Car rentals abroad can be a tricky business and prone to agencies attempting to encourage add-ons that that incur expenses that you may or may not need, one of these being extra insurance. The last thing you need is to be pushed into paying more than you need, or even thinking that you do not need the insurance added on, when you do. To help you from making a costly mistake like this, you should always read the small print of these types of contracts. Here are a few tips and terms you need to understand to help you make the right choice.
Typically, most all car rental places provide you with at least a basic insurance, also known as a CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) or LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) which usually covers damage, theft and Third-Party Liability Insurance (sometimes called Supplemental Liability Insurance, SLI), which is in case you cause damage/injury to someone else. These may only cover ‘certain parts’ of the car or theft, so definitely check what the policy covers. This of course varies from country to country so you would need to double check before you get there.
CDW/LDW is usually included in rentals in Europe, Africa and Australasia, but generally not in the US or Canada. Try to do your research, prior to your trip, online, but if you can’t find the answer there, try a customer support number. If you want to be extra cautious, you can also get car hire excess insurance so that if there is any damage to the vehicle that isn’t covered within the insurance you won’t end up paying an excess cost of £100-£2000