Skiers have been urged to check their travel cover after it emerged that some insurers refuse to pay out if holidaymakers cannot ski because of a lack of snow.

The mildest winter on record means that there is little snow in some of Europe’s top ski locations. Andorra and the Pyrenees have been particularly badly affected. Low temperatures in the middle of this month enabled some resorts to open some pistes after using snow-making machines, but many have still not opened all their ski lifts. Skiers confined to hotels because the pistes are shut could suffer a double blow because their insurers will not compensate them. Find.co.uk, the insurance portal, says that 16 winter-sports policies, including those from Rapidinsure.co.uk and Ecclesiastical, do not cover piste closure.

Skiers who have a standard or super insurance policy from the Ski Club of Great Britain (SCGB) are also precluded from making a claim if they cannot ski because the pistes are shut. But members of the SCGB who take out the more expensive executive policy can claim. The insurer will pay £30 for each day the pistes are closed, up to a total of £300.

Laura Gleave, of SCGB, says: “We differentiate between the policies because the executive policy is more for independent travellers for whom a good day’s skiing is the most important thing. They are not there only to enjoy a holiday in the mountains.”

Like many insurance policies, SCGB’s executive cover pays out only if a skier cannot reasonably ski in or around the resort. For example, a beginner could claim if the only pistes open in the resort were challenging runs unsuitable for inexperienced skiers.

Holidaymakers who have taken single-trip travel insurance with Argos can rest easy, however. The insurer pays one of the most generous daily allowances for piste closure at £50 a day, up to a maximum of £250. Those skiing for more than five days might prefer Greenbee’s single-trip cover or Marks & Spencer’s single-trip policy, both of which pay £50 a day for piste closure, up to a maximum of £500.

More than 30 travel policies will not refund travel expenses for those who travel to an alternative resort in search of some skiing, according to Find.co.uk. About half the insurers offer only £20 a day. Those who think that a return journey to a nearby resort may cost more than this should consider policies from Argos, Greenbee, Extra Sure or Marks & Spencer, all of which pay up to £50 a day.

For more on insurance visit www.timesonline.co.uk/insure

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