Best Travel Insurance Plans for Skiing and Snowboarding
Several travel insurance policies stand out for their skiing and snowboarding coverage, offering protection for winter sports-related injuries, high medical coverage limits, and competitive pricing. These plans are designed to protect travelers on the mountain and beyond.
See a complete breakdown of these plans, and other popular plans geared towards winter travel, in our full review of the Best Adventure Travel Insurance Companies of 2025.
What is Winter Sports Travel Insurance?
Winter sports travel insurance is a type of coverage designed to protect travelers who plan to ski, snowboard, or participate in other cold-weather activities during their trip. While some standard travel insurance plans exclude high-risk activities, specialized winter sports insurance ensures you're covered in the event you're injured on the slopes, require an evacuation from remote ski resorts, or damage your ski gear or snowboarding equipment.
Most winter sports travel insurance plans are comprehensive and provide reimbursement for prepaid expenses like lift tickets, ski rentals, airfare, and lodging if you're forced to cancel your ski trip due to an injury, illness, severe winter storm, or other covered reason.
Whether you're skiing in the Alps on a European ski trip or hitting local ski slopes closer to home, Squaremouth makes it easy to find, compare, and purchase winter sports travel insurance.
- What Does Ski or Snowboard Travel Insurance Cover?
- How Much Does Winter Sports Travel Insurance Cost?
- Where Can I Buy Travel Insurance for My Ski Trip?
- What Is Not Covered?
- Do I Need Travel Medical Insurance for a Ski Trip?
- Is Skiing and Snowboarding Covered by All Travel Insurance Plans?
- Is Winter Sports Travel Insurance Worth It?
- FAQs: Winter Sports Travel Insurance
- Related Articles
What Does Ski or Snowboard Travel Insurance Cover?
Winter sports insurance is made to cover accidents and injuries while skiing and snowboarding, but it can also provide coverage for your equipment and travel itinerary. Many standard travel insurance plans exclude adventurous activities. Winter sports travel insurance plans are specifically built to include Sports & Activities coverage. Here is a closer look at common coverage inclusions.
Emergency Medical coverage can pay for costs incurred in the event of an illness or injury, such as hospital bills and doctor visits, if you become injured or ill during your trip. This includes accidents like fracturing a wrist while breaking a fall, spraining an ankle on a ski slope, dislocating a shoulder after a collision, or experiencing frostbite due to extreme temperatures. We recommend plans with at least $100,000 in Emergency Medical coverage.
This benefit covers the cost of emergency medical evacuation services to the nearby adequate medical facility. This includes being airlifted by helicopter or transported by snowmobile to a nearby hospital for care. Consider medevac policies that offer at least $250,000 in evacuation coverage, especially if you'll be skiing in remote alpine areas or resorts with limited medical facilities. Helicopter rescues and mountain evacuations can be extremely expensive, with the CDC reporting they can sometimes cost more than $100,000.
Trip Cancellation protection provides reimbursement for up to 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses if you need to cancel your ski trip. Most commonly, this includes coverage for flights and hotels. However, ski travel insurance can also cover sports fees like lift tickets, guided lessons, and equipment rentals. Common covered cancellation reasons include unexpected illness, injury, or severe weather that makes travel unsafe.
Make sure the plan offers enough Trip Cancellation protection to cover all of your travel expenses, including those specific to skiing or snowboarding.
Inclement Weather coverage provides reimbursement for unused trip expenses if you need to cancel your trip or cut it short due to severe weather at your destination. This is included within most travel insurance plans within the Trip Cancellation benefit.
This coverage provides reimbursement if your personal skis, snowboard, boots, poles, or other sports equipment is lost, stolen, damaged, or delayed during a covered trip.
Search and Rescue Coverage can pay for an organized search and rescue operation if you get lost or become stranded while skiing, snowboarding, or participating in another covered winter sport.
If you're forced to end your trip early due to a covered reason, Trip Interruption coverage covers unused travel expenses like lodging reservations, transportation expenses, rental fees, and more. Some plans may also reimburse additional costs incurred to make new travel arrangements back home.
If you experience a significant flight delay during your trip, your Travel Delay coverage can reimburse meal and accommodation expenses while you await your new departure time. A commonly covered delay scenario during winter seasons is snowstorms or icy conditions at your destination that make flying unsafe.
To see exact pricing for your trip, try our travel insurance comparison tool. Simply enter your trip details to see all available plans and prices. Start a Quote
How Much Does Winter Sports Travel Insurance Cost?
Comprehensive travel insurance for winter sports costs $27 per day on average. These policies typically include strong protection against trip cancellations, medical emergencies, medical evacuations, and lost or delayed ski gear.
This is based on adventure-specific travel insurance sales through Squaremouth in the past 12 months. Adventure plans cost an average of $408, with an average trip length of 15 days.
Like other types of comprehensive travel insurance, the cost of winter sports insurance is based on several risk factors, such as your age, destination, trip length, and non-refundable travel expenses.
Not all winter sports travel insurance plans are comprehensive. Travelers who don't need trip cost protection can choose travel medical insurance, a less expensive form of coverage that does not cover cancellations, for just $5 per day.
Where Can I Buy Travel Insurance for My Ski Trip?
There are multiple ways you can purchase travel insurance for a ski or snowboard trip, including directly from a provider, from a comparison site, and through a travel supplier. Regardless of which method you choose, we recommend obtaining at least two to three quotes from different providers to ensure you're getting the best value for your money.
Direct from a Provider
Whether it's from a recommendation from a friend or a suggestion from an article, it's possible that you already know the travel insurance company you plan to use for your ski trip. Many providers, like Tin Leg and Battleface, let you purchase coverage directly from their website or mobile app.
Through a Comparison Site
Comparison sites, like Squaremouth, make it easy for skiers and snowboarders to compare quotes from the nation's top travel insurance providers in one place. You can quickly filter results to only show plans that cover winter sports, making it easier to find the best policy for your trip and budget.
Through an Airline or Tour Operator
Airlines, ski resorts, and tour operators sometimes offer travel protection when booking a trip. While convenient, these plans are often more expensive and may provide less coverage than policies purchased through other sources. If you choose this route, be sure the policy specifically covers skiing and snowboarding, including any off-piste or backcountry riding you plan to do.
What Is Not Covered by Snowboarding and Ski Travel Insurance?
Even the most robust winter sport travel insurance policies are not all-encompassing. All travel insurance policies feature exclusions that outline the expenses, events, and scenarios that are not eligible for reimbursement in the event of a claim.
While these exclusions vary by provider, most skiing and snowboarding travel insurance plans will not cover the following:
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Off-piste or backcountry skiing: Many plans exclude skiing or snowboarding outside of marked trails unless specifically included in your policy.
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Extreme winter sports: Activities like heli-skiing, ice climbing, or terrain park competitions may require additional coverage or more specialized protection.
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Named Storms: Severe weather or natural disasters (including avalanches) that were publicly named or forecast before buying your policy.
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Pre-existing medical conditions: Most plans won't cover claims related to a medical condition you had before your policy's effective date, unless you qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver.
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Expected events: Trip cancellations, interruptions, or delays caused by events that were known at the time you purchased your policy, like an airline strike.
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Unlawful acts: Unlawful acts committed by the insured, family member, or traveling companion.
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Drug and alcohol use: Plans will not reimburse you for injuries, illness, and other disruptions that result from substance abuse.
View your policy's Certificate of Insurance for a full list of travel insurance exclusions.
Do I Need Travel Medical Insurance for a Ski Trip?
Travel medical insurance isn't required for a ski or snowboard trip, but it's strongly recommended due to the increased risk of getting injured during your trip. The popular winter sports magazine, Powder, reiterates this point, saying that even though travel protection may not always be enforced, "it's always better to be prepared."
If you're traveling outside the U.S., your regular health insurance will likely not be accepted by local medical facilities, leaving you financially responsible for hospital visits, emergency transportation services, surgery costs, and other related expenses.
Skiing and snowboarding are inherently high-risk activities, and even experienced athletes can suffer accidents on the slopes that require immediate medical attention. This care can be costly, especially if an emergency evacuation is needed to transport you to an adequate medical facility.
Travel insurance can cover unexpected medical expenses so you're not stuck with a massive bill after taking a fall. Your provider's 24/7 emergency assistance team can also help refer care, coordinate evacuations, and help you navigate foreign healthcare systems.
Is Skiing and Snowboarding Covered by All Travel Insurance Plans?
No, not all travel insurance policies automatically cover skiing or snowboarding. Only policies that include the Sports & Activities benefit will offer coverage for high-risk winter sports. However, adventure travelers still have plenty of options to choose from. There are currently 20+ policies listed on Squaremouth that cover skiing or snowboarding to some extent.
It's important to note that riskier forms of skiing or snowboarding can be harder to cover. For example, it's easier to find coverage for recreational downhill skiing than it is for heli skiing.
Here are a few of the different types of winter activities that can be covered by adventure travel insurance:
- Backcountry skiing (with or without a guide)
- Cross-country skiing
- Heli skiing or snowboarding
- Mogus skiing
- Recreational skiing or snowboarding
- Terrain park (skiing or snowboarding)
Is Winter Sports Travel Insurance Worth It?
Yes, anytime your trip involves a high-risk sport, it's important to have the right coverage. Steep terrain, high speeds, and unpredictable weather conditions increase the chances of injury, evacuations, and other potentially costly disruptions.
For less than $30 per day, a winter sports travel insurance plan can offer valuable peace of mind and financial protection if your trip doesn't go as planned. The best ski and snowboard travel insurance policies are comprehensive, covering everything from a broken leg on the slopes to a flight delay that keeps you from enjoying the fresh snow.
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FAQs: Winter Sports Travel Insurance
If you're injured while skiing or snowboarding, your travel insurance can help cover the cost of transporting you to the nearest medical facility and reimburse you for the medical expenses related to your injury. For coverage to apply, you must purchase a policy that includes the Sports & Activities travel insurance benefit.
If you're overseas, a hospital may require upfront payment to provide treatment. Some travel insurance providers can provide payment on your behalf, so there are no delays in getting the care you need. If this is important for you, look for plans with Primary medical coverage.
No, not all winter sports are excluded from coverage. Recreation sports like tubing, sledding, curling, ice skating, and snowmobiling on marked trails are sometimes covered by standard travel insurance.
Winter sports that involve higher risk, such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing, often require specialized coverage due to the increased chance of getting injured during your trip.
Coverage for off-piste skiing and snowboarding varies by plan. Many providers classify off-piste skiing and snowboarding as a "dangerous activity" or "extreme sport." For that reason, there may be few options available when looking for coverage for trips that involve off-marked trails.
Most winter sports travel insurance plans will protect your skis, snowboard, or other winter sports equipment for the duration of your trip, including during transit. If your equipment is delayed en route to your destination, your travel insurance policy can cover the cost for rental gear while you wait for your belongings to arrive.
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