 Poster: A snowHead
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I am probably only having one ski trip this season and my regular travel insurance (through my bank) covers me for winter sports and even off-piste with a guide.
I am doing a couple of sessions of Off Piste Instuctor Led Guiding with SCGB during the first couple of days, for which I will be covered, but slightly worried about any other time that I venture off-piste as I am assuming that I would not be insured then. I won't be doing anything too adventurous without a guide - probably just skiing between pistes etc - but don't want to end up with a hefty bill that I am not insured for just because I wondered onto the powder!!
I looked at upgrading my Ski Club Membership to the platinum one, which includes their full insurance package I think, but that seems a bit steep at £126 when the membership is up in March, I am already covered for almost everything, I am only having one week away and I am unlikely to do much off piste without a guide anyway!
What is a Carre Neige? It looks pretty cheap at 2.90 Euros per day so would this cover what I am not already insured for?
Should I not worry? Should I not venture outside piste markers without a guide? Should I buy a Carre Neige? Is there other insurance I should consider?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
What is a Carre Neige? It looks pretty cheap at 2.90 Euros per day so would this cover what I am not already insured for?
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I beleive so
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Hi Tony, I switched to Carrie Neige this year. Almost the same as Carte Neige, but specific to where you buy your ski pass. If you already have basic travel Insurance and the EHC then this will do the rest. Plus it is very cheap. Just buy it with your ski pass for the week. I presume you are coming to Les Arcs or somewhere similar that offers this daily Insurance Card.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks all
@snowcrazy, I am in Val'D'isere in January (did Les Arcs last March!!).
Sounds like it is worth me buying the Carre Neige for that area then but what is an EHC? Do I also need this? Starting to feel like I've been slightly over-exposed for my past trips!! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1
Excellent coverage with typical German (sorry Austrian) efficiency.
I have had to submit a couple of claims and they were very helpful no quibbles and paid up quick.
Also my membership got me a discount at the DAV hostel in Obertauern which was nice.
Circa £50 p/a which AFAIK is a fraction of the price for equivalent comprehensive off piste insurance elsewhere. Obviously it doesn't include coverage for the bog standard stuff (missed flights, lost bags etc) so take out an additional cheapo policy for that if required.
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@tonyswift, take care in Val d'Isere. Carre Neige specifies rescue from "areas accessible from the resort lifts". Accordingly, some of the classics would be borderline out-of-bounds, as they involve a hike from the tops of lifts (e.g. Sachette, Col Pers, Chardonnets). But runs just involving a duck under the ropes (e.g. Charvet, Cugnai, Grand Vallon) should be fine, as should anything between the pistes or not involving ducking under ropes.
My other concern with a Carre Neige and bank policy combo is that, although the former will get you off of the hill and into treatment, the latter may declare itself void as far as repatriation and longer-term treatment are concerned (the Carre Neige cover limits aren't that great).
But, as many others have said, it is cheap reassurance for the week, removing the fear of needing to remember one's PIN number while pumped full of Morphine (or, even worse, before the Morphine is administered!).
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@tonyswift, EHIC (not EHC) is European Health Insurance Card which I am sure you must already have.
If not just google it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The Alpenverein insurance covers you for rescue, some medical and repatriation costs whatever activity you are doing anywhere in the alps. Combined with a general insurance and / or an EHIC card it covers all eventualities.
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^ anywhere in Europe (maybe wider?), in fact. I use it for the Pyrenees.
The other option is to consider joining a local alpinism/excursionism "federation" (not sure what the correct English term would be, since I was never involved with anything similar in the UK). For example, in Spain, there's typically one such "club" for each Autonomous Community, plus a country-wide one. All of them offer similar insurance policies as the AAC one - I.e. all manner of mountain activities including non-guided winter sports outside of ski resorts. AFAIK their basic cover includes all of the Spanish and Andorran Pyrenees, and their next level cover includes whole-of-Europe. I don't think you necessarily need to be a resident of Spain to use it.
The only issue with that plan, of course, is that these clubs and their insurers are perhaps less likely to speak English than the AAC guys. Not sure...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Pyremaniac, As far as I know it is worldwide up to 6000m, I believe that your main place of residence must be in "Europe" ie no good for visitors from Australia but beyond that it covers all leisure related activities. Not valid if you are working at the time eg as a mountain guide.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Ski Club GB annual insurance (Europe) at about £70 for one person, or £135 a couple, covers all insurance claims I need, including off piste. I've claimed twice in the past, each time with prompt advice and reimbursement.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
@Pyremaniac, As far as I know it is worldwide up to 6000m, I believe that your main place of residence must be in "Europe" ie no good for visitors from Australia but beyond that it covers all leisure related activities
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Just renewed our AAC membership - the quoted statement is correct, however, while it is fine for Europe the financial limits are not high enough for more remote parts of the world, or the USA where medical costs are too high.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Of course there is also the BMC
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Poster: A snowHead
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Is Carte Neige still exist? and if so can you get it online all I kind find now is Carre Neige Saison which has very different T+C to what I recall with Carte Neige.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@betterinblack, you buy it at the ticket office
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @betterinblack, you buy it at the ticket office |
Have you actually bought Carte Neige for this season at a lift pass office ? If so is the product you got at the lift pass office labelled Carte Neige or Carre Neige Saison? Did you have to nominate a club and send in a health certificate?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks everyone - that is all really helpful!!
Given that I already have insurance which covers off piste skiing with a guide and that I am going to do very little (if any) outside of the cover of this insurance, it seems to me that the Carte Neige is the best option so I am guessing that I just pitch up to the Ticket Office and ask there. There is a lovely new office in La Daille (Val D'Isere) right near my hotel so will sort it out in there if that is the best thing.
Do I need an EHIC Card? It looks like they cost £25 so don't want to do it if it is unnecessary??
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| tonyswift wrote: |
Thanks everyone - that is all really helpful!!
Given that I already have insurance which covers off piste skiing with a guide and that I am going to do very little (if any) outside of the cover of this insurance, it seems to me that the Carte Neige is the best option so I am guessing that I just pitch up to the Ticket Office and ask there. There is a lovely new office in La Daille (Val D'Isere) right near my hotel so will sort it out in there if that is the best thing.
Do I need an EHIC Card? It looks like they cost £25 so don't want to do it if it is unnecessary?? |
I think you mean Carre Neige (not Carte)
EHIC is FREE https://www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card
There are scam sites trying to charge for it
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| betterinblack wrote: |
| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @betterinblack, you buy it at the ticket office |
Have you actually bought Carte Neige for this season at a lift pass office ? If so is the product you got at the lift pass office labelled Carte Neige or Carre Neige Saison? Did you have to nominate a club and send in a health certificate? |
sorry, was mixing up the weekly and seasonal. I have only bought the weekly and was referring to that
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@tonyswift, you should have an EHIC, in the event of a claim it minimises your expenses and your insurers could refuse to pay out in full if an EHIC could have been used to e.g. access a public hospital. It gives you access to the same public health services as a local, so not necessarily free care but at a reduced cost.
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@holidayloverxx, thanks. I think I will bite the bullet then and pay the money for that...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@tonyswift, don't pay for EHIC  as @betterinblack posted it is free - go to the .gov.uk link
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| tonyswift wrote: |
| @holidayloverxx, thanks. I think I will bite the bullet then and pay the money for that... |
Gosh am I actually on ignore for someone?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@betterinblack, sorry - just noticed your post!! Thanks for that and I will use your link not the one I had found with the £25 charge!!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Just wondering if anyone knows what would happen with this hypothetical scenario:
I have multi-trip insurance that doesn't cover off piste without a guide/glaciers
I buy AAC membership for the insurance for off piste without a guide/glacier skiing
If I get injured somewhere not covered by my main insurance, i'll have to use the AAC insurance for rescue and medical cover, however the medical expenses are only up to €10k. This might not go very far in places like USA, Canada, Japan etc. My normal policy has worldwide medical cover abroad up to £10 million. However, presumably my normal insurance would not help at all because the injury happened somewhere not covered by it? And following on from that, my normal insurance would not cover me for anything like trip curtailment, cancellation, additional required accommodation, transport etc because my injury happened somewhere not covered by it?
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@musehead, got it in one - you were doing something not covered by the policy
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You know it makes sense.
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@holidayloverxx, Thanks. It looks like the AAC policy is probably not suitable then if you're outside Europe (medical costs could well exceed €10k - and other related costs could also add up quickly)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Folks, I am understanding this correctly: in France, Carte Neige is seasonal, Carre Neige is for specific, shorter periods? Or to put it another way, what are the actual differences between the two? Many thanks.
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Poster: A snowHead
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