I am in a bit of a panic. I am already in Ljubljana and my husband is due to fly out to meet me in just a few hours. We will pick up a rental car tomorrow but neither of us has an IDP. I found out last night we should have one. Is it necessary? To pick up the car and/or drive legally?
Thanks!
We have been asked to show it at some rental places, but not all. If you are stopped by police, you may be asked to show it. It's one of those items where you don't need it, until you do.
Don't panic. There are always trains, busses, taxis and private drivers as a backup. Many people travel to Europe for months and never rent a car.
Well, you can either rent the car or not. Personally, I find that travel in Europe does not require a car save in a very few situations.
What is your itinerary? If you will go city-to-city, a car is a huge waste of money. Since you are 2, you probably won't need the car.
Look at Flixbus and other bus lines. The Balkans are not well-served by rail, but buses are good, inexpensive, modern, and simple to use.
Have you contacted the rental car company to see what they will require?
Let me get this straight, you've found out that an IDP is required and now you're wondering if you really need to follow the laws or if you can just ignore them for some reason?
What the rental company says you need is only relevant for what you need to pick up the car. What you need to drive the car is another question.
My condolences.
Many people drive without an IDP and never have a moment of trouble, it's all a matter of luck. On a dozen-plus trips accumulating 35000+ miles I have never had an incident but I have always had an IDP. Consider the following:
1. The guy at the rental counter is there to make money renting cars, not to enforce the law. The fine they will pay if they get caught is chump change compared to what they make all the times they don't get caught, He also will not be facing the cop demanding "the gray license".
2. If you get stopped for any reason, it starts with a sizeable fine to be paid on the spot in CASH. Then they decide whether or not to impound the car since you are not a licensed driver. Don't worry about the cost of retrieving the car from impound, the rental company has your credit card number.
3. If you have an accident, the insurance company will void your insurance since you are not a licensed river. Again the insurance company will fix the car and charge for lost revenue on your credit card. All the other liability will also be on you.
In the words of Dirty Harry Callahan, "...Ask yourself. Do I feel lucky/"
Thank you, Dani. My husband managed to dash to the local AAA office and get one. I think it was a little stressful!!
