What is straightforward is the need for insurance on hiring a car.  Often, you’ll be driving in unknown areas, in a different country and possibly on the opposite side of the road to your usual.  You’re also likely to park in hotel car parks, or on streets you don’t know.  All of this makes minor bumps and scratches more likely, and repair costs for even minimal damage can run into hundreds.

Some hire companies have comprehensive insurance for damage and theft included in the hire cost, but as with private car insurance, an excess is payable.  This amount varies hugely, from £500 to over £1,500 depending on the type of car and location.  The hire company will take this excess in the form of a deposit from your debit or credit card when you pick up your car. To protect this deposit, you can pay an extra fee, again varying hugely, to protect your deposit against paying the full excess.



We take pride at World Wide Reservations and Rental Cars 365 on our first-rate personal customer service, so if you feel that paying excess cover is for you or you just want clarification of how you stand on insurance for your choice of car and location, please email Robert Smith at robert@wwideres.co.uk and we’ll do our best to clarify things.