Benefits of Gigasure's Croatia
Car Hire Excess Insurance
Our Car Hire Excess Insurance for Croatia is designed to be flexible, traveller-friendly, and
specifically tailored for UK visitors exploring this stunning Mediterranean destination.
Here's how it helps UK travellers driving in Croatia:
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Financial Protection: Croatian rentals typically come with excesses ranging from €800–€2,000, and without our cover, that amount would be held on your credit card and charged if there's damage. Whether you scrape your hire car, get a stone chip, or encounter parking damage, Gigasure shields you from these costs by covering up to £10,000 in excess charges. Croatian car hire companies are known for strict damage assessments – even minor scuffs can result in significant charges that our policy will reimburse.
Flexibility: Choose Single-Trip cover for exploring Croatia's islands and national parks, or opt for an Annual Multi-Trip policy if you'll rent cars multiple times in a year. The annual option provides year-round protection and even covers UK domestic rentals. You can add additional drivers (up to 9 per rental) at no extra charge, perfect for sharing driving duties on Croatia's challenging mountain passes and long coastal stretches. Plus, you can select a voluntary excess on the policy to lower your premium and tailor the cover to your budget.
Peace of Mind: Croatia's diverse driving conditions, from narrow stone-walled streets in ancient towns like to winding mountain roads, can be challenging for UK drivers unfamiliar with the terrain. Standard rental insurance often excludes common damage areas that are particularly vulnerable in Croatian driving conditions: tyres (prone to damage from sharp coastal stones), windscreens (at risk from mountain road debris), roofs (vulnerable to low-hanging branches on rural routes), and undercarriage (threatened by steep island ferry ramps). With Gigasure, all these vulnerable areas are covered. You can confidently navigate knowing that life's mishaps won't turn into expensive headaches.
Worldwide Coverage: igasure's Car Hire Excess Insurance isn't limited to Croatia. If your Balkan adventure takes you across borders, we've got you covered globally. The same policy applies to rentals across Europe and many destinations worldwide. Our annual plan can cover domestic UK hires and international rentals.
What's Covered by Our Croatia
Car Hire Excess Insurance?
Gigasure's Car Hire Excess Insurance for Croatia protects you from the typical financial risks of renting a car in this
beautiful but challenging driving environment. This means if your hired vehicle is damaged or stolen, we reimburse
the charges the rental company would otherwise make you pay (up to your policy limits). Here's what's covered:
Excess cover up to £10,000 includes protection for damage to the roof, tyres, bodywork, windscreen, underbody, plus theft, fire damage, and vandalism
Misfuelling protection up to £2,000 cover if the wrong fuel type is mistakenly added
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) cover up to £75,000 applies if your car hire doesn’t include CDW*
Key replacement cover included as standard for lost or stolen rental vehicle keys
Covers up to 9 named drivers listed on one car hire contract
Annual policies allow up to 65 days’ cover for a single hire period
What’s Not Covered?
While Gigasure offers broad cover, there are some limitations to be aware of (as with any insurance).
Our aim is to be transparent, so here are the key things not covered:
No cover for competitive off-road, rally, and performance driving
Penalty charges, parking fines, and traffic violations
Accidental damage to the interior of the rental vehicle
Hire vehicles carrying more than 9 passengers
Car hire that begins before your policy start date
Mechanical breakdown caused by wear and tear or age
How to Purchase Car Hire Excess
Insurance for Croatia
Getting Gigasure's Car Hire Excess Insurance in place is quick and straightforward. We've built our process to
be fully digital, so you can secure your cover in minutes and get on with planning your Croatian adventure.
The Gigasure app allows you to get quotes, manage your policy, contact customer support, and start a claim
all in one place, perfect for when you're exploring Croatia's islands or navigating Split's busy summer crowds.
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Step 1
Select your policy type and tellus you're headed to Croatia and for
how long you need cover
Step 2
Tailor your excess protection to suityour needs and budget
Step 3
Enter your details and proceedto payment
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Useful Information for Driving in Croatia
When travelling to Croatia, Car Hire Excess Insurance protects you from unexpected costs related to your rental car,
but it's also important to consider travel insurance for complete peace of mind. Travel insurance provides cover for
medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and other unforeseen events.
Learn more about Europe Travel Insurance
Other useful articles:
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Your Top Questions Answered
Croatia offers some of Europe's most spectacular driving routes, but don't let a hefty car hire excess ruin your
adventure. Croatian car rental agreements usually include basic insurance with high excesses, often ranging from
€800 to €2,000 (sometimes more for luxury vehicles or island rentals). This means if your hired car gets scratched,
dented, or stolen, you could face substantial charges.
Even minor incidents can be costly in Croatia's unique driving environment. Rental companies might charge around
€200-300 for a scratched door (common when navigating Split's narrow stone streets), €250-400 for a punctured
tyre (frequent on coastal roads with sharp stones), and up to €600 for windscreen damage (risk from mountain
road debris or construction on major routes like the A1 highway).
Purchasing our car hire excess insurance is far cheaper than buying the rental company's insurance. Croatian car
hire desks often push their "Super CDW" or excess waiver products for €15-25 per day, which adds €150+ to a
week's rental. By choosing Gigasure, you avoid the hard sell at the rental counter while getting better cover that
includes areas the rental company's waiver might exclude.
Croatian law requires all car rentals to include basic third-party liability insurance, covering damage or injury you
might cause to others. Additionally, most Croatian rentals include CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) and Theft
Protection as standard, but these come with significant excesses you remain liable for.
The rental agreement will state an excess amount, typically €800-1,200 for economy cars, €1,200-1,800 for
standard vehicles, and €1,800-2,500+ for premium models. Croatian rental companies typically block this amount
on your credit card as a deposit when collecting the car. If you return the car damage-free, the hold is released. If
here's damage, they charge you for repairs up to the excess limit.
Croatian rental car excesses vary by company and vehicle category, but generally align with Western European
standards. For economy models such as the Fiat Panda or Škoda Fabia, you can expect an excess of around €800–
€1,200. Compact cars typically carry an excess of €1,000–€1,500, while standard or family-sized vehicles range
from €1,200–€1,800. Premium and luxury models can have excesses of €2,000–€2,500 or more, and SUVs or larger
vehicles often come with excesses between €1,500 and €3,000+.
Certain Croatian-specific factors can also influence these amounts. For example, island rentals may attract higher
excesses due to the risks involved with ferry transport, and during the peak summer tourist season (July - August),
popular destinations like Split and Dubrovnik may see increased excess rates. Additionally, rentals collected at
airports sometimes carry higher excess charges compared to those picked up from city centre locations.
With Gigasure, whatever the excess amount, €800 or €2,400, we cover it up to £10,000. You pay the rental
company if damage occurs, then claim it back from us, effectively reducing your financial liability to £0 once we
reimburse you.
Croatia's toll roads don't directly affect your car hire excess insurance, but they're an important part of your travel
budget. The main A1 highway running from Zagreb to Dubrovnik costs passenger cars approximately €26.40 for
the full journey, with partial trips costing proportionally.
Key Croatian toll routes and costs for passenger cars include the A1 from Zagreb to Split at around €19.60, the A1
from Split to Dubrovnik at approximately €6.80, the A3 from Zagreb to Osijek at about €12.80, and the A4 from
Zagreb to the Hungarian border at roughly €4.20. Croatia’s toll roads are generally of excellent quality with strong
safety records, although risks such as crowded service areas in summer, stop-start traffic near toll plazas, and
sudden storms on exposed sections can occasionally lead to minor incidents.
Some premium credit cards offer car rental damage cover, and certain travel insurance policies include hire car
excess protection, but there are important limitations to be aware of when renting in Croatia. Credit card coverage
often requires you to decline the rental company’s Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), yet in Croatia, CDW is usually
mandatory and included.
Travel insurance has similar constraints: hire car excess cover is often an optional add-on with an extra cost,
coverage limits may not match Croatian excess amounts, and exclusions may apply for specific activities such as
ferry travel or cross-border trips into Slovenia or Bosnia.