On several rental car websites for Crete it states that you must hold an international Drivers license for one year before you can rent a car. Is there any way around this requirement?? We can get the Intern'l permit but it will only be one month old before we need the car. Thanks for any help.
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3122 posts
Don't worry, that's been misstated. Chalk it up to poor English skills. You just have to have one in your possession. They're good for a year from the date you specify when you get it from AAA. You do NOT have to have had it issued to you for a year prior to your arrival in Greece.
Posted by
Tulsa, Oklahoma, US
290 posts
Hi, Tina. You might as well go ahead and get it. AAA sells them for $10 and they are good for a year, or until your US license expires whichever comes first. Get one for each driver. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3122 posts
$10? Are you sure? I paid $20 at my AAA office.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7546 posts
It really is your State issued drivers license that is the valid license of concern. For that, I would suspect that holding the license for a year prior might be a valid requirement. The International Drivers Permit is a sanctioned document per international agreement (actually a UN treaty) that first is proof that the little piece of plastic (or paper) is indeed a valid license, and second, provides language translations for a variety of countries to ticket you effectively. That given, as long as you have a valid Drivers License and present it with a valid IDP, then you should be fine.
Posted by
Chicago, Il, USA
126 posts
Tina, I purchased an Intern'l DL last summer & it was $15 through AAA. As far as holding that license for a year prior to rental I wouldn't be too concerned. Last summer I rented several vehicles in Greece, Croatia, Italy & Spain and I had no problems! Good luck!
Posted by
COCONUT CREEK, CARENCRO, FL., LA., USA
152 posts
Tina,
We leave for Athens and Crete on Sunday. We will get our intl. liscence tomorrow. Our price will be different. I am a member of AAA. My husband is not. Another price difference is if they take your picture or you take them in with you.
We wait until the last minute because they are good for a year and hopefully we might get to use them again within the year. They are required in Greece. AAA has the list, but I would never travel anywhere out of the country without one.
Mary Joe
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
87 posts
We actually just got ours for Crete today :). We just paid $15 for them at AAA (if you have the plus membership your photos for them can be done for free there). You shouldn't need to show it until you get there (and often not even then, but obviously don't risk not having it, especially in case of a wreck).
The funny part is that the AAA person told us the reason it was required was b/c it translated your license into a variety of languages...but when we got the license Greek wasn't one of those languages. I'm hoping it does more than that :).
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3122 posts
As stated it doesn't translate your license into Greek but since you have to show your license at AAA to get the IDP it proves that you do actually have a license at home, that's the validation it represents. Although in many cases you don't even have to show your IDP to rent a car, if you get in an accident and don't have one your insurance will be invalidated, you'll be in serious trouble with the local police and you will more than likely be detained until you can come up with the cash to pay for damages to the vehicles involved at a no-doubt grossly overpriced repair estimate.
And DO NOT rely on your credit card's so called 'automatic rental insurance' to be of any use to you. There are too many loopholes and exclusions. Be sure to take out full coverage insurance with the rental agency when you pick up the car.