Sign up to our regular newsletter here...
.jpg)
Have you heard the one about the guy that broke his leg but wasn’t insured because he was skiing home from lunch under the influence of a couple of drinks? A surprising amount of skiers and boarders don’t have the right insurance for their ski holiday. And what is so surprising is that although we know reading insurance small print is deathly dull, skiing is also perhaps one of the most dangerous activities you’ll do in a year.
So what insurance should you be buying? Read our guide to different levels…
EHIC
The brief:
Remember the E111? Well this is now the (still free) EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) which allows UK residents to qualify for free or reduced-cost, state-provided medical care in some European countries (including Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland).
Watch out for:
Each traveller (including kids) must hold an EHIC. Some medical centres in resorts are privately run so won’t accept the EHIC and the card isn’t your holiday insurance and so won’t cover all medical costs (such as air ambulance etc).
Carre Neige
The brief:
A card that is offered with your lift pass in French resorts in the Savoie and Haute Savoie departments but which is supposed to cover you anywhere in mainland France and neighbouring countries. It costs around €2.5 per day and will cover for search and rescue and your first transport costs. It also covers medical and ski pass costs although it is worth reading the small print.
Watch out for:
This card is often seen as the fail-safe way to make sure you are rescued in the event of an accident without incurring huge transport bills. That said, outside of this realm, its benefits are limited but as it costs so little, we’d recommend buying it on top of your main insurance.
Winter sports insurance
The brief:
This is more often holiday insurance with a winter sports top up which covers things like your equipment being stolen, lifts being closed and accidents. However, we’d always recommend booking with a specialist winter sports insurer as they will cover everything you want to do (from the snowpark to sledging to paragliding).
Watch out for:
Whether your insurance covers you for off-piste and itinerary routes (marked but unpatrolled runs). Also whether it covers you if you’ve been drinking. There are many hidden clauses in these types of insurance and generally, the more you want to do on the mountain, the higher cover you should have. It is worth talking to your insurer before you buy to check they cover your activity.
