Compare Van Hire Excess Insurance

Standard van hire insurance often has an excess of between £500 and £1,000! The cheapest and simplest way to reduce this is usually to buy your own excess insurance. On this page you can compare prices from the UK's two leading providers of van hire excess protection.

  • Drivers aged 21-84
  • Zero excess
  • Up to £10,000 excess protection
  • Up to 30 days cover
From £5.12 per day

*SAVE 5%* with code: vanren5

Valid until 30 Sept 2024
  • Drivers aged 21-85
  • Reduce your excess to £100
  • Up to £2,000 excess protection
  • Up to 14 days cover
From £13.99 per day

Most van hire companies include insurance* in their standard hire rates. However, this insurance usually carries a very high excess, typically between £500 and £1,500. If the van is damaged, you could be seriously out of pocket.

Standard van hire insurance usually excludes damage to tyres, windscreen and the roof, too.

To solve this problem, most van hire companies will try to sell you additional insurance* when you collect your hire van. This is often known as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) cover and will usually reduce insurance excess to a more affordable level, or possibly even to zero. However, it can be expensive and is often charged per day.

The good news is that you can save money on excess insurance by buying your own excess insurance in advance of your hire, from a separate company.

This has two advantages - not only is it often cheaper than buying CDW insurance from your hire company, but you will usually also get cover for tyres, windscreen and roof damage - areas that are often excluded from standard hire company insurance.


What is van hire excess insurance?

When you hire a van from a big rental company, they will usually ask if you want to take out extra insurance that will reduce your excess to zero, or close to zero.

This will cost you a certain amount extra per day - sometimes quite a lot. In addition, any damage to tyres, windows or the van's roof or undercarriage is usually excluded - leaving you rather exposed.

Once you reach the point where you are picking up the van, you are not left with much choice if you want to reduce your excess.

However, you can buy van hire excess insurance from specialist companies at a much lower cost than the hire companies usually charge.

What's more, our recommended van hire excess insurance will cover all the vulnerable parts of the van that your van hire company's insurance will not usually cover - tyres, roof, windscreen and underbody.


How do I get van hire excess insurance?

Two popular providers of van hire excess insurance in the UK are:

These companies specialises in providing car, van and minibus excess insurance, meaning that they can offer very competitive pricing when compared to the big rental companies.


When should I arrange van hire excess insurance?

Anytime you rent a van - just arrange your van hire excess insurance cover for the duration of your hire before you pick up the van.

It's all done instantly with email confirmation. You do not have to wait for approval or for paperwork through the post.


*Disclaimer: The insurance system described above is commonly used by car and van hire companies serving private customers in the UK. However, variations and differences exist between companies and this information is provided as a guide only. No responsibility can be taken for its accuracy and you should always check with the hire company you are using if you have any questions.