rental car insurance

You should post this in the Ireland section of the forum...your title is fairly general and you have to open it up to see that you're referring specifically to Ireland. More chance of finding someone who knows if you post there.

sand,

You might find it helpful to download the rental car guide at gemut.com. The information for Ireland states....

"In both Italy and Israel, CDW and theft coverage must be purchased from the rental company. Some credit cards offer coverage in Italy, but it means nothing because all major rental companies require the purchase of CDW and theft insurance. The only question left is will your credit card reimburse the deductible in case of damage or theft? Apparently Visa will, but confirm with them. This a murky area. You may also wind up purchasing CDW/theft in Ireland as only Mastercard’s World Card, Business Card, and Diner’s Club cards provide coverage there. In addition, in order to avoid purchasing CDW/theft from most Ireland rental companies, the renter must also produce written proof of credit card coverage."

I find it much easier to simply purchase the necessary coverage from the rental agency.

Hi sandbob66. I think some of the info you are hearing about rental insurance might be out of date. My recent experience with my Chase Southwest Airlines Visa card: I called them to ask about rental coverage in Europe; five minutes later I had a personalized letter in my email inbox that I could present to any rental car agency that said that my card covers in all countries in Europe including Ireland and Northern Ireland. In this day of inconsistent customer service, it was a pleasant surprise! Enjoy your trip!

We relied on our Chase United Mileage Plus card for our insurance last spring, in Italy, another country typically excluded by cc insurance. Upon returning the car, some minor damage was found by the agent - - minor but amounting to over 400 euros. Our claim was handled promptly and with no hassle. Just be sure that if you decide to use the rental car benefit of a cc, you follow all their rules. I usually call just to review. And, yes, when I did that last spring, I got through to an agent very quickly. Same when I called to check on filing a claim.

Additional replies are on the Ireland version of this question.

You should start by checking with your home insurance agent. Many auto insurance policies are primary and will cover you in many countries. The credit card insurance coverage is most often secondary--after your home car insurance.

Some will exclude coverage on rental cars taken into Northern Ireland and a few other countries.
Many renters purchase the rental company's CDW insurance when they're often covered--a waste of money in many cases. There are some exceptions where CDW is required--like Italy. Northern Ireland may be another place where the CDW is needed/required.