Ski Holiday Insurance - A Guide to Travel Insurance for Skiers and Snowboarders
Skiing and snowboarding are popular sports and many people spend
their vacations skiing. Great though these activities might be
it is unfortunately the case that you are far more likely to have
an accident skiing or snowboarding than you are if you are sitting
on a beach somewhere. This means that good, comprehensive medical
insurance is a must for your vacation.
Your medical insurance may come as
part of your general travel insurance but you need to check this
out – even then some
policies only cover certain things and you may need extra medical
cover. This is especially the case if you going skiing or snowboarding,
one wrong tumble down those slopes and you could find yourself
with a hefty bill if you don’t have sufficient insurance.
That is why many insurers are now offering policies that are specifically
aimed at those taking skiing or snowboarding vacations. This is
because some of the situations you may encounter while on a skiing
trip might need such things as helicopter rescue services which
may not be covered by most travel insurance policies. If a third
party is injured as the result of an accident then there may be
further financial liability and even civil or criminal proceedings.
Skiing and snowboarding travel insurance
is designed to allow for most eventualities including air ambulance,
equipment replacement, third party liability and any criminal
or civil proceedings that might be the unfortunate result of
a skiing accident. The cost of this insurance will not only vary
between providers but also depending on the country you are visiting.
Treatment for skiing accidents in France, for example, is cheaper
than most other places, elsewhere the average cost of an air
ambulance lift to hospital is around $3-4,000 dollars – so
you see the need for special insurance as many travel insurance
policies would not cover sporting accidents.
For those people who live in other European countries, seventy
five percent of their medical expenses for the first three days
are borne by the state but that still leaves the victim with considerable
costs. Non-EU visitors would have to pay it all, so comprehensive
cover is a must. Even so more than fifty percent of people who
go on skiing and snowboarding holidays do not have the right type
of insurance and have no idea what their insurance actually covers
them for! So, what else should you look for when shopping for skiing
travel insurance?
No matter what kind of policy you go for you should always check
what things the policy does not cover, and you should always read
all the small print in case of penalties etc. You want a policy
that covers all types of winter/snow sports while you are on vacation.
Does it cover personal liability, lift closure and anything such
as equipment hire and lessons which are prepaid and may be cut
short as the result of an accident.
Always shop around for policies because prices for similar cover
can differ widely, make sure that the insurance you are buying
is designed to cover sporting accidents and all that may entail.
Happy skiing.