Car Insurance in USA/Florida

[scraggy55]

Have got a 'free' car in with my holiday, booked with Virgin. However, the Insurance they have made us purchase is 325.00 for two weeks! Do we have to have this Insurance which is a ludicrous price, or can we buy it elsewhere before we go? We get third party insurance, but we are being told we need to upgrade the insurance, is this correct?

[bednobs]

if the free car is dependent on you taking their insurance then no

[Graham-W]

However.... you could check with your agent and suggest something like this: http://www.car-hire-i...e-for-usa-canada.html

[Graham-W]

Just noticed this clause near the bottom of the page. This may be a factor.

Not recommended for use in conjunction with fly-drive programmes in the USA and Canada.

[jno]

I've just booked a car for two weeks in Florida this month, with Auto Europe. Total cost: £225 including all insurance. You might be better off getting a holiday without a car, and booking one separately.

[whiskeryron]

I went to Orlando through Virgin & took the no drive option, depending on where you are staying the bus services were fab & came right to the door of the hotel ( International drive ) the bus service covered all theme parks & fares were very reasonable & saved us a whole lot of hassle. The only places we had to book with independent coach operators was for Kennedy Space Center & Busch Gardens.

[alex2877]

legally that insurance will cover you to drive, but have heard of very bad storys about people driving, having a minor prang (not there fault) and was disputed in court, the amount that the insurance covered them for in legal cost was no where near the amount it costs to solicitors and everything and the people lost there house to pay them. An extreme case, but does happen.

[WyckedNite]

no offense, but that insurance sounds like a rip off...
IF you rent a car in the US, the going insurance rate if 15.00 USD per day. However, there ARE alternatives.
A.) If you have auto insurance, you can transfer it to the car you drive in the states.
B.) You can purchase "vacation insurance" for a vehicle through one of the US insurance companies (you could also contact an auto insurance co in the UK & see if they do this, as well). It would be expensive, but not as expensive as that 325.00...
C.) Some Credit Card companies offer auto insurance, so check with your credit card company
D.) If all else fails, here is an online travel insurance company that other people I've known have used: https://www.travelinsurancecenter.com/eng/

If you HAVEN'T already paid the 325.00 for the insurance, see if you can accept the rental without their additional "special" insurance. Then, when you get to the car rental agency, check THEIR rates, b/c I would be willing to bet the rates are a lot cheaper...

I don't know what you mean when you say you get "third party insurance." If it is in relation to the car rental, the term could mean that the car rental automatically comes with insurance if someone hits you (rather than you hitting them). But even THAT terminology sounds abnormal, to tell you the truth...
Telling you that you need to 'upgrade' your insurance...again, sorry, but it sounds like you are getting ripped off.

If it is any consolation to you whatsoever, had you rented the car on your own, you most likely would have been paying 325.00 for a two week rental, and THEN you would have had to figure out where to get insurance for the car.

My first step, if I were you--check with your credit card company and check with your bank. Tell them you are renting a car on holiday & see if they give you coverage for it.

One tip you need to be aware of: once you are done using the vehicle, MAKE SURE you fill the gas tank back up YOURSELF! If you bring it back to the agency with less than a full tank, the price per gallon of petrol they will charge you is almost DOUBLE what it would have cost you had you done it yourself. And, they don't tell you about the charge--it just ends up appearing on your credit card statement...

Regardless of whether you choose to check out any of these options or just pay the 325.00, make sure you get insurance. Florida is #3 in the nation for auto accidents b/c there are so many different types of drivers running around that drive completely different from one another because they are used to driving in THEIR area. All locations have a "rhythm" to their drivers, and it works for them. But put those different rhythms together and it results in chaotic driving patterns, lol.
Hope this helps!