portia12

We are going to be renting a car in both Crete and Santorini. Is an International Driver's License required? Some say yes and some say no. Does anyone know for sure?

sunny16

I had heard that it was, so both my husband and I got one. I think they cost about $10 each, plus the cost of the passport photos. We send in the applications to our local AAA chapter and had them back promptly. It's not really that much of a hassle, and I think it's better to be safe than sorry.

dutyfree

I just got back from driving in Greece a few weeks ago and got an international drivers license before I went as 3 of my guidebooks plus AAA said it was mandatory. Countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece have the highest incidents of theft,accidents,etc.Greece holds the record of the highest car accident rate in Europe.All of the guidebooks said that the police will ask you for the international license immdiately whenever you are ticketed or are involved in an accident overseas.If you do not have one, you will have no recourse on anything. It was VERY easy to get-$15 and two passport photos and I got it within minutes at the AAA office. Our rental car agency insisted that we have it before I received the keys to the car. And yes, I took out every possible insurance while in Greece due to being paranoid about something bad happening(husband wasn't with my daughter and I ). Good luck!

Robert2533

What's required is the IDP, the International Drivers Permit. It is not a driver’s license. The IDP issued by AAA is the only one recognized by the US State Department. The IDP is simply a document issued in the native language. It's seldom needed, but always helpful if you happen to encounter the police (accident, ticket, etc.) and aren't fluent in the language. Italy is one country where it is always advisable to have the IDP with you when driving and some rental car companies in Spain have started requesting the document when picking up your car.

LoveItaly

Under Italian Law and Austrian Law one does need to have the International Drivers Permit which translates your home drivers license information into something like 15 different languages. I just read here on Fodor's the other day that the fee that AAA charges has increased from $10.00 to $15.00 plus the cost of the passport type photos which you can have taken at your local AAA office or anywhere that provides passports photos. I didn't know Greece mandated the IDP. But even in countries that do not it is a good idea and such an inexpensive and easy item to obtain.
BTW, you MUST have your home drivers license with you also as again the IDP is merely a translation of the information shown on your home drivers license.

portia12

Thank you all for responding. It looks like I'd better be safe and get one from my local AAA office.

HappyTrvlr

Our travel agent in Greece said we didn't need it.

hopscotch

It is not an International Drivers <u>License</u>. It is an International Drivers Permit as mentioned above. Do not pay $50 to internet sleeze buckets. Just go to your local AAA office and get it. I didn't know that the price has gone up to $15. It had been $10 for decades.

jules4je7

We rented a car on Samos without one in 2003. I doubt it's changed...but then it's not a heavily touristed island either. Santorini and Crete might be more likely to enforce the law.

Jules

travelgirl2

We needed one in Santorini last summer to rent a car.

StCirq

Travel agents don't know boo about this issue, IME.

And just because the rental agency doesn't ask you for it doesn't mean it isn't MANDATORY BY LAW. I've NEVER had a rental agency in Italy ask me if I had one, and it's totally obligatory in Italy.

And no, it's not a license. You already have one of those.It's nothing more than a formallly recognized translation of your license. If you can translate your license to proper Greek and get it notarized, that will meet the legal requirement. For most people, going to AAA is a lot easier and cheaper.

LSUvetgirl

so, for my husband I who are currently in Belgium and not very near a AAA office, but headed to greece in 2.5 weeks....

any suggestions?

We've traveled around Europe for the last 3 years, never needed anything other than our US license. Figures our very last stop would be the problem.

Our plan had been to rent a car right away, but if this is something we could get once we got there we could swap things up and do the part requiring a car later...

(yea i know this thread is a year old but hoping someone can answer anyway)

mlaffitte

I rented a car in Greece last year and it was fine with only my U.S. driver's license. In fact, I have rented cars in at least 20 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, and have NEVER been asked for an international driver's license.

AlwaysOnTheRoad

We were also in Greece last September. Rented cars in Mykonos, Naxas, Paros, and Santorini. Never asked for IDL. Never asked anywhere for that matter.

Jake1

It does not matter if a car rental agency does not ask for an IDP. Totally irrelevant. It doesn't even matter if you were stopped by a policeman for some reason and that particular policeman did not ask you for an IDP.

All that matters is whether or not the laws of any of the countries you will be driving in require that you have one. If the law requires it, then you could have a problem if you don't have it.

From the web site of the US Dept. of State concerning travel in Greece:

Tourists and temporary residents who will stay in Greece less than 185 days must carry a valid U.S. license as well as an international driver's permit (IDP). Failure to have both documents may result in police detention or other problems. The U.S. Department of State has authorized two organizations to issue IDPs to those who hold valid U.S. driver's licenses: AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance. Issuance of an IDP is quick, easy, and inexpensive, but must generally be done before a traveler leaves the United States. Vehicles may not properly be rented without the IDP, although sometimes they are. A driver without one, however, will be penalized for failure to have one in the event of an accident, and may be open to civil suit as well. Fines are high.

flanneruk

However, the views of nhe US State Department are of no significance in Greece. Those quoted above are quite different from what the official National Tourist Organisation of Greece says on ITS website (http://www.visitgreece.gr/pages.php?...5&amp;langID=2), where it's clear that national driving licences are just fine.

You're unlikely to get a definitive answer on this board. Go to the NTOG office in Brussels, or try to contact the Greek Embassy.

Incidentally, where the US foreign ministry IS correct is that's it's practically (I'd say totally, but...) impossible to get an IDP outside your home couintry. It's almost certain that the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium won't be able to issue one - just as it's certain you'll find lots of non-Europeans driving in Greece on their non-European licences without an IDP.

ParisAmsterdam

HappyTrvlr and flanneruk

There is some confusion here... yes, a car rental agency will rent you a car based on your national driver's license. They want your money so are not about to make it difficult for you.

If your license is from another EU
country you can use it.

BUT, from other places you do need
an IDP. The cost is minimal, I had
mine in 5 minutes at a CAA office so
why not get one?

Rob

tower

I have finally succumbed, after not bothering to get one for the past ten years...I used to get it for many journeys into Eastern and Central Europe and SA..but stopped. Now the pressure seems to be getting real, and since we'll be driving Portugal next few weeks, both wife and I got ours at local AAA yesterday....cost was $23 including photos. Must admit, I feel better about it now!

Stu T.

LSUvetgirl

well, my &quot;why not?&quot; is because I am in Belgium and I'm leaving in two weeks. Not arguing on the utility of getting one just in case; unfortunately I didnt think to do that before we left. Looks like we'll just have to take our chances. Thanks for the tourist office website

Jake1

I'm not sure how important the wording is, but the Greek tourism wevsite says that a national driving license is acceptable. There is no national driving license in the USA.

Anyway, it would be best to contact the Greek tourism office directly.