Snowmobiling Insurance Quote

Cover for snowmobiling, also sold as skidoo or ski-doo hire, on guided tours and on marked trails. Included as standard on every winter sports policy, alongside husky sledging, reindeer sledging and sleigh rides — the activities that often come together on a Lapland trip as well.

You need winter sports cover even if you are not skiing

Snowmobiling is a winter sports activity. A standard travel insurance policy without winter sports cover does not include it. The same applies to husky sledging, sleigh rides, sledging and ice skating.

Read this before you hire

Personal liability is excluded for snowmobiling. The policy does not cover you for damage you cause to someone else's property, or injury you cause to another person, while snowmobiling. That includes damage to the machine itself.

Before you hire, make sure whoever you hire from includes liability as part of the fee. Most reputable operators carry liability cover and build it into the price, sometimes with a damage waiver or a deposit against the machine. Get it confirmed in writing rather than assumed, and check what excess sits on it.

If you are booking through a tour operator or travel agent, make sure they check it for you.

The same exclusion applies to husky dog sledging, reindeer sledging and sleigh riding.

Conditions that apply to motorised activities

A snowmobile is a motor vehicle, and the policy sets conditions on using one:

• You must hold an appropriate licence for the vehicle.
• You must follow local safety laws.
• You must wear a helmet where the vehicle requires one.
• Cover applies only where you have bought the activity, paid the premium, and it is shown on your validation certificate.

Requirements vary by country — some resorts will hire to anyone with a car licence, others require a specific permit. Check with the operator before you travel.

What level is snowmobiling?

Snowmobiling is Level 5 on the Winter Sports Activity Table, which is included as standard on every winter sports policy at no additional premium. Cover at any level extends to that level and every level below it.

These come at the same Level 5, also included as standard:

• Husky dog sledging
• Reindeer sledging
• Sleigh riding, as driver or passenger, behind reindeer, horses or dogs
• Sledging and tobogganing
• Ice skating trails
• Skiing, snowboarding and off piste with or without a guide

Personal liability is excluded on the first three of those, and on snowmobiling. It applies to sledging, tobogganing, ice skating trails, skiing and snowboarding, subject to your cover level — Silver carries no personal liability at all.

Two that are not Level 5

• Snow carting and snow go-karting are Level 8. They are not included on a standard winter sports policy and need the higher level and the additional premium. They appear on plenty of Lapland and Arctic activity packages, so check the itinerary.
• Snow tubing is Level 8. Often sold alongside sledging, but it is not at the same level.

See the full list of winter sports activities and levels.

What the policy covers while you are there

Personal liability does not apply to snowmobiling — see above. Emergency medical and repatriation is £10,000,000 per person; personal liability is £2,000,000 per policy.

Search and rescue covers the costs of a specialist local rescue organisation searching for you, rescuing you and transferring you to hospital, where you become ill or are injured while doing an activity you have paid the premium for. All helicopter evacuations are paid under this limit. Cover runs for up to 72 hours from the point assistance is first called.

Full terms, conditions and exclusions are in the policy wording.

Prime European snowmobiling regions

• Finnish Lapland — Europe's primary snowmobiling hub, with thousands of kilometres of officially marked, groomed trails across frozen lakes and taiga forest. Everything from family-friendly aurora safaris to multi-day wilderness expeditions.
• Swedish Lapland and central Sweden — northern Sweden offers considerable freedom of movement under the country's public access traditions. The ICEHOTEL is here.
• Svalbard, Norway (Longyearbyen) — for extreme Arctic expeditions. This remote Norwegian archipelago offers glaciated terrain, frozen fjords and abandoned mining settlements such as Barentsburg and Pyramiden, under polar conditions.
• Iceland (Langjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers) — riding in Iceland takes place largely on massive ice caps and glaciers rather than woodland trails. Tours run year-round over vast open ice fields, usually departing from the Golden Circle or the south coast.
• The Alps (France, Italy, Switzerland) — environmental and noise regulations strictly prohibit off-trail and unrestricted snowmobiling across most of the Alps. What does run is guided evening rides and closed-circuit tours after the ski lifts close, in resorts such as Tignes, Val Thorens and Livigno.
• The Tatra Mountains, Poland (Zakopane) — a rapidly growing, budget-friendly hotspot in central Europe. Operators run guided mountain tours through dense pine forest and along the ridges of the Polish–Slovak border.

Key things to keep in mind

• Licensing. Across the EU and EEA, driving one yourself typically requires a valid Category B car licence and a minimum age, usually 18. In Finland the requirement is a category T licence for official snowmobile routes, and categories A1, A2, A and B all include category T — so a standard UK car licence qualifies. See Traficom, the Finnish transport authority. This matters for your cover as well as your hire: the policy requires you to hold an appropriate licence for the vehicle.
• Regulations and guides. Independent off-trail riding is heavily regulated in mainland Norway and parts of Finland, to protect reindeer herding and wildlife. In Finland, riding away from the marked tracks needs a separate off-road permit, which is why most visitors ride with a guided operator.
• Season. Mid-winter gives dark skies and aurora rides; spring gives longer daylight and milder conditions.
• Local safety laws. Following them is a condition of your cover, not just good practice, and the rules differ sharply between countries.

Going to Lapland?

Snowmobiling is usually one part of a package that also includes husky sledging, reindeer sleigh rides and a visit to Santa. All of those sit at Level 5 and come with the winter sports cover. Snow karting does not.

See our page on Lapland travel insurance.

Common questions

Do I need winter sports insurance if nobody is skiing?

Yes, if the trip includes snowmobiling, husky or reindeer sledging, sleigh rides, sledging or ice skating. These are winter sports activities and a policy without winter sports cover does not include them.

Is snowmobiling included, or do I add it separately?

It is Level 5, included as standard on every winter sports policy at no additional premium. There is nothing further to add unless your trip also includes an activity at a higher level.

What happens if I damage the snowmobile or hit someone?

Personal liability is excluded for snowmobiling under this policy, so damage to the machine or to a third party is not covered by it. Ask the hire operator what their own liability cover includes and what excess applies before you book.

Are husky sledging and reindeer sleigh rides covered too?

Yes, both at Level 5, included as standard. Personal liability is excluded on both, as it is on snowmobiling.

Are sledging, tobogganing and ice skating covered?

Sledging, tobogganing and ice skating trails are all Level 5 and included as standard. Snow tubing is Level 8 and needs the higher level.

Is a guided snowmobile tour covered?

Yes. Guided tours on marked trails are covered on the same basis, subject to the licence and local safety law conditions above.

Is snow karting covered?

Snow carting and snow go-karting are Level 8, so they are not included on a standard winter sports policy. If your itinerary includes either, you need cover at that level and the additional premium.

Get a quote

Get a quote for your trip.

Snowmobiling, husky sledging, reindeer sledging and sleigh rides are all covered as standard, so there is nothing to add.