Net Income (Loss) Per Share (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2013
Numerator [Abstract]
Net income (loss) attributable to PartnerRe Ltd.	$ 271,841		$ (175,571)		$ 581,683		$ 58,799
Dividends on preferred shares	14,184		14,796		28,367		29,494
Loss on redemption of preferred shares	0		0		0		9,135
Net income (loss) attributable to PartnerRe Ltd. common shareholders	$ 257,657		$ (190,367)		$ 553,316		$ 20,170
Denominator [Abstract]
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	50,241,216		56,485,882		50,942,980		57,449,528
Share options and other	1,087,545	[1],[2]	0	[1],[2]	1,081,471	[1],[2]	1,084,998	[1],[2]
Weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding	51,328,761		56,485,882		52,024,451		58,534,526
Basic net income (loss)	$ 5.13		$ (3.37)		$ 10.86		$ 0.35
Diluted net income (loss)	$ 5.02	[1],[2]	$ (3.37)	[1],[2]	$ 10.64	[1],[2]	$ 0.34	[1],[2]
Anti-dilutive common shares excluded from weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted	149,600	[1]	142,479	[1]	119,870	[1]	104,920	[1]
Weighted average number of potentially dilutive common shares and common share equivalents outstanding			1,003,849

[1] Where the exercise price of share based awards is greater than the average market price of the common shares, the common shares are considered anti-dilutive and are excluded from the calculation of weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted.

[2] Dilutive securities, in the form of share options and other, of 1,003,849 shares were not included in the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding - diluted, for the purpose of computing the diluted net loss per share because to do so would have been anti-dilutive for the three months ended June 30, 2013.