If you choose to rent a car in the Czech Republic, you will be liable for a very high excess (sometimes referred to as an excess). In fact, this can sometimes be as high as the actual value of the car. There are three ways to limit your financial risk: get Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage from the rental company, use your credit card for coverage (only if your credit card company offers zero excess, though) or buy insurance online.
CDW does include a high excess, which can be up to €1,000, although each company will have its own price. You should expect to pay about €12-€20 per day, though, which will reduce the liability you have, although it is important to remember that it does not eradicate it. You will often get offered what is known as “super CDW” as well when you rent a car, which means that you pay extra to reduce the excess to 0, although this will cost about an extra €12-€25 per day.
Although using a credit card seems like a great idea, there is one small catch – you will need to decline all coverage offered by the rental company. This means that a hold can be placed on your card. If you do damage your car, it could take a lot of time and hassle to resolve the charges with the credit card company as well – make sure that you have the full facts from your card issuer before you take this option.