Rental car insurance: how to choose?
Renting a car, whether in France or abroad, often represents a significant expense, which one does not want to burden with too expensive insurance. However, it is essential to be well covered: an incident quickly happens and the bill, namely the deductible, can quickly climb (sometimes several thousand euros). It is therefore best to be serious about choosing temporary rental car insurance. Let's see together how to choose the right one.
Summary
Insurance and car rental: is it compulsory?
How to choose insurance for a rental car?
What are the essential guarantees of car rental insurance?
Car rental: what insurance with my bank card?
Rental to an individual: what insurance?
Car rental insurance abroad: focus
What about insurance for a long-term car rental?
Insurance and car rental: is it compulsory?
Do you necessarily have to take out auto insurance for a car rental? The question is legitimate, and whether you go through a professional rental company (Hertz, Avis, etc.) or through an individual (directly or via a connection platform).
The answer is yes. In France, any vehicle, even rented, must be insured. This is a legal obligation. The driver must at least be covered for Civil Liability (RC) for all damage (bodily and material) that he could cause to third parties: other motorist, passerby ... Car rental without insurance is therefore not possible.
What you have to understand is that only the liability warranty is mandatory. Nothing thus obliges the tenant to cover himself (individual accident cover) or to insure, for example, the vehicle against theft or fire.
The lessee does not always have to take out a specific rental insurance contract: the transfer of guarantees from his usual car contract (that of his personal vehicle) to the rental car is sometimes possible. However, this is not automatic: the extension of guarantees to the rented vehicle is often the subject of a chargeable option. If your contract provides for it, check the extent of the coverage: guarantees, extension conditions, limits (rental period, countries concerned, etc.) ...
Liability is always mandatory, regardless of whether you are renting from a rental agency or from an individual.
Compare auto insurance
How to choose insurance for a rental car?
Whether you rent from a professional or an individual, insurance must be adapted to your needs (rental period, type of vehicle, etc.) and to your budget. The cost of insurance can quickly climb: only take out coverages that you deem essential.
If you go through a rental agency, the easiest solution is often to subscribe to the "house" solution that is offered to you at the same time as the rental contract. All you need to do is sign and pay the premium, which will be included in the overall cost.
You can also, if your vehicle is already reserved, take out temporary car insurance (generally for a maximum of 3 months) from an independent insurer. Most large companies offer short-term auto insurance (this is the case with Axa, for example). We advise you to request as many quotes as possible and to put them in competition with the coverage offered by the lessor.
Opting for lessor insurance is not always the most economical solution. Compare your different options before making a choice!
It remains to know the criteria to be taken into account to compare the quotes received. Here are those that seem essential to us:
The amount of the premium,
The conditions of the Civil Liability cover (the compensation ceiling in particular),
Additional guarantees included and their cost: theft, fire, individual accident cover, etc.
The conditions of these guarantees (the level of the franchise buy-back in particular),
Assistance guarantees: breakdown, repatriation ...
Exclusions, that is to say cases which will prevent the triggering of guarantees: theft / loss of keys, damage due to overloading, interior damage caused to the vehicle, etc.
All insurers have their own formulas and optional guarantees. Take the time to compare them well.
At the level of the rental contract itself, beware of prices that are too “attractive”: these can hide (very) high deductibles in the event of a claim.
What are the essential guarantees of car rental insurance?
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