Europe is a great destination for adventure enthusiasts and sports lovers alike. Europe is home to various sports and adventure opportunities, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, water sports, and others.
Engaging in these activities carries inherent risks, which makes travel insurance a crucial component of your trip planning.
Whether you are an experienced adventurer or a passionate sports enthusiast eager to explore all kinds of different sporting destinations and activities, it is important to ensure that you have the right travel insurance coverage to safeguard your experiences. Usually, standard travel insurance might not be sufficient. Therefore, you might want to consider travel medical insurance for sports, winter sports, and adventure activities.
What Is Travel Insurance for Sports, Winter Sports and Adventure Activities?
If you are going on a trip, or better yet, on a slope adventure, it is unlikely that standard travel insurance will cover all risks that come with sports.
Travel Insurance for Sports, Winter Sports and Adventure Activities is specifically designed to cover your adventures.
If you are participating in high-risk activities, such as extreme sports or motorized activities, you will require additional coverage or specialized policies.
What Activities Are Considered ‘Adventure Activities’?
The following is a list of some examples of activities most commonly considered adventure activities:
- Skydiving
- Rappelling
- Parasailing
- Ziplining
- Caving
- Extreme Biking
- Bridge Climbing
- Swimming with Sharks
- ATV Driving
- Exotic Car Driving and Racing
- Paragliding
- Glacier Climbing
- Rafting
- Rock Climbing
- Dog Sledding
- Sandboarding
- Hang Gliding
- Exploring the Great Outdoors
- Bungee Jumping
- Sky Swinging
- Kayaking and Canoeing
- Deep Sea Fishing
- Hiking
- Skiing
What Activities Are Included in Travel Insurance Plans?
Different travel insurance policies cover different sports activities. Sports and activities are typically automatically covered by the majority of travel medical insurance policies, however, what is covered under one policy may be specifically excluded from another.
Travellers should check for exclusions if they intend to participate in particular sports or activities for this reason. In many circumstances, you can choose to buy an adventure pack or winter sports add-on if an activity isn’t covered. However, policies will usually cover activities such as the following:
- General Sports
- Mountain sports
- Winter Sports
- Bike Sports
- Backpacking
- Abseiling
- Cross-country langlauf skiing
- Cycle touring (tarmac roads)
- Beach Holidays
- Adventure races
- Dog sledging
- Safari
- Ski touring
- City breaks
- Bouldering
- Scambling
- Zip Lining
- Via Ferrata
- Fell running
- Ice climbing
- Snowboarding
- Mountaineering
- Snowmobiling
- Ski racing
- Orienteering
- Telemark skiing
- Ultra marathons
- Pot Holing and Caving
- Tobogganing
- Bungee Jumping
- Guiding and instructing
- Camel desert safaris
- Big wall climbing
- Heli-skiing and snowcat skiing
- Deep water soloing
- Ski-biking and ski bobbing
- Fat biking on snow/ski trails
- Obstacle racing
- Mountain marathons
- Ski mountaineering
- Hillwalking in summer conditions
- Yoga, Meditation and Art retreats
- Guiding or instructing
- Motorcycle touring
- Glacial crossing/trekking
- Ski Instructor training courses
- Iron man amateur events
- Fishing (fly/coarse/beach/pier)
- Guiding and instructing
- Alpine mountaineering up to 5000 meters
- Cycle touring – amateur event road racing
- Cycle touring (high altitude alpine passes tarmac roads)
- Cycle touring (off-road tracks or gravel roads)
- Pipe and park freestyle skiing and snowboarding
- Cycle touring (long-distance endurance events)
- Cheerleader amateur competitions
- Skiing – on and off-piste with or without a guide
- Dance holidays and competitions (not involving gymnastics)
- Dance holidays and competitions (involving gymnastics)
- Mountain biking – cross country (forest, paths, tracks, etc.)
- Fishing (sea fishing within coastal waters 12 miles from shore)
- Mountain biking – trail riding (including lift-accessed ski runs)
- Hill walking or snowshoeing in winter conditions
- Mountain biking on high altitude trails (for example, Alpine or Himalayan destinations over 3000m)
- Non-contact miscellaneous sports
- Mountain biking amateur competitive events (cross country and trail riding only)
- Non-manual voluntary or charity work
- Mountain biking – all mountain, downhill, enduro, freeride, and dirt jumping
- Snowshoeing on marked resort trails
- Triathlon amateur events (road races)
- Running races, including amateur marathons
- Multi-pitch rock climbing
- Split boarding – backcountry touring
- Triathlon amateur events (off-road races)
What Does Travel Insurance for Sports Cover?
On top of providing protection for different situations that standard travel insurance normally covers, such as baggage delay or loss, trip cancellation and others, travel insurance for sport and other related activities covers:
- Coverage for the cost of lost, stolen, or damaged equipment. It provides reimbursement for replacement or repair expenses.
- Protecting against personal liability. It offers coverage for damages or injuries you may unintentionally cause to others or their property.
- Option to cover the cost of renting equipment if your own gear is lost, stolen, or damaged during your trip.
- Reimbursement for the replacement of a lost or stolen ski pass, allowing you to continue enjoying the slopes without additional expenses.
- Compensation in the event of piste closures due to unforeseen circumstances, ensuring you are reimbursed for any unused ski days.
- Coverage for transportation and accommodation costs resulting from being caught in an avalanche, including necessary medical expenses.
- Comprehensive coverage for medical costs incurred during your trip, including emergency treatment, hospitalization, and doctor’s fees.
- Provision for repatriation, ensuring that if you suffer a severe injury or illness, you will be transported back to your home country for further medical treatment or recovery.
How Much Does It Cost?
Medical insurance for sports and other related activities, similar to regular travel insurance, is available in different forms, such as single-trip coverage or annual/multi-trip policies. The average price for a single-trip sports insurance policy, excluding any pre-existing medical conditions, was approximately 30-40 EUR. However, the exact cost varies widely.
It is advised to collect quotations from many insurance companies and to give them precise information about your vacation, including the sports or activities you intend to take part in, in order to receive an appropriate cost for your particular situation. This will enable you to compare costs and available coverage options to get the best policy for your requirements and price range.
Are There Any Specific Sports or Adventure Activities That Are Commonly Excluded From Standard Travel Insurance Policies?
Engaging in activities that require specific licenses or certifications, for example, scuba diving without proper certification, is often excluded and not allowed. The following is a list of activities that are ‘sometimes’ covered but require vigilance:
- Abseiling and Rock Climbing. For instance, if you need to use ropes or climbing gear, you can end up exposed and without protection. When using ropes or other mountaineering equipment, the majority of insurers do not provide coverage for mountaineering or rock climbing. Additionally, climbing is frequently prohibited above 6,000 meters in altitude.
- Archery. You might be covered for shooting arrows at a target, but be cautious, as your insurance policy may not cover reckless aim.
- Cycling. Bicycles themselves are usually not covered for theft or damage. Therefore, you might want to check this in the insurance policy.
- Sailing. Coverage for boating and sailing can vary significantly among insurance providers. Some policies have specific exclusions, such as sailing in areas with limited services.
- Snowboarding and skiing. Coverage might not apply if you engage in reckless behavior, stunts, or off-piste skiing.
- Scuba diving. Restrictions may apply, e.g., depth restrictions.
- Riding a motorbike. Riding a motorcycle with an engine capacity of over 200cc without a helmet or a valid license might not be covered.
Activities that insurance providers typically do NOT cover include the following:
- BASE or Cliff Jumping. Engaging in high-risk activities such as cliff jumping or balcony hopping, where you intentionally put your life in danger, is generally not covered by travel insurance. This is because base jumping is considered one of the most dangerous extreme sports, and it carries significantly higher risks compared to other forms of parachuting.
- Professional Sports. Standard travel insurance policies usually exclude coverage for activities, including participation in races or professional sports. Therefore, if you are competing or participating professionally, insurance may not provide the necessary protection that you may need.
- Motorsport and Racing. Participating in motorsport activities, such as renting a sports car on holidays, is usually not covered by travel insurance. It is recommended that you check with the rental company for insurance options specific to the vehicle that you will be renting.
- Running with the Bulls. The dangerous practice of running with the bulls poses substantial risks, and injuries are common. Due to the high level of danger involved, travel insurers generally exclude coverage for this activity.
- Shooting. Engaging in sports that involve the use of guns, like clay pigeon shooting, is often not covered by travel insurance. Additional coverage may be available in some cases through specialized policies.
- Expeditions to Inaccessible, Remote, or Unexplored Places. If you are planning to visit previously unexplored or inaccessible areas, you may have a difficult time finding travel insurance. There are no travel insurers that offer coverage for expeditions to such areas.
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