I have reserved a car through Avis in Rennes but was going through fine print of Terms and Conditions and noticed that an International Driving Permit is required to rent. I have talked to one other person who frequents and rents quite a bit in France and she said that she has not been asked for that. Has anybody been asked for this? Has anybody been able to rent a car without being asked for this? Somewhat anxious as I only have 2 days before Paris and probably could not get this permit in time, plus it is not cheap to get one.
Any info would be most appreciated.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7042 posts
Are you in Europe now? Or still in US? It makes a difference. If you're still home you can go to any AAA office and get one in a few minutes, cost is about $20 and you need 2 passport photos and your drivers license. If you're in Europe hopefully someone can help you with what you should do. You actually don't need an IDP for France, what you need is a certified translation of your home drivers license, either one will work. If you tell us where you are maybe someone here can tell you where to go to get a certified translation.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2261 posts
Do you mean you leave the U.S. in two days? If so, get to a AAA or National Auto Club office and for 15-20 bucks you'll have it. Many people have said the rental company did not ask for it, but if they do, and if a French police officer does, then you should have it. It's a translation of the terms of your American license-if you search previous threads you'll find a lot. Get it-it is cheap.
Note that in my experience, AAA will provide photos for a small fee.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8170 posts
I don't think it's the rental company that cares about you having a IDP.
It's often the local police. It just translates your English driver's license. Some places they care, and some places they don't care.
Getting one's no big deal, however.
Posted by
Coeur d'Alene, Id
94 posts
Honestly, if you're still in the US go get one. I don't know how experienced you are driving in Europe, but we were just there driving in many different areas in France. It can be very crazy, and we found drivers to be quite aggressive. We had a couple close calls. I would rather have the IDP to hand to a French police officer in case we did have an issue. Don't assume they all speak and read English. Its such an easy thing to get, no test required, just your passport-type pics. And its not expensive...its worth it for peace of mind IMHO.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6552 posts
I always get one in case of accident or pullover, it assures any cop (in almost any language) that my state-issued license is valid. Easy to get at AAA, they'll do the photos for a few $ more.
I've never been asked to show it to rent a car, and I've never had a police encounter (knock wood), but it's cheap protection. And if your rental company requires it you really should do your best to get one in case of any problem later.