Types of insurance for car rental in Greece

Absolutely all of us want to make the most of our paid vacation. And of course, when you come to a country like Greece, sitting in a hotel or just relaxing on the beach is a real crime. Therefore, car rental is a great way to make your vacation unforgettable. And all cars for rent in Greece have to be insured.

In this article, we will analyze the features of car insurance for renting a car in Greece.

 

What is the insurance for in Greece

Car insurance in Greece is an important part of the rental agreement and you will not get a car without minimum insurance.

First of all, the insurance is necessary namely for the renter. It will protect him from unnecessary expenses if an accident is caused by his fault, the car is damaged or destroyed.

Each type of insurance protects against certain risks, so when executing a car rental, the agreement contains several insurance options at once.

In most cases, all drivers try to get the most complete insurance.

 

Types of car insurance

There are different types of car insurance; it is divided into 2 kinds: standard (or basic) and extended. Which one you will choose depends on how you take risks, your budget and rules of the rental company. The cost of the rental car insurance in Greece, as well as the car rent, is calculated for the days of use of the car.

 

Standard insurance

Usually the standard insurance is already included into the car rent. It includes the following types of insurance:

TP (Theft Protection) is the car theft insurance. Most often, it includes deductible, the amount of which is specified in the agreement. Moreover, different types of insurance may have different deductible amounts in the contract. Personal items in the passenger compartment are not covered by the insurance.

Deductible is the amount of the maximum pecuniary responsibility of the renter. Whatever happens, if the terms of the rental agreement are met, the driver will not pay more than the deductible amount is. A deductible and a deposit are not the same thing. Each car and type of insurance has a different deductible cost.

TPL (Third Party Liability) is the liability insurance for the case of an accident caused by the renter. If an accident is caused by the renter, the insurance company will pay for repairs to the damaged party. And if the extended insurance (CDW, SCDW, FDW) is absent, the repair of the rented car is fully paid by the renter. If he is not the responsible party, then the damage to his car will be paid by the guilty party’s insurance company.

The renter also takes responsibility for cases when any damage to the car is caused by his fault (for example, he ran into a tree), or if the guilty party of the accident is another driver who took off the spot of the accident.

These insurance policies are mandatory for car renting, and without them, you just will not get the car. In good rental companies, CDW insurance is also included into the list of mandatory ones. But it is not common for everywhere.

When you book on the website, please carefully consider which insurance types are included in the booking price. On our website, all the conditions are clearly specified when you register.

 

Extended insurance

There are 2 types of the extended insurance in Greece: the insurance with a deductible, and the one without it.

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) is the car damage insurance with a deductible. This type of insurance is included in the cost of the standard insurance by many rental companies. In such case, if faced with the insurance event, the renter pays everything that is less than the deductible amount. The insurance company pays for the rest.

Usually, the insurance does not include damage to the wheels, glass and passenger compartment, as well as damage and loss of the keys. That is why, driving on dirt roads should be careful. The insurance also does not include cases when the car theft or the car crash happen directly through the renter’s fault.

SCDW (Super CDW) is a type of CDW insurance, but with a reduced deductible, including a zero one. This is a safer option, but it also costs more.

FDW (Full Damage Waiver) is an insurance option without a deductible. That is, in case of an insurance event, the renter does not pay anything if the terms of the car rental agreement and the insurance agreement are met.

The insurance agreement usually does not include:

the damage to wheels and car glass

the damage of the passenger compartment

travelling by ferries

the damage that was sustained on dirt roads

the damage that was received outside the permitted car operation area.

Therefore, all unclear moments and any matters of concern should be discussed with the employees of the rental company in advance, when signing the papers.

However, some companies sometimes issue entirely complete kinds of insurance, which include all kinds of damage. This option is the safest for car rental, as you can stop worrying about anything. But it is also the most expensive. And you should always make sure that all the options are specified in the agreement.

 

Violations of the insurance agreement

Violations of the agreement include actions of the renter that clearly break the traffic rules and the Greek law. These include:

driving after drinking alcohol or using drugs

Alcohol cancels any insurance. Therefore, we strongly advise you not to “abuse" it when driving.

transferring steering to a driver who is not included in the agreement

extremely rude and careless driving

driving on the roads that are not intended for passenger cars

cases when the driver did not report to the insurance or rental company on an accident or a damage.

If it turns out that the renter has crudely violated the law in any of these ways, the insurance company will refuse to pay, leaving the driver alone with the rental companies, the police, and often with the court.

 

Documents for insurance registration

To obtain insurance for a car in Greece, you need the same documents as for car rental. After all, the insurance is issued directly at the time of signing the rental agreement. To do this, you need 3 main documents: an international passport, a driver's license and an IDP (international driver's license).

Greece signed the Vienna Convention in 1968, according to which in Greece it is possible to use the national driving licenses of the countries participating in this Convention. But practically, most of rental companies, especially the ones in large cities, refuse to rent out cars without an IDP.

It is also a good reason for having less claims from insurance companies and from police on the road.

In order to rent a car in Greece, it is highly recommended to issue an IDP before the trip. This will significantly simplify communication with rental companies and insurance companies. The IDP is issued at the traffic police department during just one day. You only need to register and pay the state fee.

 

Renting in MOTOR PLAN and the advantages of working with insurance

When you rent a vehicle in MOTOR PLAN, you have the opportunity to study all the insurance conditions that rental companies provide for their cars. You can book the car that you like with full insurance WITH ZERO EXCESS.

In addition, MOTOR PLAN has some other advantages:

very transparent and clear conditions written in the cards of all cars;

convenient booking and filtering system: you can choose a car with a free second driver- unlimited mileage at once

the car is delivered to your hotel or airport

support service, which will help you at any stage of the car renting. In particular, our specialists will help you if you have to communicate with an insurance company.

 

Conclusion

A car in Greece is not a luxurious thing, but a necessity if you want to see the true beauty of this wonderful country. And we recommend that you take out full insurance when you rent a car so that nothing could spoil your trip. This way you can completely relax and enjoy your vacation!

 

Explore Greece with MOTOR PLAN !

We wish you good luck on the roads!