Photo © Meghan Pinsonnault/Stocksy

Travel Insurance for Skiing and Snowboarding

World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance for winter sports. Buy at home or while travelling and claim online from anywhere in the world.

    As featured in:

  • As featured in:

Fresh tracks and bluebird days make for epic ski trips, yet accidents can happen no matter your level of experience. If you’re just learning to snowboard or you’re a ski bum chasing winter, World Nomads travel insurance may be able to help you and your family when the unexpected hits your next winter sports adventure.

What does ski and snowboard travel insurance cover?

As passionate ski bums, we’ve designed our plans to cover the style of skiing and snowboarding our Nomads love the most:

  • Skiing and snowboarding at resorts around the world, including within resort terrain parks
  • Cross country skiing on marked trails
  • Skiing (by helicopter/snow cat)
  • Snowboarding (by helicopter/snow cat)
  • Snowmobiling (on land), ice skating, snow rafting, and more

When you buy your policy, you’ll need to list all the activities you plan to do on your trip. Our policies are divided into three levels with different coverages and premiums associated with each one. Skiing and snowboarding fall into Level 2 or 3. In addition to your time on the slopes, we can also offer coverage for more than 250 other activities, like sledding, surfing, hiking and more.

Please contact us if you have any questions around coverage for any activities you plan to do. 

Why should I consider travel insurance for skiing and snowboarding?

Thousands of sports enthusiasts tackle the slopes every season, usually without any major incident. But adventure sports can be risky, especially when frosty temperatures and spine-rattling runs are part of the picture. Add the fact that ski trips can be really expensive between renting gear, buying lift tickets and booking a plane ticket. The cost can easily run into the thousands of dollars just for one day on the mountain. That expense is worth protecting!

If your next vacation includes skiing or snowboarding, you could find yourself needing help for everything ranging from delayed flights due to a snowstorm, to damaged equipment to emergency evacuation.

Here are a few scenarios where travel insurance for skiing and snowboarding could be a real asset. Just remember these are example scenarios only and you will need to read your policy for exact details. All claims require documentation and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Accidents on the Slopes

Whether you’re in fresh powder or on the bunny hill, navigating steep (and even not so steep) terrain can be tricky. It only takes one bad fall or collision to end up with a broken ankle, a dislocated shoulder, or a wrist fracture. Emergency medical bills can be just as painful as a crash. This is where travel insurance can soften the blow. 

Emergency Help

When you get hurt on a mountain, getting transportation to a hospital can be critical. Our ski and snowboard travel insurance plans cover ambulance service to transport you to the hospital. Our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team can help you every step of the way, too. If your treating physician recommends you return to your home province because of your medical condition, you may be eligible for reimbursement under your World Nomads travel insurance for your airfare or, when medically necessary, medical air evacuation to your home province.

Be sure to contact our emergency assistance team before seeking medical treatment, evacuation or repatriation. Our emergency assistance coordination team can provide guidance, and in some cases, be able to arrange direct payment to providers.

Damaged or stolen ski or snowboard equipment 

If your skis or snowboard have been lost or damaged by your common carrier, or stolen after your arrival, you could get reimbursed for the current value (which factors in depreciation) of your equipment.

If your bags are delayed for 12 hours or more in transit to your destination, your plan may also cover  the cost of rental equipment for your use while you’re waiting for a resolution from your carrier. Note that damage to sporting equipment while in use is not covered. 

Weather Delays

Snowstorms are great for the mountains, but not so good for your flights. If your regularly scheduled common carrier is delayed for three hours or is cancelled due to inclement weather, you may be eligible for coverage for trip interruption as part of your ski and snowboard travel insurance plan. This means you may receive reimbursement for your non-refundable, prepaid and unused expenses for ski tickets, accommodations, etc.. if you can’t make it to your winter wonderland.

You wouldn’t forget to pack your ski jacket and gloves – so why would you leave home without travel insurance? 

What's not covered in ski and snowboard travel insurance?  

Travel insurance isn’t designed to cover everything. Here are a few of our exclusions:

  • Participation in a race or competition as a professional athlete
  • Search and rescue costs
  • Sporting equipment damaged while in use
  • Delayed baggage and sporting equipment on the way home from your trip.

Get a travel insurance quote

Ready to hit the slopes? When you get a quote you can compare our Standard and Explorer plans and decide which one might best suit your needs. If you have any questions, get in touch and we can help you decide which travel insurance is best for your next winter sport adventure. Coverage is available for international trips or for domestic trips outside of your home province. 

This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms and conditions of the policy. It is important you read and understand your policy as it contains benefits, conditions, exclusions and pre-existing condition exclusions. If you do not understand your coverage, or if you have questions, just ask us.

Cross Country Crash Course

FAQ

Here are our most frequently asked questions about overseas medical insurance. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team.

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Cancellation

Protect your hard earned vacation from unexpected cancellation.

  • Explorer Plan: $5,000
  • Standard Plan: $2,500
Trip Protection
  • Unexpectedly hospitalized?
  • Ski buddy unfit to travel?
  • Close relative suddenly dies?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Insurance

Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.

  • Explorer Plan: $10 million
  • Standard Plan: $5 million
Emergency Medical Insurance
  • Slipped on ice?
  • Tore your ACL or MCL?
  • Popped a shoulder?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation

We’ll get you to hospital or home quickly.

  • Explorer Plan: $500,000
  • Standard Plan: $500,000
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation
  • Road or air ambulance?
  • Flight assistance?
  • Medivac needed home?

Help starts here.

Protect your gear

Covers the theft, damage or delay of your bags, tech and sports gear.

  • Explorer Plan: $3,000
  • Standard Plan: $1,000
Protect your gear
  • GoPro stolen?
  • Bags lost in transit?
  • Luggage delayed?

Help starts here.

  • Emergency Medical Expenses
  • Emergency Dental for Injury or Sickness
  • Bedside Companion Travel and Subsistence
  • Emergency Professional Services
  • Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation
  • Return of Travel Companion/Dependent Children
  • Return to Your Trip Destination
  • Return of Remains
  • Travel Accident
  • Flight Accident
  • Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Trip Delay
  • Baggage and Personal Effects Theft or Damage
  • Baggage and Sporting Equipment Delay
  • Travel Documents Theft or Damage
  • Sporting Equipment Theft or Loss by a Common Carrier
  • Covered Adventure Sports listed in Policy
Assistance Services Included
  • LiveTravelTM Emergency Assistance
  • Worldwide Travel Assistance
  • Adventure Travel Hotline
  • 24/7 Security
  • Travel Medical Assistance
  • Bag Trak
This is a general summary for Canadian residents only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the travel insurance plans described. Coverage may not be available for residents of all provinces. Check the Travel Insurance Policy for full details.

24/7 emergency assistance

Whether you need medical or dental assistance or advice, emergency evacuation or travel assistance, our team are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.

Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?

Telephone +1 866 878 0192 (toll-free from Canada and the Continental U.S.) or +1 416 646 3723 (collect from anywhere else in the world)

Contact the team