International Drivers License?

You absolutely needed one in Italy !! In retrospect ,you are fortunate that you were not in a situation that tested that reality . This subject has been and continues to be a much discussed topic on this website . To the best of my knowledge you need one in Spain though not in France , Not to put too fine a point on this , it is called an IDP or International Driver PERMIT ,not license . This is available in the US only from Triple AAA . INSTANT EDIT : That nothing is mentioned in your rental contract does not obviate you from having one ,nor does it make the rental agency responsible for your inaction . I wouldn't drive in a foreign land without one .

It is required by law in Spain. Failure to have one can negate your rental insurance agreement, land you a fine or both. And frankly, you should never drive in a foreign country without one. A local traffic cop, even if he/she speaks English, has no way to really know if your state license is valid. Rental agents sometimes ask for them too since they also can get confused about state licenses and expirations (Illinois renews with stickers you put on the back, so the license appears at first to be expired unless you flip it over and do some basic math). The IDP acts as both a translator and an internationally recognized validation of your license.

Actually your rental contract no doubt says something about it, it just says it indirectly. It says you must be a licensed driver and in Austria, Spain and Italy you are not a licensed driver without and IDP. Please go to the Graffiti Wall and look in the driving section for a post by Bob Holton dated 09/06/12, it is the voice of experience. I also have a post there dated 09/10/12. If you learn nothing else,understand that the rental car company is there for one and only one purpose ... to rent you a car. They do not give a rat's rump what happens to you even if you have an accident and your insurance is voided, they have you by the credit card and they will get the car back and your credit card will pay all the nasty expenses to return and fix it. Regardless of whether or not a country requires and IDP it is foolish to travel without one since it is an accepted translation of your drivers license.

Thank you. We will head to AAA.

Donna, A few additional notes concerning International Driver's Permits..... > It is not a "license" per se, but must be used in conjunction with your home D.L, so you'll need to bring that as well. > EACH driver must have an I.D.P. > Two Passport photos will be required when obtaining an I.D.P. In many cases, the issuing office will be able to provide those. As the others mentioned, it's really fortunate that you weren't involved in any kind of "incidente stradale" when in Italy, as failure to produce an I.D.P. can result in hefty fines on the spot! I.D.P.'s are also compulsory in Greece, and those driving without them will likely have a very miserable holiday experience should they be involved in a traffic incident. Happy travels!

You have to have your drivers licence with IDP but in real life most policemen don't know it and are satisfied with IDP. I was never asked for my WA DL but they wanted IDP and passport.

It's not required in France, and we've never had one in the 25 years we've driven there. On the other hand, my wife and I both speak French well enough to explain to a policeman what our US license says. But it is required in some countries, including Spain.