Driving in France

Yes, you need an international license for France. You can obtain one at AAA in a painless process before you leave home.

What you need is an IDP ( International Driver Permit ) obtainable in the States from Triple A ( AAA ) . Anything else is a scam . You also must have your home license in combination .

diane,

YES, you do need either an International Driver's Permit or a notarized translation of the terms of your home D.L. in French. This is what the Embassy of France in the U.S. states.....

"You may drive with a valid U.S. driver’s license if it is accompanied by a notarized translation in French. It is strongly recommended that you carry an International Driving Permit. You must be 18 years of age or older to drive in France."

Whether you're asked for the IDP or not, is not the issue. Given the small cost and effort required to get an IDP, why would you not get it.

Tom, as you note, an embassy's (US or European) statements of what the law is are not always totally accurate. The problem often is finding the accurate statement, which can be difficult if it's in a foreign language.

You indicate you will also be driving in Spain. That settles the IDP question! An IDP is required in Spain, period, end of discussion. A few years ago there was a post in this forum from a guy who was caught in Spain without one ... he made an improper left turn and was stopped. His story started with the 250 Euro fine for no IDP, CASH ON-THE-SPOT. In France it seems to be a fuzzy area, but just remember, if you get stopped for a traffic violation or have an accident you will end up dealing with someone who may or may not be in a good mood but has a badge and a gun and the power to make your life a living hell.

As too needing an IDP to get your rental car, most rental car desks don't care. Remember: 1) They are they to make money by renting you a car, 2) They will not be in the driver's seat if the stuff hits the fan, 3) They have you by the credit card and know they will be made whole (handsomely) for the costs of having the vehicle recovered from impound.

Get the IDP. If you dig deep enough on the AAA web site, you can even find a way to get it by mail.

On the eyeglasses question -- I have started carrying two pair of both sunglasses and reading glasses and, sure enough, needed the backups before the end of the month. For prescription glasses, extra pair is a small extra weight if you don't need them -- BIG problem if you can't see part way through your trip.

Yes, Tom, I do recall seeing that info. Personally, in the last 3 years I've started to get an IDP for France. It helps that a AAA office is just down the street.

I always travel with a backup pair of glasses. My eyes are terrible, so the trip would be ruined if something happened to my glasses and I had no backup.

I always travel with a backup pair of glasses. My eyes are terrible, so the trip would be ruined if something happened to my glasses and I had no backup.

So do I, but they're never in the car. Speaking of breaking glasses in France, at the start of our trip last month we were staying with a friend in Burgundy, and one of the screws on my reading glasses fell of the frame and was lost. When we left her house to go to our next destination, she said that there were 3 opticians in the center of her town and to just go into one and they'll take care of it. So we stopped at the first one we saw, and went in. A woman said hello and when we told her what had happened, she took the glasses and eventually came back with it all fixed. When I asked her how much it cost, she said "nothing." (in French of course). The last time this happened was in Annecy several years ago, and was charged all of 2 euros. I was wondering what would have happened to a traveler in the US in that situation.

"..will end up dealing with someone who may or may not be in a good mood but has a badge..."

And may not speak French, thus a translation in hand is prudent, never mind if it's required or not!

Never been asked for an international drivers liscense...ever in Europe. Including last Wednesday at the AutoEurop in Nimes. They just asked for my US liscense.

Paul, the car rental people don't care if you do or do not have an IDP. It is not their job to check that. If you have never really been asked for an IDP only means you have probably never been stopped by the police. When and if it does happen let us know how it went with les gendarmes.

PS. Are you fluent in French?

I have seen several threads on this very subject. But I have yet to see a post from a single person who said they didn't have an I.D.L. and that caused them a problem. Not a single one.

Phil, there are two small islands off the east coast of Canada, St Pierre and Miquelon, which are French territory. On Miquelon there is a fortress-like prison where all the American drivers caught without an IDP are locked up. The reason none have ever posted on this forum about it is that the poor devils are not allowed access to the internet. They are allowed access to croissants and steak frites, though, so it can't be too terrible. Let this be a lesson to all. The end.

They are allowed access to croissants and steak frites, though,

Norma, are they good?

They are allowed access to croissants and steak frites, though,

Norma, are they good?

Tom, I may decide to do it your way at some point, but your figures are way off, at least for me. It takes 5-10 minutes to drive to AAA, maybe 10 minutes there, and 5-10 minutes to drive back. Or I can walk it, which takes longer but involves a very pleasant walk. And the cost is less than $31, although not significantly less. And sometimes the IDP has been good for 2 years (like when one year's trip ended at an earlier date than the prior year's trip started)

Robert,

The next time you amble on down to the AAA to fork over the cash for an IDP, you might want to ask why it expires in one year when your license, the document it's supposedly translating, doesn't expire for another 3, 5, or 10 years.

Are the ace translators at AAA unable to translate the expiration date of your license? That would be of keen interest to any police or gendarme in the highly unlikely event one would ask for it.

Perhaps there's a good reason, other than amping up revenue.

Perhaps.

I'm pretty sure the requirement is that the IDP, essentially just a translation of your driver's license, has to be less than a year old. I tossed mine after my September trip so had to by a new one for my just completed May trip. I'm holding on to this one for my upcoming September trip (the extra "to-do" is a bigger concern than the $25).

Yes France requires an IDP. It's not expensive to have one and it's required - I don't see any reason to have long discussions about whether you "really" need one.

I've driven in Europe for years and never been asked by the police for my IDP. I don't get pulled over, I don't get tickets, and I don't get in accidents - eventually one of those might change and I'll be glad I have my IDP, and driver's license, with me.

I think I saw that Spain requires a back-up pair of glasses. Each country has a variety of laws (reflective vest in the car, carnet to drive on the freeway, etc.). The rental company will give you a car that meets the requirements, a leased car probably won't, but you have to meet the personal requirements.

On Miquelon there is a fortress-like prison where all the American drivers caught without an IDP are locked up.

They used to be tortured by being fed French pastries until an international committee banned the practice.

Sergeant: Imagine your loved ones conquered by Napoleon and forced to live under French rule. Do you want them to eat that rich food and those heavy sauces?
Soldiers: No...!
Sergeant: Do you want them to have soufflé every meal and croissant?
- "Love and Death", Woody Allen

As far as the IDP goes, I think if paying ~$25 for an IDP will dent your budget, you should be reconsidering traveling to Europe in general.

I'm pretty sure the requirement is that the IDP, essentially just a translation of your driver's license, has to be less than a year old.

I would be interested in seeing an authoritative reference for that belief. Can you share one?

I don't recall seeing it when I reviewed le Code de la Route while studying for my French permis de conduire. But I may have missed it. I know that the regulation that describes the requirement for a translation doesn't mention it.

I don't understand why people quibble about following the laws where they are, nor do I understand why people rail against AAA for issuing IDPs for one year - saying that they are gouging profits from the poor traveler - when they have to. According to the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, an IDP remains valid for one year from the date of issue, so that's why it is one year.

Reference was requested, so http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/conventn/ConventiononRoadTrafficof_1949.pdf

Just spent a week in Normandy and my US license was sufficient to rent the car. One thing they don't accept is the insurance offered by Orbitz. The FR insurance is expensive. Full coverage including rental for 4 days was almost $600.

Roy, not surprising that your US driver's licence was sufficient to rent your car. The car rental companies don't give a fig if you or do not have an IDP. Ii is not their job to enforce the law, it is their job to rent cars. I say this so that your post is not read by newcomers to the forum as an OK to flout a French law.

The next time you amble on down to the AAA to fork over the cash for an IDP, you might want to ask why it expires in one year when your license, the document it's supposedly translating, doesn't expire for another 3, 5, or 10 years.

As someone explained and provided a link, by law an IDP can be good for only 1 year. That may be absurd (in my opinion it is), but it's the law.

As someone explained and provided a link, by law an IDP can be good for only 1 year. That may be absurd (in my opinion it is), but it's the law.

It's an interesting opinion (that they only can be valid for one year), but I don't see the evidence for it.

Now, I didn't read every page of the linked convention (and thank you, Nigel, for providing it -- it's very helpful), but I did read the parts related to drivers and permits (a lot of the rest of the convention deals with road signs, vehicles, vehicle lights, what to do about countries still occupied after WWII, and matters such as whether Norway and Sweden can use Saint Andrew's cross at level-crossings with gates [spoiler alert: they can]).

I'll admit up front: it's certainly possible on my first read that I missed the provision that Nigel relied upon to reach his opinion, which you have referenced. But I was struck by the absence of a reference in his comment -- and yours -- to any specific provision within that document that substantiates the opinion that "IDPs can be good for only 1 year."

In short, I believe that opinion is based on a misunderstanding of the convention.

The only reference to a one-year period I noticed is in Chapter 1 Article 1.2. It states in its entirety:

2. No Contracting State shall be required to extend the benefit of the provisions of this Convention to any motor vehicle or trailer, or to any driver having remained within its territory for a continuous period exceeding one year.

This has nothing to do with an IDP. Rather, it has to do with a nation's autonomy in deciding when a foreign driver residing in that nation no longer should be able to rely on a driver's license from his or her native country under the provisions of this convention and instead be required to obtain a driver's permit issued by, and under the laws of, the country in which he or she has resided for at least a year.

I know this from personal experience based on my move to France. I was able to use my U.S.-issued driver's license for one year after moving, but after that time, it no longer was valid for driving in France, with or without a current IDP (even through the license itself didn't expire for a few more years).

For example, if in the 11th month of my residence in France, I had traveled to the U.S. for a business meeting and taken the time to stop by an AAA office to pick up a brand new IDP good for another 12 months, that IDP (and the license it supposedly translates) would have been invalid (in France) after one month; not after 12. That's because I would have exceeded the one-year period during which France allows foreign drivers to rely upon their native country's driver's license.

The IDP has nothing, nothing at all, to do with it, and therefore I believe there is no reason an IDP could not be issued for a period extending to the expiration date of the license it relies upon. That would have no value to foreign residents of France (they're limited to one year under French law) but it would have a benefit to periodic visitors to France who make multiple visits over several years any one of which amounts (in any one continuous visit) to less than one year (or, more likely for the vast majority of visitors, to the Schengen limits).

Consequently, barring any specific reference to the contrary, I would conclude that the one-year limitation in the convention has nothing to do with an IDP and everything to do with the signatory nations' wish to retain the ability to enforce their own driving regulations on foreign residents within their borders after a one-year period of residence.

Thank you to Tom-MN for his correction to my post about the IDP and .French law. I appreciate it. Yes, I do, really.

It's an interesting opinion (that they only can be valid for one year), but I don't see the evidence for it.

The Model IDP in the Convention, which is contained in Annex 10 to Part II, states that the IDP is valid "for the period of one year from the date of issue." (see page 72 for the English version). And the Annexes "shall be considered as integral parts of the Convention" (page 15). By the way, those page cites are to the pagination of the Convention, not the PDF file.

That's terrific, Robert -- thanks! Mystery solved as to why AAA does that. Odd that they would bury it in an Annex rather than address it in the body of the convention.

All the more reason, in my view, of taking the other option offered under French regulation, which is to carry a translation of your license, which would be good until the license expires, rather than a limited shelf-life IDP.

By the way, the International Driver's Permit that France issues for French-licensed drivers to drive in other nations beyond Europe (such as the USA) is good for 3 years, or the duration of the person's driver's license if it's less than 3 years, so the one-year limit that AAA adheres to seems not to be carved in stone.

Reference: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F11534

The one time we were stopped by police (for having fog lights on which was inadvertent -- made an error with an unfamiliar rental car) we were asked for the IDP and the cop actually seemed to be salivating at the thought he had 'got us' on that. He was visibly surprised that we were able to produce it and let us go with a warning. I don't know if we would have been fined without it, but he definitely asked for it. This was in France. It is irrelevant that one has not been asked at the rental desk for it; rental agencies don't really care. It is required if you have an accident or are stopped by police.