dolomites insurance

A snowHead

Hi Folks we are off to the dolomites 3rd week in Dec. I have read something about requiring 3rd party insurance being mandatory. Is this something you can buy with your lift pass? Also what is the score with going offpiste ( if there is any!) I have read of the requirement to only go with a guide? Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

Will you have winter sports travel insurance from a UK insurer, if so then 3rd party insurance should already be included (check the policy terms). It's now a legal requirement in Italy for skiers to have 3rd party insurance, if you aren't covered by a UK travel insurance policy then in the Dolomiti Super ski region at least you can add 3rd party cover to your lift pass when you buy it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Ahh thats what I was hoping that we could just buy it with the lift pass thanks.

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@spidermac3, Why are you going on a ski holiday without taking out travel/winter sports insurance - and are you aware that the Italian border officer might demand proof of travel insurance before allowing you to enter the country?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have austrian alpine club insurance but my wife doesn`t & since they have changed their policy of running emebership on cvalendar years I don`t want to buy her an annualmembership for 2 weeks in dec.

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@quinton, I think you forgot to add that you are only required to have travel insurance if you need a Schengen visa to enter Italy which of course doesn’t apply if you are a uk citizen going for less than 90 day’s.

I have a friend who skis in Italy every year and never takes out travel insurance relying instead on ghic and aac.

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@spidermac3, Your AAC membership includes 3rd party insurance, so you don't need a separate policy - but obviously your wife does if she's not a member of AAC.

@johnE, I refer you to the UK government website > https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements

"At Italian border control, you may need to:

show proof of your accommodation, for example, a hotel booking confirmation or proof of address for your own property
show proof of your travel insurance
show a return or onward ticket
prove that you have enough money for your stay – the amount varies depending on your accommodation"

After all it is free

@quinton, Intersting that bit about having to show your bank statements.
The EU site https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/visa_waiver_faqs_en.pdf says
"6.What documents do I need to show to the immigration officer at the port of entry?
You need to show your passport. In addition, you might be asked to also show documents proving
your purpose and conditions of stay (for example tickets for further journeys and return tickets;
reservation of accommodation; invitation letter in case of visits, conferences or events; school
enrolment certificate in case of study etc.)2 as well as evidence of sufficient means of subsistence
(see below)."

There is no mention of insurance but you must be prepared to show your last 3 months bank statements

The section on insurance says
"8. Is travel medical insurance always necessary in order to travel in Schengen area?
Travel medical insurance is not mandatory for visa-free third country nationals. Nonetheless, it is
recommended to get one in case of travel to the Schengen countries.

The insurance may be needed if you have to have a visa

@johnE, The EU site describes the general conditions for entry, but individual countries can impose other conditions or specify more precisely what is required. Travel insurance covers more than just medical insurance - for example, as the OP has asked, what about third party liability insurance? Or repatriation in the event of injury or death, which is not covered by EHIC/GHIC?

As the link in the UK government website says, at the Italian border UK citizens may need to show proof of travel insurance.

Out of interest, I followed this link on the UK Gov website regarding the requirements for France > https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/your-arrival-in-france
which states:

"Whether or not you need a visa, entry into the Schengen area of third-country nationals must comply with a certain number of conditions, as provided for by the European and national regulations in force.

Documents to be presented on arrival in France
The following supporting documents must be presented at the request of the Border Police upon your arrival in France:

A valid passport issued less than 10 years before and valid for at least 3 months after the envisaged departure date;
- A valid visa, if required;
- Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall);
- Sufficient financial means. The means of subsistence shall be assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay and by reference to the average prices for accommodation and food in the Member States;
- Your return ticket or the financial means to acquire one at the envisaged return date;
- Any document providing details on the profession or the capacity of the traveller as well as on the establishments or organisations located in France which are expecting you, if you are on a professional trip.
- You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death."

The final point would suggest that EHIC or GHIC alone is not sufficient.

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@phil_w, The details about entering France are from the French government website.

I merely quote them for information - whether or not the French border officials choose to enforce the rules is a matter for them. Likewise for Italy, and as this is a skiing forum I also checked regarding Austria, and for there too the UK Gov website says that travellers may need to show proof of travel insurance.

I've never been asked for "insurance papers" in all the years that I've travelled to these countries but that doesn't mean that the border officials won't decide one day to ask to see them.

As the original question was regarding third party liability insurance, how exactly does one "self-insure" against a claim that might run into £millions - for example if one is deemed to be at fault in an accident on the piste that results in a third party suffering severe injuries, disability or death?

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Re the bank statements being available for entry into Italy - would your phone showing statements on your bank's app be OK (ie paper statements not required)?

You know it makes sense.

When I was in The Dolomites (Arabba) in 2024 I enquired about 3rd party liability insurance at the ski pass counter, and they recommended https://www.24hassistance.com - which enables you to take out cheap cover for the brief period you are on the slopes.

However, I now have Carte Neige, which includes this cover. https://ffs.fr/je-prends-ma-licence/

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

for info when I had an accident a few years ago in Campitello I ended up going to the hospital at Corvese ...I was not asked for any details of my insurance just my EHIC ...I hadn't broken anything ..just concussion

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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14 days additional insurance on the price of the Italian lift pass costs €42 and only covers the 14 days.

Membership of AAC costs £50 and the insurance cover lasts for an entire year, is worldwide and covers all "alpine" activities such as hiking and climbing in the summer as well as the winter activities.

As @Scarlet, says, the AAC's Austrian website shows the offer for new members that covers the rest of 2025 and the whole of 2026 for people joining after 1st September. https://www.alpenverein.at/portal/mitgliedwerden/index.php
This offer does not appear on the AAC's English website, but that site seems to be in need of an update.

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@quinton, its not the same deal https://www.alpenverein.at/britannia/membership/Membership.php . The website is all the same with a "british" section. It has always been a bit weird, the UK section refused for years to have rolling membership claiming it was too expensive and not allowed by the club neither of which was true they must have lost many members with folk simply forgetting to renew.

After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Tue 9-09-25 10:17; edited 1 time in total

@munich_irish, If you follow your link and scroll down the page to the FAQs and click on that link, you'll read the following:

"Is the “September Action” scheme for discounted membership when joining late in the year available to AAC(UK) members?
September Action is not currently available to our members for historical and technical reasons. We are investigating the possibility of implementing it during 2023." [My bold and italics]

So it would appear that at some point in the past the offer was discussed in the UK section of the AAC, but that nothing has happened for the last 3 years.

UPDATE : The "September Offer" for new members now appears on the AAC's UK website ...!

https://www.alpenverein.at/britannia/

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@albob, when I was in Alleghe last season I noticed that there was a sign advertising that you could add insurance when you bought your lift pass (I didn't bother as I'm already covered on my annual winter sports travel insurance).

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Something else to consider.

The AAC third party insurance covers up to €3,000,000 in personal liability.

The 24hassistance/Snowcare insurance (i.e. the €3 per day add-on to the lift pass) only covers a third party liability claim up to €150,000 - which in the event of a catastrophic incident in which the third party suffers serious or life-changing injuries is far too little. Even the liability costs of covering someone's medical and legal costs and loss of earnings from a relatively minor incident can easily come to well over €150,000.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@quinton, The UK AAC has always been a bit odd, they always seemed to be stuck in a time warp and have a great love of "committees". The membership info does clearly state that its 1st of Jan to 31st Dec but that makes no sense if the actual club rules are different.

A snowHead

@munich_irish, See my update above. The "September Offer" has suddenly appeared on the AAC's UK website

https://www.alpenverein.at/britannia/

A snowHead

@Crosbie, "It is entirely separate: a website that you visit, sign up to, and pay for ski insurance. No lift pass serial number is required. It may well turn out to end up at around 3€ per day. The lift pass office has nothing to do with it except that they recommend it, and may have an advert/flyer/brochure."

From the Snowcare website: "Always keep your skipass: the insurance is tied to your ski pass and is valid only in case of a request for rescue intervention on the slopes at the place where the accident occurred."

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@quinton, it seems that "You can purchase daily ski pass insurance starting at €3.00 at checkouts at major ski resorts." indicates that only major Dolomite ski resorts are able to sell the insurance at a checkout.

I guess that means that Arabba is not 'major', and so I had to purchase insurance from 24hassistance online (without ski pass linkage).

So, this probably means we are heading toward the 'commonly available as a lift pass add-on' end of the scale.

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From the Val Gardena website

"IMPORTANT: the skipass does not include insurance and no liability insurance is offered at ski pass issuing points!"

And then points you to Snowcare or DSV ski insurance

https://www.valgardena.it/en/winter-holidays-dolomites/ski-passes/

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@albob, I guess we have to put Val Gardena down as 'not a major ski resort'.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

So far, for lift pass add-on insurance (sold with pass at PoS) we have:

Not available: Arabba, Val Gardena
Advertised as being available: Alleghe
Asserted as available: "Major ski resorts" (by 24hassistance), and "pretty much ubiquitous in Italy"
Known to be available: [no-one as yet]

So, has anyone ever actually been able to buy insurance (even just 3rd party) as an add-on to their lift pass when they purchased one at a checkout in an Italian ski resort?

After all it is free

@albob, no doubt 24hassistance would say "We didn't say ALL major ski resorts. 'Some' is implicit."

At least 24hassistance do provide a link to where you can find out all about which resorts sell their insurance with the ski pass: Discover partner ski resorts

But, the link doesn't work... Confused

I'm reminded of the Cheese Shop sketch.

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