international driver's license

France does not require that you carry an International Driver's Permit....your Alberta driver's license is good enough. However, Belgium does require an IDP in addition to your license. An IDP is not a stand-alone document...it is simply a multi-lingual translation of your license. So the question is....do you run the risk of having to produce your license during your brief sojourn into Belgium, and running into a snarky cop who insists you produce an IDP? They're only $15 at your local CAA outlet (plus 2 passport-sized photos.) As for booking, I would suggest doing it in advance, especially if you are travelling in the high season (May and onwards). You don't want to be left flat without a car (Bayeux's not a huge city) or stuck paying for something that's far larger than you need.

1. The standard advice Rick gives is to save significant money by pre-booking rental cars from the US for US citizens. I don't know if the same advice applies to Canadians (probably?).2. Often there's a signficant drop-off fee charged for picking up in one country and dropping off in another, and Ypres is over the border so you should inquire about this; if so, you can pay the fee or avoid it by dropping off in France near the border and taking public transport to Ypres.3. Rental companies usually levy a surcharge for drivers under 23; you will want to disclose the age of your youngest if he's going to drive; reason is that if there were to be an accident (somewhat more likely in France than here) and damage to the car or a person, etc while your youngest is driving, and you had not disclosed his age and paid the surcharge, it's possible that any insurance that would normally cover you might be void because of your technical violation of the rental contract--and that could have bad financial consequences that could be easily avoided by paying the surcharge (just thought I'd mention it).

We booked from Hertz and got a better deal calling direct rather than using the web.
I would book in the US and have a clear understanding of the insurance I purchased. I would also print out a copy of my rental contract.
When we arrived in Paris the counter agent insisted we needed CDW insurance and Super CDW (additional 30 EURO per day) even though it was included in the rental package we purchased. He refused to look at my copy of the rental contract. After a extended discussion he read the contract and gave in.
Hertz had a age requirement for all drivers so make sure to check.
An international drivers license is not required for France.

I would suggest that the 25 year old do all the driving.They charge extra for extra drivers and when driving in Europe getting used to a strange car and strange roads takes some time.

Christine,

If you rent a car fromt he most expensive company in the world which is Herts, you migh get charged all kind of exta fees.
In France you don't need an Internenatioan driver license.
I rented a car from europcar.com .They have offices all over Europe and it's affordable.

Hertz never ceases to amaze me at the exhorbitant prices of their cars. Go with a reputable consolidator like AutoEurope or Gemut for better prices and better customer service. Better yet, take the train!