Winter Sports Travel Insurance

What is winter sports travel insurance?

Winter sports are considered high-risk as the snow, ice and altitude increase your risk of injury so you’ll need a specific winter sports travel insurance policy in place if you’re planning a skiing holiday. You should also consider a winter sports travel insurance policy if you’re heading to Lapland as some insurers won’t even cover reindeer sleigh rides in the snow. Winter sports policies will give you peace of mind and allow you to enjoy a wide range of winter activities knowing that you’re covered should the worst happen.

What does winter sports travel insurance cover?

The best winter sports insurance policies are specifically tailored to cover all eventualities that could happen on specific winter sports trips. They offer a far more comprehensive level of cover compared to standard travel insurance policies. As well as covering lost, damaged or stolen luggage, medical costs, cancellations and delays, they also offer extra benefits including:

Loss of ski pass
Loss, theft or damage to equipment
Avalanche delay
Piste closure for more than 24 hours
Equipment hire costs if your luggage is lost or delayed on the outward journey
Personal liability cover should you injure someone else
Mountain rescues

Some providers will require you to wear a helmet otherwise you run the risk of invalidating your policy. Also, if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs and have an accident on the slopes, you won’t be covered.

Generally, good winter sports policies will cover skiing (on-piste), snowboarding (on-piste), tobogganing, ice skating, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, sleighing and ice hockey.

Am I covered for extreme winter sports?

Standard winter sports travel insurance policies won’t cover you for extreme winter sports but some insurers will allow you to pay for extra cover that gives you the right level of cover for your trip. Extreme winter sports include:

Off-piste snowboarding and skiing
Glacier climbing
Snowkiting
Heli-skiing
Competitive skiing and snowboarding

What other types of travel insurance can I get?

The type of cover you need depends on where you’re travelling to, why you’re travelling and who you’re travelling with. Other types of travel insurance include:

Single trip travel insurance – covers you for travel to one destination.
Annual travel insurance – provides cover for multiple trips over 12 months.
Cruise travel insurance – if you’re going on a cruise, you’ll need specific cruise travel insurance in place.
Over 65s travel insurance – if you’re over 65, you’ll need a specialist travel insurance policy in place before you travel.
Family travel insurance – provides cover for the whole family under one joint policy.
Business travel insurance – provides specific cover for people that are travelling abroad for work.

Compare winter sports travel insurance providers

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