In case you were wondering, I just got my IDP at the Auto Club here in LA.
$10 for the photos, $20 for the IDP. Being able to drive in Europe? Priceless. And don't forget they sell maps and tourbooks of Europe.
The only thing I found odd, you fill out a form and they want to know your departure date AND the date you want to turn on the IDP.
I'm about to get mine for an October trip. I have a couple of photos already, they're several years old but I'm going to see if I can get away with using them. How much older could I look today? ;-)
I think AAA is phasing out the tourbooks, at least for the US. That's no loss really, they were becoming increasingly irrelevant in the internet/smartphone age.
Also I got my new one a week or so ago - and did it by mail. For my location, I popped the completed for, a check for $20, the pictures, and a copy of the front and back of my license- and it was back to me in less that a week.
The only thing I found odd, you fill out a form and they want to know your departure date AND the date you want to turn on the IDP.
As I recall the IDP is good for one year, so they let you have it 'start' when you actually need it, to maximize its life span.
Thanks for the reminder! I’ll go get mine tomorrow. It’ll be a good day to take a drive with the top down. (My nearest AAA is an hour away.)
I'm so thankful you posted. We leave in 3 weeks and your post reminded me my husband still needs to get his. This is our 13 trip driving but somehow that detail had been forgotten.
PS He is on his way to AAA. He is in Alaska the week before we leave, hence the urgency. Thank you for the reminder.
Also, if you’re a AAA member, pictures are free there once/year.
I’ve always had to give them the day I want the IDP to be effective by. They have never asked for a return date and it’s good for 12 months from the effective date. I had two trips to Europe last year and had a car at some point on both. I belong to AAA and when they have taken the photo I have had to pay extra. I’ll have to look into that before my next trip.
Pictures were not free, they were $10 for the two of them.
and FWIW someone was in there trying to do the passport thing and it wasn't working, the employee was using the internet to try and find her a post office that could help
AAA, at least in my region, has three tiers of membership. Lowest has no free passport pictures, the middle one set, and the upper tier two.
And people might be shocked at just how little towing is covered by that lower level.
Yes, anyone with an older car or one that isn't covered by towing from the maker should upgrade their AAA to the 100 mile towing level.
