I am renting a car for 7 days in Spain. I will be traveling all through Portugal and Southern Spain. Should I get loss and collision and well as personal insurance for the car?
Of course, unless you think nothing will happen and you are willing to take a substantial risk.
Check out your coverage if you have a Visa Credit card. We had a small dent on our rental car, through Europecar once and the cost end up being $400. Visa paid it no questions asked. It's worth looking into.
Elizabeth, I normally just accept the full insurance package offered by the rental firm (except for medical insurance), although it's often a bit expensive. I've used rental car coverage from premium credit cards in the past, but found it was a bit complicated with numerous exclusions and conditions. For driving in Spain, you may wish to have a look at the applicable section on This website concerning International Driver's License requirements for driving in Spain. Happy travels!
You should contact your insurance agent and find out what coverages will carry over from your car to the rental car and the country in which you are traveling(and verify by looking at your policy yourself as some agents are woefully uninformed). Property damage and Bodily injury to others should be reviewed in particular, as rental policies are often extremely low in limits; ie, the minimum they can get a way with per statute. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. In addition, the credit cards often cover the CDW, but you are hassled a bit when the car is turned in. If you have purchased the rental car's CDW(collision damage waiver), you just hand them the keys and walk away. Peace of mind.