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Taxation (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Current income tax expense [abstract]                      
Current income tax expense                 $ 235,982us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 129,592us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit $ 144,865us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) [abstract]                      
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)                 2,774us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (84,579)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 55,457us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Unrecognized tax expense (benefit) [abstract]                      
Unrecognized tax expense (benefit)                 750pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit 3,403pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit 3,962pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
Income Tax Expense, Continuing Operations, by Jurisdiction [Abstract]                      
Total income tax expense 53,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 46,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 78,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 62,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 11,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 70,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (75,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 42,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 239,506us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 48,416us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 204,284us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Income Before Taxes [Abstract]                      
Income before taxes                 1,307,619pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes 721,858pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes 1,338,798pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
Reconciliation of effective tax rate (% of income before taxes)                      
Expected tax rate                 0.00%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtExpectedTaxRate 0.00%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtExpectedTaxRate 0.00%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtExpectedTaxRate
Foreign taxes at local expected tax rates                 15.80%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential 5.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential 14.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Impact of foreign exchange gains (losses)                 2.20%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationImpactOfForeignExchangeGains (1.10%)pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationImpactOfForeignExchangeGains (0.40%)pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationImpactOfForeignExchangeGains
Unrecognized tax benefit                 0.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingencies 0.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingencies 0.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingencies
Tax-exempt income and expenses not deductible                 (2.20%)pre_EffectiveIncometaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncomeAndNonDeductibleExpenses (0.90%)pre_EffectiveIncometaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncomeAndNonDeductibleExpenses (0.30%)pre_EffectiveIncometaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncomeAndNonDeductibleExpenses
Impact of enacted changes in tax laws                 0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInEnactedTaxRate 1.80%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInEnactedTaxRate 0.70%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInEnactedTaxRate
Foreign branch tax                 1.40%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsForeignBranchTax (1.40%)pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsForeignBranchTax (0.70%)pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsForeignBranchTax
Ceding commissions                 1.80%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationImpactOfCedingCommissions (0.40%)pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationImpactOfCedingCommissions 0.70%pre_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationImpactOfCedingCommissions
Valuation allowance                 (0.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 1.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 1.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Other                 (0.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments 1.80%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments (0.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Actual tax rate                 18.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 6.70%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 15.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
US [Member]                      
Current income tax expense [abstract]                      
Current income tax expense                 51,615us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 55,993us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 29,196us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) [abstract]                      
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)                 20,410us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 (13,693)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 48,740us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US
Unrecognized tax expense (benefit) [abstract]                      
Unrecognized tax expense (benefit)                 0pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 (335)pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 (623)pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US
Income Tax Expense, Continuing Operations, by Jurisdiction [Abstract]                      
Total income tax expense                 72,025us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 41,965us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US		 77,313us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_US
Non-US [Member]                      
Current income tax expense [abstract]                      
Current income tax expense                 184,367us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 73,599us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 115,669us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) [abstract]                      
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)                 (17,636)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 (70,886)us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 6,717us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember
Unrecognized tax expense (benefit) [abstract]                      
Unrecognized tax expense (benefit)                 750pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 3,738pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 4,585pre_UnrecognizedTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember
Income Tax Expense, Continuing Operations, by Jurisdiction [Abstract]                      
Total income tax expense                 167,481us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 6,451us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember		 126,971us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= pre_NonUsMember
Domestic (Bermuda)                      
Income Before Taxes [Abstract]                      
Income before taxes                 686,538pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		 611,900pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember		 661,648pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
Foreign                      
Income Before Taxes [Abstract]                      
Income before taxes                 $ 621,081pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		 $ 109,958pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember		 $ 677,150pre_IncomeBeforeTaxes
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember