Equipment cover

• Is my equipment covered if left unattended outside a restaurant or bar?

  • We ask that you take reasonable care of your equipment (whether it’s owned by you or hired) which includes making sure it’s supervised and not left unattended.  Making use of ski racks outside resort bars and cafes is convenient, but items are left there at your own risk.

• How much is my ski equipment covered for?

  • 	Bronze policies	Silver policies	Gold policies
    Equipment owned by you	£400	£500	£1,000
    Single item limit	£250	£300	£500
    Excess (per person)	£150	£75	£50
    Hired equipment	£150	£200	£300

    Note that owned winter sports equipment is not covered on a new for old basis and depreciation for older equipment is taken into account. We’re also unable to cover equipment that’s damaged whilst it’s in use. You can include an excess waiver with your policy for an extra cost.

• What happens if the airline loses my ski equipment?

  • If your kit is lost, stolen or damaged in transit you will need to notify the airline right away and obtain a Property Irregularity Report.  If you aren’t able to arrange one while you are at the airport, we ask you to obtain one within 7 days.

    Keep all receipts for any equipment you have needed to hire to replace these temporarily whilst on your trip.

    When you are back in the UK, contact our Claims team here to make a claim for the loss of your equipment and for hiring the replacement items.

• If my kit’s been damaged, can Columbus help with the cost of hiring replacements?

  • Yes – You’re covered to hire replacements if your equipment is lost, stolen or damaged, or if it is delayed in transit by more than 12 hours on your outward journey from the UK. 

    This is paid on a reimbursement basis once you are back in the UK. Please keep the rental receipts for the items you hire, and notify the police of any loss, burglary or theft within 48 hours – you’ll need to obtain a written police report.  If the damage or loss occurred in transit, you will need to obtain a written carriers report within 7 days of the event (airlines call this a Property Irregularity Report).  Then call our claims team once you are back in the UK

Off piste

• Am I covered for off piste and without a guide?

  • You’ll be covered for skiing and snowboarding both on and off piste provided you stay within resort boundaries. You don’t need to be accompanied by a guide.

Skiing injuries

• Am I covered for an airlift from the slopes if I am injured?

  • If you need to be airlifted off the mountainside to receive emergency medical treatment, we’ll cover the cost.

• Am I covered if I injure someone whilst skiing?

  • Our policies include personal liability cover and, if you have included winter sports cover on your policy, this includes protection in the event you cause an accidental injury to someone on the slopes.  Terms and conditions apply – for example, you wouldn’t be covered if it’s a member of your family who is taking action against you, or if the accident came about because of racing of any kind. If you’d like to know more, please check our policy wording under Section 13: Personal Liability, which is available here

• I’m on a ski trip and have suffered an injury – what am I covered for?

  • Firstly, if you haven’t already done so please call our Emergency Medical Assistance number on 020 8865 1640 and have your policy documentation to hand.  Our multi-lingual team are open 24 hours a day and can help you locate treatment providers and liaise with medical staff. 

    We provide cover for emergency medical treatment, including repatriation back to the UK if medically necessary.  If you were airlifted off the mountainside to receive treatment, this cost would be covered as well.

    If the medical costs are under £500 and you have paid the medical bills yourself, please keep all medical receipts, medical reports and your holiday booking invoices, then call our claims team on 020 8865 1654 once you are back in the UK.  If you have all of these documents to hand when you call, claims up to £350 (after any excess that applies) can be settled right away over the phone.  We’ll send you a claims form to complete for claims of higher value.

    If you’re unable to ski or snowboard following your injury, you may also be able to claim for the unused portion of your lift pass, hired ski equipment costs and ski school fees.  Again, please keep all receipts and proof of costs.

    If you cut your trip short due to an insured injury, you may also be able to claim under the Curtailment section of your policy for any unrecoverable transport and accommodation costs.

• I need physio after my ski injury – can Columbus help?

  • Yes, we will cover the cost of physiotherapy once you are back in the UK for injuries that are the result of an insured accident.

Why do I need a winter policy?

• Why do I need a winter sports policy?

  • If you’re planning to take part in any winter sports on your trip, you’ll need extra cover to insure you whilst you’re participating in winter sports activities. This extends the policy to cover you whilst you’re skiing or snowboarding – including emergency medical expenses cover if you suffer an injury. It also includes useful extras, like cover for your skiing or snowboarding kit (whether it’s owned or hired), piste closure cover and more

• When should I purchase my ski policy?

  • If you want cover for a single trip, cancellation cover starts as soon as you buy your policy – so if you’ve already put a deposit on your ski holiday or paid for your flights or hotel, it makes sense to sort your travel insurance out right away. 

    If you’re considering an Annual Multi-Trip policy to cover all your travel this year, then cancellation cover starts from the start date on your policy.  So if you’ve paid for your trip, enter the policy start date as today to make sure your holiday is protected. 

    Don’t forget, there’s a 14 day cooling off period from the date of receiving your policy documentation – during which you can receive a full refund, provided you haven’t already travelled.

What if I have already the European Health Insurance Card?

• Does my EHIC cover me for winter sports in Europe?

  • The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) currently allows UK residents to be treated in EU countries as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, on the same terms as citizens of the country they are visiting.  It doesn’t cover the cost of repatriating you back to the UK airlifts off the mountainside. 

    Not all countries included in the EHIC agreement have totally free healthcare, so the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have always advised that the EHIC in no way replaces your travel insurance policy but it can help to reduce your costs.  We will remove the excess payable on any medical claim where an EHIC has been used.

Who is eligible for a winter policy?

• Who is eligible for winter sports travel insurance?

  • Residents of the UK aged up to 85 can be insured on a single trip basis.  The maximum age for Annual Multi-Trip cover is 75. 

    You must have been a UK resident for at least 3 months and be purchasing cover whilst still in the UK (i.e. if you have already departed on your trip, you would not be able to purchase valid cover).

• What’s the maximum age Columbus Direct cover for skiing?

  • We believe age should be no barrier to adventure so our maximum age for Winter Sports cover is just the same as all of our other policies - 85.  Annual Multi-Trip policies are available up to age 75.

What is included?

• What will I be covered for?

  • Adding Winter Sports cover to you policy means you’ll be covered up to the limit specified on your policy for emergency medical expenses whilst skiing or snowboarding – that’s up to £15 million with our Gold cover to cover your treatment and repatriation back to the UK if needed. You’ll be covered to ski or snowboard both on and off-piste within resort boundaries.  You’ll also be insured to take part in over 20 other fun winter activities – such as skidooing*, cross country skiing, snow zorbing and more.

    We know ski injuries are not easy to recover from, so we’ve included physiotherapy expenses if you need to see a physio back in the UK.

    Your equipment will be covered for loss, damage or theft – including both any you own or any you have hired. Your costs are covered if the pistes close, and if you’re ill and can’t ski, we’ll reimburse costs you’ve paid for your lift pass, kit hire and any snow school fees. 

    * No cover for Personal Liability or Personal Accident whilst participating in skidooing. This does not affect your cover for emergency medical expenses.

• What winter sports are covered on my policy?

  • Where the appropriate additional premium has been paid for winter sports cover you will be covered for skiing and snowboarding as well as the following winter sports activities.

    • Air boarding
    • Big foot skiing
    • Cross country skiing (recognised paths)
    • Dry slope skiing/snowboarding
    • Glacier skiing/walking
    • Ice cricket *
    • Ice windsurfing *
    • Kick sledging
    • Langlauf
    • Mono-skiing
    • Nordic skiing (recognised paths)
    • Off-piste skiing/snowboarding (within resort boundaries)
    • Ski randonnee
    • Ski run walking
    • Ski skimming
    • Ski touring
    • Skidooing ‡*
    • Sledging
    • Snow blading
    • Snow shoeing
    • Snow tubing
    • Snow zorbing
    • Snowcat skiing (with a professional guide)
    • Snowmobiling ‡*
    • Tobogganing

     

    ‡ no cover for Personal Accident
    * no cover for Personal Liability

• What’s the small print – is anything excluded?

  • As with all insurance policies, there are terms and conditions associated with your cover. The full details of your policy are provided in our Policy Wording booklet, which can be viewed here. As well as listing what’s covered and what’s not, it will advise you what to do if you need to make a claim. For example, if your ski equipment is lost or stolen, it’s important to report it to the police within 48 hours and obtain a police report. So it’s worth referring to the policy wording before making a claim.

Pistes closed and lifts out of order

• The pistes are closed and we can’t ski – can we get our money back?

  • Yes, if pistes in your resort are closed due to a lack of snow or adverse weather conditions, reimbursement is up to £20 a day on Gold policies – up to a maximum of £400.

• The lifts are out of order so we can’t ski today, can I make a claim?

  • If the lifts aren’t running, it is the responsibility of the resort company to provide you with reimbursement for any unused lift passes.

Upgrading your winter policy

• Can I add extra cover to my winter sports policy

  • You can change your level of cover at any point up until you travel – so if Bronze cover doesn’t offer you enough cover for ski equipment, you might want to consider a Silver or Gold policy. 

    Add Search and Rescue and be covered in the event a search team needs to be sent out to retrieve you due to injury, adverse weather or safety conditions.

    Please note that Search and Rescue cover is available to include with our Single Trip policies online for a small additional fee.  If you would like to include it on your Annual Multi-Trip policy, please call us on 0800 068 0060.

    You can also increase the number of Winter Sports days included with your Annual Multi-Trip policy up to 17 days if you speak to a member of our team over the phone.

    You can choose from a range of useful policy options to make sure you have a policy that’s right for you – including gadget cover to insure your phone, tablet and laptop, cover for golf, cruises and volcanic ash cloud cover.  

    Call us on 0800 068 0060 and a member of our customer service team will be happy to help you update your policy (open 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri).

Cover to see Northern Lights and Lapland

• Do I need winter sports cover for a trip to see the Northern Lights?

  • If you’re taking a trip to Finland, Norway, Iceland or further afield to see the northern lights, making sure you have winter sports cover on your policy is a good idea – so you can take full advantage of all the activities this type of holiday has to offer.  Not just for downhill skiing and snowboarding, our winter sports cover will insure you for cross country skiing, snowmobiling* and glacier walks, as well as over 20 other activities. 

    We also cover over 150 activities free of charge (no need to add extra winter sports cover) and some of them are activities you might be able to do while you’re waiting for the aurora borealis to make an appearance – such as husky and reindeer sledging, whale watching or taking a dip in thermal springs. Take a look at our policy wording for the full list. 

    * No cover for Personal Liability or Personal Accident whilst participating

• Do we need winter sports cover for visiting Santa in Lapland?

  • It’s not needed unless you’re planning to take part in any sports or activities whilst you are there. We cover over 150 sports and activities of charge so your policy will already include cover for reindeer slight rides and husky sledding free of charge. However, if you’re planning to do anything more adventurous, such as a snowmobile ride* or if the kids are tobogganing, then add our Winter Sports option to your policy to make sure you are covered for it.

    * No cover for Personal Liability or Personal Accident whilst participating

Skiing travel tips

• Where can I find travel tips for skiing and snowboarding?

  • A good place to start is the International Ski Federation’s FIS Rules of Conduct, which help everyone to stay safe on the slopes. They apply to everyone who uses the pistes, regardless of whether you are a skier or snowboarder.

    With over 30 year’s experience insuring ski holidays, Columbus Direct also have wealth of experience in this area -so follow up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for tips and travel news throughout the ski season, or take a look at our blog for ski and snowboarding stories.

Annual Winter Sport Policy

• Can I buy an annual winter sports policy?

  • Winter Sports cover can be added on to any of our Annual Multi-Trip policies and offers you 17 days cover for winter sports over the course of the year. It also covers your other trips up to a maximum duration of 60 days per trip.  Choose from Bronze, Silver or Gold cover, and a range of useful add ons including cover for your gadgets and an adventure pack which covers exciting activities for warmer climes – like kite surfing (although all our policies cover 150 sports and activities as standard, free of charge).

What if I already have a travel insurance?

• I already have travel insurance with Columbus, can I add winter sports to my policy?

  • Yes, give us a call before you’re due to depart on your ski trip and we’ll be able to provide you with a quote to add winter sports and sort it out over the phone.  Our Customer Services team are happy to help - call 0800 068 0060 (open 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri)