Rental Car for Germany and Austria and my license

I use AutoEurope to rent in Europe. They are a consolidator and find the best deals with various companies. Are you flying into Munich? If you are spending time in Munich before heading to Vienna you might want to wait to pick up your car when you are ready to leave the city. You don't need to use a car IN Munich. You will need your regular drivers license. In addition, you should get an International Drivers Permit, available at AAA for $15 and a passport sized photo. They can take your picture there for about $10 if you prefer. You will need to purchase a vignette to drive in Austria. Just stop at a gas station after you cross the border to purchase one.

I've heard the IDP's are just a scam, is that true? What does the IDP do for me?

The IDP is a translation of your US license into several languages. Far from being a "scam", it is required in Italy and other places. If you were to get stopped, you would want the police to be able to understand that your US license is valid, wouldn't you?

jay, there are two similar sounding terms. One is a scam, one is required by international law. The International Driving (aka Driver, Drivers) License is the scam and costs money on the internet and other places and has no value. The International Driving Permit is required in many countries in addition to your regular license. It verifies that your licence is genuine and provides the information in a specific format in the language understandable by the, in this case, German or Austrian authorities. IDP is only available from one appointed organization in most countries. In the USA it is the AAA. In Canada it is the CAA. Not knowing where you are in Motor City, it might be just as easy to get it in Windsor as in Detroit...

I will get my IDP next week. Thanks for the input.

Renting a car to go to Vienna? A car is more a liability than an asset there. Check your hotel's parking fees too. Adv.-purchase train tickets are 39€ each on some trips. If you're doing a more leisurely trip with stops, like Salzburg, Linz, Melk etc. Consider the daypass option on regional trains. 26€/day for two from Munich to Salzburg (Bayern Ticket). 28€/day within Austria (Einfach Raus Ticket.) http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/laender-ticket.shtml http://www.oebb.at/en/Tickets/Groups/Einfach-Raus-Ticket/index.jsp

I heard the train system was good, but how do u get from place to place ? do the have bus service to the small villages and how late do the busses run?

You can get guaranteed lowestrates with major vendors from www.gemut.com. This is a US based company that can answer all of your questions.