We’re all going on a summer holiday
no more working for a week or two.
Fun and laughter on our summer holiday,
no more worries for me or you,
for a week or two
I normally break into a bit of Cliff Richard when I hit the airport in Dublin at this time of the year. Whether it’s a big or small holiday, it’s always good to get away from Ireland and chill out for a while.
Like most things I never miss an opportunity to wind up my girlfriend and I crack the usual ‘joke’ as we arrive at the check-in desk. I turn to her, pat myself down and ask nervily - “HAVE YOU GOT MY PASSPORT!?” (knowing full sure I had it in my back pocket) Doing a quick impression of a Tasmanian devil she exclaims that she definitely doesn’t have it!! Being the nice guy that I am I only drag this out for about 10 minutes until I say ‘Oh look, I found it in your bag’
We arrive in Vale do Lobo, Portugal a few hours later and collect the rental car at the airport. Even though I work in insurance the guy behind the desk in the rental company manages to confuse me by bombarding me with rental car jargon; throwing out phrases like CDW (Collision Damage Waiver), LDW (Loss Damage Waiver) and non-waiver. I reply to him by saying ‘how dare you call me that!’ I’m not a fan of getting wound up at the start of a well deserved holiday but luckily enough my girlfriend takes me aside before I blow my ‘head gasket’. She says ‘don’t worry about it’ – she had actually bought car hire excess cover from AXA before we left. If you haven’t heard about this product it’s pretty nifty, and takes away a lot of the hassle of renting a car abroad.
What is car hire excess cover?
When you rent a car on holiday the price they quote you may seem like a great deal – but it will normally also have a large excess if you damage the car. (The excess is the first part of a claim you have to pay). The car hire company can reduce this but for an extra charge, which can be anything from €10 to €25 a day. Multiply this by 2 weeks and you have a hefty charge. This is where car hire excess cover from AXA can help, for less than €57 a year you don’t need to worry about this excess on your car hire – no matter how many times you rent a car!
Brought to you by AXA Car Insurance Ireland