Travel insurance is often at the bottom of people's lists when planning a holiday, but it is one of the most important considerations when travelling abroad. If you are travelling with a tour operator then travel insurance is often offered as an option, however you may well be able to save money, or get better cover, if you buy your own insurance separately. If you are going to use the tour operator's policy, read the small print first and ensure it gives you the level of cover you need (e.g. is there off-piste cover if you are an advanced skier, are hire skis covered if stolen etc.) If you are making your own travel and accommodation arrangements then you definitely need to get your own travel insurance. Remember that Andorra is not an EU member, so the E111 or EHIC card does not work here.
Obviously nobody wants to get injured, and serious injuries on the piste are fortunately rare. However even a minor injury can be expensive if you are not covered. You may need to be brought of the mountain if a sprained ankle or knee prevents you skiing down, and even if you are fine the following day there will still be a charge for the rescue. If you are unfortunate enough to need hospital treatment - whether or not it is related to skiing - the bills can mount up rapidly. The piece of mind of knowing you are covered is well worth the money, and in my opinion the cover for theft, delays, lost baggage and so on is simply an added bonus. Rescue and medical cover are the essentials, and as mentioned before it is always a good idea to read the small print and make sure the cover is sufficient for your needs.
We were planning to put together a table of various insurers with costs for various levels of cover. However we came across a handy website which asks your requirements and then presents quotes from a number of companies, similar to the car insurance comparison websites advertised on television. The site is Whichpolicy.co.uk and it offers various types of travel insurance including winter sports and annual policies. If you are planning a summer holiday as well as a ski trip it may well work out cheaper overall to buy an annual multi-trip policy which includes winter sports, rather than a separate policy for each holiday.
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