Honestly, you’re spot on about checking your credit card and personal policy first—so many people don’t realize they might already be covered. One thing I’d add: some cards exclude “country roads” or unpaved surfaces, which Montana has plenty of. Ever run into that? It’s worth a quick call to double-check, just in case.
That’s actually something I hadn’t thought about until now. I’m planning a trip to Glacier, and most of the roads I want to explore aren’t exactly paved. My card’s policy is full of fine print—guess I’ll have to dig deeper or maybe call them. It’s kind of wild how easy it is to miss those details.
I ran into the same thing last summer—thought my credit card had me covered, but turns out they specifically excluded “unpaved roads.” Ended up shelling out extra at the counter just to be safe. Those fine print details are sneaky...
I get what you’re saying about the fine print—it’s wild how many ways they can wriggle out of covering you. But I gotta admit, I’ve rented in Montana a few times and never actually bought the extra insurance. Maybe I’m rolling the dice, but my thinking is… if you stick to paved roads (and resist the urge to follow your GPS down some “shortcut” that looks more like a goat trail), it’s probably fine?
That said, I’m always that person who triple-checks the car for scratches before leaving the lot and takes about 50 photos just in case. Paranoid? Maybe. But paying extra at the counter feels like throwing money away—unless you know you’ll be off-roading or something. Anyone else feel like those rental folks are just waiting for you to mess up so they can charge you for a new bumper?
Anyway, maybe I’m tempting fate, but so far, so good… knock on wood.
Honestly, I get the paranoia.
Same here—especially after getting hit with a bogus scratch claim once (not in Montana, but still). I usually skip the extra insurance too, but it’s always in the back of my mind. Maybe it’s different if you’re renting something high-end... those repair bills are no joke.“I’m always that person who triple-checks the car for scratches before leaving the lot and takes about 50 photos just in case.”