Has anyone got any advice or experience to share concerning annual rental car insurance? We travel to Europe regularly and car insurance can be expensive especially if you want excellent full coverage.

Any recommendations concerning specific companies would be appreciated, especially if they are backed with actual experience.

Thank you.

Where is the car you are wanting to insure?

If your question is about rental cars, in what country do you live?

yeah, that's pretty important.

Car insurance costs nothing if you just use your credit card, of course, if you have any kind of upper-end credit card. That covers the damages, and liability is usually sold for a minimal cost from the rental company.

Other methods I've used if I didn't want to deal with the possible problems of using my credit card (although I know others who say it worked fine when they did have a claim), is that if you have an Amex card, you can sign up for their auto insurance policy that is primary coverage and it automatically gets charged to your card when you use the card to pay for a rental. That is $20. I think there is a $25 policy, also, with really high limits, I use the $20 one.

I have also tacked that coverage onto my travel insurance for some trips, but that's more than $20. You can compare plans, I think the last time I checked, it was actually about $100 to cover a rental car for two weeks. Which is probably much cheaper than from the car rental company but still wasn't as cheap as I expected, so I went with the Amex coverage. Of course that only works if you are in a country and use a company that accepts Amex.

And be sure to check country exclusions, I know Amex has some as to most credit cards.

I don't know why you'd need annual coverage, that would have to be more expensive than buying it a couple times a year, how many times a year do you do that?

Thank you. I am exploring all the options. I am Canadian. The credit card will work but only if the rental car company allows me to decline the CDW. Many don't and Italy's law mandates that CDW and Theft be included by the rental car company.

If you're renting in Italy and CDW and Theft are included per Italian law, what would be the benefit of purchasing a policy?

For traveling in most places ... the credit card angle will work, but make sure the credit card provides PRIMARY rental insurance. I believe Chase cards provide primary coverage.

Many provide SECONDARY coverage, meaning you'll first need to submit claims to the underwriter of your regular auto coverage. Secondary coverage pays for the deductible after the fact ... and your premium on your regular auto policy may go up because you made a claim.

Canadian cards may be different . . . but many if not most US credit cards do not insure for rentals in Italy (Goes for the three 'I's' - Ireland, Italy, Israel)

I will add that you need to make very sure you understand what your CCs automatic coverage includes and just as important what the CCs insurance policy exclusions are. Also as important, make sure you know how to deal with the aftermath of an accident involving your rental according to the CC insurance's incident policies. Before you travel ask your CC bank if you should use the card to pay for any accident damages that fall on you, and if they are to be notified before any accident-related transactions take place. No insurer wants to pay out a claim if it can be avoided so there needs to be a clear line of communication about the procedures involved dealing with this situation in a foreign country. Be sure to have a contact phone number in Europe for your CCs customer service line for just such an emergency

I believe Chase cards provide primary coverage.>>

Maybe there is some kind of Chase card that does, but certainly not all of them as I have one and it is not primary coverage. The Chase Sapphire Preferred does, but they administer many cards and most do not. The AMEX card is primary, but you do pay extra for that policy when you rent a car.

I don't understand why you care bout Italy either if you have to pay for it to the rental company.

I thank everyone for their valuable input. For clarification, my initial post pre-dated my discovery of Italy's law. My home auto insurance does not cover me in any foreign country other than the US.

I have an annual multi-trip policy 'car hire excess insurance', valid in Europe, for only 48£ a year. In the Deluxe policy (which I have) is a lot more included than just excess. I haven't needed it so far but the company and the policy get excellent reviews on Trustpilot.
Check https://www.worldwideinsure.com/car-...-insurance.php

Many travel insurance policies cover the rental vehicle excess/deductible if you have an accident. And a lot more besides.

@dreamon
Not mine, unfortunately. Neither does my Visa and Master Gold cards.

@dreamon
I can't speak to all travel insurance policies. I do know that you can add a rental car upgrade to a Travelex policy.

Thanks guys.