If you are like many of our customers, it’s June and you are looking forward to your summer vacation. There are many ways to travel and you have decided to rent a vehicle instead of flying, whether it’s because you simply need more room, want better gas mileage, or you’re saving the mileage on your current vehicle. Here is something to keep in mind: some of you will rent the biggest vehicle you’ve ever driven. Some of you will drive what may be your next personal car. Either way, it’s a car you are not familiar with. For some, you rent vehicles every month, and for some, it will be your first time. We get it…insurance can be confusing, so we thought we would try to answer the most common question we get at the Agency:

Do you need to get the insurance offered through the rental company?

The simple answer: your coverage on the rental vehicle will be the same as the coverage you have on your current vehicles. Your personal auto insurance will have you covered for liability claims and, if you have collision and comprehensive coverage, for damage to the rental car.

However, this is not a simple question. There are some advantages to using the rental company’s coverage, as it can sometimes eliminate your deductible or waive the cost of the loss of use.

I know you have heard “call before you dig;” we recommend you “call before you rent.”

Other tips for traveling in a rental car:

Call your us before the trip so we can get you a “spare” ID card to keep in an email or in your wallet while traveling.

If you are sharing the rental car with another family member outside your household or a friend, we recommend getting the insurance to potentially save a friendship or prevent a family feud!

That said, it’s always a good idea to check with us before your trip since auto policies vary from person to person.