staceyc

I'll be going to Germany, Austria and France soon. I will have a car, and I know I don't need a special license for Germany, but does anyone know if I need one for Ausria? I'll just be going to Salzburg for a couple of days.

Thanks!

Budman

You do need an international drivers license for Austria -- Check with AAA. Also, if you drive on the Austrian Autobahn, you need to buy permit at the border. It's like a highway toll/tax.

nancy

Each of 3 times I got an international drivers license and nobody ever asked to see it. However, you can easily get it at AAA. I rented a car in Germany and dipped into Austria and nobody cared! Me, I'd just get it so that I wouldn't have any problems.

jason888

nancy's advice is a good one, just get the International Driver's License from AAA.

You really need to have that "permit" - carnet - for driving in Austria. Remember that there are really no borders in many of the EU countries, so it's up to you to make sure that you STOP at the Austrian border (the border station will probably be off to the side of the road) and get that carnet or you will be subject to a stiff fine.

If you go zooming along on the autobahn and see the border station whizzing by, stop at the nearest gas station and get the carnet.

Enjoy Salzburg! Great city!
Jason

tomboy

Think of the "international driver's license" as insurance.
You don't need it to drive or rent a car, but if on the off chance you have an accident, you're in deep doodoo if you don't have it. The $20 to AAA is miniscule at that point.

staceyc

Thanks for all the info. I will definitely go and get the license.

RufusTFirefly

Keep in mind that an "international driving license" is not a license at all. It's actually an international driving permit (IDP) and is a translation of your regular driving license into several languages. You must have both it and your regular license to show if requested.

Be careful of internet scams offering "international driving licenses." Ther is no such thing. Each country designates a limited number of outlets that are permitted to issue IDPs--in the USA it's AAA and one other auto club that I can't remember the name of.

abbekit

Just got back from Austria. No one ever asked to see the international drivers permit but we had the peace of mind that we had it in case of an accident or traffic stop. Keep in mind if you are driving in small towns more than likely the police will not speak English so being able to show the international translation would be worth it.

You do not have to be a AAA member to get one. The cost is $10 not $20 like some web sites charge for it. We took our own passport photos with our digial camera so we saved the cost of having pictures made.

FYI, as far as the toll sticker for Austria, we rented our car in Salzburg and the car rental agency (Europe Car rented via Kemwel) already had the sticker on the on windshield so we did not have to stop to buy one.

jsmith

The Automobile Association (of the UK) and the Royal Automobile Club do not list Austria as REQUIRING an IDP. AAA lists Austria as a country which HONORS the IDP along with France, Germany, Belgium, Neetherlands, the UK and just about every other country you can think of.

You can get info on driving (speed limits, alcohol, etc) in Austria at this site:

http://driving.drive-alive.co.uk/driving-in-austria.htm

There are also links to driving in other countries here.

PalenqueBob

One of the most over-hyped things around - the International Drivers' License - you don't need it from a practical standpoint. Your local state license suffices; in fact many states like mine have reciprocal agreements with other countries to honor each others licenses - mine does with France and Germany as is printed in my Secretary of State brochure. You don't need the Internationa Licsense.

RufusTFirefly

Austria: A U.S. driver's license alone is not sufficient to drive in Austria. The U.S. driver's license must be accompanied by an international driver's permit (obtainable in the U.S. from American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance) or by an official translation of the U.S. driver's license, which can be obtained at one of the Austrian automobile clubs (OAMTC or ARBO). This arrangement is only acceptable for the first six months of driving in Austria, after which all drivers must obtain an Austrian license.

Germany: Individuals holding U.S. drivers' licenses may drive in Germany for up to six months without acquiring a German driver's license.

France: Driver's License A valid US driver's license is sufficient. The legal driving age in France is 18 years. An international driver's license is not required for U.S. citizens.

Italy: American tourists may drive in Italy as long as they have a translation of their home driver's license. This can be done in one of two ways:
AAA will make an International Driver's Permit for any U.S. resident with a State driver's license. You will need $10 and 2 passport sized pictures. If you do not have the pictures, they can take them for you for an additional amount. The IDP is valid for 1 year and can be post dated until the date of your arrival in Italy. Or go to the local A.C.I. when you arrive in Italy and ask for a translation. You will need to have a marca da bollo and 2 passport pictures. The marca da bollo costs around €10.

You do not need an IDP to rent a car but you do to drive a car. If stopped by the police they may not ask for it but if you get someone who does and you do not have it you will face a fine.