Based on the wise recommendations of this community, I decided to get an International Driver's Permit for my next trip to Italy. I did not even know there was a need for one until I came here, and though some of my well-travelled colleagues scoffed at my plan to get one, it seemed like a good idea.

I just wanted to let you all know that it took all of 15 minutes at the Manhattan office of AAA on the Upper West Side. I filled out a form, sat and waited about 5 minutes, then my name was called, my picture was taken, and by the time I paid my check to the cashier (warning, they don't take cash), it was ready for me.

So, if anyone thinks it may be a hassle, I thought I would spread the word that it was really easy. As you all probably already know, you can also send in the application, downloadable from the AAA website, with a check, a copy of your current driver's license, and two passport sized photos.

I feel good about having it, and I want to say thanks to those here who posted about the importance of having the permit.

Me too! I'm a former scoffer, who has driven many times in Europe without one, but you sold me.

And yes, it was very easy.

PS-- As was said, these are good for only one year. They also expire with your driver's license, so if yours will renew soon, get the IDP after renewing if possible.

In my case, my license expires in January, but I need the permit next month, so tant pis pour moi!

If only getting a U.S., state-issued driver's license was that easy!

Can these be obtained anywhere other than from AAA? And can anyone offer a reasonable justification for their 1-year expiration date, other than AAA's profit motives?

Profit....such a nasty thing..unless you are the one making it, right?

Well, Brian_in_Charlotte, you can get one from this website but you would thus be paying them a profit, and at double the cost of AAA:

http://www.internationaldriverspermit.com/

Tracy

They aren't really that expensive, so I am not sure about the huge profit they are making from Type-A travelers like myself.

According to this website, AAA and one other agency are the only ones to give authentic IDP's, and they state there are lots of phony agencies out there. Not sure about that, either, but if you use google you will see there are some companies that try and convince you to get an International Driver's License, which is more expensive, and from what I learned here, not necessary.

If pulled over, I would rather have the ease of pulling out a courtesy translation of my license, (which is what an IDP is), necessary or not, along with my license, if it makes the process easier. Ditto for renting a car. I am not trying to advocate it for everyone. I just wanted to let anyone wondering about the process how simple it was.

I guess I missed the original thread..but why would you need one??

Ok...I'll do a search! Still seems a waste of time to me.

I forgot to provide the link I mentioned in my post above.

http://www.independenttraveler.com/r...amp;category=2

It also explains why you might need one.

OK, get ready for this one. When getting a new IDP at AAA a couple years ago, I asked the clerk why it had to be done every year. As if she had a speech memorized she explained that it was because a regular driver's license may be good for up to 6 years, but by requiring a new IDP each year, they can make sure that they aren't issuing a "translation" version of a driver's license that may already be revoked for some reason. Hmmm. Makes sense. So I asked her if she had called to check to make sure my license wasn't revoked. She paused a minute then said no. There went that theory.

My point is that if all this is is a translation of your drivers license, there's no reason for it to expire in one year. Seems like a racket to me.

The FTC's web site does say that only AAA and AATA are authorized by the Dept of State to issue these and that the price is $10. There's no mention of expiration, so I wonder if that's set arbitrarily by AAA and AATA.

I don't care so much about the profit they're making, it just seems stupid to have to pay $50 and go down to AAA 5 times if I want to drive in Europe 5 years in a row on the same drivers license.

That's funny Patrick.

Never bought the Int'l permit and have driven for years in Europe and though i understand the reasons for it will never bother to buy one. I'm not saying not to buy one.

I'm with PalQ: I have leased cars four times through Peugeot Sodexa, and rented at various points many times, and have never needed more than my standard licence from Victoria, Australia. Because it is signed and has a photo thereon, it has also served as an identity check in place of a passport on many occasions. At no time has it been suggested by police or anyone else in an official capacity that I should have an IDP.

fare dolce- you post is a good idea for any people in NYC that might not know about the permit, and I can only add that your statement that it only takes 15 minutes needs to be qualified by the fact that this depends completly on whether there are alot of other people there when you arrive at the Manhattan AAA office. It's not like the DMV Express, where there are a dozen cashiers- they have a counter with one or two people processing transactions for permits. The times I was there there was one person.

I've gotten permits there 3 times, and once got it in a hurry as you describe, but the other 2 times took about 45 minutes, and well over an hour, respectively.

I was by no means the only person there, maybe I just hit it on a lucky day. Even with a wait, I can't imagine it being anywhere near as awful as a trip to the DMV, primarily because the offices are comfortable and the people were friendly. I expected it to be much more of a chore than it actually was and I was pleasantly surprised.

The one year expiration was set by the international treaty that established the IDP.

The issuers of IDPs are not making any huge profit at $10 a pop.

"Author: adeben
Date: 08/19/2005, 06:45 am
I'm with PalQ: I have leased cars four times through Peugeot Sodexa, and rented at various points many times, and have never needed more than my standard licence from Victoria, Australia. Because it is signed and has a photo thereon, it has also served as an identity check in place of a passport on many occasions. At no time has it been suggested by police or anyone else in an official capacity that I should have an IDP."


Huh? Are you saying you were stopped by the police (if so, in what country?) for a violation and they TOLD you that you didn't need an IDP. No one has suggested that you need one to rent a vehicle. The IDP is required in several countries in the event you are stopped by the police. Frankly, your post doesn't mean much. Like insurance -- just because you were never in an accident doesn't really mean you never needed it!

Since the IDP is just a translation, it isn't needed in countries that speak the same langage as the license (e.g., US travelers in Britain). As was mentioned, this is an international treaty-type arrangement and available only through authorized agencies, otherwise the fraud would be rampant. There have been past threads about which countries officially require it -- Italy is definitely one of them. Just because car-rental agencies don't require it or tell you about is means nothing -- they're not government agencies.