Buying in a car in Europe...where to get car insurance?

Since you have a British drivers license and will first go to the UK, buy the car there and insure it there. Use your brothers address as your temporary residence. No one will question your UK tag in Italy but get your International permit here in the states before you leave.

I'm sure you're aware that they drive on the left in England, and on the right in Italy. Something to think about if you buy a car in one country for use in another.

Thanks for the comments! A couple of follow up questions: 1) When using my brother's address as a temporary address for insurance purposes, does anyone have any suggestions for a good company to approach to get the car insurance? 2) Do I really need an international driver's license if I have a UK license to drive in Italy for 6 months? Cheers!!

The answer to your question #2 is yes. The issue isn't your country of license, but your language. The IDP is a license translation, and Italy requires it. Just go to your local AAA office and pick one up. It'll only cost $15-$20 and it takes no time to get one.

Because US state licences are not in European standard format, as stated above they are not equivalent classes, and they are not in Italian.

What counts as permanent residence is different from country to country, and how long you are allowed to not having your car registered in your home country after you move to another country also depends from country to country. In some countries, you can't even borrow an out of country licensed car and drive it in our home country. E.g. if my cousin from the UK comes over visiting me here in Denmark in his own car, I am not allowed to drive a single mile in it, and the penalties for doing it are harsh. You will face two major problems buy buying the car in the UK: 1: The steering wheel will be in the wrong side, which is obviously an inconvenience, especially in Italy where driving can be a bit of a challenge sometimes! 2: It may be illegal to drive/own a UK licensed car in Italy when you have permanent address in Italy. I don't know Italian law on this, but as a general rule, your car has to be registered where you live. Buying a car in the UK and getting it registered in Italy afterwards would require a lot of paperwork, roadworthiness and emission tests in Italy, as these tests are not recognized from other countries, also you will have to register your car in Italy on your own, pay fees for licence plates etc. Therefore I would definitely go with a leased car in Italy or buy a used car from a dealer in Italy. That way, the car dealer will probably take care of all the paperwork and you will be legal. The car dealer would probably also help with local insurance. If it is a lease, it can probably be included in the lease.

Sorry, no IDP required for a British license. It is in standard EU format. Numbers replace words. I assume, David, you have a 2 part license? Or do you only have the paper one? If paper you may need to get a two part so the photo is there. When driving in Europe you need both parts and original insurance documents and original logbook (registration document).

The car HAS to be registered where you live. In many countries, you are not allowed to drive in a car with foreign plates in your home country. Assuming that you will have some sort of a permanent address in Italy, your car must be registered there. Also, with the problems with left hand driving and right hand driving, you should definitely buy the car in Italy and get in insured in Italy. You do not need an IDP and you do not need an Italian drivers' licence as all EU licences are recognised by all EU countries. They are in the same format. Even if you move from one EU country to another, you do not need to exchange your DL, but you have to re-register your car.

Thanks, Nigel & Christophe. I did not know those facts about EU licenses. (I'm trying to imagine a Chicago cop looking at a license where numbers replace words.)

To give you an idea of what I mean about the numbers, on the back is a key which reads: 1.Surname 2.Other Names 3.Date and Place of Birth 4a. Licence valid from 4b.Licence valid to 4c.Issuing Authority 5.Licence number 9. Category 12.Information Codes They don't specify on the back but there is also a 7 for signature 8 with a home address
and other boxes with 10,11,12,13,14. There is no number 6. Hope that helps.

This is awesome, and thank you for your comments!! So, where to buy the car insurance? And what counts as "permanent"? We'll be in Italy (with an apartment) all of February, March, April and May. I'd really like to get the car and get it registered and insured in England, as my brother is in the car trade, and can help me with a lot of it, including buying the car before we arrive and selling it after we leave (hence reducing the stress levels for us!). Cheers!!

"... The issue isn't your country of license, but your language. ..." Actually before the EU-standardization in 1996 the issue wasn't so much the language as the definitions and designations for the different categories and restrictions. All countries except Greece use the Latin script, the Gregorian calendar, and so on, so figuring out what the name and DOB is isn't really rocket science. The issue was (and still is for DL's in non-EU and non-IDP formats) how to figure out if someone who is in possession of e.g. a "Class 2 (a) III" driver's license is really allowed to drive a motorhome without his glasses on...

And looking at my Danish driving licence, it has the exact same fields with the same numbers, but the legend on the back is in Danish. An Italian cop looking at my licence will of course not understand the legend, but since the layout and numbers on the front are same for all countries, he will understand. In order for the licence to be valid when you move to Italy, it has to be the new EU standard, else, you can get it exchanged in Italy for a fee.

Hi David. Instead of buying,have you looked in to leasing? Leasing a car in Europe is quite common and practical for folks who are staying too long to rent from a regular rental agency.

"All countries except Greece use the Latin script, the Gregorian calendar, and so on, so figuring out what the name and DOB is isn't really rocket science." Which makes you wonder why Americans have to have an IDP in Italy.

"... Which makes you wonder why Americans have to have an IDP in Italy. ..." Because an Italian cop wouldn't know what that "Class D" on your Illinois driver's license means.
For all s/he knows it could be a license for mopeds or forklifts.

That makes sense, thanks.