We are 8 days into a 20 day holiday in Europe and when we arrived at the hire car place yesterday we realised that we had forgotten our drivers licenses. We have managed to get a neighbor to scan copies to us. What a nightmare!
Does anyone know if a hire company will accept these? Or are we out of luck?
Thanks
Little or no chance. ID cards are a big deal in Europe. Fed Ex (or similar) overnight at high cost is your only chance.
Driver license and the IDP.
Rental co. may not ask to see the IDP, but the police will. In Italy I have seen check points where they randomly pull cars over
Without originals, I think 'out of luck' is what you are
Thank you. Sadly home right now is Saudi Arabia with the most unreliable delivery and courier services known to man! Concerned they may never get to us and then we've lost important ID.
I am sorry but it looks like back to the trains and maybe bus. And you will need the IDP.
If you want some help determining if your itinerary is doable with public transportation (in Italy entirely?) just post it here and people may be able to help.
to scan copies to us. ..... Does anyone know if a hire company will accept these?
The hire company is not the main problem. No way the police will accept a copy, if you are stopped by the police you have to produce your licence immediately. And, if you have licences issued by Saudi Arabia, you will need an International Drivers Permit (IDP) for each licence, which translates and certifies your licences, to show to the police as well. Driving without a valid licence is a serious offence.
Sorry, but you are out of luck, public transport only for the rest of your trip.
If you want some help determining if your itinerary is doable with
public transportation (in Italy entirely?) just post it here and
people may be able to help.
Right! If the car-hire company refuses to accept the scans, there are very probably other ways to skin this cat depending on where you're going. In Italy, especially, public transit is VERY efficient between cities and many towns; often more efficient than doing the same by car. It can be more of a challenge to reach out-of-the-way locations but if you'd share your itinerary, we may be able to help?
I'm not even sure the rental company will rent you anything. They rarely ask for the IDP but they sure ask for the home license.
Thanks everyone. We are currently in Siena and were supposed to be in Ravenna on the 27th (driving there of course) and dropping of the hire car in Venice on the 28th.
One option is to stay here an extra night and go straight to Venice on the 28th. Or find somewhere else to stay on the best. Apparently Ravenna isn't very easy to get to from here via public transport.
You can get there with two changes or more on Trenitalia. Ravenna is way the hell out inconvenient to anywhere that isn't Bologna or otherwise in the Romagna half of ER. I see as it can be done with all Regionale trains for as little as E38 for two. You can pay as much as E114 or more to do it with two changes, save an hour, and use one or more Frecciarosa trains, mixed with Regionales.
Check out Trenitalia and see what works and how you can adjust your itinerary.
This doesn't have to be a disaster, so much as it can be a chance to be very spontaneous and have great stories to tell folks about your travel disaster and how it went right.
Like Max said, you absolutely can get there by train (Siena to Ravenna). Takes a couple of changes but it's perfectly do-able so not a nightmare.
Ravenna to Venice (Venezia S. Lucia) is even easier. I'd try for the 9:31 with just one change in Bologna Centrale (3 hrs, 4 minutes trip length). Tickets as cheap as 23,85 euro.
So glad you sought out assistance for this here.
My husband and I were in Siena May 2-8 and we took the train into Florence and back to Siena and on arrival and departure. It's easy and totally doable to Ravenna where we visited in Feb last year while staying in Florence. During this trip we used Italo Treno for the Venice to Florence leg, again easy and comfortable.
This trip we also got stopped in a traffic circle by the Carabinari during a routine traffic stop they were doing. We had both licenses which he asked for and ran while his female partner stood by with her submachine gun. This was on the way back to Siena from Pienza. Can't imagine not having all the right documents. We had driven around the traffic circle twice and the second time around he waved us over. No tickets and he sent us on with a smile. I like to remember that it's their country and as a guest I prefer not to take chances. Especially when the train is so easy to use.
Thanks everyone for being so helpful.
Either public transport or hire a driver with a car.
A glimmer of hope. I'm embarrased to say that about ten years ago I also left my licence at home, discovered just before we were about to take off to Rome. The kind young man at the Thrifty counter in FCO did not appear concerned at all regarding my lack of licence, and briefly looked at my IDP. I guess I was very lucky. It was Italy, after all.
The problem is that evrn if the car-rental folks turn a blind eye, traffic police certainly will not. I believe someone reported here on the Italian fine for driving without a license not too long ago, and it was very high--I think over 250€.
There's always that, too. It would stop me now, come to think of it.
Have real licenses overnight Fedexed to you.
Overnight FedEx will take up to five business days. Been there, done that.
Like Zoe, our overnight Post and DHL both took 7 days!
