international drivers license for Germany? Austria? Switzerland?
 

We will be rent a car in Frankfurt this August, and then drive into both Austria and Switzerland. I am pretty sure that we don't need an international drivers license for Germany. Is this true? Will we need one to drive in Austria or Switzerland? Thanks!

Hi C,

You will definitely need it in Austria.

In addition, you must by a tax sticker (vignette) for Austria (10 days, 7E) and one for Switzerland - 35E.

((I))

Search USA State Department information or German and others. Do not rely on anecdotal information.

You're always better off having a permit (you still need your real license, this is just a translation) - in case you run into a cop that doesn;t speak English - perfetly possible. Since they're so cheap why not just get one?

Re: The vignette in Austria and Switzerland. You need it only if you plan to drive on autbahns.

more info in this thread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

>Re: The vignette in Austria and Switzerland. You need it only if you plan to drive on autobahns.<

Be aware that almost all roads leading to borders become highways at the crossing. In the region around Lake Constance, where Germany, Austria and Switzerland meet, all of the tiny roads become 4-lane, divided highways.

We have seen police cars sitting just beyond the crossings.

Buy the IDP - $10
Buy the vignettes.

The fines are much, much larger.

((I))

It is not an international Driver's License. It is "permit". An IDP is a translation of your own driver's license. You will not need one to rent a car - but to drive legally in Austria - yep. You can get one while you wait at most AAA offices.

The IDP's are now $15 if you bring your own pictures, which I did. My wife's cost a little over $25 + tax because she didn't have any pictures.

It's a shame that they are only good for 1 year. ((b))

>The IDP's are now $15...

A 50% increase!!!

Outrageous.

((I))

Thanks all. Just got our drivers licenses over the weekend. Better safe than sorry!

Another vote to get the vignettes! They sell them at the borders to go into Switzerland- ours was 40 swiss francs this summer. They sell them at gas stations for Austria.
This summer, some friends were fined 120 euros in Austria because they did not have the vignette.
On the autobahn in Switzerland, we saw a policeman drive up next to us and peer at our windshield to check for the sticker. Thankfully we had it!
They definitely check! Get the stickers!