Compare Winter Sports Travel Insurance Quotes

Winter Sports Insurance: compare cheap quotes for your winter sports holiday

With crisp white snow, bright blue skies and a wide range of wonderful outdoor activities to enjoy, winter holidays have the potential to be truly magical… but that doesn’t mean things can’t go wrong.

Whether it’s something as benign as the airline losing your snowboard, or as serious as a skiing accident, if something goes wrong during your winter holiday you could be lumbered with a sizeable bill… unless you have a suitable winter travel insurance policy in place.

Of course, just because winter sports insurance might prove to be invaluable doesn’t mean you should pay over the odds for your policy. By using Quotezone.co.uk’s travel insurance comparison service you’ll be able to compare quotes from a wide range of providers in a matter of minutes, making it more likely that you’ll find a suitable policy at a fair price.

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What is winter sports insurance?

It’s a type of travel insurance for anyone going on a winter holiday and taking part in activities such as skiing, snowboarding, dog sledging or mountain hiking.

You can buy winter sports insurance as a single trip policy if it’s your only holiday in a 12-month period. If you’re planning on a summer holiday too, though, then annual or multi trip travel insurance may offer you better value for money.

Do I need winter sports travel insurance?

Travel insurance is not a legal requirement, but if you’re planning a winter sports holiday then winter sports insurance is certainly recommended. Not only can it help insure you against a range of standard risks, such as cancelled flights and stolen luggage, but it can also cover you for winter sports activities like skiing or snowboarding.
By contrast, a standard holiday insurance policy can be taken out whether you’re planning a summer or a winter vacation, but that type of standard policy is unlikely to cover some of those sports activities you might be planning to do during a winter break.

What does the best winter sports insurance include?

Winter sports cover should include all the standard travel insurance features, including:

• Medical expenses – to cover the cost of any treatment you need.
• Repatriation – pays to bring you back home in a medical emergency.
• Cancellation or curtailment – compensates you if you have to cancel or cut short your holiday because of circumstances outside of your control.
• Lost or damaged luggage – pays to replace any accidently lost, stolen or damaged luggage.
• Personal liability – covers legal fees and compensation costs if you have an accident and someone blames you for injury or damage to their property.

Your winter sports policy should also cover you for events unique to your holiday, for example:

• A range of winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, sledging.
• Mountain rescue if you need urgent medical help.
• Compensation for piste closure.
• Accidental loss or damage to equipment like skis, poles, goggles and helmets, this usually includes cover for both your own and hired equipment.

It’s worth remembering that not all winter sports policies have the same features and exclusions, so it’s important that you check the terms and conditions of your own policy.

For instance, some policies may not cover you for skiing off-piste, while others may cover off-piste adventures but might stipulate that you must have a guide.

Do I need winter sport insurance if I have an EHIC?

A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) means you can get the same level of medical care as locals. In some cases this could mean you receive treatment at a reduced cost or for free, but an EHIC is no replacement for good winter sports cover.

Your EHIC doesn’t cover events like mountain rescue, for example, so if you need airlifting to a hospital and don’t have winter sports insurance you’d have to pay for this yourself. Needless to say this could potentially cost tens of thousands.

Plus, subsidised or free medical care is only provided by state-funded hospitals but if you’re somewhere remote, chances are the only care available will be private (and expensive).

Your EHIC is also only valid in EU countries that have opted into the agreement. So, if you’re skiing outside of Europe winter sports cover is even more vital.

If you are travelling further afield, it’s worth bearing in mind that worldwide cover is usually split into two categories:

• Worldwide including the USA and Canada
• Worldwide excluding the USA and Canada

So if you’re heading to Aspen, Vail, Whistler or any other fantastic resorts in the US or Canada you should check that your policy covers those countries.

How much is travel insurance for winter sports?

Winter holiday insurance is tailored to you and your holiday, so your insurer will take into account where you’re going, how long for and the type of activities you’ll be doing.

With that in mind, it’s crucial to be honest with your insurer so they can accurately work out the cost of your premium. If you forget to tell them something, you run the risk of invalidating your policy which means they won’t pay out if you make a claim.

Can I buy winter sports insurance if I have a pre-existing medical condition?

Yes, if you have a pre-existing medical condition (diabetes, high cholesterol or depression, for example) you should still be able to take out winter sports insurance. However, depending on the seriousness of your condition, you could find that your premium might be unaffected, it might rise to reflect the increased insurance risk the condition poses to the insurer, or the insurer might add a clause stating that any costs relating to that medical condition are specifically excluded from coverage.

Still, as tempting as it might be to not mention a pre-existing condition, it’s vital that you do. If you don’t declare it to your insurer your entire policy could be invalidated.