Does travel insurance cover my stuff if my rental car is broken into?

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Unfortunately, no. Travel insurance companies don’t cover anything that is stolen from the car or destroyed in a collision –  just the car itself.

Specifically, most travel insurance policies read like the following with regards to car rental coverage:

The insurer will pay the lesser of:

(a) the cost of repairs and rental charges imposed by
the rental company while the car is being
repaired; or
(b) the Actual Cash Value of the car

Up to the maximum limit shown on the insurance policy’s schedule subject to the policy’s deductible.

The exclusions in a travel insurance policy typically list personal possessions as not being covered with the (often optional) rental car coverage.

If your rental car is broken into in a ‘smash and dash’, you’ll be responsible for the loss of anything stored inside it. This is true as well for anything destroyed in a collision. Read the full details on car rental collision coverage and who offers this with their travel insurance plans.