Good Morning everyone: We rented a van and are having it delivered and picked up at our rental on the French side. We are wondering what everyone else does? Do you use your own car insurance or purchase insurance from the rental agency. I do know to check around the vehicle and take pics of any existing damage. We are renting vehicle thru Joyce Prince Tours so I am assuming it is the dutch side even tho we are staying on the French side. Any tips would be very much appreciated and thank you again in advance!!

Buy the liability insurance and use your credit card for the collision. Check to see if the Liability is included in the price as some companies like Hertz include it.

Chances are your personal insurance does NOT cover you on the island. You may have some coverage with the credit card you use but best to check, especially with renting a van as there could be exclusions.

If you are going to have multiple drivers and have concerns, I would check further with who you are renting from.

Heather,

It is very unlikely your home auto insurance will cover you on SXM. You may have CDW with your credit card although many CCs will exclude this benefit on jeeps, vans and pricier autos. Liability is the one most are concerned with. After much checking and rechecking with assurances to the contrary, we found out our umbrella policies don't cover us there either. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I don't know about the U.S. but some Canadian insurance companies are refusing to pay claims when their insured has an accident in a foreign country if the do NOT have an I.D.P. which is an international permit honoured by most countries in the world. The attitude of the insurance companies is that, even though the country you're in may accept your driver's licence, it is not a valid permit for that country - but - an IDP...International Driver's Permit IS . They are available from CAA or AAA for around $30 and are a good investment.

That's very interesting position take by your Canadian Insurance companies because an IDP is not really a "permit" at all - it is an "identification document" that translates the information on your driver's license into 10 different languages. There are 150 different countries that accept it as a valid form of ID and certification that you have a valid driver's license. The IDP in and of itself does not give the holder the ability to drive unless the holder's actual driver's license accompanies the IDP. Many of the 150 countries that are party to the IDP Agreement waive or do not require IDP for short term visitors.

Regarding OP's question on insurance for rental cars - even if your personal policy will cover you for liability and/or you rely on your credit card company for collision if you have an accident the car rental company may require you to pay for any damage or claims "up front" before you leave the island. You will then be responsible for filing a claim with your credit card company or your insurance company to seek reimbursement when you get back home.

Mine cost me $ 15 at AAA (non-member)

$15.00 at AAA seems like a real bargain, what type of insurance did you purchase, what does it cover, and for what period of time ?

Not insurance, International Drivers License.