International Driver's License - Is this required?

You might need the International Driving Permit (pick it up from AAA, costs a few dollars). A friend of mine rents cars from several different companies and as far as I remember they all ask for the IDP.

As for hotels v. airbnb, I have no experience with airbnb. You should get plenty of advice about it here, though.

I am an airbnb addict. I've used them thru the US (California and Mass) and Europe (UK, France, Italy). You can save lots (as you prob know from using them in the States). Example - I booked a place with awesome reviews a stone's throw from the Colosseum in Rome (you can see it from the window) - costing us $145 a night (all fees in) for 5 nights - and this is an apt for three people (needed 2 sep rooms for this trip). I know if I tried to get a hotel for three, it would either be central and cost thru the roof, or be cheap and be out on the fringes. I saw lots of great places centrally located for under $100 - the only thing may be availability, where you are going in 3 weeks. I booked Rome back in May or June and he was already booking up for early Sept...depending on where you are going, choices could be slim. Also booked Venice at the same time and pickings were slim (tho finding a place for 2 should be easier).

But if you've loved using it in the US, no reason not to use it in Europe.

You DO need the International Drivers Permit. It is legally required to drive in Italy. The rental agency may not ask to see it, but a police officer may if you are stopped for any reason. They do fine you for not having one.

AAA is the only authorized entity for providing an IDP in the US. Bring a couple of passport photos along with your valid drivers license to one of their branches and it only takes a few minutes. The IDP works in conjunction with your state license, so don't leave home without that.

Some AAA offices will even take the photographs for you. Got my IDP a few weeks ago in Westchester County, NY. The whole process took only 15 minutes. Call your local office to find out.....

Yes the IDP is required in Italy. The rental office won't ask for it, but if you get pulled over you must have it. Get one at your local AAA. It takes 2 passport photos (which they can take for an extra fee, if you don't have them) and 10 minutes of your time.

Your itinerary should be revised however. Cars cannot be driven in Venice and you will need to leave it to gather dust in a Parking structure at Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto island at the cost of €25 ($35) a day. Since a daily rental charge will likely run you $60 a day including compulsory insurance (your American insurance or your credit card insurance is likely not to cover Italy) it means that you are throwing away at least $200 in car costs while in Venice.

A smarter and more relaxing alternative is to take a train from Malpensa to Venice (change at Milano Centrale) rather than drive 3 hours while you are tired and jet lagged. Do Venice for the first two or three nights. Then when you depart Venice, pick up your rental car at Venice (Piazzale Roma). From Venice you can drive to lake Garda in just over one hour. After Garda you can drive down to your Tuscan destination.

Also, I'm not sure if you have your tickets already, but given your destinations, you might think of flying to VCE instead of MXP and fly back home from Florence (FLR) or Rome (FCO) which are closer to Cortona. Why would you want to drive back all the way to Malpensa. That's over 4 hours away from Cortona.

The answer to your question as asked is NO. The rental car companies will rent you a car without the IDL. However, it is the law in Italy that you must have one and if you are stopped by the police it will cost you a chunk of money and time if you do not have one. It's very easy to get at your local AAA office. I believe they may cost $25 now. Don't drive in Italy without an IDL.

I will just add on the IDP question that random stops by the police on Italian roads are fairly common. We've been pulled over twice, and we've seen many more. The officers probably don't speak English, and the IDP provides a translation of your license. I also think you should check into flying to or from Venice. I know that, in the past, Delta has had a flight from there to JFK

You need the international license and your American license. I have been pulled over and they wanted to see both

Hello, Thank you!

I will obtain the IDP. I can get one at a AAA location in NYC. Cost is $15. Thank you for that insight.
I'm considering cancelling the hotels and checking into airbnb.com for stay in a local's home/apt. I've done that in the US, so perhaps it's a viable option there as well.

I believe it makes sense to train it to Venice then grab the car and see Lake Garda then off to Tuscany via car.

Thank you for your help/advise!

Brilliant! Thank you! We will get the IDP card as I'd rather worry about how much more wine I want vs. 'getting in trouble'.
lol

Just remember, you need an IDP for each of you who will be driving at some point while you are in Italy.

Even Rick Steves has said he hasn't always taken an IDL with him, and lucked out because he never had to show one, but he was taking the risk.

For what it's worth, the IDL is valid for a full year from the time you get it, and Spain and Austria are among the other countries that require one (but you only technically need it when a cop wants to see it). If you have opportunities to make any more visits to Europe in the next year and are driving, hang on to that IDP! Have a great time!

when we rented a car in the Venice airport in july, each of the 3 of us who were going to be driving the car had to show IDL and also I think passport> I was the one who had NO DESIRE to drive a stick thru the Slovenia mountains, so I was guarding the big luggage. I remember this cuz one of our group had kept minimizing the need to get her IDL......until that moment.

paula,

A few thoughts to add.....

Just to clarify, you will be obtaining an International Driver's Permit at your nearest AAA office. It's not a license per se, but rather a permit which provides translation of the terms of your home D.L. which you must also take. Technically speaking you DO "need" the IDP as it's compulsory in Italy, regardless of whether you're asked to produce it or not.

Although this example was from Spain, you may find this Thread interesting reading.....

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/you-do-need-an-idp-when-driving-in-spain-or-pay-250-euros

Since we talk and smile about the IDP I'll tell you another funny story. My own.
When I moved to the US in the 1980's I had my Italian Driver's license and the IDP to drive in the US. Since in California you need to get the Cal. DL within 6 months from becoming a resident I proceeded to go to the DMV to get one. I was hoping that my Italian DL+IDP would be enough to get one right away instead I found out that I needed to take all the tests like someone who gets the DL for the very first time. So I got the books and came back to take the test just a couple days later. I passed the written test, and DMV let me know that I then needed to take the driving test, So they gave me a permit that allowed me to drive but only when accompanied by a licensed individual. They told me I needed that permit to practice my driving skills before taking the driving test. I told them that I had been driving in Europe for 10 years and I didn't need to practice before taking the test and could take the test right at that moment. Besides I had driven on my own to the DMV office alone. The DMV employee told me that there were no appointments slots available for testing that morning and could come back only two days later. She also told me that I could not drive back alone because my permit allowed me to drive only with a licensed passenger, therefore I should call somebody to pick me up because the highway patrol might put me in jail for driving with the temporary permit by myself. At that point I pulled out my IDP and my Italian DL and asked: "Can I drive back home with these?"
She looked at them And said: "yes with the IDP and the Italian DL you can drive alone, but not with the DMV permit."
I left dumbfounded and at that moment I realized that Government employees in America are just like Government employees in Italy.

LOL, Roberto. My head always spins when ever I enter the RMV. This board definitely needs a "like" button for posts. :)

You can't top Roberto, but here's another goofy one.

Chinese is one of the languages on the IDP, but the sucker's no good in China. There's two ways to get one:

Show your regular license in HK, get one of theirs, and then take it over to the Mainland, show it, and get a Chinese license.

I got mine in Shanghai and had to start from scratch. First comes the written questions where the hardest one is 'what should you do at a stop sign' with multiple choices, all but the correct one being completely off the wall. Then comes the driving test. It takes place in a little artificial neighborhood with absolutely no vehicles except for a couple other cars doing the same thing. You drive around a few blocks and then have to parallel park but the cones are a good three car lengths apart.

It's good until damn near infinity, but you can renew it by mail.

(I've never had one, but I've read that you can get a provisional license at the major airport counters just by paying some kind of fee.)

Talking about stupid multiple choice driving tests. When I took mine in Italy I still remember the following EU sign:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_European_road_signs#mediaviewer/File:UK_traffic_sign_548.svg

The correct answer is: "Warning: possibility of farm animals on the road"

One of the multiple choices answers was: "No grazing permitted".

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Scotland there's an cattle crossing warning. Adjacent is a traffic light and a button to push. The button appears to be too high for a cow's nose.

Ha - love the sign. We have one International Driver's Permit in hand! Thank you!!
Are there recommended 'fast' routes from Venice to Cortona as well as towns near that route we should stop off in for lunch or a picture of the view?
Cheers,
Paula