international driver's license?

Oh you've opened up a can of worms. Use the search function to get all sorts of opinions on this forum. But here's mine: I never use one, I have never have been asked for one (ever), I have never heard of a single person who had a bad issue because they didn't have one in France (not a single person, despite all the online protests). Save your money.

Oh, I'm sure. I guess it got me wondering because of some of the comments on various threads. We have never rented a car in Paris but in recent yrs we have in Spain, Portugal and Amsterdam. Years ago, Italy, Switzerland, Germany. Never have been asked for one.
But I guess there is a first time for everything.

Here is what the French Embassy in DC has to say: https://franceintheus.org/spip.php?article376

IF YOU ARE ON A SHORT VISIT OR SHORT BUSINESS TRIP (LESS THAN 90 DAYS)

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. (More information may be found here).

IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF FRANCE (HOLDER OF A CARTE DE SÉJOUR OR A
CARTE DE RÉSIDENCE, MORE THAN 90 DAYS)

You may drive in France with a valid U.S. driver’s license accompanied
by a notarized French translation for a period of one year starting on
the date of validity of the first carte de séjour, excepting students
whose driver’s license expires at the end of his or her studies.

The international drivers permit is like insurance. You do not normally need it but, when you do, it can save a lot of trouble. About the only time you will need it is if you are stopped by the police for some reason (an accident, speeding, a road check). You decide if you want to go without this very inexpensive insurance.

We were told by Avis that we didn’t need it to rent a car but would need it if stopped by police for any reason. We had it but fortunately never needed it.

Well we've had to show it twice. Once in France when stopped at a road block. And once in Italy at the rental desk. If paying a few bucks at AAA to get one ( they are only good for one year) is too much trouble, then go ahead and gamble. I prefer to comply with the rules of the country I will be in.

We were stopped by police in southern France when my husband screwed up the fog lights and we were running with illegal lights unknowingly. They asked for license and IDP and I will have to say the cop seemed visibly disappointed when we handed it over; he looked like he was winding up to fuss about it. It is an easy thing to have and if you are doing a lot of driving you might want to carry it.

hey hey kcdav
for the cost of $20-25, i would get one just so no stressing. AAA for same day getting it. had friends in france to get rental car they asked them for one and were declined car. same thing in italy same result.
saving $$$ on getting one that is good for a year is worth having. either no car or the expense of not having one is not worth not having one.
aloha

I will never understand why people are so resistant to getting what amounts to a translation of their drivers license in several languages. It's simple to get an IDP and the cost is miniscule compared to the cost of any trip to Europe.

Here's the link to AAA that tells you all about it.

You both should have one in case something happens to the primary driver. When my husband was still traveling to Europe with me, he did all the driving, but I had my IDP in case he couldn't for some reason. We drove in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands and Belgium on our trips. We never had to show it. That's a good thing, I think.

As someone already said, it's a cheap form of insurance. And as my best friend the attorney says, insurance is a form of asset protection. 😉

Since it's the law in France, you may want to consider if your insurance would be valid if you were in an accident without one.

I don’t get the debate. Just get one. It’s $20 at AAA and takes less than 10 minutes. I’ve been asked inconsistently at rental counters and fortunately never been in a situation to need it if stopped. Consider it “what if” cheap insurance … would you not carry auto or home insurance just because you have never needed it?!

thank you everyone. We will e getting an IDP

I know this won't help you, but it reminds me of how lucky I am to live in a bilingual part of Canada (New Brunswick), where our drivers licences are in English and French.

I rented a car from the Hertz desk at the Rouen train station. The website stated that IDP was required. I was asked to show IDP at the counter when picking up the car.

Have a great trip!

I absolutely agree with those who say get the international driver's license even if just as "insurance". Firstly, if you can afford to travel abroad, you can afford the cost of this license. It's only about USD 20! Get it and if you don't have to use it, fine. But if you ever encounter a situation in which the demand is show us all your proper documentation or else you get fined, you'd be glad to have the license.

This discussion has run its course. Thanks to everyone for sharing their opinions and experiences.