I'd appreciate any input on insurance options for rental cars in Poland.
We are from the USA and will be renting in Krakow and returning in Wroclaw with an overnight in CZ Republic. We'd like to hear from people who have rented a car in Poland and how they arranged FULL coverage insurance. Did you use the rental car insurance or did you arrange for independent insurance in your home country? Are there other options I'm not aware of? We will be renting an economy car and using one of the large international rental outfits like Hertz or Avis. Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
Check to see what your credit card insurance covers -- some is primary rather than secondary. Amex has additional coverage for an extra $18-$21 per rental ( sign up in advance)
Posted by
OP
27 posts
I you use the rental car insurance, your credit card insurance will pay zero. Still trying to figure out which one has better coverage. I'm hearing nightmare stories from people who have used both.
Posted by
Parker, Texas, United States
29 posts
Try Autoeurope. They seem to provide a low price with full insurance coverage and book with a major rental company. They seem to have deals worked out with those companies. Rick seems to use them when they film him driving. As for using your credit card insurance, check closely as to the coverage, if they pay directly for the damage or if you pay then apply for reimbursement. See Rick's Travel Tips: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/car-rental-cdw
Posted by
OP
27 posts
https://www.rentalcover.com/site/contact
Has anyone used this company?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
About insurance generally...IME there are two credit card options that are good for this in general: American Express has an option on some of their cards for which you pay a small extra fee ($25 for coverage up to 30 days, IIRC). The Chase "Sapphire" cards (there's more than one) offers primary auto insurance at no extra charge. In both cases you need to pay for the car rental using that card. There are exclusions (no coverage in some countries, you must decline the insurance offered by the car rental agency, and some other small but critically important details). I've used the coverage provided by both the Amex and the Chase cards, it does work, and it can save you a bunch of money. But you need to be on your "A game" and you absolutely must read and understand and follow the rules - if you make a mistake, your coverage may not be in effect. I use this regularly and it works great, but you have to be paying attention and know details going in to it. There may be other credit cards that provide coverage, too. You will need to do your homework and double check all details.
About insurance for Poland and CZ Republic specifically...I have not investigated any details as they pertain to renting in Poland or CZ. For the credit cards I've used for coverage, I do not recall any exclusions listed specifically for Poland or CZ, but you must ask (the credit card company). If you use one of the credit cards, and their insurance covers those countries, great. However, the rental car agency may also have prohibitions about taking the car out/in some countries - you will need to ask them about that when you shop for the rental. Be sure you are up front with them about your plans for where you will take the car and about your plan for insurance. Hertz or Avis may be OK, but don't rule out other agencies.
Hope this helps. Good luck.