hguy47

I received the following from a car rental company:

"Please note, that due to a new regulation from the European
Community (since Jan 01, 1999) all Non-European customers
NEED an International Drivers License (IDL)."

Is this correct? BTW, 1999 doesn't sound like a very "new" regulation. Thanks.

ira

Hi H,

What company, what country?

travelgourmet

I have rented cars in the past year in both Denmark and Belgium with only a US drivers license. My understanding is the the IDL is pretty much a waste of money if you are traveling to Europe.

GiuliaPiraino

Now this applies to Italy only...Everyone told us it was a waste of money too, so we stopped getting it, just one more thing to carry. However, when I was in Italy last year, my girlfriend who lives there said you should absolutely have one because whether or not you need it depends on the "mood" of the officer pulling you over.

For the $10 it costs to get it, it's better to have it in case you fumble upon a grouchy carabiniero!

Not sure if it's the same drill in other countries.

cls2paris

I've not heard of an IDL and I've driven in Europe after 1999. There is an IDP - an International Drivers Permit which is a translation of the information on your drivers license. You can get them AAA for about $10 (photo extra). The IDP is required in some but not all European countries. For example, I needed it in Italy but not France.

I'd give the rental a call and confirm that they actually mean IDL, not IDP.

cls2paris

Also, I'm not sure that it is needed to rent the car or not. I had to show it once when picking up a car but didn't on a different rental - same country.

But, it is required by the police if you are driving Guilia mentioned in her post.

GiuliaPiraino

cls2Paris, You're right, the IDP from AAA is what I was referring to when I wrote about the International Drivers License. Yes, that's correct it's a translation of your current driver's license.

hguy47, why not get it just to be on the safe side? It's only 10 bucks.

logos999

There are two different international agreements on IDP's/IDL's.

If you're a US national, you will need an IDP to drive in Italy.

Some contries have signed both agreements some only one (for example the US and Germany don't have an agreement on an IDP but they tolerate each others licenses).

GSteed

Search, AAA Heathrow. IDP fee is now $15 (one year). The IDP is an impressive document and it will usually satisfy a traffic policeman. The ordinary USA State card may require substantiation.

Budman

The IDP will cost you $15 if you bring in two of your own passport photos. If not, add on an additional $10-12 or so plus tax for them to take the photos for you.

Jake1

An IDP is required by law in Italy and Austria. Most rental car companies won't bother to look at it--they're more interested in your credit card. However, if you have some sort of a driving problem and the police get involved in those 2 countries, it can be an additional offense if you don't have the IDP. Note that you still have to carry your regular DL even if you do have the IDP.

2Italy

In September of '07 at the Hertz/AutoEurope office on Via Maso Finiguerra in Florence, they asked to see EVERYBODY's IDP when renting. I don't know what they would do if someone didn't have one because everyone in the office had one.

[email protected]

kayd

Here's a tale of the consequences to one traveler without an IDP in Spain. A minor infraction cost him lots more time and money when the rental car was impounded for the lack of the IDP.

From the Washington Post Travel section

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...083100471.html

wanderlust5

Totally depends on what car rental agency you use. We have rented from Avis (Italy) and Eurocar (Italy) and neither of them require an international drivers license. However, if you are a member of AAA, they will issue you an international DL. We've never gotten one thus far, and if it comes up in the future, we'll get one issued from Triple A.

StCirq

It has NOTHING to do with the rental agency, nothing.

Italian and Austrian law dictate non-EU citizens must have one. The car rental agencies could care less whether you've got one for the most part. It's your responsibility to know the laws of the country. If Italian or Austrian police stop you, they will care.

gracejoan3

I have always carried one..get it from AAA.

I have never needed it, but anyone who has needed it will tell you it was well worth the $10 for it..no matter how many years you have paid the $10 fee!

janisj

wanderlust5: "Totally depends on what car rental agency you use. We have rented from Avis (Italy) and Eurocar (Italy) and neither of them require an international drivers license."

You are seriously wrong there and should not be giving advice like that. It makes absolutely no difference whether the rental agency requires and IDP or not. It was a legal requirement to have one in Italy. Not to rent your car - but to drive it legally. The fact that you got away w/o having an accident or being stopped by the police is neither here nor there. You were lucky -

J62

You don't need to be a member of AAA. Any joe off the street can walk in with 2 photos and $15 and get one. You can also do it by mail if there is no AAA office nearby. You just send a photocopy of your license. Contact the nearest AAA office and they'll tell you where to send it.

wanderlust5

I stand corrected then. Thanks for pointing it out. I just checked the italian tourism board site, and they do indeed say that as of 2004, anyone with a DL issued from any country other than U.S. and Canada must have the IDP (permit) which is basically a translation into Italian of your regular drivers license. I guess because my husband and I are both fluent in Italian that when we have booked rental cars and have had contact with Italian police there has never been an issue and they have never asked for them and the Eurocar site and the Autoeurope say do not indicate that it is a requirement either...and Avis has never required us to have one either. In reading the law just now, it says "you aren't required to have one to rent a car, but you are required to have one to drive a car"

So like many laws in Italy, the interpretation is vague and in the future we'll make sure we have one, as we are returning to Italy in March.

walkinaround

to correct the 'car rental company' quoted in the OP, stcirq, and logos...

it doesn't matter what your citizenship is, if you are a US national or not....the only thing that matters is what licence you carry.