Snowboarding Insurance

Key takeaways

• Snowboarding travel insurance is a type of optional travel insurance that can be added to a standard travel insurance policy

• It covers medical expenses incurred due to snowboarding accidents

• Snowboarding travel insurance may also cover equipment and hire, piste closure, and more

What is snowboarding travel insurance?

While there may be specialised snowboarding insurance out there, when most people talk about snowboarding travel insurance they are usually referring to winter sports travel insurance .

Winter sports travel insurance is a type of optional cover that can be added to a normal travel insurance policy. It extends your policy's cover to include specialised protection for winter sports activities, like snowboarding and skiing.

What does snowboarding travel insurance cover?

Travel insurance with added winter sports cover will still give you all the essential cover of a standard policy. This can include cover for delays, cancellations and medical emergencies.

With added winter sports cover, you'll also be given extra cover specifically for your winter activities. Here is some of the additional cover your policy may include:

• Equipment and hire: If your snowboarding equipment is damaged, lost, or stolen, you'll be able to claim for replacements of hire costs. This depends on what's stated in your policy.

• Piste closure: If the piste is closed for a certain length of time, you may be able to get compensation for the time lost. However, soe insurers might have minimum closure times, which could be anywhere between 12 and 24 hours.

• Off-piste snowboarding: Many insurers will also offer cover for off-piste snowboarding. However, this will usually have some conditions. For example, the cover may only apply if you're accompanied by a qualified instructor or guide.

• Ski pass: If your ski pass is lost or stolen, you'll be able to claim for the cost of a new one to access the slopes.

• Medical costs: If you injure yourself while snowboarding, medical costs are generally covered up to a certain amount. In places like Canada and the USA, bills can often reach tens of thousands.

• Pre-existing medical conditions: If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, and should they flare up while you're abroad, you'll be covered for any medical costs.

• Cancellations due to injury or illness: Likewise, if you have to cancel any activities due to illness or injury, the cost of any equipment you've hired will also be covered.

• Personal liability: If someone else is injured as a result of your activity while snowboarding, this will cover your personal liability costs.

• Avalanche delays: If you're unable to access the slopes or the piste opening is delayed due to an avalanche, this will cover the cost of any alternative arrangements you may have had to make.

You can also add more than one add-on cover to your policy, so as well as cover for snowboarding you might want to add special cover for your gadgets, or added travel delay cover if it isn't included as standard.

It's important to know that not every provider will offer the same cover with a travel insurance policy. To find out what your policy will cover, you should check the details in your policy documents.

Do I need snowboarding insurance?

Travel insurance doesn't cover snowboarding or other winter sports activities as standard. If you don't add winter sports cover to your policy, you won't be covered for any incidents related to snowboarding. This includes access to valuable emergency medical cover.

Can I get year-round insurance cover for snowboarding?

Yes, you can technically get cover for a whole year's worth of snowboarding trips if you take out annual multi-trip travel insurance. However, this cover will only kick in if you are snowboarding on a planned trip and won't cover you for snowboarding close to home.

An annual multi-trip policy can be a cheaper insurance option if you regularly travel throughout the year. But if you're only planning one or two snowboarding trips, it may be more cost effective to take out separate single-trip policies.

What locations will snowboarding insurance cover?

You can generally get policies that cover you for:

• European travel

• Worldwide travel (excluding the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean)

• Worldwide travel

Cover for European destinations is normally cheaper than worldwide cover. So, if you’re only going to France or Switzerland, you’ll save money by avoiding over-insuring yourself.

What isn't covered by snowboarding insurance?

Like any other insurance policy, there are usually exclusions in place for what you can put in a claim for. These can include any of the following:

• Extreme snowboarding: Some forms of snowboarding, or some routes and slopes, may be excluded from certain policies. In this respect, they may even require further cover. It’s best to check with your resort before taking out a policy.

• Competitive snowboarding: Likewise, if you snowboard competitively, you will require an extra level of cover if you have to pay for medical costs or equipment.

• Snowboarding under the influence: If you hit the slopes while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, any claims for equipment or medical treatment costs may be voided.

• Injury without protection: If you injure yourself or become ill as a result of not wearing the right protective equipment or clothing, your medical costs may not be covered under your policy. This might include helmets, goggles, or even wearing a close-fitted underlayer to keep you warm.

• Unattended possessions: If your equipment or gear becomes stolen, lost, or damaged when you’ve left it unattended, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to claim for the costs.

How much does snowboarding travel insurance cost?

The price you’ll pay for snowboarding travel insurance depends on a number of factors:

• Your age: The older you are, the more you’re likely to pay for cover

• Destination: The high medical and repatriation costs for places such as the USA and Canada mean insurance generally costs more if you’re travelling there.

• Travel frequency: The more often you travel, the more you’ll have to pay for cover. That is whether you’re insuring each trip separately or taking out an annual multi-trip policy.

• Holiday duration: The longer your holiday, the more likely you are to have to make a claim. This is generally due to other factors such as your destination or how many other people take out similar policies.

When should I buy travel snowboarding insurance?

Ideally, the best time to buy travel insurance is as soon as you’ve finalised and booked your holiday.

This way, if you have to cancel your holiday between booking and setting off, you’ll be covered for the cost of the flights and accommodation you’ve bought.

It may even cover the cost of any equipment you’ve hired. That said, you should check to make sure in your provider’s policy documents before buying.

You’ll be covered for cancellation for the following reasons:

• Illness or injury

• Redundancy

• Bereavement

Global Health Insurance Card

If you’re planning on snowboarding in the Alps or somewhere else in Europe, you could either benefit from a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or the new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). Both the EHIC and the GHIC will cover you for emergency medical treatment to the same standard as a local citizen in any EU country.

The EHIC/GHIC scheme is a good safety net, but not all State healthcare in the EU will be completely free. Indeed, you may still have to pay something towards your treatment. The scheme also doesn’t cover things like repatriation if you need to come home after a snowboarding injury. For this reason, good quality travel insurance is important.

The EHIC is being phased out for UK residents and is being replaced by the GHIC. If you have a valid EHIC, it can still be used in Europe for the time being. If your EHIC has expired, you can apply for a free GHIC through the NHS website.

Snowboarding travel tips

Snowboarding is a lot of fun, even if you spend half of the time lying in the snow. However, there is danger involved. Keep safe, and make sure you have a great holiday while bearing these tips in mind:

• Bring all the right gear and equipment, such as helmets, goggles, and warm but not too heavy clothing. Bear in mind that you’ll work up a sweat on the slopes! This also includes sunblock, as the sun’s rays can be more intense at higher altitudes.

• Check the weather conditions to make sure there isn’t too little or too much snow, or even an avalanche, that could interrupt your snowboarding session.

• Know your limits. The more difficult slopes will be signposted for snowboarders. Don’t try these if you’re a beginner or amateur. Keeping yourself safe should be the highest priority.

• Behave sensibly, so you can avoid injuring yourself and others while you’re snowboarding. Remember that the slopes are for everyone to share. This also means not snowboarding if you’re under the influence of any substances.

• Tell someone where you are in case you get lost somewhere. This way, they’ll be able to flag it to someone at the resort who can send for help.

Compare snowboarding insurance and find the best deal for your plans

Finding a better deal for snowboarding travel insurance is easy when you compare your options on MoneySuperMarket.

All you need to do is tell us a little about your holiday plans so we can find quotes tailored perfectly to your needs. Then, you can sort through them to find the right policy for you. This will depend on the level and type of cover you’ve chosen, as well as the price you’ll pay and any excess fees.

However, you should remember that a cheaper policy isn’t necessarily the best one. You should find one that gives you the exact level of cover you need. In fact, you don’t want to be under-insured just to save extra money, or over-insured with policies you’ll never need.

Once you’ve found the one that suits you, just click through to the provider and finalise your deal.