Insurances for car hire

Paying for a car hire insurance you do not need, or which is much too expensive for your purpose, is pointless. So, if you intend to reserve a car, check what car Insurance is included and which packages require extra payment.

The main thing is: never sign a contract before you have understood all the details of the car hire insurance. Sometimes they are added to the contract without you realising it.

Car hire insurance for drivers

Car hire companies will often offer an additional driver’s insurance. This car hire insurance covers physical injuries (such as death or disability) and material or financial losses (such as stolen or damaged luggage, or the costs of an ambulance, hospitalisation or medical care).

Car hire insurance against damage

A second type of car hire Insurance is known by the names CDW or Super Cover.

As the person hiring the car, you are responsible for any damage incurred during the hire period. In that case, the hire company may pass the full costs of repair on to you and even the residual value if the vehicle is a total loss!

You may, however, avoid this steep bill. Car hire companies offer a car hire insurance which limits your financial liability to a predetermined sum (CDW or collision damage waiver), or which protects you against all excess costs (Super Cover).

Please note: this type of car hire insurance is only valid if you take good care of your hire car. It does not, for example, cover any damage caused by reckless driving.

Please note: an increasing number of brokers or online intermediaries offer an additional Insurance with full or partial cover in the event of an accident. But this should not be confused with CDW and Super Cover. It has a different purpose: this insurance guarantees a refund of the excess after the event, while CDW and Super Cover allow you to reduce or cancel the excess in advance. If you have taken out an insurance policy for the ‘refund of excess’ with a broker, do not take out another ‘cancellation of excess’ insurance. You will be paying twice for the same thing.

Car hire insurance against theft and vandalism

If during the hire period your vehicle is stolen or deliberately damaged, your car hire insurance against theft and vandalism only requires you to pay the predetermined excess, as set out in your contract.

Read your insurance conditions carefully each time you hire a car!

An additional car hire Insurance is the same as any other insurance. There is quite a lot of small print you should read, so take your time to check:

• The extent of the coverage of the car hire insurance
• The exclusions and maximum compensations that apply 
• The excess you must pay and in which cases

Golden tip: check the terms and conditions of your insurance before you actually hire the car. Later it will be too late and you will not be able to escape the costs.

Find out what else you should check before you reserve a hire car.

Have you seen our car hire brochure?