If you are vacationing in Europe and you want to see more of the continent then you will need to rent a car. When you rent the car then some forms of European auto insurance are usually included in the rental cost but you should ask just what you are covered for. Taking a trip to Europe and touring round one or several countries should be a lot of fun. You don’t want to spoil your vacation by incurring and large, unexpected expenses.

When you rent a car the cost will normally cover liability insurance but may not always include fire and theft. If you plan on visiting Italy then you have to have theft insurance. If you don’t want to find yourself with auto repair costs in the event of a crash then you need the protection of a collision damage waiver.

You should consider what sort of insurance cover you will need when you are planning your vacation. If you live in the United States then it is possible to get a collision damage waiver before you go abroad. You can get up to $35,000 cover for accident damage (although you may not be covered for the first $250) for less than $10 a day plus a very low policy fee. Paying for the waiver before you go is probably cheaper than the waiver the rental agency may be able to provide.

In some European countries having a collision damage waiver is a legal requirement. It will cost you more, up to $25 a day from the rental agency, but that’s a whole lot cheaper than paying for the damage, or even for a new car. Make sure that you are fully insured against most if not all eventualities when you are driving abroad and you should have a vacation to remember.