Whether you are skiing, snowboarding or ice-skating you’re probably more than ready for action this winter! The only thing left for you to do now is to check out our top five travel insurance tips for buying a winter sports policy. It’s no secret that those ski slopes can get your heart racing and your blood pumping, so it’s important to remember some key things to ensure that you have a safe-time as well as a good time.
Get a travel insurance policy that covers winter sports activities
You’ll not only need a winter sports extension to cover you for your activities, you will also want it to cover your ski equipment too – as you know, it doesn’t come cheap! Winter sports cover isn’t available as standard on most travel insurance policies, so you will either need to look fora specialist winter sports policy or an optional winter sports extension.
Depending on which policy you go for, the extension is likely to cover you for the following;
- You accidentally damage your winter sports equipment during an activity
- Your hired winter sports equipment was lost, stolen or accidentally damaged.
- Your ski resort is closed and you can’t take part in activities
- If your equipment was in your checked-in baggage and doesn’t arrive at your destination within 12-hours
- If you need dental or physiotherapy treatment after you return home
- You are unable to use your ski-pack during your trip
- The cost of your pre-paid ski pack if you had to cancel your trip.
This will differ from insurer to insurer so always make sure you read your policy wording carefully before purchase.
Make sure to take the suitable medical documents with you
You never know what might be around the corner and it’s better to be safe than sorry, so make sure you take out a suitable travel insurance policy, that will cover any existing medical conditions. It is also a good idea to check if you need to take any medical documents with you. For example, the European Health Insurance Card. Although the (EHIC) may cover your medical costs at a discounted price, it still isn’t a replacement for your travel insurance. Your travel insurance is essential and will provide the help you need, just in case something does go wrong.
Take out your travel insurance as soon as you book your trip
The future, as they say, is unpredictable, so if in the unfortunate circumstance you fall ill and can no longer travel, your insurance policy will cover you for cancellation. However, if you haven’t taken out a suitable travel insurance policy, you may find yourself heavily out of pocket.
Another reason why you should take out your travel insurance policy as soon as you have booked your holiday is to protect you against strikes, adverse weather or your holiday company going bust. When buying your policy, always read the policy wording to make sure the cover meets your needs and expectations as restrictions will differ greatly between insurers.
Plan when it comes to alcohol and know your insurance limits
You might want to bear in mind, if you have an alcohol-related accident on the slopes, your travel insurance could be invalidated. Although it seems like it might take the edge off a little bit, it’s not a good idea to get intoxicated before you take part in a winter sports activity. Alcohol can slow down your reaction time and could cause an accident. If that is the case, not only will your medical claim get rejected, but so will your claims for search and rescue as well as possessions – leaving you seriously out of pocket.
Be weather aware
Keep up-to-date with weather alerts in the area your activities will be taking place in. Weather forecasts and avalanche risk levels will be available at the resort you’ll be staying at or the lift stations. You can also visit the Ski Club GB’s website to find out more about when there is likely to be severe weather conditions at your ski resort. You can also use the website to compare snow and weather to find reports for current in-season skiing.
Just a few extras…
It’s important to make sure you stick to the suitable slopes for your level of experience. It may be tempting to hit the terrain park, but if you are not ready you could find yourself sustaining an injury.
Another thing to do before you go is, to make sure to keep up-to-date with all the latest travel news by following your airport and airlines social media accounts. That way you can be prepared if you get caught up in those dreaded delays or cancellation.
If you want to check out some of the best winter destinations and get some more advice on your winter sports holiday head to our Winter Sports Holidays page.
