A Snow-Brainer?

Whether it’s your first time on the snow or you’re skilled on skis, if you fancy a stint on the slopes, ski insurance should be considered essential.

Yet a staggering one in four British skiers plan to hit the slopes without any travel insurance at all, with one in twenty assuming an EHIC is sufficient [travelbite.co.uk: 25/01/08]. These uninsured travellers must be unaware of the repercussions of not having the right ski insurance - either that or they are just adhering to the immortal famous last words “it’ll never happen to me”...
But what if it does happen? After all, of the 1 in 20 ski insurance policyholders who claim, none would have predicted any imminent misfortune.

Like any sports, winter sports and activities run the risk of accidents, no matter how experienced the skier may be. Even if you’re not worried about having cover for ski equipment, piste closure, and all the other benefits that can be included in a ski insurance policy, medical cover is crucial.

You may be a world class pro with thirty years of skiing experience under your belt, but that would not prevent a disoriented novice stumbling into your path without warning. Before you know it, you could have a broken leg and need an airlift to hospital, which could set you back in excess of £2,000. That’s before you’ve considered any medical costs that may arise - a broken leg in the USA could cost £20,000 [Harvey Jones: 25/01/08], if not more.

It’s also worth checking what is actually covered under a ski insurance policy. Some ski insurance providers cover certain winter sports and activities that other ski insurance providers may in fact exclude. For example, within all of its ski insurance policies, Direct Travel Insurance cover/some policies will cover heli-skiing and tobogganing, whereas many other travel insurance policies will not. Another common ski activity is off-piste skiing, which most companies restrict by stipulating that you must be accompanied by a guide at all time. However, a handful of providers, such as Direct Travel Insurance, can cover lone off-piste skiing providing you don’t go against local authority advice.

Arguably, quality of cover is more important than low price when it comes to ski insurance, but that’s not to say you can’t get both. Be wary of ridiculously low prices, as they are likely to come with ridiculously low cover to match, but decent ski insurance for an adult planning to ski for a week in Europe, can be had for about £20.00, with Annual cover kicking off at around £45.00. Don’t get fooled into paying over the odds either, as high prices can be misleading and do not always reflect the level of cover.
Of course, it’s a free choice as to whether you take ski insurance out or not, but it really seems like a no-brainer – a £22,000 bill or a £22.00 (if that) ski insurance policy…?

Rob James is the communication co-ordinator for Direct Travel, providers of holiday and ski insurance