Why Do I Need Ski Holiday Insurance?

Going on a skiing holiday is inherently more dangerous than going on a beach holiday for a week, so your winter sports and ski travel insurance will offer more comprehensive cover for the activities you’ll be partaking in and, as a result, will cost a little more too. 

However, you won’t regret paying that little bit extra for the right level of cover for you if you find yourself partaking in any winter sports activities and ending up in a French hospital with a broken leg… 

The bottom line is that skiing travel insurance is a must-purchase before you hop on the plane and clip into your skis. These policies, unlike regular travel insurance, will cover you for skiing and winter sports-related accidents and injuries so that you don’t have to fork out a huge bill for any unexpected turns of events. 

Equally, you’ll find that skiing holiday insurance policies will cover your ski possessions, such as skis and other equipment, so that, should they become lost or be stolen, you will be able to claim this back. This is something that regular travel insurance policies won’t do.

However, we would add that regardless of which travel insurance policy you choose, it is important to always read the policy wording document to ensure that you are aware of the policy conditions. These could be regarding the excess on your policy, the medical expenses covered or what happens if you have to cancel your holiday. 

All of this information and more is included in Navigator Travel’s Travel Insurance Tips & Advice page which gives you a simple breakdown of what to look for when choosing your policy so that you don’t come unstuck if and when your insurance cover is called upon.

What Does Ski Holiday Insurance Cover?

Ski travel insurance will cover you for the typical elements of a holiday that normal travel insurance policies encompass, but also covers you for the elements involved in the unique case of going on a skiing holiday. We’ve highlighted below what you’ll often find to be included and not included in skiing travel insurance policies.  

What Is Normally Covered:

•  Cancellations

If you’ve gained an injury whilst on the slopes during your ski and snowboarding holiday, you’ll be covered for cancelling the remainder of your trip. 

• Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Of Hired, or Personal, Equipment 

If you find that your ski equipment becomes damaged, is lost, or has been stolen during your trip, your ski holiday insurance policy will cover you. 

• Avalanches and Piste Closures

Should an avalanche occur during your trip, you will likely be covered for the delays caused by this on your travels. Also, should you be faced with piste closures, if this occurs, you may be entitled to cover from your policy, but this depends on the duration of the closures themselves.

• Personal liability

If you cause any harm to someone else as a result of your skiing on the slopes, you are covered for any injuries that they may sustain. 

• Equipment hire in the event of loss or delay

If you find that your ski equipment hasn’t reached you for the start of your holidays as a result of baggage delays or misplacement, you will likely be covered. However, this may only be for your outward journey. 

• Losing a ski pass 

If you lose your ski pass whilst on your ski holiday, chances are that you will be able to claim this back on your ski travel insurance policy. 

• Medical cover for skiing-related accidents

If you injure yourself on the slopes and require medical assistance and treatment, you can claim this back on your ski insurance. 

What Isn’t Normally Covered:

•  Specific Types of Skiing

If you’re planning on partaking in a particular type of skiing during your winter sports holiday, you may find that your chosen skiing insurance policy will only cover you for general skiing as opposed to more specific winter sports. The following types of skiing are, more often than not, not included in regular ski travel insurance policies:

• Ski Touring: Skiing in unpatrolled or unmarked areas.
• Competitive skiing: Also known as downhill skiing, it involves several disciplines that require a higher proficiency and can pose an increased risk of injury when on the slopes. 
• Off-piste skiing: This involves skiing on slopes that are unmarked by trail markers or piste poles.
• Heli-skiing: This is skiing that involves reaching the start of your skiing destination by helicopter.

If you are unsure of whether your ski holiday insurance will cover you for these specialist types of winter sports activities, you should read the fine print to make sure that you have the level of coverage you require for the experiences you’re planning on participating in. 

At Navigator Travel, we want to make the process of booking travel insurance as straightforward as possible before your holiday. We aim to provide you with all the information in a simple and easy-to-understand format so that you can concentrate on the important things, like getting your new goggles and ski boots!

We are also available to discuss any issues personally with you if required via phone or email so you can be sure of exactly what you’re signing up for when choosing the best ski travel insurance for you.

Which Winter Sports and Ski Season Insurance Should I Choose?

Depending on how many winter trips and other holidays you plan to go on throughout the year, different travel insurance policies can suit your needs for your next winter sports and ski trip. These fall into 3 main categories:

• Annual Multi-Trip Travel Insurance

For those who travel several times a year, this insurance will cover you for a 12-month period in which you can choose a different number of days for which you can travel in total throughout the year. 

• Long Stay Single Trip Travel Insurance

For those who plan to take a longer trip than that covered by our Annual Multi-Trip travel insurance policy, you can opt for our long stay single trip travel insurance which will cover journeys longer than 45 or 62 days. 

Our new long stay and backpacker policies can cover trips of up to 18 months in length as well as adventure activities such as skiing and motorcycling, alongside working whilst on your holiday.

• Short Stay Single Trip Travel Insurance

Perfect for short business trips or individual holidays abroad, the single-trip travel insurance policy provides you with the general cover you need whilst on a holiday. However, this can also be upgraded to include adventure and extreme activities, like skiing, high-altitude trekking, and skydiving, amongst others.

Whether you plan on taking numerous skiing trips throughout the year or going on a full ski season for several months, you will find the cover you need here at Navigator. Please note that Annual Multi Trip policies cover winter sports at an extra cost and adding winter sports cover to the short-stay single-trip policies will double the cost of your insurance.

On Navigator STANDARD, ENHANCED and PRIME Long Stay single trip policies, you can select a maximum of 31 days of winter sports to cover during the insured period at a modest increase in cost. If you require unlimited ski season insurance on a Long Stay policy, we may be able to offer cover on our Adventures policy.