Ski Insurance: FCO advise do not hit the slopes without it

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued advice to ski and snowboard enthusiasts today, to ensure that they have ski insurance before they travel.

We've reached that time of year again, the ski resorts of Europe and North America are starting to open and many Brits are will soon be heading off for a great time on the ski slopes.

The FCO advice quotes new research which shows that one in five travellers are not taking out ski insurance when they go on a winter sports holiday. This is a big risk because the costs of an accident on the ski slopes can be huge.

The number of uninsured skiers and snowboarders rises to a quarter when you look at just the 15-24 age group.

Every year there are numerous incidents where families are faced with huge medical bills following an accident on the slopes. This is often because people have not taken out ski insurance, or have not read the small print of their ski insurance policy. The costs of an accident on the slopes can be significant - a fractured leg in the United States could land you with a medical bill of up to £40,000. A knee injury in Austria could set you back £8,000. Not getting covered or not training beforehand is just not worth the risk.

Lynda St Cooke from the Foreign Office, said:

“We strongly advise anyone hitting the slopes this winter to take out comprehensive travel insurance and make sure you have an up to date EHIC card. Don't forget to check the small print - most insurance policies will not cover you if you're under the influence of alcohol. If you're unlucky enough to have an accident and you're not covered, you could find yourself thousands of pounds out of pocket.”

Check out these tips for enjoying a safe ski holiday.

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