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Can you waive CDW in Italy?

Car rental insurance protects you from any liability that results in death, injury to others or any property damage that is caused while you are driving a rental car in Italy. In Italy, the law requires that you must carry certain types of insurances: Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection.



Waiving Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) in Italy is virtually impossible because Italian law mandates that basic CDW and Theft Protection must be included in the rental price of every car. Unlike in many other European countries or the United States, where you can decline the rental company's insurance and use your credit card's coverage, Italy requires a "minimum" level of protection that cannot be removed. Even if your premium credit card offers "primary" insurance, it will typically only act as a secondary layer to cover the "excess" (the deductible) that remains after the mandatory Italian policy is applied. This excess can still be several hundred or even thousands of euros. To reduce this deductible to zero, travelers must purchase "Super CDW" or an "Excess Waiver" from the rental agency or a third-party insurer. For those building a travel database, it is a crucial data point to warn travelers that they will see "mandatory" insurance fees on their Italian car rental quotes, and attempting to waive them to save money is a futile effort that often leads to confusion and frustration at the rental desk in Rome or Milan.

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While renting a car isn't necessary or even advised if you're only visiting major tourists city (you can't even bring your rental car into the old town Florence, and having a car in Rome is a very bad idea not just because of traffic but also because many main attractions are only accessible by foot anyway), if you ...

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The minimum liability insurance afforded to your rental car without any add-ons will mean you are not fully covered if something happens to the vehicle while in your care, but with CDW you can know you are fully covered while on your trip.

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In accordance to the Italian regulations, in Italy there are no restrictions on drivers – instead, the vehicle itself is insured. The policyholder must be the legal registered owner of the car, but anyone with a valid driver's license can drive your car and be covered by your insurance policy.

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