Most car rental companies offer a variety of insurance coverages including coverage against damages to the vehicle, its occupants and third parties.

The most commonly available insurance coverage for car rentals are:

• Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) also known as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): This coverage typically waives financial responsibility if the rental car is damaged or stolen. It also covers loss-of-use charges while the rental is in the shop, towing charges, and related fees.
  
  If you already have comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car insurance policy, the value of your rental car is likely covered even in the event of a total loss. You'll only be responsible for the deductible, plus any added fees imposed by the rental company.

• Additional Liability Insurance (ALI) also known as Liability Coverage: This coverage protects against potential lawsuits should the authorized driver, while behind the wheel, injure someone or cause damage to someone else´s property.
  
  In the United States, Liability Coverage is mandatory in 49 states (exception: New Hampshire) but the coverage limit itself will vary by state. Check each state’s minimum required limit here and avoid inconveniences during your trip.

• Personal Effects Coverage (PEC): This coverage insures any personal items kept in the rental vehicle.
  
  If you have homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance or condo policy, your personal items will generally be covered even if they are stolen from a rental car. You should, however, always review your policy documents in order to be sure of what it covers before you elect or decline this coverage.

• Personal Accident Insurance (PAI): Personal Accident Insurance helps you handle the medical and out-of-pocket costs that add up after an accidental injury. This may include emergency treatment, hospital stays and medical exams, as well as other expenses you may face.
  
  If your personal health insurance already covers accidents, then you most likely won´t need to purchase this coverage at the rental location. You should, however, always review your policy documents in order to be sure of what it covers before you elect or decline this coverage.

Optional coverages can be added to your reservation during the booking process or directly over the rental counter. It’s important, however, to stress that the inclusion of any additional coverages offered over-the-counter is entirely up to you.

In your Booking Confirmation Voucher you’ll find a complete description of all the insurance coverages included in your hired service package. When picking up your vehicle, make sure to have understood the rental conditions as well as the details of what you will be charged for before signing the rental agreement.

Should you suffer any mishaps while enjoying your rental car, you should always follow the procedures established by the rental company for such cases. Common practices include, presenting an incident report/police report and filling in the rental company’s accident form within 24h of the incident, amongst others. This information is readily available at the rental location as well as in the rental agreement itself.

Car rental excess insurance is a coverage that protects you against any excess charges you may incur should your rental car be damaged or stolen.

Excess limits vary between rental companies, the type of insurance hired and the category of the rental vehicle. You can check the approximate cost of excess insurance during the booking process at Rentcars. It´s also important to check all other insurance costs and details when signing your rental agreement.

Yes. Normally, rental companies do not offer insurance for items such as: extras, tires, rims, suspension damaged by potholes or curbs, dents, scratches and cracks on the windshield.

Furthermore, loss of or damage to the vehicle´s key or its documents that was brought on by flooding or any other form of force majeure is not covered.

These elements may vary between rental companies. When you sign the rental agreement and pick up your vehicle, make sure you to check all insurance specifications.

Rentcars does not provide any type of receipt for your car rental, however, you may request a receipt from the rental company when picking up or dropping off your rental.

No, Rentcars does not charge a booking rate for your reservation. The administrative fees specified in the daily rates are imposed by the rental companies and are comprised of municipal, state, federal and airport fees.

Your daily fee includes a 24 hour vehicle rental period (starting from the time you sign your rental agreement), unlimited mileage, basic insurance coverage and the rental company’s administrative fees. There may be exceptions where mileage is limited so always make sure to check what services are included in your rental. Furthermore, when signing your rental contract, you may be offered the option of adding on extras to your vehicle (such as a GPS) – keep in mind that it is entirely up to you whether or not to add them to your rental.

The daily fee at some destinations depend on the pick-up and drop-off times established in the rental agreement. In such cases, even if your rental period does not complete 24 hours, you will be charged for a 24 hour rental period. It is important to note that even if your rental period is less than 24 hours, if you don’t return the vehicle at the established time, you will be charged for an additional rental period of 24 hours.

If the total charged by the rental company is greater than what was agreed upon with Rentcars, you may ask the rental company to specify what the extra charges are for. It is not uncommon for rental companies to offer additional services when signing the rental agreement but keep in mind that these extra items are not a requirement for you to be able to pick-up your vehicle. The decision is entirely yours.

Before signing the rental agreement, read it thoroughly. Should you have any doubts or should something be unclear, ask a company employee to go over the details with you or reach out to our Booking Center.

Important: After returning your rental, the rental company, if applicable, may charge to your card any outstanding toll services or traffic fines incurred during the rental period

Yes, and it’s quite simple. You can modify or cancel your reservation through your account using your registered login and password. We recommend, however, that you thoroughly read the conditions for changing or cancelling a booking beforehand. These can be found in the confirmation voucher sent to your e-mail or by accessing the My Bookings section in your account page.

It is important to note that all requested modifications will be subject to availability and possible price changes. Always assess the pros and cons of changing your booking, especially during high season.

You can modify or cancel your reservation through your account using your registered login and password. We recommend, however, that you thoroughly read the conditions for changing or cancelling a booking beforehand. These can be found in the confirmation voucher sent to your e-mail or by accessing the My Bookings section in your account page. 

You can also request a booking modification or cancellation through Rentcars´s Booking Center.

Bookings set for payment at destination do not hold a cancellation fee. International bookings that have been paid for online, however, possess a cancellation fee equivalent to 5% of the total paid amount.

Should it be necessary, we always recommend that you cancel your reservation in advance so as to avoid possible no-show fee charges by the rental company.

Making a change to your booking is quick, easy and can be done via your account page or by reaching out to our Booking Center. If the change in your booking calls for a reduction in the amount already paid, Rentcars will refund the difference via PayPal. On the other hand, if the change calls for an increase in price, Rentcars will send you a link redirecting you to Paypal´s payments page where you will be able to pay for the difference.

Bookings paid for on-line, whether entirely or partially, must be canceled through Rentcars, never through Paypal or the rental company.

If you cancel your reservation through PayPal, PayPal will have to check whether or not a transaction from you to Rentcars was completed and if the service paid for was received but, since the booking will still be active, PayPal will understand that the service was in fact received and they will not refund the amount.

When you cancel your booking directly through Rentcars, we inform PayPal of the cancelation and the amount paid is returned to your account without any hassles.

Find out how to cancel your reservation.

If you cancel your reservation before the pick-up date, you will be charged for 5% of the total amount paid so as to cover the incurred administrative expenses. If you cancel your reservation after the set pick-up date, however, you will be charged a total equivalent to one day daily rate.

Some rental companies may charge a cancellation fee, which is a percentage of the reservation amount, if cancellation is made within 24 hours prior to vehicle pickup. To avoid this charge, please request cancellation at least 48 hours in advance. Please be aware that this is a specific condition of the rental company that is unrelated to Rentcars's cancellation policy as described above. 

Please note: the rental company cancellation fee will be added to Rentcars cancellation policy.

In case a reservation that has been paid for online is not redeemed, or in the case you do show up at the rental location so as to claim your reservation but fail to meet the minimum established requirements (i.e: invalid driver’s license; credit card does not possess sufficient funds for the security deposit; etc.), Rentcars will charge you for one daily rate of the reservation’s total amount and will refund the remainder. In such cases, so that we may provide the appropriate refund, a receipt from the rental company may be necessary.

Note: Car rental company, Keddy, has a pre-set No-Show fine.

Some rental companies may charge a no-show fee, which is a percentage of the reservation amount in case of no show at vehicle pickup. Please be aware that this is a specific condition of the rental company that is unrelated to Rentcars's cancellation policy as described above. Rental company's conditions are available on our website during the purchase and also on the voucher.

After completing the booking process, you will be able to track your reservations´s status by accessing your account with your registered login and password. Once your reservation is confirmed, we´ll also send you a confirmation e-mail with all of your booking details.

Some Brazilian rental companies perform this extra verification step so as to ensure that the confirmed reservation will be put to use. It is important that you reply to the email providing the requested information within the established deadline so as to ensure your booking.

Important: Rentcars guarantees complete confidentiality of your personal information. We will NEVER request your credit card information via telephone, email or live chat. For your own safety, online payment transactions are only processed through our secure and encrypted environment.

If you are unsure of the email´s origin or require further assistance, please reach out to us.

The booking confirmation e-mail is sent to the address you registered during the booking process. Please check your inbox as well as your SPAM folder to be sure of whether or not it was received. In any case, you can always access your account and check your reservation´s status in My Bookings. Should you have any doubts or questions you´d like cleared up, you may always reach out to us for further information.

Unfortunately, rental companies cannot guarantee a booking based on make, model, color or other specifications. Rental companies work with vehicle groups comprised of a variety of makes, models and colors that possess the same basic configuration. When signing your rental agreement, you will be able to choose from the available vehicles that fall under the booked vehicle group.

Yes, rental companies offer the option of including an additional driver but note that the person added to the booking as such is subject to the same terms and conditions as the person who placed the reservation.

This service is charged as an Extra and the amount charged can differ between rental companies.

Yes, rental companies offer the option of including more than one additional driver. All additional drivers are subject to the same terms and conditions as the person who placed the reservation.

For some locations, the option of selecting this Extra during the booking process is made available. If you place your reservation over the phone, through our Booking Center, make sure you request that this extra be included.

In locations where this Extra is not available during the booking process, you may always reach out to the rental company and check if they have any available.

Yes, rental companies offer the option of including a GPS during the booking process. If you place your reservation over the phone, through our Booking Center, make sure to request that this extra be included.

A car rental agreement is a signed contract between the renter and the rental company that specifies the terms, conditions and policies of the rental.

Go over the information contained in this document thoroughly and be sure to clear up any doubts or questions you may have before signing it. Once signed, you will have agreed with all its specifications.

Sunpass is an automatic payment system, stuck on the inside of your vehicle´s windshield, and that´s valid within Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

Because it´s automatic, Sunpass helps save time when passing tolls through exclusive Sunpass lanes on toll roads. In other words, if you've booked a Sunpass for your car rental, you'll be able to zip right by toll plazas without even slowing down. 

Instead of stopping to pay at every toll plaza, Sunpass sensors will automatically charge the toll fare to the car rental company which will, in turn, deduct the amount from the returnable security deposit required when picking-up the vehicle.

Check to see if your elected car rental company offers this optional extra. If so, it might be a good idea, when signing your rental agreement, to request that it be added to your rental and enjoy a hassle-free trip.

Snow tires (also called winter tires) deliver benefits not only for driving on snow itself, but also in general winter conditions such as rain, wet roads, ice, very dry ground and temperatures below 7ºC, which harden the rubber, causing poor road grip.

Winter in Europe and North America starts from December 21, but in some places the cold can start as early as October, by which time it is already recommended to use winter tires until March.

Why are Snow Tires safer in winter and how to identify them?

This type of tire is easily recognizable because its sipes (the cuts in the tire) are "interlaced", deeper and larger in number. These sipes act as a kind of "claw", making driving more grippy on roads with cold weather conditions.

Winter tires are designed with:

     - 10 times more sipes;

     - 3D self-locking sipes along the entire tread depth, which improve grip when driving on dry roads;

     - 10% more tread depth, which provides flexibility on slippery roads;

When braking in snow, winter tires stop, on average, at half the distance that normal tires can. On ice, winter tires can grip and bring the car to a complete stop, unlike regular tires that can cause skidding or slipping.

Furthermore, with the use of the winter tire and the right steering, it is possible to start the vehicle without skidding. 

Do the rental companies provide Winter tires?

This is something that varies a lot between the rental companies, since there are variations in the climates of the countries.

Some rental companies may have the value of the tires included in the rates, others may work with them as an option or even offer snow chains (chains used under regular tires to increase grip). There may also be cases where the rental company does not offer this type of option. 

The ideal is to always check the information through our Customer Service Center.

You should contact the rental company directly and request a substitute vehicle. The rental company’s contact information can be found in the booking confirmation document. For additional information, please reach out to us.

As a rule of thumb, the vehicle is delivered with a full tank of gas and will also have to be returned with a full tank of gas. If the vehicle is not returned in accordance with the terms stipulated in the rental agreement, the cost associated with refueling the vehicle will be charged to you in compliance with the rental company´s pre-set price table.

If the vehicle is delivered to you by way of Delivery Service, it may arrive with less than a full tank of gas due to the distance between the rental location and the airport. In such cases, refueling of the vehicle will have to comply with the rental company´s established policy.

If you select a service package that includes a Full Tank, however, you won´t have to refuel before returning the vehicle. It is important to state, though, that in such cases, the remaining unused gas will not be refunded.

If you return the vehicle at a later time than that which was agreed upon in the rental agreement, you will be charged for the extra hours of use. The price set for extra hours of use vary between rental companies but, in most cases, the vehicle´s daily rate will be divided by 24 (24 hours in a day) and you will be charged only for the extra hours of use. Note, though, that insurance coverages are accounted and charged for as a whole extra day.

We always recommend that you reach out to the rental company if you plan on using the vehicle for longer than that which was agreed upon in the rental agreement.

If you´d like to book a one way car rental, that is, drop-off your vehicle in another city or state, you must first check with the rental company to see if there are any restrictions in doing so. It's possible to drop-off your vehicle in a location other than the one from where you picked it up so long as the rental company authorizes it beforehand.

Note, though, that dropping off your vehicle in a different location will most likely incur a one-way fee. This fee is calculated proportionately to the distance between pick-up and drop-off locations and will also account for the rental company’s administrative expenses. Make sure you´re aware of the cost before signing your rental agreement.

If you return the vehicle at an earlier time than that which was agreed upon in the rental agreement, the daily rates may be recalculated so that you are only billed for the period in which you actually used the vehicle. It is important to mention, though, that in case your booking qualified for Weekly, Biweekly or Monthly rates, returning the vehicle early may nullify the discount and the end-price may become more expensive.

Returning the car on the agreed upon day but before the agreed upon time will not alter your daily rate.

One of the most important things to know is that Mexican insurance is an absolute requirement to drive in the country. When searching for car rental options in Mexico, you may notice that the prices seem unrealistically low. That’s because the price you’re seeing does not yet include the coverage you’ll need while in the country so, before settling on one offer or another, make sure that the price already includes insurance. For more information on car rental coverages, jump over to our insurance page.   

It’s also important to make sure to print out your online booking voucher before picking-up your vehicle. That way you avoid being charged for anything you hadn’t originally requested. Now to avoid any hassle when dropping-off your rental car, it’s always a good idea to accompany the vehicle inspection closely (performed when picking-up the vehicle), making sure to check that the headlights and windshield wipers are functioning properly and that there’s a jack and a spare tire in the trunk. Snap a few pictures of the car’s conditions when picking it up to make sure that you’re not charged for any pre-existing damage when dropping it off.

Now, you’ll often find that the car doesn’t come with a full tank of gas so one of your first stops will most likely be a gas station. In Mexico, gas stations are full service, so you won’t be pumping your own gas. Just let the clerk know how much and what type of gas you need and sit back. Don’t forget, however, that Mexico uses the metric system so you’ll be buying your gas in liters (one gallon is equal to 3.8 liters).

The Green Angels (Ángeles Verdes) are also a great resource when in Mexico. If you run into mechanical issues, need first aid or would simply like information, the Green Angels, a bilingual tourist assistance crew, is just a call away. Just dial 078 from any phone in Mexico. If you can’t get to a phone, just pop your hood and wait for a Green Angel patrol car to stop by. The service is free, however, you will be required to pay for any parts, gas or oil they may use to get you on the road again. You should be aware though that the service is only offered on major highways and toll roads and, despite the 078 hotline being available 24/7 for phone assistance, the service itself is only available from 8am to 6pm, all year round.

Simple, go for weekly rates.

Car rental companies will usually reward longer term rentals with a discounted daily rate. These are what they call weekly rates which, depending on the car rental company, is defined as being at least a 4 or 5-day rental period.

Instead of paying, hypothetically, $60/day for your rental, on a weekly rate, the rental company may charge you only $30/day. The interesting thing is that because of this pricing system, sometimes a 5-day rental can come out to be cheaper than a 3-day rental.

That’s why we recommend always doing your homework and comparing a few different rental periods before settling on which best suits your needs. It may just save you some extra spending money for your trip.