Sports Travel Insurance for Skiing

Key Takeaways

Ski travel insurance costs $43 to $178 for a week-long international trip with $2,500 in trip costs, with sports-specific plans offering dedicated equipment coverage up to $5,000.

Plans cover weather-related trip cancellations, including resort closures due to avalanche conditions or insufficient snowfall, lost or stolen ski equipment, and emergency medical treatment for slope injuries.

Purchase within 10 to 21 days of your initial trip deposit to get pre-existing condition coverage for knee, ankle, or joint conditions that could affect your ski trip.

What Is Ski Travel Insurance?

Ski travel insurance covers trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and equipment issues on ski trips. Standard plans cover recreational skiing at established resorts, while sports-specific plans add dedicated equipment coverage and higher medical limits.

Ski coverage includes mountain-specific scenarios like resort shutdowns, equipment rental after baggage delays, and helicopter rescue from remote slopes. Plans range from basic protection ($43) for essential medical care to comprehensive coverage ($178) with higher evacuation limits and dedicated equipment coverage.

Best Ski Travel Insurance Companies and Plans

We evaluated sports-specific and standard plans with winter sports coverage based on equipment protection, medical limits, evacuation benefits, and trip cancellation coverage.


1	Tin Leg	Adventure	92	95	98	90	85
2	BHTP	AdrenalineCare	89	90	92	95	82
3	IMglobal	Travel Sport	88	98	95	85	75
4	Travelex	Ultimate	85	88	85	88	90
5	Tin Leg	Basic	78	70	75	90	95

All pricing based on a 7-day Austria ski trip with $2,500 in trip costs for a 30-year-old traveler, purchased November for February travel dates.

Top Pick for Equipment Coverage

Tin Leg

Price: $106

Tin Leg's Adventure Plan offers $1,000 in sports equipment loss coverage and $500 for equipment delays over 6 hours. You'll get $100,000 in emergency medical coverage, $1,000,000 in medical evacuation, and 100% trip cancellation coverage if avalanche conditions or severe weather forces resort closures.

Best for: Travelers with expensive ski equipment who need comprehensive gear protection.

Best Value for Medical Coverage

BHTP

Price: $124

BHTP's AdrenalineCare covers skiing and adventure activities with $50,000 in emergency medical coverage and $750,000 in medical evacuation. The plan pays $500 if sporting equipment is delayed more than 6 hours and extends trip interruption coverage to 150% of your trip cost.

Best for: Skiers who want adventure sports coverage at a mid-range price.

Most Comprehensive Coverage

IMG

Price: $178

IMglobal's Travel Sport provides $250,000 in emergency medical coverage and $100,000 in medical evacuation, plus $5,000 in hazardous sports coverage. Sports equipment rental coverage reaches $5,000 if gear is lost, and you'll receive $3,000 in baggage coverage with trip delay coverage up to $250 per day (max $5,000).

Best for: Skiers traveling to remote mountain locations who want maximum medical coverage.

Strong Alternative

Travelex

Price: $92

Travelex's Ultimate Plan includes winter sports with $2,500 in baggage coverage, $200,000 in emergency medical coverage, and $150,000 in evacuation coverage. The plan covers sporting equipment rental up to $2,000 and provides $1,500 if equipment is delayed.

Best for: Budget-conscious skiers who want solid coverage without a specialty sports plan.

Budget Option

Tin Leg

Price: $43

Tin Leg's Basic Plan covers winter sports with $25,000 in emergency medical coverage and $100,000 in medical evacuation. Equipment coverage: $500 total ($250 per item). Trip cancellation covers 100% of prepaid costs for covered reasons.

Best for: Skiers with minimal equipment who want basic protection at the lowest cost.

What Ski Travel Insurance Covers


Equipment Loss	Skis, boots, bindings, poles, clothing lost or damaged during trip. Per-item limits: $250-$500.	$500-$2,500 (in baggage)	$1,000-$5,000 (dedicated)
Equipment Delay	Rental gear reimbursement after 6-12 hour delays. Save receipts.	$200-$500	$500-$1,500
Trip Cancellation	Lift tickets, lessons, lodging, flights if resort closes due to avalanche, weather, or insufficient snow. Resort must be officially closed.	100% of trip cost	100% of trip cost
Emergency Medical	ER visits, surgery, hospital stays, X-rays, prescriptions for broken bones, concussions, ACL tears.	$25,000-$150,000	$50,000-$250,000
Medical Evacuation	Helicopter rescue, ambulance transport, repatriation to U.S. Some plans include search and rescue ($5,000-$50,000).	$100,000-$500,000	$250,000-$1,000,000
Trip Interruption	Unused expenses plus change fees if you return home early due to injury or emergency.	125-150% of trip cost	150% of trip cost
Trip Delay	Meals, lodging, transportation after 5-12 hour delays due to weather or mechanical issues.	$100-$250 per day	$150-$250 per day

How Much Ski Travel Insurance Costs

Ski travel insurance costs $43 to $178 for a 7-day international trip with $2,500 in trip costs for a 30-year-old traveler. Sports-specific plans cost $106 to $178, while standard plans with winter sports coverage range from $43 to $124. Premium prices increase with trip cost, trip length, traveler age, and coverage level.


Tin Leg	Basic	$43	$500	$25,000	$100,000
Travelex	Essential	$62	$750	$150,000	$200,000
BHTP	ExactCare Value	$69	$500	$100,000	$250,000
AXA	Silver	$74	$1,500	$150,000	$250,000
Generali	Standard	$73	$1,000	$75,000	$250,000
Travelex	Ultimate	$92	$2,500 + $2,000 rental	$200,000	$150,000
Tin Leg	Adventure	$106	$1,000 + $500 delay	$100,000	$1,000,000
BHTP	AdrenalineCare	$124	Included + $500 delay	$50,000	$750,000
IMglobal	Travel Sport	$178	$3,000 + $5,000 rental	$250,000	$100,000

Note: Pricing based on 7-day trip to Austria, $2,500 trip cost, age 30, purchased August 4 for October 1-7 travel dates.

How to Choose Ski Travel Insurance

Choose ski travel insurance based on your equipment value, medical coverage needs, trip cancellation risk, and pre-existing conditions.

1
Calculate Your Equipment Value
- Under $1,500 in gear: Standard baggage coverage ($500-$2,500) handles basic protection
- $1,500-$3,000: Sports-specific plans offer $1,000-$5,000 dedicated coverage
- Over $3,000: IMglobal Travel Sport and similar specialty plans provide maximum protection
- Renting all equipment: Basic delay coverage ($200-$500) covers rental reimbursement
2
Determine Your Medical Coverage Needs
- European resorts: Minimum $50,000
- Remote mountains: $100,000+
- Backcountry or limited facilities: $250,000+
- Medical evacuation: $250,000+ for remote areas
3
Review Trip Cancellation Protection
- Calculate total non-refundable costs (flights, lodging, lift tickets, lessons, rentals)
- Your plan should cover 100% of these costs
- Confirm weather-related resort closures are included in coverage
- For maximum flexibility, add cancel-for-any-reason coverage within 10-21 days of your deposit
4
Purchase Timing for Pre-Existing Conditions
- Buy within 10-21 days of initial trip deposit to get pre-existing condition waiver
- Covers knee, ankle, hip, back conditions
- Without waiver: no coverage for existing conditions

Ski Travel Insurance: FAQ

Does regular travel insurance cover skiing?

Standard plans cover recreational skiing at established resorts but exclude professional racing, backcountry skiing, heli-skiing, and ski jumping. Plans like Tin Leg and Travelex include recreational skiing in base coverage, while others require sports-specific plans like BHTP AdrenalineCare or IMglobal Travel Sport.

Does ski insurance cover avalanche-related resort closures?

Yes, plans cover trip cancellations when avalanche conditions force official resort closures by management or local authorities. You'll get reimbursed for prepaid, non-refundable costs, including lift tickets, lodging, and lessons, but coverage doesn't apply if the resort stays open and you choose not to ski.

How We Evaluated Ski Travel Insurance

MoneyGeek analyzed travel insurance plans with winter sports coverage to identify the best options for skiers. Our evaluation weighted three factors:

Equipment Protection (40%): Sports equipment coverage limits, per-item maximums, equipment delay reimbursement, and rental coverage. Plans with dedicated sports gear benefits scored higher than general baggage coverage.
Medical and Evacuation Coverage (35%): Emergency medical limits, evacuation benefits, and search-and-rescue coverage. Remote mountain locations require higher coverage, with plans offering $100,000+ in medical care and $250,000+ in evacuation scoring better.
Trip Protection Value (25%): Trip cancellation coverage for weather-related resort closures, trip interruption benefits, and trip delay reimbursement. We prioritized plans covering avalanche conditions and insufficient snowfall specific to ski trips.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research for insurance shoppers. His insights have been featured in CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.

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