What’s winter sports insurance?
Winter sports insurance (or winter sports cover) financially protects you and your equipment if anything goes wrong on your skiing or winter sports holiday.
As well as the cover from your core travel insurance, you’ll also have protection for things like lost or damaged gear, piste closure and costs for hired equipment you’re too ill or injured to use.
If you’re going on a winter sports trip, you need to add this specialist cover when buying your regular travel insurance policy. You won’t be covered without it.
Covid-19 - what our travel insurance covers
Our travel insurance now covers you for certain events related to Coronavirus (COVID-19), provided you have proof of a positive Covid-19 test and your cover is active at the time of the event.
What we cover
We provide cover for some costs related to Covid-19: please see Section 1 'emergency medical costs and repatriation' and Section 2 'cancelling or cutting short your trip' in your policy book for full details on what's covered.
We'll cover you if:
- you were diagnosed with Covid-19 before your trip was due to start
- a close relative died or became seriously ill as a result of Covid-19 before your trip was due to start
- you weren't allowed to board your pre-booked outbound travel due to symptoms of Covid-19
- an insured person or a close relative died during the trip because of Covid-19
- you couldn't take part in an excursion due to you self-isolating after getting Covid-19
What we don’t cover
You won't be covered if:
- you had reason to believe your trip may be cancelled, postponed or cut short when you booked it, purchased your policy or started your trip
- any government or public authority imposes travel restrictions or quarantine on a community, location, or vessel because of Covid-19 (this includes, but is not limited to, local lockdowns, entry requirements, being denied entry and airspace closures)
- you have to quarantine after arriving in the UK or abroad
- the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) change their advice to avoid ‘all travel’ or ‘all but essential travel’ to your destination because of Covid-19
For more information about how Coronavirus (COVID-19) affects your travel cover, see our FAQ page. And remember to check the policy booklet carefully before you buy to make sure our cover meets your needs.
Do I need ski travel insurance?
Adventure sports and winter sports are often not covered by a standard travel policy, so you may need to get specialist cover – like Admiral's Winter Sports Upgrade.
Not only will you get the standard protection against:
- Lost or stolen luggage
- Medical treatment expenses
- Cancellation cover
You're also covered for:
- Lost, stolen or damaged ski equipment
- Piste closure
- Delays caused by avalanche
If you're only planning on skiing once a year, Admiral's single trip cover with the Winter Sports add-on may suit you.
If you want annual ski travel insurance for more than one break in the season, take a look at our annual cover with the Winter Sports add on. This would cover you for every holiday you take in a year, up to 31 days per trip. However, bear in mind you can only do a maximum of 21 days of winter sports throughout the year in total during the policy term.
What's covered by ski travel insurance?
Whether you’re an experienced skier or a nervous beginner, you can enjoy your trip knowing you don’t have to worry about having the right cover in place.
You can choose from three levels of cover to suit your budget and needs:
Admiral |
Admiral
|
Admiral
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
Lost, stolen or damaged ski equipment
|
£500 (£100 Excess) |
£750 (£75 Excess) |
£1,000 (£50 Excess) |
Piste Closure
|
£20 (Max £200) |
£20 (Max £200) |
£20 (Max £200) |
Ski pack cover for illness or injury
|
£500 (Max £250 per week) |
£500 (Max £250 per week) |
£500 (Max £250 per week) |
Delay caused by avalanche
|
£200 | £300 | £450 |
Replacement equipment hire
|
£25 (Max £250) |
£25 (Max £250) |
£25 (Max £250) |
Is my equipment protected with travel insurance?
Sports equipment isn't often covered by standard travel insurance policies. If you're insured with Admiral, you just need to add our Winter Sports upgrade to your travel insurance to get protection against damage to your own, or hired, equipment.
You'll be covered up to a maximum of £1,000 for your equipment (depending on the level of cover you choose.)
We also pay up to £25 (per complete 24 hours) towards the cost of hiring replacements (up to a maximum £250 per person), if yours is delayed more than 12 hours following your arrival at your destination or is lost, stolen or damaged during your trip.
Our ski and snowboarding insurance upgrade will help you out if an unforeseen slope closure happens during your break (pistes must closed for more than 24 hours) and protects against delays caused by an avalanche (cover limits apply).
What's classed as a winter sport?
Winter sports insurance gives protection for you to enjoy a whole host of activities on your holiday including:
- Piste skiing
- Snowboarding
- Glacier walking/trekking
- Ice hockey
- Sledging
- Tobogganing
Please check your policy document for a complete list of all activities we cover.
Travel insurance covering off-piste skiing
Our winter sports insurance add-on covers adventurous off-piste skiers and boarders as long as it’s on recognised paths within resort boundaries and accompanied by a qualified guide or instructor.
Ski insurance - Europe
Any skier and snowboarder will know there are incredible resorts to hit the slopes around the world, but in 2018, Europe was hit with unprecedented amounts of snow and saw many popular resorts opening the lifts early. The glacier pistes of Val-d'Isère opened in June.
So if you want to check out what Europe has to offer – and there's a lot – you'll need to select our European Travel Insurance with the Winter Sports add-on. You'll be covered in all the top resorts such as France's Meribel, Val, La Plagne, and Courchevel, Italy's Cervinia and Zermatt in Switzerland to name a few.
Ski insurance - Canada and America
If the powdery slopes of Canada or America are calling you, you'll need worldwide cover, with the winter add on.
Ski insurance - Japan
Our final cover zone is worldwide excluding USA, Canada & Caribbean, so if Japan is taking your fancy – Niseko is often touted as a powder hound's paradise – this option with winter sports insurance added will get you onto the mountains with the right cover in place.
What happens if my skiing or snowboarding holiday is cancelled?
Depending on the level of cover you choose for your ski or snowboarding insurance – Admiral, Admiral Gold or Admiral Platinum – you could get up to £5,000 to cover the costs of your trip, in the unfortunate event of it being cancelled for any of the following reasons:
- Death, illness, injury or complications of pregnancy or childbirth of you, your travel companion, close relative, close business associate or anyone outside your home area you planned to stay with
- Court cases and quarantine if you or your travel companion, or anyone outside your home area you planned to stay with, is quarantined, called for jury service or as a witness and a court official refuses to postpone
- Unemployment if you or your travelling companion is made redundant from the company you’ve worked at continuously for at least two years
- Armed forces and emergency services if you or your travel companion has authorised leave cancelled due to an unexpected emergency
- Home damage you or your travel companion have to stay at home if it’s seriously damaged by a fire, storm or flood or is burgled within seven days of your departure
- Passport or visa your passport or visa is stolen in a burglary at your home in the seven days before your departure and you’re unable to get a replacement in time
What if I have a pre-existing condition?
A pre-existing condition is a short or long term illness or injury you have or have had before you buy travel insurance. This includes having symptoms, tests, diagnosis or medical treatment for a condition.
You can declare your pre-existing conditions during the quote process to see if we can offer cover. If you’re unsure what needs to be declared or if you're unable to find your condition on the medical conditions list, please contact us on 0333 234 9913.
Your pre-existing conditions won’t be covered unless you’ve:
- Declared them all on your policy
- Received written confirmation that we’ll cover your medical condition
- Paid any additional premium in full
Policy terms and conditions apply. Please note, if you’ve had a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 and been prescribed medication, received treatment, or had a consultation with a doctor or hospital specialist for any medical condition in the past two years, this needs to be declared on your policy.
If you don’t tell us about your pre-existing conditions or give us incorrect information, your policy may be invalid, and we may refuse all or part of any claim you submit.
For a quote with us, click the green button above.
The MoneyHelper directory
If you require cover for more serious medical conditions, MoneyHelper may be able to help you find specialist travel insurance through their medical directory.
If you wish to get in touch with them you can call them on 0800 138 7777 or find them online. (Monday to Friday 8:00-18:00, closed on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.)
How do I get a quote?
You can call 0333 234 9913 for an Admiral Travel Insurance quote and ask to add on Winter Sports insurance upgrade, or you can buy online and select 'Winter Sports Upgrade'.
Your questions answered
We're sure you'll love our great products but maybe you have a few questions. You can find answers in this section.
Do you need winter sports insurance for trips to Lapland?
If you plan on taking part in any of the activities listed above, such as husky sledge driving, you will need to add the upgrade onto your Admiral Travel Insurance policy
Are there any age restrictions for ski insurance?
We don’t offer the upgrade to anyone over 75 years old for trips within Europe and over 70 years old for trips outside of Europe.
Am I covered to ski or board off-piste?
You can go off-piste provided you go with a qualified guide or instructor and remain on recognised paths, within resort boundaries
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Getting the most out of your trip
Going anywhere nice?
Off to one of the destinations below? Take a look at our guides for some hints and tips on what you need to remember.
Travel insurance that suits you
Whether you're travelling solo, with your family, or with a little one on the way, read our guides to make sure our cover is right for you.
Travel Insurance upgrades
Whether you want the adrenaline rush of a skiing holiday, or fancy taking to the seas on a cruise, you'll need to add extra cover to your policy.