Hello,
I have the Costco Visa Card and after speaking with the CC company and obtaining a letter from said company proving rental coverage I was curious if I should present any other documents to the rental agency once I arrive to Italy. The letter basically says I am covered for First Party Damages. Trying to avoid having to pay out of pocket for rental insurance. Thanks for your advice.
Last year traveling to France, we also relied on the insurance offered through our Costco Visa card. It becomes the primary collision and theft insurance when traveling outside the US. Just remember to decline all optional coverages as this voids the insurance. We also had the letter of coverage in hand. But we were never asked for it. Same goes for the IDP that I had in hand. Happily, we had no need to use the insurance. We are traveling to NW Italy and SE France again during July. We have the same plan as last year. I think understanding the ins and outs of all options is the key.
We rent through Europcar. Very happy with them. They offer basic insurance on all rentals at no extra cost when renting directly through them which includes liability. There is a fairly steep deductible for collision or theft. Their basic insurance doesn't cover things like windshield or tire damage. Using CC insurance policies seems to make things more affordable. Just understand what you need to do if there is an incident. Get as much documentation as possible including photos.
I don’t think declining CDW insurance in Italy is an option. I generally purchase through www.AutoEurope.com which sells contracts with the agencies that are comprehensive of insurance. You may want to check if your Costco card would cover the deductible, as a secondary insurance, which can be hefty.
As an aside, I called customer service to clarify if the insurance included in the rental price voided my Worldwide Car Rental Insurance through Citi Visa. I was initially told it did void the insurance. However, after I explained I had not choice about the baseline insurance and that I did not choose any optional coverages, they placed me on hold for a bit and told me I was covered.
You will need an IDP
The rental agent will ask for it
I’ve never been able to rent a car in Italy without the additional insurance. The credit card might cover the car but not the required liability coverage. I’m not sure if all basic plans include roadside assistance.
Europe is one place I also usually spring for the zero deductible coverage which includes tires, glass, sometimes keys and no hassle. I had cars hit while parked in both Greece and Italy. These weren’t just small dents. We gave them info and left the car. Nothing to deal with later and no hassles with the credit card claim. It was totally worth the time saved.
AutoEurope is great. They also own Kemwel which I found had cheaper rates on some of the same rentals.
I am an international US major airline pilot that has rented vehicles all over Europe for decades. I have never been asked for an IDP but understand some law enforcement may ask for it during a stop or incident/accident. I have never been pulled over or been in an accident. I have received tickets after the fact via mail from the auto rental company from automated traffic enforcement. Always pay them.
I have usually declined all coverage and had my credit card and/or insurance company (USAA) supply the insurance. Not once was I informed that insurance is mandatory. There have been occasions when taking advantage of a rental offer that included full coverage that I have used only the rental companies insurance. Be sure to declare all countries you plan on visiting to the rental company. You may have to pay a border crossing fee and perhaps switch auto brands depending on the country to be visited. (No Mercedes or BMW Germany rentals to visit Praha and sometimes Italy). Sometimes I will take along my TomTom for navigation and a GPS antenna unit (Bad Elf) when I drive in areas out of cell phone range. (Parts of Italy and Ireland) I keep downloaded maps on my iPad as well. Be careful of curb rash damage. It can be an issue especially for German rentals. I usually write "No damage noted" on my rental card and have one of the receiving team members sign it. I have used that to counter claims in the past.
BTW, Hertz has been one of my favorites overall for rentals in Europe.
Both the Costco and USAA Visa cards offer insurance for international rentals.
We spent the last two weeks of September in a Italy and rented a car through AutoEurope. Everything went smoothly (so far) and we showed our IDP at the Avis counter. We also used our Costco Citi card. I didn’t not want to take a chance at any issue with coverage, regardless of Citi’s policy, so we reserved a car with “no deductible.” There were a few scratches on the car and the damages were all marked on the contract. The agent said we didn’t need to worry about anything because we had “no deductible” insurance. It was worth the very minor few hundred dollars extra for peace of mind. I’m also the traveler who purchases trip insurance in the event of a medical emergency. When I was doing my research about trip insurance and car rental coverage, I learned that Costco Citi card doesn’t offer the protections they used to offer. Not sure if that he changed in the last few months. Sounds like maybe it has?
