FAQ

When you hire a car, the rental company usually makes you liable for an “excess”: a chunk of money you’d have to pay if the car is damaged, stolen, or written off, even if it’s not your fault. Excess amounts can run into the thousands of pounds. Excess insurance reimburses you for that cost, so you’re not left out of pocket.

Yes, but only partially. Rental companies include basic insurance, but you’re still on the hook for the excess unless you buy their (often expensive) excess waiver, or take out your own excess insurance, which is usually far cheaper for the same protection. Most excess insurance policies don’t cover incidents occurring on the type of roads encountered on most adventurous road trips as they sneak clauses such as “no unpaved roads” into their conditions. Adventure Star insurance doesn’t restrict you to paved roads so you’re free to roam as you please.

Because most standard excess insurance policies exclude driving on unsurfaced or unpaved roads altogether. If you damage the car on a gravel track, a dirt road, or a route like an Icelandic F-road, a standard policy may simply refuse to pay out, regardless of how careful you were. Our cover is built specifically to include this kind of driving.

Pricing depends on the length of your trip, the region, and the type of vehicle. You’ll get an instant quote when you enter your trip details, there are no hidden fees.

Like any policy, there are exclusions; for example, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, using the vehicle outside the terms of your rental agreement, or driving on routes explicitly prohibited by your rental company (some rental firms ban certain roads outright, regardless of insurance). Full details are in our policy wording, which we recommend reading before you buy.

No, cover must be purchased before you collect your hire car, as it needs to be in place before your rental period begins.