Know Your Auto Rental Insurance Options Before You Buy

Getting information about whether or not you need any additional insurance on an auto rental is as important as packing your swimsuit.

Dan Tratensek rents more than 50 cars each year while traveling for the National Retail Hardware Association. While his destinations vary from domestic locations such as Georgia to international ones like
Germany, there’s one thing Tratensek never waivers on: whether to purchase additional coverage at the rental counter. “Never,” he says.

“For the first year I traveled, I tended to buy car-rental insurance because I didn’t know any better, and the agents made it sound as if you don’t have any coverage outside of what they can offer you,” he says.