What's winter sports and ski travel insurance?
Winter sports insurance (or winter sports cover) offers financial protection for you and your equipment in case something goes wrong during your skiing or winter sports holiday.
On top of what’s covered by your standard travel insurance, this specialised protection covers lost or damaged gear, piste closures and costs associated with rented equipment you can’t use due to illness or injury.
When planning a winter sports trip, make sure to add this specific cover to your regular travel insurance policy, as you won’t be protected without it.
If you're going in a group, we can insure up to ten people on one policy, so all you need to do is choose your cold weather companion!
To find out more about travel insurance, read our handy guide 'what does travel insurance cover'.
Enjoy a 20% discount when you buy our travel insurance online.
SO, WHAT'S COVERED WITH OUR WINTER SPORTS AND SKI INSURANCE?
Our Essential policy includes the following:
- Up to £5,000 holiday cancellation cover
If your holiday is cancelled, cut short or any activities and excursions are called off for a reason you can't control (like illness) - 24-hour helpline
You can call us to make a claim from wherever you are. You can also claim online 24/7 too. - Travel insurance with coronavirus cover
If you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), we'll cover your medical and repatriation costs. Find out what's covered with our coronavirus cover - All pre-existing medical conditions considered
Just make sure you let us know about them when you set up your policy
Our Defaqto 5 Star rated Premier policy includes all of the above plus all of this:
- Cover for delays and cancellations after 24 hours
From bad weather to terrorism, ash clouds to strikes... basically, all the things we can’t control - Up to £1,000 if you miss your pre-booked transport
Things like missing your flight because of a delayed train... it happens, but we'll sort it - Up to £10,000 cancellation cover
This covers you if you have to cancel your holiday, cut it short or cancel any activities or excursions for a reason completely out of your hands (like illness)
The following activities are covered if you add winter sports cover to your travel insurance policy:
- Skiing (including big foot, cross-country, mono, glacier and indoor)
- Snowboarding
- Snowblading
- Sledging and tobogganing
- Snowmobiling and skidooing but there is no personal liability cover for these activities
The following activities are not covered if you add winter sports cover to your travel insurance policy:
- Bobsleighing
- Skeleton bobsleighing
- Heli-skiing
- Luging
- Ski acrobatics
- Ski flying
- Ski jumping
- Ski mountaineering
- Ski racing
- Ski randone
- Ski stunting
- Ski touring
- Snowcat skiing
A little reminder of why LV= Travel Insurance is essential if winter sports are on your itinerary…
- The average cost of a winter sports claim was £2,322.81 in 2025.
- Claims for winter sports related incidents reached £47,747.29 in 2025.
- We paid out 96% of winter sports claims in 2025.
Here’s what’s included with our winter sports and ski insurance...
| Optional cover (Winter sports) | Essential policy max limit per person | Premier policy max limit per person | Excess per claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal liability for winter sports activities | £2 million per policy | |
|
| Personal accident as a result of a winter sports activity | £25,000 per person | ||
| Emergency medical expenses paid that resulted from doing a winter sports activity | £10 million per person | £90 |
|
| Unused pre-booked winter sports tuition, due to bad weather |
Included as standard – see “Cancelling excursions or activities while on your trip” |
||
| Unused pre-paid lift pass for each day it can’t be used because the lifts are not in use | Included as standard – see “Cancelling excursions or activities while on your trip” |
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| Cancel winter sports excursions / activities while on trip eg due to illness | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
| Cancel / cut short your trip after leaving home if this is required as a result of doing a winter sports activity | £5,000 | £10,000 | £90 |
