International Driving Permit

An IDP is a document that basically translates your U.S. license into multiple languages. It is intended for use when you travel to non-English-speaking countries where a police officer might not be able to read your license. IDP's cost $15 and are available at any AAA office. They are NOT issued by your state DMV. They're good for one year. For obvious reasons, you don't need one in England.

Tom,
Thanks so much for the reply. I'm glad to hear that it's not needed while in England. However, I will definitely remember this for when/if we ever travel to non-English speaking countries.

At Tom said it isn't need in England. I have driven in the UK many times and never had one, and will not in the future. Have a great trip.

I would get an international driving permit if the fine print of the reservation request demands it. It is cheap insurance against a possibly expensive refusal to honor a reservation. One of the things that the permit translates is the American date on your license to the European date. While I know that my license expiry of 6/1/2010 means June first, a European would read that as January 6, 2010. Sorry, Chip, your license is expired, you are out of luck, some other time, and here is your invoice for the car the we did not rent to you. You may find other UK car rental establishments that do not require an IDP. Read and comply with all the fine print to avoid disappointment.

Out of idle couriosity, what outfit are you renting from? I've never heard of such a thing and I rent cars all the time.

Dawn, As the others have mentioned, the primary purpose of an IDP is to translate the terms of your home D.L. to several different languages, to assist local law enforcement if necessary. It doesn't seem logical that the rental agency would require this in the U.K., given the fact that there are no translation issues. However, since it's only $15 or so (as well as two Passport Photos), it wouldn't hurt to take one along. The process to obtain an IDP only takes a few minutes (provided the office is not too busy at the time). The IDP is valid for one year. Happy travels!

I just got my International license on Friday. $15 and ten minutes of time. They'll take a picture of you for it. When my husband and I traveled to Bath when in London, we took a bus. Easy-peasy. Bath is also walkable and we found no need for a car. I have no experience with Wales, sorry. When in Bath, consider the Bizarre Bath walking tour for fun. We also took a day tour by bus to Stonehenge. Have a grand time!

Dawn, have you driven in England before? I also considered driving until I realized I would, of course, be driving on the other side of the street, in the other side of the car, and shifting (if manual car) with the left hand. Also, there are a lot of traffic circles. Remember, to go to the left, not the right, in the traffic circle. After these realizations, I bought Britrail passes. By the way, this is the only country I will not drive in. We just drove five weeks on the mainland. Have fun making lifetime memories with your daughter--I did.

I'll add to Chip's point. It's not just the confusion over how dates are written, but whether a license is valid or not. Many states issue renewal stickers that go on the back of the license while the original expiration date remains printed on the front. I had a rental agent, in England, almost refuse to rent me the car because they thought the license had expired - even after I pointed out the sticker on the back. They asked for an IDP - which I did not have. Lesson - the IDP is a validation that your state drivers license is valid - not just a translation.

Denise, Thanks for not driving. Leaves more room on the road for me. We're just down the road from Stratford-upon-Avon and I do see some interesting driving after the tourists start arriving each spring. Honestly, its not hard. But you do witness some funny stuff.

This past September we hired a car from Enterprise in Harrogate. The car was reserved in my name and I was required to show my IDP. My brother ended up doing all the driving (he regularly drives a stick and I'm the better navigator), and ironically, he never had to show his IDP.

Not sure what that last post is all about, but note that OP has already taken her trip.

Just for future reference, I've driven on four continents and been stopped by police on each, for one reason or another. No one ever asked to see an IDP. Nor did they ask to see an American drivers license. They assumed I was a tourist, even when I wasn't. Sometimes they asked for my passport, and sometimes a rental contract.