I'm confused as well. An IDP is just a translation of your drivers license. If you are driving in an English-speaking country, which obviously Scotland is, I don't understand why an IDP would be necessary.

Tracy

< "Two part license holder" >

UK has a licence with one part being a CC sized card with photo & basic details on. It isn't legal to use as a driving licence unless you have the paper part as well which has fuller details

Why we have it - I don't know, probably something someone thought up as an April 1st joke which got out of hand

My NJ license was all I needed for the car rental in Scotland.

dssxxx who did you rent with?

Which company?? This exact question came up a couple of months ago about a rental car in Scotland. I had never heard of such a thing and have rented probably 75 cars in the UK. I could not believe what the poster was saying -- since an IDP is simply a translation of your Stateside license. That wouldn't be necessary in the UK. The poster kept insisting that is waht Enterprise's rental agreement said.

So I e-mailed Enterprise in the UK to find out for myself. Unfortunately I cleaned out my old e-mails a couple of weeks ago so I can't give you the exact quote (but I did quote it on a thread here) - NO - and IDP is not required.

I'll try to find the original thread . . . . .

Here is the thread: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34822427

But it is a looooong thread so here is the relevant post:

Author: janisj
Date: 06/29/2006, 02:47 pm
dbaker: I e-mailed EnterpriseUK and finally got their response . . . .

An IDP is not required.

""Response (Christy) - 06/29/2006 09:42 AM
Thank you for your e-mail.

It is not required, you just need your valid drivers licence and passport."

There is a fair amount of misinformation being circulated, particularly that message of LN posted earlier today. It is incorrect that if you do not possess an Int'l Driver's License, the rental car company will not allow you to rent; a valid driver's license from any State in this country is sufficient and you will be driving in Europe legally. It is, however, a good idea to have the IDL; you can be fined if you are stopped by the police and do not have one. It is an internationally recognized means of driver identification and the cost, particularly if you get the license from AAA is very reasonable.

No, you will <u>not</u> be fined for not having an IDP (not IDL) in the UK. That is true most places BTW - except for Italy and a couple of other countries where and IDP is required. And IDP is not required in the UK and you will not be fined. The question was re whether the rental agency requires one or not.

If you still have a question - I suggest e-mailing the UK headquarters (NOT the Stateside office - they won't have a clue) of which ever rental agency you are using. OR - just go to AAA and pay $10 and get one and be done w/ it.

(I'd never get one for the UK myself.)

thanks!
dont know what Id do without you all!

cis1892, after your talking about all the misinformation here, I sure hope you didn't mean that the person with a US license would be fined if stopped in Scotland and didn't have an IDP! Now that IS misinformation. We aren't talking Italy here, we're talking about the UK.

steviegene,

I do not remember who I rented from..:-(

It was a 9 day golf vacation driving between St. Andrews, Glen Eagles and Turnberry. But, the NJ license was all that was required.

Everybody step aside: EXPERIENCE needs to step in!! :-D I have posted this info 289 times already in this forum, glad to do it again:

In the course of 20 years driving in Europe while on vacation, we have been stopped about 4 times by the police; 3 were routine checks, 1 was a traffic violation. In ALL 4 ocassions we handed over the IDP (free if you are a AA Plus Member; $60/year) and we were let go with no questioning, no pain whatsoever. Let me further explain:

IN ITALY: routine road check: the (gorgeous!) policeman said to us that to have an IDP is important because if we had committed a violation and they see the need to take a driver permit away, they are allowed to take the IDP instead (worth it if it could save me a trip to hideous DMV!).

IN FRANCE: drove the wrong way for about 15 feet), stopped by police, we handed over the IDP. The policeman took it, read it and, apparently, learned all he need it from it because he let us go with a scolding (in French, so who cares?).

IN SPAIN: rural country road, NOT a chance of communication in English, we handed over the IDP, same drill; all he needed to know about us was apparently in the IDP, because he let us go with not one question asked.

IN AMSTERDAM: Road Sobriety checks. Once again, handed over the IDP, no questions asked. The cop took a look into the car, on our way in no time.

IDP mandatory? probably not. Does it makes sense to have one? I have to say, I don't leave home for Europe without one if am driving....!

But the IDP is to translate the American's US (issued by the state of residence) into something like 15 non English languages. Since they speak English in Scotland (well the last I heard they did although I admit I don't always understand all the expressions) a law enforcement person in Scotland doesn't need a translation of the Americans drivers license.

If driving on the Continent I sure agree, whether the country in question requires it by law (as Italy does) I personally think it is a very good idea to have the IDP.

Viajero, that was all very interesting and important, but what does any of it have to do with needing an IDP for a US citizen (presumably) driving in SCOTLAND?

In your last statement you say you wouldn't leave home for Europe without one -- even when sticking to English speaking countries? What is the point?

Viajero2: That all may very well be true -- however the question is about the United Kingdom. An IDP can not possibly be of any use in the UK since it is just a translation of of the English on your DL into other languages. Last I heard - they can read English in the UK . . . . .

Oops - didn't meant to pile on - LoveItaly and Neopolitan were posting at the same time . . . . .

The point is, you can have several extentions or limitations to your license that don't translate automatically. My national license says I'm allowed to drive Class 3,4 and 5 vehicles. On the international license it's translated as Motorcyles up tp 50ccm, Trucks up to 7.5 tons, cars and several other vehicles. How is any foreign policeman supposed to knows what class 3 means?

Read the message, is all there.

Hint: I much rather hand over a worthless piece of paper that does the job (provides the info) than a document that I need to hang on to.

Really, what am I missing? is it really that painful to just get one???

I don't think you're listening to us Viajero. I'm all for getting an IDP for any country that requires one. I'm even not opposed to getting one for a country where it might come in useful. But what in the world is the point of paying money to get a translation of your US driver's license into a series of foreign languages when you aren't leaving the English speaking world?
What possible good would it do in ANY event? Would you be expecting to be stopped by a Scottish police officer who ONLY speaks Japanese, for example?

It wouldn't be all that much trouble to go get a yellow fever shot before going to Scotland either, but why would I do that? It actually might be more useful than an IDP.

And now that I think about, I'm curious if you also make sure you have an IDP if you travel to another state in the US (assuming that's where you live)? It will have exactly the same amount of importance or use in that case as it will in Scotland.