Hi - This will be my first time driving in Italy. I got my International Drivers License, but I wanted to know about insurance. I have AAA here in California, but I read somewhere someone said to contact my agent to check on my CDW. What is CDW? Is it better to get insurance through my insurance company or get it through the rental car? I rented from Hertz in Venice. We will be driving for 14 from Venice to Sorrento.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Robert
You can use third party insurance but there has been postings of nightmares of getting third parties to step up when needed. If there is damage the car rental will look to you and not your insurance for settlement. It costs more to get the insurance through the rental but at least the rental company is dealing with their insurance company. So we use the rental insurance just for convenience and peace of mind. A lot of people used their credit card's insurance which is fine until you actually need them. Then it is anybody's guess.
First, you need to check carefully the rules of your own insurance or credit card coverage. Often they require that you turn down any rental car company coverage at all, which you cannot do in Italy. In my case, my credit card would have covered collision beyond the basic coverage in Italy, and even provided me a letter indicating that. In the end I decided to get full zero-deductible collision coverage through the rental company, at extra cost, for two basic reasons: (1) If I had any incident, either a real accident or minor damage to the car, I figured that I would first need to pay, and did not have confidence that I could easily get the documentation I might need for reimbursement from my credit card coverage, such as a police report, as I traveled around Italy; (2) I figured that zero-deductible coverage through the rental would eliminate any incentive for the rental staff to find any damage that had not actually occurred during my rental, charge me for it, and then my being involved in a stressful hassle to fight it or seek reimbursement. In the end I had no problems at all, but had eliminated any of these worries during my travels.
Please check that your document is an International Drivers Permit NOT an International Drivers License. The Permit is the legal document, from the AAA.
The License is a scam available on the internet and is only a way to relieve you of money and has no legal standing.
I never thought about calling my credit card company. That is a great idea. I have not been to Italy in over 20 years and I remember most of the cars were dented and the drivers being very aggressive. I thought having a car for 14 days, I am likely to get a ding or a scratch.
Thank you for all of your suggestions. I will get full cover from Hertz over there. I'd rather not have to worried about that. I have enough to worry about driving the roads and looking out for signage.
Wish me luck : )
robert,
You may find it helpful to download the free Rental Car Guide at www.gemut.com. There's a section there on CDW / Insurance for rentals in Italy which 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."
Also be sure to do some research on the dreaded Zona Traffico Limitato (ZTL) areas which exist in many Italian towns and cities (especially Florence). If you drive through the restricted zones, you can expect one (or more) tickets to arrive several months after you return home. Some other things to consider....
Thanks, Ken. This is really good information. I will call my credit card company on the reimbursement and about the chip and/or code for my credit card.
Robert
Since this is your first time driving in Italy, it may help for you to be aware and expecting that driving in Italy, when you're not on the high speed auto-routes or way out in the country, will be different than driving here. Especially driving in an area where there is traffic such as a town.
You'll know what is meant, after about the first 5 minutes or so of driving road through a town.
Your AAA insurance will not cover you overseas. Also most credit cards exclude Italy from their rental car coverage.
If you rent through a consolidator (like www.kermel.com or www.autoeurope.com) the contract will include coverage (I suggest to select the "no insurance excess" option, I.e. Zero deductible). Actually if you haven't yet pre paid hertz I suggest to check the prices with the above consolidators. They work with Avis, Europcar and Hertz, and often they have better prices than directly through the rental company itself (like Hertz).
If you go directly with the rental company (Hertz), purchase zero deductible (no excess) insurance from them. It's not cheap, but it's peace of mind.
We made our first trip to Italy last winter. We got a credit card that did not charge an extra fee for using overseas. Before leaving we contacted the credit card. They said we had to refuse the insurance (except the mandatory fee) or they would not cover anything. We did receive a letter to give to the rental company. We showed it to them - though since they didn't speak much English, I think they took our word for it. We did not have to use the insurance so have no first hand experience.
One other thing to watch for, as you are driving along there will be either overhead (on the highways) or orange posts that have the speed limit marked on them. They check your speed as you pass by and a ticket will eventually make it to you via the rental company. If you do a search for access italy/driving in Italy part 10, you will find a handy guide to what the traffic signs mean. While signs to let you know how far it is to the next town are almost non existant. Speed limit, ...not allowed, return to previous speed limit, etc are everywhere.
So far, 6mos later, we have not received any tickets! Here's hoping it remains that way.
Looks like your questions has been answered very well, thanks everyone.
Yes. Thank you Everyone and wish me luck next week : )
