Holidaymakers in Europe’s winter hotspots this November could be paying significantly more for their excess waiver policies.

The cost of buying excess insurance directly from the rental desk supersedes the total you pay for the rental car itself in some of Europe’s most popular destinations for winter sun.

iCarhireinsurance.com surveyed the car hire costs of six rental companies (Sixt, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Europcar) for a week’s rental of a medium-size family car from 11-18 November 2017, in Tenerife, Faro, Paphos and Cyprus.

For example, hiring a car with Budget in Faro, Portugal costs £94 for a week yet the total for their excess policies is £248; £115 for Super Damage Waiver, £121 for Super Theft Waiver and £12 for a Tyre and Windscreen excess policy.

In Tenerife, Hertz charges £103 for the week’s hire but a total of £168 for its excess waiver policies - £111 for its Super Damage Waiver policy and £57 for a Tyre and Windscreen excess policy.

Similarly, hiring a vehicle in Paphos, Greece with Avis costs £137 for a week, then an additional £187 for its excess policies (£156 Super Damage Waiver, £31 for Tyre and Windscreen cover).

Travellers who are without an excess waiver policy are responsible for the first part of any insurance claim, which can be as high as £2,300 with Budget in Faro, even if the damage is not their fault or if the car is stolen.

By using a specialist insurer like iCarhireinsurance.com, holidaymakers can avoid paying the high costs at the rental desk. Our excess policies are available from £3.99 a day in Europe and these include cover for theft and damage as well as vulnerable parts of the vehicle, including the tyres and windscreen.

Other extras sold at the rental desk can add a significant cost to a car hire bill, including a child’s car seat (average cost £53 across three locations), sat nav (average cost £68) and an extra driver (average cost £48).

Those heading to sunnier climes need to ensure they’ve done their planning for their hire car in advance and not only booked it but thought about all the extras that they could incur, from buying car hire excess insurance in advance, to taking their own child’s seat and sat nav with them. Some simple planning could save them hundreds of pounds, said Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of iCarhireinsurance.com.