CDW stands for Collision Damage Waiver, and while this might appear to be one of the more expensive insurance options for your car rental, it is the most effective, most comprehensive, and will save you from a serious headache should you get into an accident while driving. There are a variety of insurance options when renting a car in Europe, including Theft Protection, but this add-on is most definitely worth it.
CDW Insurance means the car rental company waives the right to collect a high deductible from you if the car is damaged, and most importantly it covers most of the car if you are in a collision. It usually costs around €5-34 per day, and significantly reduces the deductibles owed if you do have an accident or there is damage to the vehicle.
The rental company waivers their right to make you, the renter, pay for damages to the car. If you do have an accident, or the car is stolen, without CDW Insurance you will have to pay for all the repairs and recovery charges, which can quickly become tens of thousands of euros. With CDW insurance you only must pay an excess or deductible, which will be significantly less. There are also options on some vehicles for an Excess Refund–more on that later.
It’s difficult to know what is going to happen on your road trip, but there is certainly a value to enjoying peace of mind while traveling. CDW Rental Car Insurance shifts all responsibility from the renter to the car rental company. The minimum liability insurance afforded to your rental car without any add-ons will mean you are not fully covered if something happens to the vehicle while in your care, but with CDW you can know you are fully covered while on your trip. Deciding whether you need to purchase CDW or LDW insurance is a personal choice in which you must balance the potential risk against the additional cost.
Our take: Nobody wants to need insurance, but it’s much better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
A lot of insurance companies include an excess or deductible with their insurance policy. This means that if something happens to the car you are liable to pay a charge to access your insurance. Some companies, like Chaniotis Rentals, refund this excess on some vehicles–this is known as an Excess Refund. This is an add-on but will most definitely give you peace of mind when you are on the road and if something does happen to you or the car. Look out for rentals that include collision (CDW) and theft protection insurance (TP) with Excess Refund/Refundable Deductible stated on the website.
First, as above, you can look for CDW and TP policies that have zero excess, just look out for these on Chaniotis | Paros Rentals website. This means you won’t be responsible for any repair fees or additional insurance charges should you get in an accident while driving your rental car.
Your car rental with Chaniotis | Paros Rentals also includes third party liability insurance, fire insurance, glass insurance, value-added taxes, 24h road assistance and unlimited mileage with the rental.
Credit Card Coverage:
Except for vehicles over €50,000, cars, and off-road vehicles including 4x4s, motorcycles, vans, you can use your credit card rental car insurance (if your credit card company offers this service to you–be sure to check ahead of time). The problem with credit card coverage is that it is limited to rentals under 30 days, and most credit cards will file a claim with your personal insurance company before reimbursing the deductible (this could also affect your personal driving records and insurance premiums).
Our Take: You don’t feel like you’re paying anything extra, but this option can be a real hassle to get reimbursed if you get into an accident.
