I plan to rent a car in Sevilla and use it that day to go to Arcos and Ronda. I already made my reservation at Enterprise and it made no mention of needing to have and International Drivers Permit. I've already read in the RS guidebook that he's driven in Spain without an IDP and I'm tempted to do the same. I'm not wanting to get one because of the hassle of going to get my passport photo taken and then paying the $15 fee at AAA. I'm only renting the car for one day, so is it ok to just go without one? I'm a safe driver and have driven in other European countries before with no problems.
Posted by
OP
Pico Rivera, CA
594 posts
I drove in Croatia on two different occasions without one :-D
Posted by
Bristol, UK
619 posts
We rented a car from Alicante airport in January 2015. I am British, so my driving licence was sufficient. However, the assistant at the car hire desk insisted on seeing the IDP of my U.S. brother in law, and told us both that we should always have our passports with us when we were driving.
The risk for an American is that without an IDP you may not be able to rent a car, and your day will be lost. What may have happened previously in Spain or Croatia is irrelevant.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16530 posts
Although the rental car company will likely not care to see it, however you may be required to produce it by a police officer if stopped by police, as the law requires it. The policeman, if s/he speaks English, may be nice enough to let you go with just a warning or apply the administrative fine of 200€. I doubt they will put you in jail.
It's up to you. But it takes only $15 (+2 photos) and about 10 minutes to get one at your local AAA, and it's valid for one year. There is an AAA office in Downey and one in Montebello, maybe within a couple of miles from where you are.
Posted by
OP
Pico Rivera, CA
594 posts
Thanks. Yes, those two places are right next to me. I'll just get it haha.
Posted by
Chicago
8958 posts
Rental agencies don't usually care but it is legally required and you won't need it unless you need it i.e. get stopped by police who ask for it or get in an accident and need to produce it.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15806 posts
The first time I rented a car in Spain (Europcar, Jerez, 2013) they asked for my IDP. The second time (Europcar, Sevilla 2015) no one asked.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8230 posts
Would you drive around the US without legal authorization? Have you read the many self-righteous newsboard inquiries, after the fact, about train and tram ticket fines? ZTL fines? Good luck.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23770 posts
There was a report last year on this site of someone who was involved in a minor fender scrape, the policy were called and he didn't have an IDP. He report that he within inches of having the vehicle impounded because he could legally drive it. It took a lot of begging and pleading but he was fined 200E. This falls into the my constant question -- Is it better to have it and not need it or need it and not have it. While the risk of being caught may be very low but the penalty is high.