What is ski travel insurance (also known as winter sports travel insurance)?
A ski trip isn’t your average holiday. Fast descents, freezing temperatures and the odd rogue snowboarder mean slips can be more serious and expensive than a tumble on the beach. That’s why many experts recommend specialist cover built for the slopes.
Avanti’s ski and winter sports add-on plugs the gaps a standard policy won’t cover. It merges the usual cancellation, baggage and medical benefits with piste-specific protection: avalanche delays, lost lift passes, hired-ski refunds and search-and-rescue bills.
You can add it to any Classic or Deluxe single-trip policy, or use the 17 winter-sports days already included on Classic and Deluxe annual multi-trip.
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What does ski travel insurance cover?
Here’s a quick look at when your will and won’t apply. If you’re not sure how any of these points might affect you, our friendly team can talk them through over the phone and help you understand what your cover includes.
We can usually help if you…
- have to cancel your trip or come home early
If illness (including COVID), injury or bereavement means you can’t travel or need to cut your holiday short, we’ll help with the costs you can’t get back.
- need emergency medical treatment abroad
If you fall ill (including with COVID) or get injured overseas, we’ll cover hospital treatment, ambulance transport and – if needed – medical repatriation, with help from our 24-hour assistance team.
- lose your bags or passport
If your baggage, valuables or travel documents are lost or stolen, we’ll help you replace essentials so you can carry on with your trip.
- are disrupted by bad weather or strikes
If your flight or connection is delayed because of unexpected bad weather, strike action or a vehicle breakdown, we’ll help cover reasonable travel or accommodation costs to get you where you need to be. (This doesn’t apply if the strike or disruption was already public knowledge when you booked your trip).
- are delayed on your journey (Classic and Deluxe)
If your flight or ferry is delayed for 12 hours or more, you’ll get a fixed payment to help with the inconvenience.
- can’t stay in your accommodation (Classic and Deluxe)
If a fire, flood or major power cut means you can’t stay in your hotel or apartment, we’ll help arrange and pay for somewhere else.
- are admitted to hospital while abroad (Classic and Deluxe)
If you’re kept in hospital overnight (including due to COVID), we’ll pay a daily benefit to help with small personal costs while you recover. (If you’re injured in a mugging, an extra payment may also apply).
- are delayed by volcanic ash (Deluxe only)
If a volcanic ash cloud grounds your flight for more than 12 hours, you’ll receive a fixed payment to help with the delay.
- accidentally cause injury or damage
If you unintentionally injure someone or damage their belongings, your policy includes personal liability protection.
- are injured in an accident abroad
If you need legal help after being injured overseas, we’ll cover your legal costs, so you’re not left to manage it alone.
Our winter sports add-on can help if you…
- lose, damage or have your skis or board stolen
We’ll repair, replace or pay for hire so you don’t miss a minute on the snow.
- misplace your lift pass
We pay up to £75 a day (max £300) so you can buy a replacement and keep riding.
- can’t use pre-paid ski school or lift fees because you’re ill or injured
You can claim back the unused part of your ski pack, up to £300 in total.
- find every lift shut because the piste is closed
We cover £20 a day (max £260) to reach an open resort – or pay you the same in cash if that’s not possible.
- are stuck after an avalanche or landslide blocks access
Extra travel or accommodation costs are covered up to £250 while the route is cleared.
- need search-and-rescue after an on-mountain accident
Professional teams are funded up to £10,000 so help gets to you fast.
- require physiotherapy once you’re home
Claim up to £200 for treatment directly linked to an insured ski injury.
- take part in approved winter activities
On-piste or guided in-bounds off-piste skiing and snowboarding, glacier runs, ski touring, sledging, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, snowmobile rides as a passenger, and more are all included. See our policy documents for the full list of covered winter sports and more details.
Cover won’t apply if you…
- haven’t told us about a medical condition
If you don’t declare a pre-existing condition, or if your health changes before you travel and you don’t update your policy, we won’t be able to cover related claims.
- travel against UK Government or medical advice
There’s no cover if you travel somewhere the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against, or if your doctor says you shouldn’t travel for medical reasons.
- have an accident because of alcohol or drugs
We can’t cover claims if alcohol or drugs directly or indirectly contribute to an accident, injury or loss.
- miss a flight because of personal delays
If you don’t leave enough time to reach the airport or check-in, we can’t pay for missed flights or connections.
- leave belongings unattended
There’s no cover if something is lost or stolen after being left unattended – for example, on a sunbed, in an unlocked car or in a public place.
- are travelling for arranged medical treatment abroad
Travel insurance is designed for unexpected illness or injury, not for medical procedures, tests or check-ups arranged before you go.
- booked during a known strike or disruption
If strike action or travel problems were already public knowledge when you booked, your policy won’t apply to those delays or cancellations.
- take part in an activity that isn’t covered
Some higher-risk activities – such as certain winter sports – aren’t automatically included unless you’ve added the right optional cover.
- are waiting for a medical procedure
If you’re awaiting an operation or follow-up test, cancellation and curtailment claims won’t be covered unless it’s an accepted procedure shown on your validation certificate.
Our winter sports add-on can’t help if you…
- take part in winter sports on a professional, competitive or prize-money basis
Policies are for leisure use only, so racing or earning from the sport isn’t covered.
- leave resort boundaries or use closed runs
Once you cross ropes or signage, cover stops until you’re back on an open, patrolled slope.
- head out when the avalanche bulletin shows risk level 3 or above
Resort authorities classify risk level 3 as “Considerable”; insurance is paused until the risk drops to 1 or 2.
- ignore medical advice that you’re unfit to ski or take part in winter sports
If your GP says stay off the slopes, any claim that follows a decision to go anyway can’t be paid.
Top tip: am I covered for hired ski equipment and ski hire deposits?
Lost skis are a pain, but they don’t have to cost you a ski day. If the airline misroutes your bag or a thief lifts your board from the rack, we’ll pay up to £75 per day — max £300 — to hire replacements while you wait or claim. Keep the rental receipt and a Property Irregularity Report from the carrier.
Already prepaid for lessons or advanced hire? If illness or an insured injury puts you off the snow, we’ll refund the unused portion of your “ski pack” — that’s tuition, instructor fees and any lift pass booked in the same bundle — up to the same £75-a-day/£300 limit.
Does Avanti winter sports travel insurance cover medical conditions?
97% of customers who declare a condition are offered cover with us. In fact, since 2014, we’ve helped more than 1.3 million travellers arrange cover for over 1,300 medical conditions (subject to screening) – from high blood pressure and diabetes to cancer and heart disease.
In the rare event we can’t offer you travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions, we’ll always try to point you in the right direction. We’re proud to be listed by MoneyHelper – a government-backed money guidance service that keeps a free, independently run directory of those who might be able to help with pre-existing medical conditions.
Medical conditions we regularly cover
Heart and circulatory conditions
Travelling with a circulatory or heart condition like heart disease, high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation? You’re not alone.
Cancer
Our travel insurance policies can include cover for a wide range of cancers – including some of the most common, such as breast, prostate, bowel, lung and skin cancer.
Breathing and lung conditions
We regularly help travellers with a wide range of breathing conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, COPD and lung fibrosis.
Digestive conditions
Many Avanti travellers live with stomach and bowel conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Our policies can include protection for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease, as well as rarer conditions such as Huntington’s disease, Batten’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia and spinal muscular atrophy.
Mental health conditions
Travel can do wonders for mental wellbeing. If you’re managing a condition like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we’d love to help you see the world.
Autoimmune conditions
The Avanti team regularly arrange cover for travellers with autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, lupus, Addison’s disease and multiple sclerosis. This can include conditions managed with long-term medication or those that cause occasional flare-ups.
Kidney conditions
We often help kidney patients with conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), kidney stones, renal failure, nephritis and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Back and chronic pain
Chronic pain can have many causes – including autoimmune, neurological and digestive disorders – and we understand how differently it can affect each person day to day. We often cover those with conditions such as chronic back pain, slipped discs, sciatica, fibromyalgia and other long-term pain conditions.
Allergies
Allergies shouldn’t stop travel in its tracks. Whether it’s a common sensitivity or something more specific like allergic rhinitis or aspergillosis, we’ll do our best to find the right protection for your trip.
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Top tip: is there an age limit on winter sports travel insurance?
We’re proud to cover pre-existing medical conditions, and any age. That means we can insure skiers, snowboarders, sledgers and skaters of every age, provided your doctor says you’re fit to travel. Many customers in their 70s, a fair few in their 80s, and beyond, still enjoy blue-run mornings and après-ski afternoons under an Avanti policy.
What destinations does ski travel insurance cover?
Your winter sports travel insurance policy can follow you down just about any slope – as long as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says it’s safe to travel to your destination. When you take out cover, simply tell us where you’re going.
Europe
Alpine classics like Chamonix in France, Sierra Nevada’s sunshine slopes in Spain, Norway’s long-season Trysil, and Sweden’s Åre all fall under travel insurance for Europe.
Worldwide
Beyond Europe, think Whistler’s powder bowls, Colorado’s epic back-to-backs, Japan’s famed Niseko snow or New Zealand’s Queenstown winter playground. Choose worldwide cover and roam any mountain the FCDO rates safe.
How to buy winter sports travel insurance
Step 1
You can get a quote online or over the phone. We’ll start by asking a few quick questions – like whether it’s single trip or annual cover, your travel dates, destination and if you’re going on a cruise.
It’s easy to cover an individual, couple, family or group of up to nine travellers online (or up to 30 by phone).
Step 2
Next, we’ll go through a few details about your health over the past two years – including any diagnoses, symptoms, tests or treatment.
Step 3
Once you’ve shared your details, we’ll talk you through your quote, whether online or over the phone. You can choose your level of cover, add any extras and confirm your policy there and then.
You’ll get instant access to your policy documents in My Avanti, where you can view, download or update your details any time.
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When to buy winter sports travel insurance
Many financial experts, including MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis, recommend buying your travel insurance “ASAB” – As Soon As you Book.
Getting your policy sorted the day you drop your first pound on flights, chalets or lift passes means your cancellation cover can guard every booking, from ski school and equipment hire to heli-transfer fees. Leave it late and an untimely sprain, family emergency or piste-side hotel closure could cost you dearly.
Annual travellers? Your Classic or Deluxe annual multi-trip policy already includes 17 winter sports days. Activating it early means spontaneous snowy weekends slot straight in – no need to get another quote.
How much is ski travel insurance?
Your winter sports add-on will usually make your policy price go up a bit. This is because it funds the mountain-specific extras a beach break might never need: air-ambulance lifts, search-and-rescue bills, piste-closures and specialist kit cover.
Beyond that fixed supplement, the same sliders that shape any travel policy come into play:
- Destination – North American clinics and heli-evacs cost more than treatment in the Alps, so cover for Canada or the USA is usually more expensive.
- Trip length and timing – A long tour will likely cost more than a weekend dash, simply because there’s more time for something to go wrong.
- Age and declared medical conditions – Your policy needs to be ready to cover medical costs should a pre-existing medical condition cause trouble on your ski trip.
- Cover level – Classic is our most budget-friendly option for travellers in need of winter sports cover. Deluxe provides more comprehensive cover, and is usually more expensive.
The fastest way to see what you’ll pay is to get a quote online or over the phone. Simply go through the process, let us know that you’d like to add winter sports to your policy, and we’ll provide a breakdown of the policy levels available to you.
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How to get cheaper winter sports travel insurance
Looking to trim the cost of your ski travel insurance? Here are a few simple levers you can pull:
- Trip duration – shorter trips usually cost less to insure because there’s less time for something to go wrong.
- Destination – some places are more expensive to insure than others. The USA, Canada and the Caribbean have some of the world’s highest medical costs, while Europe and the UK are often cheaper to cover.
- Policy level – Avanti offers three levels of cover – Essentials, Classic and Deluxe. Essentials is the most cost-effective option for travellers looking to keep things simple.
- Luggage cover – think about what you really need to take with you. Packing lighter and setting a lower luggage limit on your policy can bring the cost down.
- Excess – a higher voluntary excess means a lower premium. Just make sure it’s an amount you’d be comfortable paying if you claim.
- Discounts – it’s also worth checking our current offers before you buy. You can find the latest Avanti discount codes on our discounts page.
Avanti pays when it matters most
We know how important it is to feel confident that your claim will be handled quickly and fairly.
Between February 2024 and July 2025, our customers received more than £31 million, with over 18,000 claims settled.
You can expect to hear from our claims team within 5 working days of submitting your claim, and in most cases, Avanti strives to make a decision within five days of receiving your documents.
That’s one of the reasons Avanti has been awarded Best Insurance Customer Service by the Personal Finance Awards (2025).
Winner 7 years running: Best Travel Insurance
Our Best Travel Insurance award (Personal Finance Awards, 2018-2025) is based on the experiences of real people who travel with us. They’ve trusted us to help when plans change, flights are cancelled or medical emergencies happen abroad.
From updating policies to arranging hospital care or getting someone home safely, we do what good travel insurance should do – put things right.
Will my GHIC cover me for winter sports-related injuries/treatment?
A Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is worth packing. It lets you access state healthcare in EU resorts at the same price locals pay. Helpful for a quick GP visit in Austria, but its reach stops there. The card:
- doesn’t fund mountain rescue or helicopter lifts off the piste
- can’t pay to fly you home for surgery or emergency medical treatment
- offers no protection for stolen skis, piste closure or avalanche delays
Your Avanti winter sports add-on fills each of those gaps: search-and-rescue up to £10,000, up to unlimited emergency medical expenses on Deluxe, plus physiotherapy back in the UK and all the piste-specific benefits your GHIC can’t touch.
Will I be covered for emergency medical treatment and repatriation after a ski accident?
If you have a medical emergency while taking part in winter sports, you’ll only be covered to claim if you have specialist winter sports travel insurance. Break a leg on a red run, and we should be able to offer (if deemed medically necessary):
- On-mountain rescue – we pay the bill for snowmobile, helicopter or piste-basher extraction, up to £10,000 under search-and-rescue.
- Hospital care abroad – Classic covers up to £10 million of treatment; Deluxe removes the ceiling entirely. Our 24/7 medical team liaises with local doctors and organises payments.
- Getting you home – if specialists agree you should return for surgery or rehab, we cover an air-ambulance or upgraded scheduled flight, plus a medical escort if needed.
- Physio back in the UK – claim up to £200 towards follow-up physiotherapy directly linked to the insured accident
Does ski travel insurance cover off-piste skiing or snowboarding?
Stay on marked runs, and your winter sports add-on will work exactly as described: search-and-rescue up to £10,000, emergency medical care (up to £10 million on Classic, Unlimited on Deluxe) and compensation if a lift closure keeps you off the slopes for more than 24 hours.
Fancy a little powder adventure? You’re still covered off-piste so long as you stay within the ski-area boundary, and the avalanche risk sits at 1 or 2 (Low to Moderate). Venture beyond resort limits, duck under a closed-run rope, or ignore an avalanche rating of 3 (Considerable) or higher, and cover stops the moment your skis cross that line. Stick with a qualified local guide, check the daily bulletin and respect closure signs — that way, both the mountain patrol and your policy remain firmly on your side.
Hear it from our happy travellers…
“Following an accident when skiing in Italy, I contacted Avanti. The whole incident was dealt with by Denise from Mayday assistance. It was professionally done and extremely thorough. I had additional medical checks, which they arranged, repatriated back to UK with assistance. Harry from Mayday was excellent. He came out to Italy to accompany me on the plane and carry out a few medical checks. I did incur some immediate medical expenses, and these were submitted on the Avanti website on my return. They were settled promptly through my claims handler, Jane. I definitely recommend Avanti for a comprehensive insurance cover and thank them for the way my injury was dealt with.”
Cherry, 27 May 2025
“Unfortunately, I needed to make a claim for medical expenses as a result of a ski injury. I am happy to report that the claims process was relatively straightforward, but more importantly, the claim was upheld, and I was reimbursed for the full amount without any quibbles. I am a very satisfied customer (albeit an injured one).”
Marina, 13 May 2025
“Insurance premiums for travel have increased a lot. Relatively, Avanti has very reasonable pricing with a good, comprehensive cover, which even included ski cover for over 60s. All other insurance offers either added a crazy premium for ski cover or wouldn’t offer it without having to speak to someone. Thank you Avanti for non–ageism and trusting our own judgement on our capabilities.”
Erik, 11 January 2024
