Car rentals other than Belize City

There are two or three car local rental agencies in San Ignacio. Matus is probably the best. Belmopan and Dangriga each have a sort of informal car rental agency. To me it usually makes more sense to rent in Belize City or at the international airport, so you can return it there when you leave the country or head out to the cayes.

--Lan Sluder
http://www.belizefirst.com

: Dangriga Auto Rental, 501 533 2744, 501 607 0435, dangrigaautorental@gmail.com

I can recommend Cayo Rentals in San Ignacio. They are located at the Texaco next to the Cahal Pech hill. www.cayoautorentals.com Much cheaper than renting in Belize City.

Thanks all, I appreciate the info!

Cayo Rentals seems to be interesting. But as a German native I have some problems with translating the terms and conditions. What I understand from it is that I, as a leesee are fully responsible for any damages to the car? And even if I have paid for full coverage insurance I am responsible for 2.000 BZD?

Liability insurance (covering damage to other vehicles) is included in Belize car rentals. Liability insurance is required by law in Belize.

Collision insurance (damage to your vehicle) is not included.

Or, rather, the car rental companies have collision insurance but they do not provide it to you.

What the car rental companies sell is NOT insurance but rather a waiver (Collision Damage Waiver or CDW -- that is, an agreement not to collect money from you) if the vehicle you rent is damaged. For this you usually pay US$15 or so a day.

And, yes, you're right, in most cases in Belize the waiver is only for part of the damage. You are typically still responsible for the first US$1,000 to $2,000 in damages to the vehicle, even if you buy CDW. This varies from rental company to rental company. So, say, you run into a tree and cause $5,000 damage to the vehicle, the CDW might cover $4,000 but you would have to pay $1,000 (this typically is charged to your credit card).

The good news is that auto body work in Belize is usually fairly inexpensive. The bad news is that replacement parts are often expensive.

If you have insurance on your vehicle at home, your insurance policy MAY cover collision and other types of insurance on a car rental. You should look at your policy and also call your agent.

Also, some credit cards cover collision damage IF you decline the car rental CDW. However, there are many exceptions. For example, the credit card may only cover you if you are on a paved road, or it may not cover a large SUV or a four-wheel-drive. Again, you should check the WRITTEN policy on your credit card -- don't depend just on the oral statement of a credit card rep.

--Lan Sluder
http://www.belizefirst.com

Thank you very much for your detailed answer.

The responsible part of US$ 1.000 to US$ 2.000 even with CDW is very high. And neither the credit card nor the car insurance cover damages on a rented car. As I find out, here in Germany there is only one credit card (besides American Express, we don´t have to talk about it) which covers damages with rented cars worldwide: The Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Card Gold. It´s a pity…

Very informative post, LanSluder .

Does anyone know if you can buy additional insurance in Belize to cover the US $1000 - US $2000 collision liability if my U.S. car insurance and my credit card doesn't cover collision liability?