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Which car hire excess insurance policy will cover you best in Spain?

Car Hire Insurance in Spain is widely available - Discover how you can compare quotes to find the best policy for your particular needs.

What Car Hire Insurance do I need when I hire a car in Spain?

Compare car hire insurance prices with MoneyMaxim

When you hire a car in Spain, like in the majority of car hires in Europe, you would usually expect to have the main insurances included with your hire car. You could just decide to take no further cover over and above this, however this option could leave you liable for a large excess and for any exclusions to the Collision Damage Waiver.

Taking out a European car hire excess insurance policy alongside the main insurance, means you can be reimbursed should you have to pay out for any excess or incur damage to parts of the car which may not be covered by the main insurance.

So when it comes to finding the best car hire excess insurance in Spain, which particular features might you want to consider?

By running a quotation through the MoneyMaxim car hire excess insurance comparison service you can easily compare different features from the leading excess insurers here in the UK.

We take you step by step through the process so you can understand how to find the best cover for your rental car insurance needs in Spain.

Overview

As mentioned, car hire in Spain normally includes the main insurances of Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft Protection and Third Party. It is important that you establish that you have these with your hire as an excess policy only works if you do! This is especially relevant to those living outside the UK. If you find you do not have the main insurances, or do not understand what these are, then a quick call to MoneyMaxim and we can help guide you.

The car hire excess policies through MoneyMaxim, subject to terms and conditions, will cover you for the excess on your CDW or theft cover, and also reimburse you for the cost of damage to the wheels, tyres, roof, underbody and glass elements of the car which are all areas often excluded from your CDW.

How do I run a Car Hire Excess Insurance Quotation?

When you run a quote with MoneyMaxim, there are only a few questions to answer. The policy must be taken out in the name of the lead driver (the person taking charge of the car) and purchased before you actually have the keys in your hand.

Where are you renting your car?

Choose a European policy if you are just hiring in Spain. This will cover not just the mainland, but also the Balearic Islands such as Majorca, Menorca or Ibiza or the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera or El Hierro).

If you are planning a second car hire later in the year outside Europe consider a Worldwide policy. Strange as it may seem, not all insurers have the same definition of Europe so if you are unsure as to which would cover you select 'A specific country' and selecting from the drop down list, the results will be filtered appropriately for you.

You will need to have permission from your car hire company if you are planning to drive your car into another country, however any excess insurance policy for Spain would also cover nearby countries such as France, Gibraltar or Portugal.

An exception to this is Andorra as not all policies cover car hires there - so it's best to use the Specific County filter if travelling there.

What type of car hire insurance policy do you require?

Do you need annual or short term cover? If you are hiring a car for more than 17 days during a year then an annual policy can work out cheaper for you. Less than this and short term would be the way forward. An annual policy enables you to hire as many cars as you want during the year as along as the total number of days in one single hire does not exceed the stated trip length limit on the policy.

Country of Residence

Entering your correct residence is important as not all policies are available to customers worldwide. It may also have a bearing on the policies that are open to you where you are hiring. The criteria for residency differ between companies so, if you are not sure where you would be considered resident, then take a look at their terms and conditions.

Are you renting in your country of residence?

This may seem an odd question but the reason is some policies are not available to those hiring in their own country. If you say 'yes' to this question - for example if you are Spanish or an Ex-Pat living there and hiring in Spain - then any insurers who do not allow home rentals will be filtered out.

How to compare your results to find the best car hire insurance policy for you

After you have clicked 'Get Results' you will be presented with a table of results. You can compare the levels of cover offered by each provider. Additional information is shown when you hover or click on each line. Each individual's needs are different from the next so it is important you consider each policy and what it offers to discover which car hire excess policy is best for your trip to Spain.

If you are hiring a vehicle with over 9 seats, a van or a motorhome then relevant policies are available through MoneyMaxim. Just select the applicable vehicle type in answer to the first question.

• Breakdown Cover - This feature is not the equivalent to AA or RAC service. It is the responsibility of the car hire company to provide you with a mechanically sound vehicle. If something were to go wrong then you need to contact them first. Do not attempt repairs without their permission. Some breakdowns fall outside of this, however, such as a puncture. This is seen as negligence and you would be held responsible. Towing is offered by all the excess insurers but limits vary so compare these if this is a concern for you.

• Personal Effects / Baggage Cover - A good travel insurance policy will usually offer much better coverage for your personal items than those through a car hire excess policy. Also bear in mind that there are conditions which apply to baggage cover under excess policies such as not being left on show in the vehicle. Baggage cover may therefore not be a crucial feature when choosing your excess insurance for Spain if you have travel insurance.

• Courtesy Car Cover - This feature will cover a car you are borrowing from a garage perhaps if your car has gone in for repairs. Tick the box at the top of the table to be covered for the excess in this scenario as well. There needs to be a signed formal agreement with the garage which documents your liability. You would need to check the excess insurance would cover you if you then decide to take the borrowed car overseas - presuming you have permission from the garage of course!

• Car Club members - If you are a member of a car club (these are clubs where as a member you can borrow cars for short periods, picking up and returning the vehicles to allocated spaces usually within the larger cities) there are policies to cover car club excess insurance. Do check any policy carefully if you require this cover as some policies would only cover car clubs in say the UK.

• Multiple lead driver policies - The excess insurance policies shown in your results table will all cover at least one additional driver on a car hire free of charge. However, if you require a policy which will allow more than one lead driver - if for example you will be hiring more than one car at the same time then tick the box to 'Show policies allowing more than one driver to rent cars independently of each other'. Please note that conditions do apply and more information can be found on our Multiple lead driver page. These are only available as annual policies.

More questions? - don't hesitate to call the MoneyMaxim team who will be delighted to assist you in your search to find additional car hire insurance for Spain - we have been helping customers find car hire excess insurance for 10 years now and will be happy to help you too.

This content was last reviewed on 31/10/2023

Image courtesy of: David at Pixabay

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General Car Hire Insurance Questions Answered

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• What if I have a problem printing or downloading the car hire insurance document?
• Does my car rental agreement already include insurance?
• Do I have to pay an excess if I buy a car hire excess insurance?
• Can I use motorhome hire excess insurance to cover peer-to-peer hires?
• Are other people travelling with me covered?
• No Excess Car Hire - What does this include?
• Will car hire insurance cover me if I pick the car up at one location and return it to another?
• Can I use car hire excess insurance to cover peer-to-peer hires?
• What is Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) and do I need it?
• What is covered by the Theft insurance included in the car rental price?
• What if I am unable to open my MoneyMaxim email with my car hire or car hire excess insurance quotes on?
• What does towing cover on car hire excess insurance include and how does it work
• Which insurance do I need for my car hire?
• What do zero excess car hire insurance policies offer?

Your Driver related Questions Answered

• What are the age limits on Car Hire Insurance policies? Are policies available for those over 85?
• Can I buy car hire excess insurance if I am under 21 years old?
• Do I need to buy a second excess insurance policy for an additional driver?
• Can I cover two or more lead drivers on one policy?
• Are other people travelling with me in my hire car covered?

Car Hire Companies - Your Insurance Questions Answered

• What insurance policies do Alamo offer?
• What insurance policies are offered by Auto Europe?
• What is Avis Insurance Cover like? Do they have CDW, Liability and Excess Waiver Cover?
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Daily and Annual Policy related Questions Answered

• What is an Annual Car Hire Excess Insurance Policy?
• What are the advantages of buying annual car hire excess insurance?
• What do you mean by annual policy? Can I use it throughout the year?
• What are the restrictions on the Annual Excess Policies?
• What does Daily Car Hire Excess Insurance mean?
• My car hire is for 31 days. Should I take a daily 31 day car hire excess insurance policy or an annual policy?
• Should I buy an annual Car Hire Excess Insurance policy or single trip policy for my upcoming hire car?

Excess Insurance Questions Answered

• What is Covered by Baggage and Personal Accident Cover?
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• What Cover does Car Hire Insurance provide for Carjacking and Road Rage?
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• Do I still have to provide my credit card for the excess on my hire car when purchasing a policy from you?
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• What Countries are designated European for Excess Insurance?
• How do I know what the excess limit is for my hire car?
• What Cover is Provided by Car Hire Excess Cancellation Insurance?
• Do I have to have Excess Cover?
• Does Car Hire Excess mean I wouldn't have to pay for anything?
• What is an Excess on a Car Hire and what are my responsibilities for it?
• How large does my excess insurance limit need to be?

Vehicle related Questions Answered

• Do you cover vehicles such as Camper Vans, Caravans and Motor Bikes?
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• What cars are covered by car hire insurance?
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Purchase related Questions Answered

• Can I buy car hire excess insurance when I am not in the UK?
• How far in advance can I buy car hire excess insurance?
• Can I purchase your Excess Policies if I am not a resident of the UK?
• Can I just buy an insurance policy, or do I need specific dates to be able to buy my insurance?
• Is the price displayed a daily or total cost?
• When is the best time to get Excess Insurance?

Claims related Questions Answered

• How good are these companies at settling claims?
• How do I make a Claim on my Excess Insurance?
• Will a car hire accident claim affect my car no claims bonus?
• Does Excess Insurance cover Bodywork Claims?
• How are Excess Insurance Claims handled?
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Combined Worldwide CDW, SLI & Excess Policy Questions Answered

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Questions on CDW & SLI Policies for the USA and Canada Answered

• What are the restrictions on the CDW/LDW & SLI Policy for the USA and Canada?
• If I purchase a Collision Damage Waiver and Supplementary Liability Insurance Policy, am I fully covered for car rental insurance in the USA and Canada?
• What are the requirements for car rental insurance in the USA and Canada?

• What is European Car Hire Excess Insurance?

Geographical related Questions Answered

• Why are there restrictions on UK usage?
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Car Rental Keys Questions Answered

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