When travelling or at the car hire company’s desk you are bombarded with deals and extras that make things confusing, even to a MENSA member. One thing that should be considered however is the extra insurance cover before you jump in the hire car and head on your onward journey.

This does not even have to be from the car hire firm; there are many companies who will provide policies as external packages. The reason you will want this extra insurance cover is due to the large excess fees that some companies may charge and the high cost of medical care abroad.

Some hire companies are believed to charge as much as a thousand pounds excess in the event of an accident. These fees are prevalent throughout Europe, in countries such as Spain, Portugal, France and Germany.

Unfortunately for most users of car hire firms, they do not realise the protection they may have already. The use of a credit card for payment can often carry its own cover as part of the contractual agreements of using a credit card. Added to the credit card, sometimes a driver’s own insurance policy on their own car can often be carried over when using a hire car.

It is highly advisable when utilising car hire services to check with your credit card and insurers to see if you will be covered by policies already in place. A quick phone call can save you money in the long run as you may find out if your credit card package provides extra services that you may have been unaware of.

Also, even if a former card had cover as part of the package, it is worth checking whether your new card provides the same kinds of services. Anything is preferable to driving your hire car uninsured; in certain countries this offence can carry hefty penalties, added to the cost to the hire company.

That is not to say that you should ignore the car hire firm’s insurance offers completely. There will be some that are well worth the extra money to ensure your own safety and protect you in the event of an accident.

One of these is a collision damage waiver; although technically it cannot be considered an insurance package it does remove the liability of collision damage from the hirer to the hire company. The waiver can also protect the user from fees that can accumulate from the time it takes a car to be repaired and the profits that will be lost during this time. The waivers however are not extensive and can be voided by the car hire company if the user has been found to be driving illegally or on unpaved roads.

Personal accident insurance is also well worth enquiring about when at the car hire desk. In countries where medical care is not free they can save the user from having to pay for ambulance fees and hospital bills. Some policies will even cover the passengers as well as the driver.

Added to this, it may well be worth utilising personal effects coverage in the case of theft of items from the car while on holiday. This can be especially important for passports as these can be extremely expensive to replace if stuck in a foreign country without one. The embassy may be there to help, but it is doubtful they will help for free.

There is little doubt that insurance is important for all types of holiday, not just those involving a hire car. You simply cannot be too careful when travelling abroad as fees and fines can be astronomical for tourists. Most important is ensuring you will be properly cared for in the case of a serious accident as hospital bills will soon mount up, especially when remaining in hospital for any lengthy period of time.

Ensuring you are covered from all angles in terms of liability of the hire car is also extremely important, large fees are often charged if the car becomes damaged or is stolen. If you go by the adage of ‘better to be safe than sorry’ you will not go far wrong.

travel expert thomas pretty looks into the importance of insurance when on holiday and using car hire services. to find out more please visit http://www.budget.co.uk/

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