US DRIVERS BEWARE. Alamo / National in Spain (or at least this location-Sevilla Spain, November 2024) no longer accepts USA Drivers Licenses. We had a valid reservation, valid DL, and passport / credit card, but were told by the unfriendly station manager Sonia that US Driver Licenses are not accepted. As we didn’t have an International License we were left stranded. We had rented in Spain many times before on a US License, and never had any problems, but here we were refused, citing ‘previous problems’ with US drivers. Thankfully SIXT and other car rental companies at the airport are more flexible and were able to get us a car without any fuss.
Look at their reviews on Google. I’m not the only one who has had serious issues and lost large sums of money. This simply doesn’t pass the smell test.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11897 posts
Traffic Laws: You must obtain an International Driving Permit prior to your arrival if you plan to drive in Spain. The permits are only valid for one year.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Spain.html
Pretty clear cut that an IDP is required for US licensed drivers to drive in Spain.( legally).
The fact that some rental car companies don't ask for it, does not make those that do 'evil'.
Posted by
Calgary
1742 posts
Well, I know which company to go to if I ever rent a car there: the one that actually cares about regulations. The ones that don't bother---who knows what other regulations they don't bother with?
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4600 posts
Further on that link that Joe provided:
It is illegal to rent a vehicle if you don’t have an International Driving Permit. Your rental car may be impounded, and you will be required to pay a fine if stopped by the police.
That's something I've never read before and it's pretty significant to know that the police can impound your car.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5450 posts
Sorry, but the rental agency wasn't the one that failed the smell test. You were the one who could not produce the legally required IDP. And they aren't the one who failed to do their due diligence in making sure they had ALL of the required documentation before leaving home. Not only are you extremely lucky that you weren't stopped by the police for something as random as a tail light or road block; but had you had a car accident, your car insurance would have been void, since you were driving without a legal license. Next time you want to rent a car abroad, check their licensing requirements first.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8065 posts
You're chastising the agency for following the law? You are extremely lucky that you weren't ticketed by the police, as you could have had serious issues due to your failure to get an International Driver's License.
Posted by
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
1935 posts
It also says this on the Alamo Seville airport website, https://www.alamo.com/en/car-rental-locations/es/seville-airport-e5ay.html, under Renter Requirements:
All drivers must present a fully valid and unexpired driving license (digital driving licenses are only accepted if the issuing country is Spain and the rental branch is within the country of Spain). If the driving license is written in a language and characters different from those of the country of rental, an International Driving Permit is also required. Renters are advised to check whether local authorities require foreign drivers to present an International Driving Permit to avoid the risk of potential fines.