Winter sports travel insurance
Planning a ski trip, snowboarding holiday, or winter break in the mountains? OGSure gives you ane asy way to check whether our cover fits the trip you have planned.
Get winter sports travel insurance today
Ski and snowboarding trips come with a few extra things to think about: icy slopes, hired equipment, lift passes, resort closures, avalanche disruption, and medical support if something goes wrong abroad.
That is where winter sports travel insurance can help.
OGSure’s Optional Winter Sports Cover is designed to sit alongside your main travel insurance policy. It only applies if the relevant extra premium has been paid and your Validation Certificate/Invoice shows that cover.
Winter sports travel insurance at a glance
Here is the simple version of how OGSure winter sports travel insurance works:
Cover feature | OGSure winter travel insurance |
|---|---|
Optional extra: | Winter Sports Cover only applies if you have paid the extra premium and it is shown on your Validation Certificate/Invoice. |
Winter sports period: | Cover applies for up to 60 days in total per Period of Insurance. |
Suitable trips: | Ski holidays, snowboarding trips, family winter breaks, and other eligible snow-based activities. |
Single-trip cover: | Available for eligible travellers up to age 84. |
Annual cover: | Available for eligible travellers up to age 79. |
Winter sports benefits: | Winter sports equipment, ski pass, piste closure, and avalanche or landslide cover. |
Pre-existing medical conditions: | Excluded. |
Seasonal limits: | Winter sports cover only applies during the policy’s Northern and Southern Hemisphere winter sports seasons. |
If that sounds like the type of cover you need, keep reading for the details that matter before you buy.
What does winter sports travel insurance cover?
Depending on your policy, OGSure can include standard travel insurance benefits such as:
- cancellation and curtailment
- emergency medical and related expenses abroad
- medical evacuation and repatriation
- baggage, cash, and passport issues
- travel delay, missed departure, or abandonment
- personal accident
- public liability
- catastrophe cover
If you add the optional winter sports upgrade, your cover can also include:
- Winter Sports Equipment up to £3,000
- Ski Pass up to £650
- Piste Closure at £30 per 24 hours, up to £250
- Avalanche or Landslide cover at £30 per 24 hours, up to £250
This is travel insurance for sudden and unforeseen events during your trip. It is not private medical insurance, and all claims are subject to the policy terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions.
What winter sports are covered?
The policy wording lists specific winter sports and related activities that can be covered when the optional winter sports upgrade has been added.
These include:
- on-piste skiing
- on-piste snowboarding
- off-piste skiing or snowboarding, provided local safety guidelines and warnings are observed
- cross-country skiing on designated cross-country ski routes
- snowshoeing
- snow mobiling
- sledding, tobogganing, snow sleighs, and snow sleds on snow
- snow biking on-piste
- terrain park skiing or snowboarding
- outdoor ice skating
- dogsledding on recognised trails
- Nordic skiing
- big foot skiing
Always check the policy wording before buying, especially if your trip includes a specific activity, guided excursion, or anything outside the usual resort setup.
Ski equipment, ski pass, piste closure, and avalanche cover
Winter sports trips often come with expensive extras. Skis, boards, boots, helmets, lift passes, lessons, and hired gear can all add up quickly.
With the optional winter sports upgrade, OGSure extends parts of the policy to include winter sports equipment and your ski pass, subject to the policy limits.
The winter sports cover can include damage to, loss of, or theft of skis and ski equipment, whether the equipment belongs to you or has been hired. Depreciation applies, so older equipment may not be covered at its full original value.
Piste Closure cover may also apply if there is a total closure of the lift system in your pre-booked resort because of lack of snow for more than 12 hours.
In that situation, OGSure may pay towards travel to another resort or provide a daily benefit where no alternative resort is available, up to the policy limit.
Avalanche or Landslide cover may help with reasonable extra accommodation and travel expenses if scheduled public transport services are cancelled or curtailed because of an avalanche or landslide.
Please note: claims are not covered where the lift system closure is due to avalanches or dangerously high winds.
Off-piste skiing and snowboarding
OGSure can cover off-piste skiing and snowboarding, but there are important conditions.
You must observe the rules of the resort or area, follow local safety guidance and warnings, and listen to the advice of local guides or instructors.
Where off-piste skiing or snowboarding is only allowed with a guide, that guide’s advice should be strictly followed.
If you are inexperienced, you should not go off-piste unless you are under the supervision of a guide.
In other words: enjoy the snow, but do not treat common sense as optional equipment.
Pre-existing medical conditions and winter sports travel insurance
Claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions are excluded.
That matters for any trip, but it can matter even more on a winter sports holiday, where injuries, medical support, evacuation, and repatriation can become more complicated.
OGSure uses a broad definition of pre-existing medical conditions. This includes conditions where treatment, medication, advice, or diagnosis has been sought or received within the previous five years, as well as known or foreseeable conditions.
Please read the policy carefully before buying. For a plain-English explanation, visit our Pre-Existing Medical Conditions page.
What happens if something goes wrong on a winter sports trip?
If you have a serious medical emergency abroad, OGSure provides 24/7 emergency assistance.
You must contact the emergency assistance centre if you need inpatient treatment, MRI or CT scans, medical evacuation, or repatriation.
In many hospitalisation cases, direct payment can often be arranged locally. Please keep your policy details with you while travelling, as the emergency assistance team will need your certificate information.
Useful pages to keep handy:
Why choose OGSure for winter sports travel insurance?
There are plenty of ski travel insurance and snowboarding travel insurance pages online. What matters is whether the cover is clear, practical, and easy to understand before you buy.
OGSure is designed to make travel insurance feel less cluttered, with:
- clear trip and age eligibility
- optional Winter Sports Cover that is easy to identify
- named benefits for ski equipment, ski pass, piste closure, and avalanche or landslide disruption
- cover for listed winter sports and snow-based activities
- sensible off-piste guidance
- plain-English support pages
- 24/7 emergency assistance for serious medical emergencies abroad
The goal is simple: help you understand whether the policy fits your winter trip before you get to the airport, the resort, or the top of a suspiciously steep slope.
Learn more about us and our Lloyd's backing.
Frequently asked questions
Does OGSure include winter sports travel insurance?
Yes, but Winter Sports Cover is an optional extra. It only applies where the relevant extra premium has been paid and your Validation Certificate/Invoice shows that cover.
What winter sports are covered?
The policy lists activities such as on-piste skiing, on-piste snowboarding, off-piste skiing or snowboarding subject to local safety guidance, cross-country skiing on designated routes, snowshoeing, snow mobiling, terrain park skiing or snowboarding, and outdoor ice skating.
Does OGSure cover snowboarding?
Yes, snowboarding can be covered under the optional Winter Sports Cover, including on-piste snowboarding and off-piste snowboarding where local safety guidelines and warnings are observed.
Does OGSure cover off-piste skiing?
Yes, but conditions apply. You must follow resort rules, local safety guidance, and the advice of local guides or instructors. If off-piste skiing is only allowed with a guide, you must follow the guide’s advice.
What are the winter sports benefit limits?
The summary of benefits shows Winter Sports Equipment up to £3,000, Ski Pass up to £650, Piste Closure at £30 per 24 hours up to £250, and Avalanche or Landslide cover at £30 per 24 hours up to £250.
How long can Winter Sports Cover apply for?
The policy says the maximum period for Winter Sports Cover is 60 days in total per Period of Insurance.
Are there seasonal restrictions?
Yes. The policy excludes winter sports trips in the Northern Hemisphere outside 1 November to 30 April, and trips in the Southern Hemisphere outside 1 May to 30 September.
Are pre-existing medical conditions covered?
No. Claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions are excluded.
Is winter sports travel insurance suitable for families?
OGSure may be suitable for eligible families, provided the trip, travellers, destination, activities, and optional Winter Sports Cover all fit the policy rules.
What should I do in a medical emergency?
You must contact the 24-hour Emergency Assistance Centre if you need inpatient treatment, MRI or CT scans, medical evacuation, or repatriation.
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