Why take out ski travel insurance?
Accidents can happen on the slopes, so travel insurance that covers skiing and snowboarding can give you peace of mind that you'll be covered if you need emergency medical treatment. This coverage can also include the use of ambulances, or even emergency helicopter evacuation if you find yourself in a difficult-to-access area. If you’re seriously injured overseas and don’t have travel insurance, you and your loved ones could face enormous costs for treatment and care.
Travel insurance that covers snow sports may also help reimburse you for unused lift passes, skiing and snowboarding lessons, and equipment hire if bad weather or injury stops you from being able to ski.
Travel insurance, more broadly, can also cover you for lost or stolen baggage, cancellation and trip delays, and personal liability if you find yourself in legal trouble or at fault for damages.
What is ski travel insurance?
‘Ski travel insurance’ isn’t a specific product offered by insurers, but you can often take out a policy that includes coverage for skiing and snowboarding.
It's important to understand that most travel insurance policies do not offer cover for winter sports as standard. Instead, it's generally offered as an optional extra or ‘add on’ at an additional cost. This is due to the higher risk of policyholders needing to make a claim related to these physically demanding winter sports, as opposed to more relaxed holiday activities.
If you’re planning a snow trip to a destination like New Zealand, Japan or Canada, then purchasing this kind of cover as an add-on to your travel insurance can provide important peace of mind. If you don't have cover for winter sports and a claim arises relating to skiing or snowboarding, you could find yourself facing hefty medical bills.
How do you choose the right travel insurance for skiing and snowboarding?
When comparing your travel insurance with skiing and snowboarding cover options, think about
It’s important to understand exactly what’s covered and the dollar limits that apply to the coverage (the maximum you’ll be paid out for a successful claim).
Make sure a policy covers you for all the insured events you require alongside snow sports cover, like stolen or lost luggage, trip cancellation and delays, and medical coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Most policies will also have sub-limits, which are the maximum amounts you can be paid out for certain claims within a category. For example, you may only be able to claim $1,000 for a lost or stolen laptop but have a $10,000 overall limit for luggage.
What is and isn’t covered by a policy, as well as the claim limits and sub-limits that apply, will be outlined in a policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). Alternatively, you can contact the insurance provider directly for more information.
When purchasing insurance, it pays to think about the trade-off between a higher excess and lower premiums. Opting for a higher excess lowers your upfront policy cost, but means paying more out-of-pocket if you need to make a claim. When comparing, it can pay to find a policy that has an excess you’re comfortable with, coupled with premiums that are affordable for you.
Taking out a policy that covers snow sports may also come with special additional excesses that apply to claims related to skiing and snowboarding.
Cover for skiing and snowboarding is often an add-on form of coverage you can buy with your travel insurance policy. Other optional extras can include cover for cruises, adventurous activities like rock climbing and scuba diving, rental vehicle excesses, and high-value items. Check if your insurer offers these, and if you need them.
Take note of any requirements a policy may have regarding your claims: for example, you may need to report stolen luggage and obtain a police report within a certain timeframe. Similarly, consider any waiting period you’ll need to serve before being able to claim and exclusions that apply. Claims related to skiing and snowboarding may have requirements around wearing safety equipment and helmets and only using marked or ‘on-piste’ ski trails.
If you’re considering whether to sign up with a travel insurer, it can pay to research their reputation online. Look for reviews and feedback about the quality of their customer service and complaint resolution and the ease of the claims experience.
What’s the best ski and snow sports travel insurance?
There’s no one ‘best’ travel insurance policy with skiing and snow sports cover, as the best one for you will depend on your own needs and personal circumstances. Comparing travel insurance with Canstar is a great way to see what options you have and how they stack up side by side on both price and features.
You may also be interested in Canstar’s Travel Insurance Awards, which recognise the providers offering outstanding value to Australian consumers, based on both price and features. Meanwhile, Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers Award – Travel Insurance awards recognise the brands that perform best in the areas that matter most to customers.
What does ski and snowboard insurance include?
A policy with snow sports cover may include cover for:
- Medical costs relating to snow sports: Snow sports come with a high risk of injury, so most standard travel insurance policies won’t provide cover for them. A snow sport add-on can provide coverage if you injure yourself while skiing or snowboarding or if you require medical evacuation after an accident on the slopes.
- Accidental damage, theft, or loss of snow equipment: Whether you’re taking your own equipment or renting some nearby, there’s always a chance your gear could be accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost during your trip. Snow sports cover could help pay for repairs or replacement of the equipment, but keep in mind that the policy generally won’t cover damage to equipment while in use, or left unattended.
- Unused passes and equipment: If you become ill or injured during your trip and have prepaid for certain things like skiing or snowboarding lessons or ski lift passes, you may be reimbursed under your snow sports cover.
- Closure due to weather conditions: Weather conditions, such as melting snow, heavy rain, blizzards, high winds, extreme cold or other incidents could leave you unable to use a ski field. A policy with snow sports cover could help with additional expenses, like costs to relocate to a nearby resort, rehire equipment, or buy more ski lift passes.
How does ski and snowboard insurance differ from standard travel insurance?
This add-on form of cover specifically covers you for claims relating to snow sports like skiing and snowboarding, whereas a standard travel insurance policy generally will not. Ski and snowboard insurance will also usually cost more than a standard policy and may come with additional excesses if you need to make certain claims (e.g., you become seriously injured while skiing and require medical evacuation and hospitalisation).
What does ski and snowboard insurance exclude?
Like all travel insurance policies there’ll be certain things that won’t be covered, often referred to as travel insurance exclusions. These exclusions should be outlined in a policy’s PDS, or you can contact the provider directly for more information.
For snow sports cover in particular, some common exclusions are:
- Off-piste and backcountry skiing: This refers to skiing and snowboarding outside marked trails, often referred to as ‘off-piste’. You may still be able to get coverage if you’re accompanied by a licensed guide or you’re within the boundaries of the ski resort, but this will ultimately depend on your policy. It’s important to note you won’t be covered regardless if you’re planning to ski in areas with avalanche warnings or other local bans.
- Being under the influence of alcohol or other substances: This also applies broadly to travel insurance, but if you’re injured while skiing or snowboarding and found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your claims are likely to be rejected.
- Professional and competitive events: Even though the coverage is often referred to as snow sports cover, competing in both professional and amateur events usually won’t be covered. If you plan to compete, you may be able to get coverage from a specialised sports insurance provider.
- Using non-standard or faulty equipment: Use of equipment like snow bikes, toboggans, or homemade gear may not be covered by your policy, so read the fine print to be certain. The same goes for claims resulting from you knowingly using broken or faulty equipment.
- Pre-existing medical conditions: If you have a pre-existing medical condition that contributes to an injury, your claim may be denied. You’ll usually have to declare your conditions (an old knee injury, for example) and have them approved by your insurer beforehand in order to be covered. This will likely add to the cost of your policy.
Do I need travel insurance for skiing and snowboarding?
Due to the risks involved in snow activities like skiing and snowboarding, it’s recommended that you consider taking out adequate travel insurance in order to avoid hefty medical costs. If you were to be injured while skiing or snowboarding without snow sports cover, you could be out-of-pocket thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
What does ski travel insurance cost?
The cost of a travel insurance policy with cover for snow sports can vary depending on the ages of the travellers on the policy, the travel destination, the length of the trip, the excess you choose, and if any other add-on forms of cover are purchased.
As an example, we used the live pricing from the providers on our database to generate the costs for a policy that covers a week-long ski trip in certain international destinations for both a solo traveller and a family.
New Zealand | Japan | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
Solo traveller | $88-$451 | $133-$330 | $193-$495 |
Family | $142-$678 | $188-$457 | $468-$1,029 |
Source: Canstar, 10/09/26. Cost data obtained from providers on Canstar’s database that provide live pricing. A standardised set of assumptions were used, which included policies with snow sports cover, an excess amount of $200-$300, luggage cover of $5,000+, and trip cancellation of $10,000+. A 30-year-old solo traveller and a family made up of two 35-year-old adults and two children aged five and seven all with no pre-existing medical conditions were used. The trip dates used for Japan and Canada were the 11th of January-18th of January 2027, whereas the dates used for New Zealand were the 5th of July-12th of July 2027.
Since prices can vary widely, it’s important to compare your options before purchasing cover. You can compare travel insurance policies with Canstar, which can help you narrow down your options and find the cover that suits your needs.
