paul

We are renting a car in italy next month and I would like some comments on the need for getting international driving licenses or permits. Thanks

wes fowler

Paul, <BR>Whether or not to secure an international driver's license has been one of the most controversial subjects raised on this forum. If you'll do "match exact phrase" search, you'll find a wealth of pros and cons about the need for one. Here's one person's opinion. I've driven extensively throughout Europe for many, many years. I've always carried an international license. It's cost is neglegible. Some countries do still require one. In Austria a couple of years ago, my American license was ignored and the international one demanded by police in their writeup of a no-fault accident involving my car and a tour bus. Coincidently, when reporting the accident at the rental car desk in a small Austrian city, the clerk asked for my international license, not my regular one. In some rural and remote areas if involved in a traffic violation or accident, you may be required to surrender your license. Better to surrender the international one than your regular license. Sit back and expect a raft of comments pro and con that I'm sure will follow!

Walter

I have seen threads on rec.travel.europe for 2 yrs about this. The majority opinion is you don't need one, *but* I have *never* seen anyone on either side produce any specific Italian law or web site that says if you need one or not. Example: when checking out official Greek Gov't web sites (which I didn't save) I found a law that stated (only outside the EU countries, I believe) you needed a IDL. Later when responding to a post I mentioned this and then heard "I rented a car without one etc." but suppose they had an accident or were stopped for a traffic violation. I would get one unless someone could prove to me legally I didn't need one, popular opinion polls don't usually count with the police. Regards, Walter <BR>

joel

Paul, I would agree with Wes, but I can add some additional facts. Some US states have agreements with individual European countries to mutually recognize each other's drivers' licenses. I live in SC, but lived in France for a few years during a time when France and SC had no such agreement. I was required by my company, therefore, to have an international license and was assured by my company in France that without one I would incur trouble. <BR>Soon after taking up residence I learned that, unlike in the US, the French police frequently set up stops on the highway merely to check papers (licenses and documents that say you've paid your vehicle taxes, etc.). I would say I was stopped about 5-7 times during my 2 years there and it had nothing to do with being a foreigner; I was just the next car to come down the road and was waved over. Each time I was asked for my international license. Due to these police checks, you can not be sure that just safe driving will keep the police from stopping you. <BR>Sure, you could check on whether or not your state has reciprocal agreements with this or that country (maybe now with the EEC in effect, the EEC covers all this instead of a country-by-country arrangement), but why not just go down to AAA and pick up an international license? Last I knew they were less than $10. <BR>By the way, since they're only good for 1 yr, my wife and I both took our French driver's exam which entitled us to drive in any European country forever. No renewal ever necessary and they don't bother with all the crap about glasses. They seem to have this bizarre attitude in Europe that we are responsible for our actions and should be treated as adults. Strange, these Europeans. <BR> <BR>

John

This is interesting. Joel, this has nothing to do with the $10 because you are right, that is the easiest thing to do. However, I am interested if one is really required or not. I also lived in France for one year and I was not told by my company that I had to have an international driver's license. I was told that if I bought a car and registred it, I would be required to get a french driver's license with a written test in french, etc. <BR> <BR>I know I did not need one to rent a car as I have done numerous times in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. <BR>I worked both in Germany and France for one year each. In both cases I bought a BMW here in the US under their international tourist pick-up program which allowed me to drive in Europe for up to 12 months without any additional paperwork or hassle. BMW took care of all of the paperwork at no cost to me which included 12 months insurane one year which they shortened to just one month the year after. That year I did have to pay for the extra 11 months of insurance. I was issued tourist plates from Germany where I picked up the cars in Munich. <BR> <BR>I was stopped by police in France a few rimes for traffic and parking violations and also involved in an accident in france. I was never asked for an international driver's license. <BR> <BR>I don't know what the law really says, but do know that you don't really need one to rent a car and from my experiences was never asked for one by the police either. <BR> <BR>I don't know about Austria, but don't doubt what Wes said. I started going to Europe 20 yrs ago and I do remember way back then that an international driver's license was recommended, but not required. They were only $5 then and I bought one. Never used it and never renewed it. Which makes this very interesting and somewhat confusing as to whether one is needed or not. I know the car companies don't require one and have never read any "what's needed" to travel to the european countries that stated the need.

wes fowler

I'll bet, Paul, that by now you're sorry you raised the question! Just out of curiosity I checked a couple of websites for national tourist offices and, sure enough at www.atno.com, the website for the Austrian National Tourist office, under "Getting there and getting around", I found "An international driver's license is required and can be obtained from your local auto club".

Paul

Thanks for the comments. Although we are AAA members, we live in a small mountain community in Colorado and the nearest AAA office is 3 hours away. I did have them fax me the application permit so we can do this by mail. Its sounds to me that for $10 plus $10 for passport pictures, its worth it just to have one.