Ski travel insurance confusion?

A reader from London is planning on skiing, but wants to make sure he gets the right cover so he is protected against any mishaps.

Our team of experts at insurance company LV= offers a helping hand.

Alistair from London asks:

I'm going skiing in France in a couple of weeks and I'm looking into travel insurance.

There seem to be a lot of different policies that offer lots of different perks, and for varying prices.

What are the most important things to look for and are there any major differences between the cheapest and most expensive policies?

The team at LV= responds:

There are a huge number of travel insurance policies on the market with varying levels of cover.

For most people two of the most important elements to check for are medical cover if you are hurt and your possessions are covered if they are lost or stolen.

You should also check you are happy with the cost of the excess as you will need to pay this if you have to make a claim.

One of the key elements particularly important to you is to ensure that the policy you buy includes winter sports cover. Many policies don’t include this as standard so if you were injured or the airline lost you skis you could find yourself without cover.

If you have any medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or asthma, you should take out a policy that provides cover for it so that if you do fall ill you would have cover. Only certain insurers provide this cover, including LV=, but you will need to shop around.

As when buying any financial product, its worthwhile checking the company you are buying from is reputable.

Depending on how many holidays you take a year it also might be worth taking out an annual policy rather than a one off, as this will cover you for all the holidays you take in a 12 month period.

If you have a question for LV=, go to the myfinances.co.uk Ask the Expert section.

For more information on the issues discussed here, go to LV=.

Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the Association of British Insurers (ABI).