This simple car hire trick can save travellers up to £610 on a two-week holiday
Purchasing separate car hire excess insurance can be up to 96% cheaper
25 August, London: Buying car hire excess insurance as a stand-alone policy rather than through a car rental company can save holidaymakers up to £610 on a two-week holiday and up to £360 on a week's break.
Research from Gigasure, the car hire insurance experts, found that car hire excess insurance can often cost more than hiring a car. For example, 8 days of car hire rental for a standard compact vehicle in Spain with Europcar costs £291.41. The cost of Europcar’s Compact+ insurance purchased for the same duration is £348.43 – this amounts to 54% of the total hire car cost of £639.57. For comparison, a European single trip standalone car hire excess policy with Gigasure for the same duration costs £27.24.
Gigasure’s analysis of car hire excess costs shows that the car hire excess cover offered by rental companies can be an expensive way of getting cover. Their research looked at the cost of car hire excess insurance across popular rental companies in Europe and found that purchasing a separate standalone policy from a specialist provider can be up to 96% cheaper, in some cases saving the hirer over £700 in insurance costs, and often offering more superior cover.
Ernesto Suarez, CEO, Gigasure, says: “Purchasing a separate standalone policy saves you hundreds of pounds, and offers a higher level of protection at a fraction of the cost.
“Taking out car hire excess insurance when hiring a vehicle is vital protection in the event that something happens while using the hire car, but purchasing this directly through the rental company is extremely expensive and we urge travellers not to be bullied into purchasing this at the rental desk. Instead take out a standalone policy before you travel.
“As well as using confusing language to get you to buy the car hire excess insurance direct from them, many policies sold by major car hire companies often have gaps in the coverage for example, stone chips on a windscreen, flat tyre etc. A standalone car hire excess policy will offer more extensive coverage ranging from losing your car keys to accidentally using the wrong fuel.”
Case study: Harvey Dhingra from West London: Harvey saw first-hand that he was having to pay more for insurance than the cost of hiring the car and felt this was wrong. After being caught out when hiring cars in the past, Harvey has now been buying yearly car hire excess insurance policies for himself and his wife for a few years now. He says this has not only saved hundreds of pounds in costs when hiring a car, but it also saves hassle should the car hire company want to charge him for anything.
Spain: Price comparisons based on hiring the most basic car from each company on August 1st 2025 from Malaga airport between 8am–11.30pm, choosing the most inclusive insurance policy.
Gigasure insurance policy quote is representative of: European single trip cover with excess protection up to £6,000
1. Daily Hire Car Cost
| Company | Daily hire car cost | Car Hire Excess Insurance costs | Total cost of car hire with CHE | % of car hire | Gigasure CHE policy | % of Gigasure CHE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXT | £162.83 | £60.60 | £223.43 | 27% | £13.62 | 8% |
| Europcar | £119.84 | £77.75 | £197.59 | 39% | £13.62 | 10% |
| Hertz | £85.84 | £37.78 | £123.62 | 31% | £13.62 | 14% |
| Avis | £86.60 | £29.92 | £116.52 | 26% | £13.62 | 14% |
| Budget | £48.50 | £39.17 | £87.67 | 45% | £13.62 | 22% |
| Gigasure | £13.62 | £13.62 | £13.62 | 100% |
2. 8‑Day Hire Cost
| Company | 8‑day hire cost | Car Hire Excess Insurance costs | Total cost of car hire with CHE | % of car hire | Gigasure CHE policy | % of Gigasure CHE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXT | £413.63 | £389.53 | £803.16 | 48% | £27.24 | 4% |
| Europcar | £291.14 | £348.43 | £639.57 | 54% | £27.24 | 9% |
| Hertz | £341.26 | £264.72 | £605.98 | 44% | £27.24 | 7% |
| Avis | £337.63 | £227.54 | £565.17 | 40% | £27.24 | 7% |
| Budget | £236.57 | £311.38 | £547.95 | 57% | £27.24 | 10% |
| Gigasure | £27.24 | £27.24 | £27.24 | 100% |
3. 15‑Day Hire Cost
| Company | 15‑day hire cost | Car Hire Excess Insurance costs | Total cost of car hire with CHE | % of car hire | Gigasure CHE policy | % of Gigasure CHE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIXT | £759.09 | £661.04 | £1,420.13 | 47% | £51.07 | 4% |
| Europcar | £565.25 | £571.95 | £1,137.20 | 50% | £51.07 | 5% |
| Hertz | £608.47 | £378.26 | £986.73 | 38% | £51.07 | 8% |
| Avis | £673.92 | £391.96 | £1,065.88 | 37% | £51.07 | 5% |
| Budget | £523.13 | £527.91 | £1,051.04 | 50% | £51.07 | 5% |
| Gigasure | £51.07 | £51.07 | £51.07 | 100% |
*Methodology
Gigasure survey conducted with Censuswide in April 2025 amongst 2,000 individuals aged 18+ who have travelled abroad in the last two years.
Car hire cost comparisons:
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Car hire price comparisons based on hiring the most basic car from each company starting from 1st August 2025. Choosing the most inclusive insurance policy.
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Car is VW Polo / compact car or equivalent
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Gigasure insurance policy quote is representative of: European single trip cover with excess protection up to £6,000
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All figures correct as of 13 May 2025
