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Which car hire excess insurance policy is best for car rental in Ireland?

Car Hire Insurance in Ireland is provided by a wide range of insurers - We explain how you can search for the best policy for your requirements and show how to compare them.

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

Just like when you hire a car in the UK, you would normally find the main insurances of Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Protection and Third Party are included in car rental in Ireland. Car hire excess insurance can work together with the main insurance to cover some of the areas that you would still be liable for. Car hire excess insurance works on a reimbursement basis for the excess and for the cost of damage to the windows, mirrors, tyres, wheels, roof and under body. These are areas which are usually excluded from the CDW cover provided by your car hire company.

So which particular features of policies might be useful when choosing a rental car excess insurance policy to best fit your car hire in Ireland?

Ireland often has very high excess levels - we see some as high as €2500! You will discover that this level of excess can be covered by any of the policies through the MoneyMaxim comparison service. We have policies which cover excesses over £10,000.

Ireland is famous for its beautiful green landscapes with narrow twisting country lanes. Wing mirrors can easily be clipped or windscreens chipped by loose stones so having the benefit of cover for damage to windows can be a real bonus. All the policies via MoneyMaxim cover your windows.

Get an instant quote

Run a quotation using the MoneyMaxim car hire excess insurance comparison service, and you will be able compare different features from leading excess insurers in the UK with ease.

What does car hire insurance cover?

When booking car hire in Ireland you will usually find your package includes Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Protection and Third Party Liability Insurance. Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Protection both normally come with an excess, and this excess is what renters wish to cover with a car hire excess insurance policy. These policies also contain a number of additional benefits, such as misfuelling and towing cover.

If you are not a UK resident, or you have not booked through a UK website, it is a good idea to check the insurances above are definitely included within your car hire. Collision Damage Waiver is often covered through separate policies or through credit cards in North America so US and Canadian residents can, for example, find they do not have all the main insurances within their car hire contract.

Getting a Car Hire Excess Insurance Quotation

Here, we guide you through obtaining a quote for the best car hire excess insurance for Ireland to suit your needs. On the first page of the MoneyMaxim car hire excess comparison service you will be asked a few questions.

What vehicle type are you hiring?

There are specialist policies to cover motorhomes, for example, and not all car hire excess policies will cover up to 9 seats so choose the correct option from the drop down list.

What type of policy would you like?

Annual policies will cover as many car hires as you would like during the year BUT there is a maximum trip length for each of those hires. Short term is just for one single car hire and these can sometimes cover longer car hires than the annual policies.

Country of Residence

Some policies are offered to residents of countries all over the world whereas others are restricted to just residents of the UK. If you are unsure of your residency, choose a policy based on where you believe you are resident, then confirm this with that particular insurance company. Each company has different criteria when it comes to residency so it is always best to check before you buy.

Where are you hiring your vehicle?

All European policies will cover Ireland so you either select this or, if you would prefer, select Ireland from the drop down list.

Are you renting in your country of residence?

For example, if you are resident in Ireland and hiring in Ireland then you will need to say 'yes' to this question. Some policies are not available to people hiring in their home country. These policies will be removed from the results shown if you advise you are a resident in Ireland and are also hiring in the same country.

Please be aware that, if you are a UK resident and at any point in your hire you are driving the car in Northern Ireland, you will need to say 'yes' to this question. You will always need permission from your car hire company to take a hire car across a border and there is often a charge for this.

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

Once you have input your details (including the dates and times to match your car hire if it is a short term policy) you can click on 'Next Step'.

You can opt for 'Vehicle Hire Excess Insurance' if you are only looking to cover the excess on your car hire insurance. Excess cover together with CDW is available to those who do not have the main insurance included with their hire.

Once you have proceeded to the next page, you will need to check each of the boxes to confirm you have read and understood the statements.

Please read the final section carefully and add in your name and email address if you would like a copy of your results emailed to you. Otherwise you can proceed without and just have the results appear on your screen.

You should now have a table of results. However our unique comparison service allows you tailor your policy still further to find the best car hire excess insurance for your requirements.

Some of the options include the following:

• Breakdown Cover - This feature is not equivalent to the AA or RAC. It is the responsibility of the car hire company to make sure you are driving a mechanically sound vehicle. If something were to go wrong then they should be the first people you contact. Do not try to make repairs to the car without their permission. Some breakdowns, such as punctures, are considered negligence and you would be held responsible for the cost of repairs. In this case the repair costs of a tyre would be reimbursed using an excess policy. Towing cover is also offered by all the excess insurers but the level of cover varies so compare these using the Details button if it is a concern for you.

• Personal Effects / Baggage Cover - You will find a good quality travel insurance policy will often offer much better coverage for your personal items than the cover offered through a car hire excess policy. Also bear in mind that there are certain conditions which apply to baggage cover under excess policies which could limit their benefit to you.

• Multiple lead driver policies - All the excess insurance policies in your results will cover at least one additional driver on a car hire free of charge. However, if other members of the family, or someone living at the same address also rent cars these policies allowing more than one lead driver can come in very handy. These are only available as annual policies and can be filtered by ticking the box '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 by clicking on Details.

• Business Use - If you are hiring a car for business reasons then you will need to make sure the policy will cover you. Even when the policies will offer business use, you should still check the level of business cover they provide as they do not all offer the same level. Use the Details button to find more information on the type of business use covered and a link to the full policy document.

With all the policies shown in your results we provide further information so you can compare the options more fully. On the right hand side of the table, select the Add to Compare button and then the compare products at the top of the table to see the benefit levels of multiple policies side by side. The Details button enables you to view more information about each policy and Reviews gives access to feedback from previous customers about that particular insurance company.

Once you are happy with any policy you can click on Quick Buy or Buy Now to proceed.

Do you have any more questions? - please contact the MoneyMaxim team who will be delighted to assist you in your search - 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

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General Car Hire Insurance Questions Answered

• Does it matter what time of day I collect or return my hire car?
• What Does All Inclusive Car Hire Insurance Cover?
• What is Personal Effects Cover (PEC) and do I need it?
• Can a hire company refuse to accept a car hire excess policy?
• Do I need car hire cancellation insurance?
• What if I need a policy to cover two groups?
• Can I get car hire excess insurance to cover business use?
• Comprehensive Insurance on Rental Car - How to Make Sure You are Fully Covered
• Is damage to windows and tyres covered?
• Are there credit cards which offer Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Excess Insurance?
• Will car rental firms preauthorise on my credit card when I have car hire excess insurance?
• Does deductibles mean the same as excess?
• Do I need Car Hire Excess Insurance when I rent a car?
• How does your car hire excess insurance work?
• 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?
• What insurance policies are offered by Budget?
• What insurance policies are offered by Car Hire Brokers? And are they a good deal?
• Does Sixt include CDW in its car hire packages?
• What insurance policies are offered by Dollar?
• What insurance policies are offered by Economy Car Rentals?
• What insurance policies are offered by Enterprise?
• What insurance policies are offered by Hertz?
• National Car Hire - are their Super Cover collision damage waiver excess policies a good deal?
• What insurance policies are offered by No Excess Zest Car Rental?
• What insurance policies are offered by Sixt?
• Super CDW, Deductibles and Non Waiver - What do they mean?
• What insurance policies are offered by Thrifty?
• My hire company offers Super CDW or Excess cover? What is this?
• Super CDW, Deductible or Non Waiver - Terms Explained

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?
• Excess Insurance covers the under-body, roof and tyres but does it cover me if I have an accident?
• What Cover does Car Hire Insurance provide for Carjacking and Road Rage?
• What Cover does Car Hire Insurance provide for Curtailment or Restitution?
• Do I still have to provide my credit card for the excess on my hire car when purchasing a policy from you?
• What is Excess Waiver Insurance?
• 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?
• Can I get excess insurance for a pickup truck?
• What cars are covered by car hire insurance?
• What kinds of vehicles can you be covered for by an excess insurance policy?

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?
• How are worldwide policy claims handled?
• How are SLI/CDW Claims handled?
• Make Sure Your Car Hire Insurance Claim is Valid

Combined Worldwide CDW, SLI & Excess Policy Questions Answered

• Is Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) the same as Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)?
• What are the features of the CDW/LDW & SLI Policy?
• What does the term Collision Damage Waiver mean?
• Collision Damage Waiver Insurance - We explain what it is
• What cover is provided by the Combined Worldwide CDW, SLI & Excess Policy?
• What are the features of a Combined CDW, SLI and Excess policy?
• Is independent car hire insurance suitable for fly-drive holidays?
• Can I buy independant car-hire insurance for my fly drive holiday?
• Theft Protection - Car Hire definitions
• What Insurance Cover is Provided with an SLI Policy?

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?
• In which countries is Excess/Super CDW not charged?
• In which countries is Excess/Super CDW charged?
• Do Worldwide Excess Insurance Policies cover you everywhere in the world?

Car Rental Keys Questions Answered

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