Take cover for your skiing holiday

Three per cent of us choose to avoid the Christmas hubbub and go away for a holiday for skiing and winter sun. However, research from American Express Travel Insurance suggests that 20 per cent of those who ski or snowboard are not covered by insurance. This is a worrying trend as there is a high financial risk in travelling without insurance. Some winter sports travel insurance cover can include off-piste skiing and snowboarding and can be added on to an existing policy.

Getting insurance could be a good move as ski slopes are one of the top spots for holiday injuries, with 15 per cent of skiers losing three days’ holiday after injury. That’s why it’s worth getting insurance before hitting the slopes. And there’s something else to consider as well. With new favoured skiing destinations, travellers would do well to make sure they have the right medical cover.

Top tips for this ski season are Japan and China, but winter sports enthusiasts travelling outside Europe should remember that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will not cover them there. Medical and repatriation costs could be high from those far flung destinations. It could run into tens of thousands of pounds, with air ambulance repatriation from Japan costing 40 per cent more than from the USA, says the insurer.

Even those travelling in Europe cannot be complacent as the EHIC cover does not extend to all destinations. Andorra, Bulgaria and Romania are outside the EHIC scheme and even where it applies, only some medical treatment is covered. And if an air ambulance or repatriation is needed (something which can cost up to 3,000 Euros) you’re on your own, as that’s not covered by EHIC. That’s all the more reason to have a decent travel insurance policy in place before hitting the slopes.