Renting a car? Your travel insurance plan may help protect you.
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 2 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 2 2024, please see below.
There’s nothing quite like setting out on the open road with the windows down, the music blaring, and the wind blowing in your hair. Us nomads love our road trips, and we’ve discovered some of the best ones in our travels. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Route 66, and the Pacific Coast Highway are a few of our favorites here in the US.
While we look forward to our time on the road, the process of renting a car can be daunting. We’ve been the ones standing at the rental car counter totally confused by the legalese and wondering if we need to buy car rental insurance. It’s not cheap - and sometimes the insurance offered by the rental company may cost almost as much as the car rental itself.
Even though dealing with car rental insurance can be confusing, it can be risky to not have it. If you’ve ever experienced the narrow roads in Italy and potholes in Costa Rica, you know what we mean. Nobody plans to get into a car accident while they’re traveling, but sometimes the unexpected happens. The fear gets even more real once you start to think about what it’s going to cost to fix or replace the rental car you just wrecked.
If you’re renting a car while you’re traveling, you may want to consider getting a quote for a travel insurance plan that includes rental car damage insurance*.
In all states except Washington, rental car damage insurance is included in the Explorer, Epic or Annual Plans (the Standard plan does not have the benefit included). If you’re on a trip and your rental car gets damaged due to a collision, theft, vandalism, natural disaster, or any cause beyond your control, rental car damage insurance may help you be reimbursed for the cost of repairing the car.
You’ll want to review each of the travel insurance plans offered by World Nomads to make sure you understand the rental car damage insurance coverage. You can compare the differences in each plan’s Maximum Benefit Amount for rental car damage insurance when you get a quote.
All car rental companies are different, but any reputable car rental company should have their insurance requirements listed on their website. If they don’t, call them. We highly suggest that you read the wording in your World Nomads travel insurance plan to make sure you understand the rental car insurance that’s included. Make sure the plan limits meet the requirements of the car rental company you are renting from.
It’s also a good idea to email your rental car insurance documents to the car rental company ahead of time so they have it on file. We know that once you’re at the counter picking up your car, you’re just ready to hit the road and get your trip started. By emailing those documents ahead of time, you may be able to help speed up the process. You’ll also want to take a printed copy of the documents with you just in case the person at the counter can’t access the ones you sent.
While rental car damage insurance is a great benefit of your World Nomads travel insurance plan, it doesn’t cover everything. If you wreck your rental car after throwing back too many tequila shots in Cancun, you won’t be covered.
Some other things that wouldn’t be covered include:
First and foremost, make sure you and your passengers are ok if the damage is due to a collision.
If you’re injured, reach out to the 24/7 emergency assistance team and they can help you get the medical care you need. Even if there’s no injuries, you’ll still want to reach out to them to let them know of the damage to your rental car.
You’ll also want to notify the company that you rented the car from and the local authorities (if appropriate). The rental car company will advise you on what to do with the vehicle. You’ll want to take all necessary steps to protect the vehicle and prevent further damage to it.
If another automobile was involved in the accident, get information from the other driver. You’ll want to get their name, address, insurance information, and driver’s license number.
When you turn in the car, you’ll need to find out how much it is going to cost to fix it. You will need to get an official written estimate that details exactly what is being repaired and the costs associated with it. Make sure that you keep this, and all documents that include information about the incident. This includes the police report, rental agreement, and damage estimate. Pictures of the damaged vehicle will be helpful as well.
That supporting documentation is very important and is needed to help you be reimbursed for any repair costs that you pay the car rental facility. Once you have all of your paperwork together, you can log in to your member account online to start a claim. If you didn’t create one previously, you can still create an account.
As nomads ourselves, we’ve learned a few things along the way as we’ve road tripped to some of the coolest places on the planet.
A few of our tips include:
*All information we provided here is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions of the plans described. Please carefully read your state specific plan documents for a full description of coverage. Travel insurance is included as part of your travel protection plan which contains both insurance benefits and non-insurance assistance services. Material included on this page does not represent, nor is it specific to, United States Fire Insurance Company or travel insurance benefits provided on United States Fire Insurance Company’s travel protection plans.
I arrived in Delhi from Rome. Baggage claim help desk informed me that my bag had been delayed in transit. I was without my bag for almost a week before it was finally delivered to me. It was cold in Delhi (being winter, December) and my warm jacket was in my bag, requiring that I purchase a jacket and other items of warm clothing that I had not taken in my carry-on.
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Here are our most frequently asked questions about cover for rental car protection. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.
Possibly - it depends on the country you are visiting. Not all countries accept a US driver’s license, but many accept an International Driving Permit (IDP). The US Department of State is a good resource to research the countries you’ll be visiting so that you can learn ahead of time what license you’ll need. They also provide information on how to get an IDP if you need one. Don’t wait until you get to your destination - do your research before you depart on your trip.
Take a look at the rental car insurance requirements for the company you’re renting from. You can usually find these online, but if you can’t, call the company and ask. Review the rental car insurance included in your World Nomads travel insurance plan and make sure the policy limits match the rental car company's requirements. If their requirements are higher than your policy limits, you may need to consider additional coverage. If you have questions about your rental car coverage, you can always contact us and we can help explain what’s included.
No, rental car damage insurance is not available to purchase separately but is included in the Explorer, Epic and Annual travel insurance plans offered by World Nomads (except in Washington State). When you get a quote for travel insurance, you can learn about what is included in each plan.
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.