Car Hire Insurance

As with privately owned cars, hire cars need car insurance. Your car hire company may include the cost of hire car insurance in the daily car hire rate, or you may be required to arrange your own insurance.

Theft Protection (TP)

This covers the cost of replacing your rental car (or parts of it) if it gets stolen. You may have to pay an excess, which will vary by country so please check at time of resevation.

Collision Damage Waiver

If the rental car is damaged this will cover the cost of repairs. You will have to pay a fixed amount towards these repairs - the excess. The excess will vary by country and hire car company so check with your rental car company at time of reservation. (This cover is also known as Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.)

Third Party Liability Insurance

A compulsory insurance in case you cause damage to someone or something else.

What about insurance excesses?

In the event of an accident to or theft of the vehicle, then a sum of money (an excess) will be paid by the renter. The insurances, which are not automatically included in your car hire (see optional insurances), will either waive or reduce the amount of excess. These can be purchased locally at the rental station when you collect your car.

Optional Insurances

There may be insurances that are offered as optional extras at the time of taking the hire car. They include:

Super Collision Damage Waiver (Super CDW)

Where available this will reduce or eliminate the excess that you have to pay in the event of damage to the rental car. This can be purchased when you pick up the car.

Super Theft Protection (Super TP)

Where available will reduce or waive the excess you have to pay in the event of the car (or parts of it) being stolen. This can be purchased when you pick up the car.

Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)

Should you have an accident during the rental, as a driver or passenger, this will cover some medical expenses, accidental death payment and assistance / rescue. If you have holiday insurance, you may not need this. Please check your holiday insurance.

Super Personal Accident Insurance (Super PAI)

Simply covers more than PAI plus personal effects / baggage and contingency expenses.