Car Insurance for a Ski Season in the Alps
Driving out to the Alps for a winter season? A ski season runs four to six months. Most UK insurance policies cap EU driving at 90 days and drop you to Third Party the moment you cross the border. That is not enough cover for a season, and it is exactly the gap we fill.
Stuart Collins & Co has arranged specialist European motor insurance since 1969. We cover UK-registered cars used across the Alps for the full season, with your comprehensive cover staying comprehensive the whole time you are out there.
Who this is for
- Ski instructors driving their own UK car out for the season
- Chalet hosts, resort staff and ski technicians on a winter contract
- Returning seasonaires who take the same car out every year
- Anyone spending a full season in France, Italy, Switzerland or Austria whose UK policy runs out of EU cover after 90 days
If you are on the road from December to April, a standard policy will not cover the season. Ours will.
Driving to the Alps in winter: what to know
Mountain driving in winter comes with rules that change by country, and getting them wrong can mean a fine or a rejected claim:
- France (loi montagne). From 1 November to 31 March, winter tyres or snow chains are compulsory in designated mountain areas across the Alps and Pyrenees. Carry chains even if your tyres are rated.
- Austria. Winter tyres are compulsory in wintry conditions from 1 November to 15 April, and snow chains may be required where signed. Austria also requires a motorway vignette (Autobahnvignette).
- Switzerland. No fixed winter-tyre law, but you are liable if your car is not equipped for the conditions, and chains are required where signed. Switzerland requires a motorway vignette too.
- Italy. Winter tyres or chains are required on many roads, typically from 15 November to 15 April, depending on the region and the road signs.
- Everywhere: carry a warning triangle, high-visibility vest and first-aid kit, display a “UK” identifier, and fit headlamp deflectors on a right-hand-drive car.
Because you are covering long distances in tough conditions, we would also point you at our European breakdown and accident cover, available as an annual add-on. A breakdown halfway up a mountain pass in January is not the moment to find out you are not covered.
Do you need a Green Card for the Alps?
Since 2021 a Green Card is no longer legally required to drive a UK-registered car in the EU, so you do not need one to be legal in France, Italy or Austria.
We include an Annual Green Card with every policy anyway. It is clear proof your cover meets the requirements, it is accepted across every country we cover, and it means one less thing to explain at a border or roadside. It costs you nothing extra.
Why use an FCA-regulated broker
Comparison sites are built for two-week holidays, not four-month seasons. They cannot arrange the cover a seasonaire actually needs. We can, because long-term European motor insurance is all we do.
Stuart Collins & Co is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference 1013445). Every quote is reviewed by a person who understands how season cover works. We have done this since 1969.
GET YOUR SKI-SEASON CAR INSURANCE
To get a quote for your season in the Alps, use the quote form, or if you have any queries call us on 01792 655562.