In some countries having an International Driving Permit (IDP) is a must if you plan to rent a car. Not having one could certainly throw a curveball into your travel plans. Imagine showing up to pick up your reserved rental car only to be told that you can’t rent one without an International Driver’s License!
Well, this almost happened to us. After all we had rented cars previously in Germany and France without one. We only realized a couple of weeks before leaving that we needed an International Driver’s Permit to rent a car in Italy. Not having a car would certainly have made our Northern Italy road trip difficult. It would have meant having to scramble at the last-minute to get around by alternate means and having to modify our planned itinerary. Thankfully, this didn’t happen to us, but it does happen to some.
The clerk at the AAA office told us a story about someone that recently called hoping to get an International Driving Permit overnighted to them in Europe. He was willing to pay hundreds of dollars for the courier but unfortunately, without signed passport pictures they could not oblige. Getting the IDP must be done in person or by mail before you leave.
Our recent experience had us thinking about some of our upcoming international trips, and I realized that we had taken for granted that we could rent a car with our US driver’s licenses worry free. Is that always the case? Well, it may depend on the country. Check with your rental agency and with the US Department of State website before you go or the Government of Canada website.
How to Get an International Driving Permit
Getting an IDP (International Driving Permit) is a simple matter and can be done with a short visit to your local AAA office. For $20 and a couple of passport pictures you get yourself an International Driving Permit which is valid for one year. Having one in hand could be worth the price for the peace of mind alone.
While you can apply by mail, it can all be done on the spot (pictures taken, permit issued and ready to take home with you) in less than an hour, so we would recommend going to the AAA office and getting it all done in a day. Tip: Call first, the camera was broken at our local office and we had to get pictures elsewhere prior to arrival.
Download their form and procedure here
For Canadians, CAA offers the same service: get the info here
Why should you get an IDP
While most European countries allow renting a car with a US or Canadian driver’s license (again, it may depend on the country or the rental car company), there are some notable exceptions when it comes to travel destinations. Japan for example absolutely requires that you obtain an IDP and you must do so in your home country before your arrival in Japan or you will be refused your rental car. Further, if you are caught driving without an international driving permit, fines can be very steep, and you could even be deported or end up in jail!
Even in countries where you can rent a vehicle and drive off with your regular license, you may appreciate having your IDP. For example, if for whatever reason you happen to be pulled over by the police and must communicate with the officer who can’t read or speak English. The IDP translates your US or Canadian driver’s license into 10 different languages.
Finally, getting the IDP from AAA also enticed us to join the AAA program which gave us free European maps. Being a gold member also gives you free photos (if the machine is working!). Membership also extends discounts across a wide array of travel related products and services including hotels.
One more benefit of an IDP
Having an International Driving Permit can also save you some money. Once when we were in Grand Cayman and wanted to rent a car we had to pay an extra $20 for a local license in order to get our rental car because we didn’t have an IDP. No one told us about this beforehand and it wasn’t specified on the reservation. Something similar had also happened to us before in Rarotonga. That time they actually issued a laminated picture ID driver’s license from New Zealand (ready in 10 minutes), which made for a great souvenir!
Conclusion
So with an International Driving Permit in hand, we are ready to hit the road. I only wish that these were valid for more than a year as we have other road trips planned…
Update: In the end, no one even asked us for an IDP in Italy but since we had heard of others being denied cars and with a road trip all planned out it was worth the peace of mind not having to stress about it.
Related posts:
- Road Trip Tip: Get a Travel Transponder and Save on Rental Car Toll Charges
- Always Check Your Rental Car Before Driving Off
- Sweetening up Your Ride!