Sports travel insurance
If you’re planning an active adventure, choosing the right sports travel insurance plan is essential.
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Tesco InsuranceWhat should an adventurous sport travel policy cover?
At a minimum, an adventurous sport travel plan should cover injuries, emergency rescue, trip changes, and damaged or stolen gear.
The specifics of what your plan should include will depend on what you're doing. But whether you’re scaling mountains or speeding round a race track, there are some key essentials to look for.
What's covered
- Emergency medical expenses: This will cover you if you get injured and need medical care as a result of your sport or activity.
- Repatriation: If you need to return to the UK for medical reasons, having repatriation as part of your cover could save you a hefty bill.
- Search and rescue: What it says on the tin. Crucial for more intrepid adventures like mountain climbing or off-piste skiing.
- Cancellation and curtailment: For when things don’t go to plan and your trip doesn't end up going ahead because of an injury.
- Equipment cover: From surfboards to scuba-diving gear, this will cover any gear that gets damaged, lost or stolen while you’re away.
Knowing what won’t be included in your cover is equally important. Even if you opt for a specialist extreme sport travel insurance plan, there are some common exclusions to consider.
For example, if you choose to travel against Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice, you won’t be covered. And the same goes if you have a pre-existing health condition that you don’t disclose to your provider before you travel.
It’s good to be mindful of your possessions while you’re away, as leaving valuable items somewhere that isn’t secure will be seen as negligence and could invalidate your claim. It’s also worth being cautious of excessive drug and alcohol consumption, as this would also affect your travel claim.
Finally, it’s likely that your cover won’t extend to unforeseeable events, such as natural disasters, if they happen during your trip
Why your standard travel insurance won’t cover adventurous sports
While some standard plans cover certain low-risk sports and activities, they’re unlikely to cover medical emergencies, cancellations, or equipment loss tied to higher-risk activities.
In most cases, standard travel insurance policies will exclude high-risk activities and adventurous sports. This is because they increase the chances of you needing to make a claim.
So, if you’re planning a kick about on the beach or a casual game of golf, it’s likely this will already be covered by your standard plan.
However, extreme sports like free solo climbing, which carry a higher risk of injury, are considered hazardous by insurers and are not covered under a standard plan.
Common exclusions
- Winter sports such as off-piste skiing or snowboarding
- Activities in remote or hazardous locations, such as high-altitude trekking
- Competitive sports, including organised competitions, tournaments and trials
- Motorised activities such as jet skiing or motorbiking
- Aerial sports such as skydiving, base jumping or paragliding.
Whatever sports or activities you have planned for your trip, it’s important to be upfront with your insurer about what you’ll be doing. That way, if any accidents or mishaps occur while you’re away, you can be confident your plan will cover you.
What counts as an extreme or hazardous sport?
If it's exciting and physically dangerous, it's most likely an extreme sport.
While the exact classification of sports and activities can vary depending on your insurer, most categorise them into three distinct groups: low, medium and high risk.
Typically, if you’re participating in medium-risk activities, you can simply select a sports or activity add-on when you go to buy your insurance, whereas high-risk activities, such as skydiving, tend to warrant a specialised extreme sports travel insurance plan.
| Category | Insurance needed | Example activities |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk | Often included in standard plan | Snorkelling, golf, casual cycling |
| Medium risk | Typically requires an add-on | Skiing and snowboarding (on-piste), scuba diving (within limits), rock climbing (with ropes) |
| High risk | Requires specialist cover | Free solo climbing, skydiving, competitive racing |
The category your chosen sport or activity falls under can change depending on whether you’re doing it casually or as a professional. For example, a competitor in the Tour de France is going to need a different level of cover to someone who’s cycling for fun.
And for certain sports like scuba diving and trekking, it’s worth checking depth and altitude limits, as these can also vary across providers.
What types of travel insurance cover high-risk activities?
If you’re thinking of doing a high-risk activity that isn’t included in a standard travel insurance plan, you have two main options.
- Purchase an add-on: This is where providers will offer a sports add-on you can bolt onto your standard plan, so that additional sports and activities are covered.
- Buy specialist insurance: This involves searching for a dedicated plan that’s catered to your specific needs. If you’ve got your sights set on high-risk activities, or you're a professional athlete, this is the option for you.
You’ll also want to think about the length of your cover. You can opt for single-trip travel insurance if you’re travelling as a one-off, or you can choose multi-trip or annual plans if you’re planning more regular travel.
How to get the best deal on sports travel insurance
To keep the cost of your insurance as low as possible, it’s important to be specific and only include activities you know you’ll be doing. Adding extra sports or activities increases the premium, hiking up the overall price of your plan.
You’ll also want to add as much information as possible for your insurer, such as personal details, pre-existing medical conditions you may have, and any further travel plans related to your activity.
The initial cost of your plan will also be affected by the amount of voluntary excess you're willing to pay. In many cases, opting for a higher voluntary excess will mean a lower initial premium.
However, it’s worth comparing deals from different providers in order to find the best price for your specific sport or activity.
"For travellers planning high-adrenaline activities, the most common pitfall is assuming standard policies cover everything. A broken bone sustained while casually cycling is very different to one from a high-altitude climb; always verify the policy documents specifically list your planned activities and any associated elevation or depth limits."
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