Snow’s falling...but are you covered?
MOUNTAIN resorts across Europe are cranking up their lifts this weekend as they prepare for the first skiers of the season. The northern Alps are reporting the best conditions so far – although other slopes are patchier.
But those heading for the pistes of Europe should not just check the snow forecast or buy the trendiest ski gear. It is vital to pack the right insurance too.
Comparison website Gocompare suggests one in four skiers risks travelling without insurance while one in ten never takes cover. This is despite the fact that the average claim on a ski policy is £636, according to insurer LV=.
Claims can, of course, go much higher. One of LV=’s largest was for £18,700 – to pay for a 77-yearold who suffered a knee fracture in Canada. And repatriation costs can be high too, with LV= paying out £11,500 to bring home an injured skier from Europe.
Tom Lewis, travel expert at Gocompare, says many people rely too heavily on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and overestimate the cover it provides. An EHIC is a free card that entitles travellers to the same level of state care as a local. Treatment may be provided for free or at a reduced cost in all EU countries plus Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Lewis says: ‘The card is no guarantee you will not have to pay anything and it certainly won’t be of any help if a serious accident leaves you needing to be rescued from the mountain or in need of medical repatriation back to the UK. Such incidents can cost thousands of pounds.’
PICK A POLICY CAREFULLY
SKI insurance policies vary in terms of price and cover.
Some will exclude – or charge more for – particular activities, such as off-piste or heli-skiing.
If a keen price is important, then look at plans offering a high excess – the amount you need to contribute towards each claim – which helps trim premiums.
Among the cheapest for a twoweek single trip policy for a family of four travelling to Europe is from Travel Insurance. Its £27 ‘super saver’ plan provides £15million of medical cover, £500 cancellation cover and £500 for baggage. But the excess is high at £250 for all three categories.
Asda Money has a single trip policy for £23.50 with £10million of medical cover, £850 of cancellation cover and £850 baggage cover – each with a £195 excess.
If you would rather have a lower excess of £70, Asda has an alternative policy costing £35. At the other end of the price scale is Coverforyou’s policy at £61. Medical cover is £10 million (£95 excess) but cancellation and baggage cover is more generous at £3,000 and £2,500 respectively – with the excess £70 in each case.
Families taking more than one holiday a year should think about an annual policy that includes skiing, but check you won’t exceed its winter sports limit as this can cover just ten days’ skiing.
Travel Insurance’s annual plan is about £5 more than its twoweek policy while Asda has a 12month policy for about £57. If skiing in the US or Canada, you will need a worldwide travel policy and premiums will be higher.
The Ski Club of Great Britain, an association for ski enthusiasts, recently introduced annual policies that include off-piste skiing and cover adults up to the age of 75. Its single-trip policies can cover those up to 85. It also offers a ‘FOGG’ medi-card, which piste rescue teams recognise at many European resorts. If you show the card you should not be asked to pay upfront for rescue.
TIME YOUR TRAVEL
TRAVEL outside the peak dates of Christmas, Easter and February half-term and you can bag a ski holiday bargain. Some of the best value periods are in the weeks leading up to Christmas, all of January apart from New Year, and early March.
BARGAIN DESTINATIONS
WINTER sports trips are expen- sive but the strong pound has given a boost to enthusiasts heading to Europe this winter. Travel money specialists No.1 Currency has just compared the cost of skiing in key resorts – covering the price of ski and boot hire, lift passes, ski lessons and extras such as lunch and coffee.
Bansko in Bulgaria came top in terms of value, followed by La Thuile in Italy, Les Deux Alpes in France and Kitzbuhel, Austria.
The strong Swiss franc means Switzerland is pricier this winter. A coffee on the slopes at its Saas Fee resort will cost £3 – four times that served up at La Thuile.
UP AND COMING RESORTS
IF KLOSTERS and St Moritz are off-piste in terms of budget, look to lesser known but increasingly well equipped resorts.
According to Frank McCusker, chief executive of the Ski Club, up and coming places include the Austrian areas of Mellau-Damuls (which enjoys nearly ten metres of snow each winter) and Silvretta Montafon (with plenty of powder and slopes over 2,000 metres).
He adds: ‘The new ski resort on the block is Jasna, Slovakia. Vast sums have been spent in the past five years upgrading its lift system and linking the two halves of its central mountain Chopok. A day ski pass is €38 (£27) and a beer costs just one euro (70p).’