When renting a car in Italy you must purchase collision (CDW) and theft insurance. Declining this insurance is not an option and the price you are quoted will always include it. Sounds good except there's a catch: the insurance comes with a substantial deductible or excess, usually in the €1000 to €3000 range.

In 2026, the short answer is no, you generally cannot decline Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) in Italy because it is mandatory by law. Unlike in many other European countries where you can decline the rental company's CDW and use your credit card's insurance, Italian law requires that basic CDW and Theft Protection (TP) be included in the rental price. Even if your high-end credit card offers "worldwide" coverage, most card issuers—including American Express and Chase—explicitly state in their fine print that their coverage is not available in Italy because the insurance is legally required to be provided by the rental agency. When you rent a car in Italy, the price you see will almost always include this "Inclusive CDW," which typically comes with a high deductible (often €1,000 to €2,000). While you can't decline the basic coverage, you can choose whether to pay extra for "Super CDW" or "Excess Waiver" to reduce that deductible to zero. If you rely on third-party excess insurance, you will still have the mandatory basic CDW from the rental company as your primary layer.