Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Insurance for car rental in Australia

Noticed that credit cards do not provide extra insurance in Australia and several other countries.

Any suggestions on how to obtain extra collision benefits, etc., other than buying rental agency's extra coverage?

Thank you.

Your travel insurance may cover some.

Some of the "extra insurance" is mandatory in the countries where the credit card coverage is excluded -- so it is already included in the base cost of the rental, making the situation less bleak than you might think. In many countries outside of the US there is no need for additional insurance, but it varies a lot by country and your own needs (e.g. you might need separate medical coverage, while other renters might have no use for that at all). It takes a lot of research to determine what you really need and what is already covered.

As a general rule; the main Australian car hire companies have insurance built in to the rental rate - albeit with a very high excess. Ballpark figures are between AUD2K and AUD3K. The agencies 'extra' coverage is actually "excess reduction" insurance and reduces excess to a more manageable AUD300-500

This does vary between companies; so you need to check the fine print when renting.