OK, great discussion here and I've learned a lot. Let me get down to the nuts and bolts of a specific case and see if you have any suggestions. I willl be renting a car in Italy this summer. My AMEX won't cover it because Italy is one of their excluded countries. I have both MC and Visa cards which I could use to charge the rental from reservation through final payment. (See, I told you I learned something.) My regular insurance with Hartford/AAA does not apply in Italy. What would you do to ensure adequate (I know - varies in definition) coverage on a compact, not very expensive rental for 3 or 4 days? Is there a better rental car company to use in Italy (Rome and/or Naples) that provides good insurance at a more reasonable rate than other companies? Anyone with personal experience on a great deal combining reasonable rates on both car and insurance? Any relevant suggestions would be appreciated.