PamSF

We needed the permit in Italy but to my memory we did not need it in France. Has anything changed since 2004?

Dukey

On our recent trip which included driving a rental car in France we were certainly not required to produce an IDP to secure the rental.

Since we were not stopped by the authorities for any reason I cannot comment on how useful one would have actually been, or if the authorities would have demanded one be produced.

This mimics our similar rental car experience in France of two years ago also.

smueller

I don't think you need it. Some countries are more strict than others. I drove in Germany, Austria and Italy in May without one. I have also driven many times in France without one. But I have never been pulled over by a police officer. I don't know what the consequences would have been had that occurred. Ignorance is bliss maybe.

The best advice on this subject would probably be from Americans that have been pulled over in France and didn't have the permit (which is really not a permit at all). Was it ever a problem? Is it more likely to be a problem in some areas than others?

If you are concerned, consider getting one just for the peace of mind.

TuckH

Just bring the '04 one along - you needn't update it.

kerouac

Absolutely not necessary in France. The police have a manual in their car for reading licenses from all over the world. Many years ago, when I worked at Avis in Paris, we had a similar book for decoding things like Korean and Japanese licences, which had no latin characters at all on them.

hawksbill

It's not required in France, although some people think it's not a bad idea to have one with you.