Most travel insurance does not cover winter sports as standard.
You must select the winter sports cover add-on when comparing quotes to be sure your policy covers these activities.
No, most standard travel insurance policies usually don’t automatically cover skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports. When you compare quotes with MoneySuperMarket, you’ll need to select winter sports cover - depending on the policy, this can add cover for risks such as:
Medical treatment and rescue after a winter sports accident
Lost, stolen or damaged ski or snowboard equipment
Replacement equipment hire
Piste closures or avalanche disruption
Be sure to look through the exact wording of your policy before you buy, as activities, limits and exclusions usually vary between insurers.
Ski or snowboard
Take winter sports lessons
Use a terrain park
Hire or bring your own ski or snowboard equipment
Take part in other snow or ice activities your standard policy doesn’t cover
Visiting a ski resort but not taking part in winter sports
Going on a Christmas market or sightseeing break
Taking a winter holiday where all your planned activities are covered by standard travel insurance
The activities you'll be covered for can vary between insurers, so check that everything you plan to do is included before you buy.
Winter sports cover commonly includes recreational skiing and snowboarding, although certain conditions might apply to your policy, so check for any restrictions on location or days of cover.
Depending on your provider and policy, cover may also be available for activities such as ice skating, sledging, snowshoeing or glacier walking. However, you should always look at the specific wording of your policy so you know what winter sports you'll be covered for.
Off-piste skiing, snowmobiling, ski touring, heli-skiing and other higher-risk activities are likely to have additional conditions, while they might also require specialist cover or be excluded altogether. For example, off-piste cover may only apply within recognised resort boundaries or when you’re with a qualified guide.
Standard travel insurance with winter sports cover usually exclude racing, competitions, professional sport and organised training. If you’re travelling to compete or train, you'll usually need specialist insurance.
Medical treatment and rescue: Cover for eligible medical costs if you’re injured while taking part in an insured activity, plus rescue or repatriation where included
Ski and snowboard equipment: Cover for your own or hired equipment if it’s lost, stolen or damaged, subject to policy limits
Replacement equipment hire: Cover towards hiring replacement equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed
Ski passes and lessons: Some policies cover unused passes, lessons or equipment hire if illness or injury stops you from skiing
Piste closure: Some policies pay a benefit or reasonable travel costs if weather or safety concerns close the slopes
Avalanche disruption: Cover may be available for extra transport or accommodation if an avalanche prevents you reaching or leaving your resort
Personal liability: Some policies cover costs if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property while taking part in an insured activity
Unlisted activities: You likely won't be covered for winter sports or activities that aren’t explicitly included in your policy
Off-piste restrictions: Off-piste skiing or snowboarding may be excluded unless you meet certain conditions, such as staying within resort boundaries or using a qualified guide
Professional or competitive sport: Racing, competitions, professional sport and organised training are often excluded
Unattended equipment: Claims may be refused if your ski or snowboard equipment is left unsecured or unattended
Missing safety equipment: You may not be covered if you don’t use safety equipment required by your insurer or the activity
Alcohol or recreational drugs: Claims linked to excessive alcohol or recreational drug use will usually be refused
Undisclosed medical information: A claim could be affected if you don’t give the insurer medical information they asked you to provide
Travel against official advice: Cover may not apply if you travel against relevant Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice
Price matters, but the cheapest policy won’t necessarily give you the most useful cover. Compare the limits and conditions that matter for your trip.
Look at the overall limit for emergency medical treatment abroad
Look for mountain or helicopter rescue cover if it’s relevant to your plans
Make sure the cancellation limit is enough to cover your prepaid trip costs
Check both the total equipment limit and any limit for an individual item
See how much the policy pays if you need to hire replacement equipment
Compare the qualifying conditions, waiting periods and maximum benefit
Check what costs are covered if an avalanche disrupts access to your resort
Look at any restrictions on where you can ski and whether a guide is required
Compare how much you’ll need to contribute if you make a claim
With MoneySuperMarket, travel insurance with winter sports cover starts from £4.15[2]
The average price of a travel insurance policy with winter sports cover is £57.90[3]
The price you'll pay for your travel insurance policy with winter sports cover will depend on a number of different factors, including your destination, the length of your trip, your age and health, and the type of cover you choose.
Countries that have higher medical fees or are considered dangerous can impact the cost of travel insurance.
The longer your holiday is, the greater the chance is of something happening. If you're travelling often, multi-trip and long-stay policies can work out cheaper than paying for several single-trip policies.
Insurers put certain age groups, such as over 65s and 75s, into higher risk categories because older age groups typically pose more of a medical risk. It might be worth looking into specialist insurers and pre-existing condition travel policies to get a more competitive price.
Your activities, equipment, policy limits and optional extras can all affect the total cost of your policy.
There are three different levels of travel insurance depending on which locations you want to cover. The more destinations you want covered under your policy, the more your policy will cost.
Covers winter sports trips across all European countries including France and Germany (plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Turkey).
It is generally the cheapest option.
📍Resorts such as Val Thorens, Chamonix, St Anton, Zermatt, and Cervinia.
Includes Europe plus long-haul ski destinations such as those in Japan or in New Zealand, offering broader cover without the high costs of North America.
📍Resorts such as Niseko, Hakuba, Treble Cone and Coronet Peak.
Full global cover, including high-cost North American resorts. Including these countries costs more because medical and rescue expenses are significantly more expensive.
📍Resorts such as Whistler, Banff, Vail, Breckenridge, and Park City
Some insurers have restrictions on certain countries and will not cover you if you travel against the advice of the FCDO. Always check policy documents for any exclusions before taking out travel insurance.
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Give us a few details about where you’re going, who you’re travelling with and your travel dates
Choose winter sports cover in the quote journey so the policies you compare include cover for winter activities
You can then compare prices, excesses and features such as medical rescue, ski equipment, piste closure and avalanche cover
Check the policy details and make sure your planned activities and the level of cover you need are included before you buy
“You shouldn't pick your travel insurance policy with winter sports cover based on price alone - two policies with similar premiums can have very different limits for equipment, piste closure, avalanche disruption or replacement hire. Check the activities you plan to do first, then compare the cover amounts and limits that would matter most if something went wrong.”
Ryan Nizzar Travel, Business & Landlord Insurance Expert
Yes, you can get winter sports cover with a joint or family travel insurance policy. All you need do is add the optional cover to your policy to cover multiple people under one policy. It will cover your medical costs, your equipment, and travel disruptions while you travel together, and a joint policy can sometimes work out cheaper than buying several individual travel insurance policies.
Yes, you can add winter sports cover to annual multi-trip travel insurance policies. This can be a really valuable addon if you regular take skiing holidays or regularly take part in winter sports when you travel.
You will need to add winter sports cover to your travel insurance policy if you want cover for ice skating. Most travel insurance policies are unlikely to cover adventure sports or sports with a high-risk of injury. So, if you plan to go out on the ice, consider whether winter sports cover is worth adding.
You don’t need to take out winter sports cover for travel insurance to cover a trip to Lapland. European travel insurance will give you standard cover for a holiday to Lapland and will cover all the basics.
However, if you plan to take part in any winter sports, such as sledding or ice skating, then you will need winter sports cover added to your policy to cover you when taking part in any of these activities.
Winter sports cover will cover the cost of mountain rescue as well as the cost of repatriation if you need urgent transport back to the UK. These are included as part of your medical cover, so it’s worthwhile to take the cost of these into consideration when choosing your cover.
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Yes, you can earn SuperSaveClub rewards when you buy travel insurance through MoneySuperMarket.
This includes:
Up to £5[9], which you can withdraw as a pre-paid Mastercard or a gift card for brands like Sainsbury's and Amazon.co.uk
Free Days Out pass (worth £180), which gives free entry to a range of UK attractions (you must download our app to get this)
Cashback of up to 10% when you spend at brands including eBay, Just Eat and Argos
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Yes, travel insurance is included in our Super Save Price Promise.
If you buy through us then find the same deal for less we will:
refund the difference
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Reviewed on 8 Oct 2026 by
YouGov Survey 1st July 2025 to 30th June 2026. Net Recommend score derived from "Which of the following online service websites would you recommend to a friend or colleague, or tell them to avoid?" Base: Current Customers of (MoneySuperMarket n=17,883, Compare the Market n=16,193, Go.Compare n=8,523, Confused.com n=7,918, Uswitch n=514)
Data based on the minimum price of travel insurance sold through MoneySuperMarket with winter cover in September 2026. Prices vary based on your personal details & circumstances.
Data based on the 51st percentile price of travel insurance sold through MoneySuperMarket with winter cover in October 2026.
Source: Association of British Insurers (ABI), 2025. ‘Eight to Embark’ – the ABI shares top travel insurance tips as claims data highlights importance of cover. https://www.abi.org.uk/media-hub/news-post/eight-to-embark-the-abi-shares-top-travel-insurance-tips-as-claims-data-highlights-importance-of-cover
T&Cs and restrictions apply, see here for more information
T&Cs apply, click here for more information
Based on 1 visit per month – average ticket value £15.30 (Oct 24)
The number of providers for travel insurance in October 2026
SuperSaveClub restrictions and T&Cs apply. Click here for details.
