Everything is booked except rental car....HELP!!

Question 2: LDW is basically the same as CDW, I believe though, it just covers loss to the car rented, not liability of injury to yourself or others or damage to other cars or property. In addition, look more into what the credit card insurance gets you and that it is indeed valid in all of the countries you will be in...virtually all credit cards do not cover Italy for example. It would be best to look at a comprehensive policy from a third party like travelguard or other companies. I too never get insurance here in the states, but overseas, I just do not want the hassle if something happens, do not want to spend days of my trip sorting out issues.

Question 4: Make sure the rental agency you go with is aware of your plans, they may require specific coverage, charge an additional fee, or possibly even prohibit crossing borders or travel to specific countries. They may likely also have no issues, but they are the ones to ask.

I always recommend that people go to Gemut.com for help with renting a car. Read their website thoroughly, especially the online brochure, What you should know about renting a car in Europe in 2014. Then call Andy for help. He will find you the best deal and tell you the straight story on all your questions and concerns. We have rented cars through them on 3 trips so far and been very happy with the results. BTW, they label themselves as car rental experts for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but they really are experts for more places than that.

See p.15 of the brochure for a mention of Croatia. That may be the only place there is one, so be sure to ask Andy about that.

See p.4 about CDW in Italy. In 2011, we rented a car in Stuttgart which we drove through the Alps, including Italy. Because we rented the car in Germany, we were not required to buy the CDW, but the rental agent where we got the car did raise an eyebrow and make a note when he learned we were driving through Italy.

See p.6 for information on International Driving Permits (IDP). You, and anyone who might have to drive the car if you can't, should have one.

See p.14 about driving in Italy.

Finally, be aware that the primary driver must be the person whose credit card is used for the rental. We got dinged for that when we turned in our car in France because I used my card for the rental but my husband drove the car. So we had to pay extra for all the days we had the car. There is a mention of this on p.5 of the brochure under Other Rental Charges -- Extra Drivers.

As for your #3 questions, based on our experience, the answers are yes and yes.

We have rented twice from Auto Europe and once from another company whose name I don't remember. I would highly recommend buying the supplemental insurance, even though it is expensive. Even though you are a safe driver, you could get small dings and scratches from other cars in a parking lot, etc. And I would also recommend THOROUGHLY inspecting the car when you pick it up, taking photos of even the smallest scratches and dings and also pointing them out to the rental agent when you pick up the car. On our first experience (not with Auto Europe), we didn't do this and our insurance was billed an exorbitant amount for the small scratches that were there when we picked the car up. When we protested, the answer was "you have insurance, so it doesn't affect you anyhow." Needless to say, we didn't rent from them again.

And, as pointed out above, in most cases your credit card covers only damage to YOUR car, not anyone you might hit. Not worth it to become involved in cross-oceanic insurance issues should you have an accident where you may be at least partially at fault.

I have also used autoeurope and gemut.com and had vg results. Eastern European countries are very expensive for rentals so that explains the high rates. They have a lot of crime with regard to cars and accidents. As a rule I stay away from car rentals in that part of Europe. Definitely get full insurance coverage from car rental co, you do not want any issues. Also always take pics of the car you rent bef you leave and when u drop,off. Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone........going to contact Gumet tomorrow and see what they have to say. Very impressed with their website and the pamphlet. I'm willing to pay alittle more for peace of mind and knowing I have required documents, insurance, and so forth.

Thanks again!

Tom

I have rented through AutoEurope at least a dozen times in England, France, Germany and Austria and have had fantastic service and not one problem (in fact, most often we get upgraded to a Mercedes!). I just rented an economy car from them for 17 days in August (Hertz is the provider) and it amounts to $25 Canadian per day - awesome. I have insurance coverage through my Visa card (it only covers you if you pay for the rental on the card and DON'T get the car agency coverage). I also have a rental car rider in my Canadian policy that covers rentals in Europe (check with your broker). AutoEurope also honored our Frankfurt rental a year ago when our flight was diverted because of snow to Munich and never charged a drop-off fee. Just like at home, do a careful walk around the car when you pick it up and make sure every ding and scratch are noted on the forms and signed by you and the rental agent. We've had great experience renting in Europe at a very reasonable price and we love the freedom of touring small centers and sites on our own (it's also great fun cruising the autobahn in the Turbo Audi S6 we were upgraded too!). Driving in the countries we've driven in is as easy as driving in North America.

I forgot to mention one thing - if you rent in Europe and depend on your own insurance coverage (not purchasing theirs), take along a photocopy of your US or Candian insurance coverage (just the card you keep in your glove compartment at home) and a letter from Visa confirming your coverage for the country of rental (Visa will send you this letter for free). We almost always rent in Germany and you do not need an International Drivers Licence there.

Lots of good advice above.