A ski week combines travel logistics with higher injury risk and expensive rescue scenarios. Standard travel insurance often treats skiing as an optional add-on — or excludes off-piste and racing entirely. Plan cover before you book the chalet, not at the rental desk.
Prep beyond the policy
- Helmet, properly fitted bindings, and a level that matches your ability.
- Resort map, avalanche bulletin habits if you go near off-piste, and local emergency numbers.
- Travel days: allow buffer for delayed trains/flights into mountain regions.
- Equipment: note whether rented skis/boards need separate liability or damage cover.
Insurance add-ons that usually matter
- Winter sports endorsement — on-piste alpine skiing/snowboarding as a minimum.
- Helicopter / mountain rescue and hospital transfer — confirm it is not capped too low.
- Piste liability — collisions with other skiers happen; personal liability should be adequate.
- Equipment cover for owned or rented gear, including theft from locked storage.
- Search whether off-piste, freestyle parks, or competitions are excluded.
Questions to ask the insurer
Is piste skiing included by default? Does cover stop if you leave marked runs? Are lessons or guiding required for certain activities? What documentation is needed after an accident? Write down the answers — claims teams work from the wording, not from marketing pages.