cipparone

Six of us are driving 2 rental cars in Italy and we have received conflicting reports about driver's licenses. We had heard that you require an "international driver's license" to drive in Italy (purchased at CAA or AAA). Then I hear that they laugh at you at the rental place when you show it to them and they ask for your "real driver's license!!".
Any experience with this contradiction? We do not want to go through the expense of each of us paying for an international lisence if it is not necessary.

Janie

J62

First of all, it is an driving permit, not a license, and it is merely a translation document. It is only valid in conjunction with your home DL.

It is a legal requirement to carry an IDP. The rental car co may not care, but if your are stopped by the police for any reason you must show the IDP.

kybourbon

Italy requires an IDP (International Permit) which is just a translation of your license. I would assume everyone in your group wouldn't need one since you will have to pay extra for each additional driver on the rental cars.

rickmav

My husband was asked for both, international and 'real', licenses when we rented a car from Hertz in Florence last fall. I guess you could take a chance and hope that on any particular day, if you get stopped by the police, the person with the international permit is driving. But what would happen if you were in an accident?

Maybe, you'll hear from someone who didn't have a permit and was stopped by the police so you know what you are risking. If fined, it may be a lot more than individual international permits - or not.

You've got me curious, however, why do so many people need to drive? I don't know if it works this way in Italy, because we only had one driver, but in England you were entitled to one driver per car, any additional drivers cost extra per day. That could also add up to some serious money, since you would be putting two extra people on each car. But it may not apply in Italy.

NeoPatrick

The IDP (permit, not license) is REQUIRED to drive in Italy. Of course if you never get stopped by the police then you didn't "NEED" it. But the same is true of insurance -- why have it because if you never have an accident then you didn't "NEED" it, right?
The IDP has nothing to do with renting a car. And showing an IDP never means anything unless you have your "real" license to go with it.

By the way, I'm guessing the cost of putting six drivers on the two car contracts will cost you considerably more than the little fee AAA charges for the IDP. No?

cipparone

Thanks to all for your replies. To answer your question, no we aren't all going to be driving. One of the issues is drinking alcohol, so we thought having one alternate driver to act as a designated driver would be beneficial. Also, we may be "splitting up" if one group prefers to do something the other group may not be interested in. We will be getting our international "permits" at CAA. Thanks.

nytraveler

I may be confused- but if everyone is going to drive the car - then you need to tell the car rental company that - since there are usually charges for any additional drivers. (We have always been asked how many of us would be drivers.) And they may well (should) ask to see both your state driver lic and the IDP.

And - do realize that if a non-listed driver is caught driving the car (ticket or accident) any insurance will be null and void (either from the rental agency or the credit card). Both cover things that happen only when the car is driven by listed drivers.

cipparone

We have been told that they do not require the name of any additional drivers until we actually rent the car(s). Of course we realize that only licesnsed drivers that are on the car rental form are covered under the insurance. Thanks for your help.

rickmav

In our experience, you don't have to tell the rental car company ahead of time the names of all the drivers, but if you don't, realize that the price they quote you will not be the final price. When you actually pick up the car and give the extra names you will be charged a daily fee for each driver.

The other thing to consider is that it can take a very long time to get through all the paperwork when you are picking up a car in Italy - it isn't like the system at American airports, for example. If you have six drivers, each of you will have to show your driver's license and be registered on the paperwork. It took us an hour to pick up our car in Florence - and we had one driver.

nytraveler

I think Italy is more complicated because of the insurance issues. We usually find it takes about 30 minutes - including the examination and "flight check" of the car before we accept it - but that's with credit card insurance.