Standard single-trip cover is not sufficient if you take part in winter sports, writes Laura Slattery.

As the winter holiday season slides into action, skiers and snowboarders will be eyeing the market for the promise of the best thrills at the most competitive prices.

Skimp on insurance cover, however, and winter sports enthusiasts may find that, if and when it comes to making a claim, insurance companies can be just as slippery as the slopes they have managed to conquer, or not.

People who do not go on holiday with the intention of risking their limbs but are somehow cajoled into buying a day pass to a nearby ski resort should remember that a standard single-trip travel insurance policy won't cover them if they have an accident.

Even half an hour pirouetting round an ice-skating rink won't be covered by most single-trip policies unless the holidaymaker selects the winter sports option - a move that can roughly double the premium they will pay for a single-trip policy.

Annual multi-trip policies available from travel insurance providers such as Getcover.com, Aer Lingus, AIB Insurance, Bank of Ireland, Ebookers.ie, Travelcover.net and Ryanair, on the other hand, all automatically include winter sports cover for between 17 and 24 days.

The cost of a worldwide multi-trip policy, including winter sports cover, varies from €75 at ACE Travel Insurance to €135 at Ebookers.ie and Aer Lingus.

It is possible to secure single-trip winter sports insurance for nine days in Europe for €27 at Getcover.com, compared to €50-€65 at banks and winter sports tour operators.

Leading ski tour operator Topflight sells single-trip and annual multi-trip policies, underwritten by KMT Travel Insurance. A single-trip costs an adult €65 for up to nine days, while the annual multi-trip is priced at €99.

This multi-trip price is not far off the competitive rates available online at www.acetravelinsurance.ie and www.getcover. com.

Ski specialist Crystal Holidays also sells travel insurance tailored for skiers and snowboarders. Single-trip policies cost €59 for up to nine days in Europe or €89 for up to nine days worldwide. An annual multi-trip policy costs €95 per adultfor Europe only, while worldwide annual premiums cost €127.

Consumers are not obliged to take out travel insurance through the travel agent or operator with which they are booking but they may be asked by the agent or operator to prove they already have sufficient cover.

A spokeswoman for tour operator Directski.com, Ms Una McEvoy, says approximately 50 per cent of customers who book a holiday with the company also buy their winter sports insurance policy, which costs €55 per adult for seven days and is underwritten by Whitehorse Insurance.

Not many people travel without appropriate cover, Ms McEvoy adds. Directski requires customers to give them the emergency contact numbers listed under any separate policy so their reps at the ski resort will have the information in case of an accident.

"At the end of the day, it is a sport - it is a sporting holiday - so people know they have to have insurance," Ms McEvoy says. Although the company has not had a huge number of claims, accidents do happen, she says.

As well as checking that they are not paying over the odds by selecting the single-trip insurance available through a tour operator, people embarking on skiing trips should also take time to read the exact terms, conditions and exclusions on their policy.

Earlier this year, Insurance Ombudsman Ms Caroline Gill warned there was "a widespread belief" that travel policies provided a financial remedy for almost every loss that could occur on a holiday. However, almost all policies contain strict limits on the type of loss covered and the amount the insurer will pay in the event of a claim.

Policies also vary on the amount they charge as an excess - the first part of any claim for which the policyholder is liable.