take part.

Winter sports’ equipment delay:
We will reimburse you if your equipment is certified by the carrier to have been misplaced for more than 12 hours on the outward journey of your trip.

Piste closure:
We will reimburse your costs for travel to an alternative safe area, if you are unable to participate in any activities at your pre-booked resort for more than 24 consecutive hours, because of unsafe weather conditions causing total closure of the lift system.

Avalanche or Landslide:
We will cover you with the above price for reasonable extra accommodation and travel expenses if avalanches or landslide affect the ski resort, or public transport services are cancelled.
If you have any questions about what is covered, or you’re not sure about something, please call us on 0800 033 4902. We’re always glad to help.

I am disabled. Am I still eligible for winter sports travel insurance?

As long as your doctor has told you it’s safe for you to do activities you plan to, and we can cover your disability, you’ll be covered (if you have winter sports cover.)

What activities does Winter Sports travel insurance cover?

The following exciting activities (on a non-competitive or professional basis) are covered by the Winter Sports policy:

• Ice-skating (outdoor)
• Glacier skiing
• Guided cross-country skiing (Nordic Skiing)
• Mono-skiing (on-piste)
• Skiing or Snowboarding (off-piste but on recognised and authorised areas only)
• Skiing or Snowboarding (on-piste)
• Snowshoeing
• Tobogganing

If you’re thinking of taking a husky-drawn sleigh, it is included as a standard activity, so you don’t need Winter Sports cover if doing that alone. But please bare in mind that animal-drawn sleighs do not include cover for personal accident or liability.

Your policy can be extended to cover these activities for an additional premium, but won’t include cover for Personal Accident or Personal Liability:

• Ice sailing/ice windsurfing
• Sleigh pulled by reindeer (when driven by an experienced driver provided by the organiser only)
• Snowmobiling (Ski-doo)

What activities are not covered by Winter Sports travel insurance?

We can’t cover the following winter sports:

• Bobsleigh
• Freestyle skiing
• Heli-skiing
• Ice hockey
• Luge
• Off-piste Skiing or Snowboarding outside recognised and authorised areas
• Paraskiing
• Skeleton, Ski jumping, Ski racing, Ski slope or Ski stunting

Does my EHIC cover me for Winter Sports?

If you’re travelling to Europe (all EU members plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland), an EHIC is recommended by the government to reduce medical costs. It’s also a condition of our policies if you’re travelling to Europe. But it doesn’t serve as a substitute for Winter Sports insurance.

An EHIC won’t cover you for all your medical costs, return to the UK or any private treatment you may need if the worst happens when you’re in winter wonderland.

We like to do things the right way and we’re sure you do too. Taking the extra precautions is surely worth doing, rather than taking risks when having fun in the snow.

If there is an avalanche risk, will I still be covered?

We want you to have a fun and safe holiday. You will not be covered if you participate in activities that are against local authority warnings or advice.

Resort authorities classify avalanche risk as follows:

1 = Low
2 = Moderate
3 = Considerable
4 = High
5 = Very High.

You are covered for low to moderate risk resorts rated 1 or 2. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Is it really worth risking? We don’t think so.