All you need to know about car hire coverage

Fancy hiring a car for your holiday but you don’t feel particularly interested in the small print? Let us make it easier for you. Here is a short guide to car hire coverage policies. Auto Europe as a car hire broker offers you car rental from various local, national and global car hire companies and therefore the coverage polices may differ. Here is what you should pay attention to.

However, all vehicles hired through Auto Europe, irrelevant of supplier include the Standard Package coverage as a minimum which will allow you to travel within the country of pick-up.

What is included in the standard package when renting through Auto Europe?

Third Party Liability

This covers the renter for damage caused to property or any persons outside of the vehicle and in addition also comes with Fire Insurance in an event of fire relating to mechanical failure.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)

In the event of damage to the rental vehicle, coverage will be provided; however, the customer will be responsible for an excess amount (deductible) as specified on the Auto Europe voucher. The amount charged will vary based on the selected supplier and vehicle category. Let’s say your CDW excess it 500 Euros – you are responsible for damages on the car up to 500 Euros – all higher costs are covered by the coverage. Checking the excess amount is therefore quite important.

Theft protection (TP)

TP limits potential vehicle loss liability to an excess of a specified amount in a given hire offer – it follows the same insurance concept as the CDW.

Important to note is that not all car parts are covered by the standard package coverage, usually the following elements are excluded: windows, wheels, tyres, roof, underside & interior of a vehicle, towing charges or damage caused negligently. The excess amount as well as the exclusions are listed in the "Terms, Conditions & Local Fees" on our booking engine, as well as on a voucher we send along with the car rental confirmation. If you wish, you may purchase additional coverage locally for those car parts not included in the standard package.

Auto Europe offers a range of car hire coverage options in addition to the standard package. Among them is our popular Full Damage Protection and Full Damage Protection with Breakdown Cover service. Customers who opt for this service are entitled to claim a refund for the excess amount paid in the event of theft or damage to the rental vehicle. Initially, the customer is responsible for covering the damages up to the excess limit directly to the rental company. Subsequently, they may submit a claim to Auto Europe for reimbursement. To initiate the refund process, the customer must submit all required documentation to Auto Europe, as detailed in the "Terms, Conditions & Local Fees" section of our booking engine.