Ever since reading Christina's web site about the Italian law requiring an International Driver's Permit (or an official translation of your license), I've been curious about how many of you actually get an IDP before driving in Italy. Would love to hear from those who regularly drive in Italy.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Posts: 1503 | Location: Sunset Beach (Haleiwa), Hawaii, USA | Registered: 16 September 2001
I have been 3 times in 4 years and each time I get an international license. For the small effort needed to do this I feel it worth the problems should they arrive. Why risk an unnessesary problems?
Susan
Posts: 52 | Location: Wrightstown, PA | Registered: 12 March 2002
I'm glad I have taken the small effort to have a current IDP every trip. I've been asked to produce it, before. Worth the peace of mind.
Deborah Horn
In a previous life I was an Umbrian sunflower farmer. I'd like to do a past life regression and stay there. ----------------------------------- www.petsburg.com
Posts: 4996 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
We both get them every year at AAA. You can have them stamped to start the day you pickup your car. They are only good for one year. We have never been asked to show it, but I have heard stories (either here or on AOL) about people being stopped and needing to show them.
They are required by law in Italy. I don't think they are required in all European countries, but I could be wrong.
Legally, they are an international translation of your local drivers license.
Barb, you don't have to be a member to get one so don't worry if you are too busy to go (which I am sure you are these days). They can date it the day of your departure/arrival too so you don't lose any days (since you will need yours for the full year).
Many times people have said that they have never had to use it so they thought it was a waste. In 14 years of driving daily in the US before moving here and the times I have driven there while on vacation for the past 9 years I have never once had to show my license to a police officer. The only time I ever showed it was for ID and when I have rented a car. I don't think it was a waste having my US license (which will expire in 2 years and then I will have to go to ACI here to get an IDP for the states ) since it is the law and I don't think it is a waste getting an IDP if visiting Italy and Spain (these are the two that require it that I know of off the top of my head) Now that the police are getting serious they are fining people who they stop who do not have one.
As I wrote I had never been pulled over by the police in the US but I was pulled over here (normal document check). I had the IDP and my home state license which they looked at and then told me to have a nice day.
We were stopped outside Gubbio last month, at a routine traffic stop. The polizia were fine with just the Massachusetts drivers license and car rental agreement for documents. We have in the past had the IDL, but this year didn't get one
Posts: 253 | Location: US | Registered: 14 July 2002
So it sounds like no one has landed in jail for lack of one, but it just seems respectful to obey the law while in Italy. Of course, laws in Italy seem to be regularly "bent" by the Italians, but until I am totally Italian, I'll just get my IDL, since it's quite easy to do. ciao, Cheryl
Posts: 1462 | Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California (a beach town near San Diego) | Registered: 20 October 2001
We got IDLs just to avoid the worry about not having them and being stopped! It was well worth it, even when we never had occasion to show them. Elizabeth
We've actually never had an IDP. Our first trip was to visit my parents while they were living in Gaeta, they said it was not necessary. A few years later when we went back we asked the rental car agency when we booked and they said it was "recommended but not mandatory" so we didn't bother with it. Now after reading this thread I find out, after four trips of driving basically illegally, that it is mandatory after all! Mamma mia! Next trip we'll definitely be making that visit to AAA!
quote:Originally posted by Cristina: Barb, you don't have to be a member to get one so don't worry if you are too busy to go (which I am sure you are these days).
Thanks Cristina, I didn't mean to imply that we couldn't get an IDL without being AAA members, just that I am so frugal that we may as well do it at the cheaper members rate...and we did know that it is dated beginning with the first day you drive. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!
Posts: 4891 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 29 June 2001
Just another word on the IDLs...they are not required, but if you are pulled over for going through an intersection too fast, you will be asked to produce a translation of your driver's license...not a verbal translation either. The rental car agencies prefer your US license. I got an IDL for 5 yrs, wh will be up next yr--I will renew it because I will be in Italy for a yr...otherwise I would probably just keep the old one and use it as a translation--none of the info has changed, except the exp date of course. You don't have to purchase it at AAA, as there are other sites on the internet...\
Janice
Posts: 71 | Location: Orient Point, Long Island, New York | Registered: 05 September 2001
Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you want to look at it) Janice, they are required by law to drive but not to rent a car.
I am interested in your 5 year one though, price and where you got it and it if really is valid (there are a few online places that are scams). A five year one would be great for those who travel yearly. Let me know where you found yours and I will link it on my site.
I really hope that Janice's isn't one of the scams as it would be great for so many on this board but Snopes says that only AAA and American Automobile Touring Alliance (through the National Automobile Club )are authorized and valid.
I'll do a bit more searching around and see what I come up with.
Cristina, I read the same thing somewhere else. I'll try to find it too. And thanks for alerting a lot of us to this requirement in the first place, and aloha.
Posts: 1503 | Location: Sunset Beach (Haleiwa), Hawaii, USA | Registered: 16 September 2001
We have one now and it s worth the peace of mine. So far the driving has been better than at home. We leave Florence in the morning for Vicenza. We re loving every minute of it. Went to Pisa today, drove through Luca on way back to Florence. MY fav. is Sorrento....Ciao, Jjune
We always get ours at AAA. In all of our trips, we have never had to show it to pick up our rental car. We also have never been stopped by the police. I read on another board about some folks who were stopped, fined on the spot and couldn't pay the fine. Their US license was confiscated until they could pay the fine! I guess this falls under the category of "better safe than sorry".
Posts: 348 | Location: San Francisco, CA | Registered: 22 April 2003
quote:Originally posted by Ann: Ever since reading http://www.cristinasweb.com/italy/DrivinginItaly/index.htm about the Italian law requiring an International Driver's Permit (or an official translation of your license), I've been curious about how many of you actually get an IDP before driving in Italy. Would love to hear from those who regularly drive in Italy.
I decided to pass on an IDP for our trip this spring. I posed the question to Zak at TuscanHouse.com because (1) we were renting Benincasa, in Montepulciano through his agency and (2) he was the author of a few articles I found on the 'net on this subject. His answer: it is "an old law that nobody knows about any more". In other words, the law is apparently still on the books somewhere but nobody - not even the police - care about it any more. So the IDP isn't required to rent the car and even if you get in trouble the police don't want to see it. I think that's partly because they've had to get used to accepting all EU licenses despite the fact that some (like many UK licenses) don't even have photos! Bottom line: you don't really need one but if you feel you need to be 100% by-the-book legal in order to have piece of mind, an IDP is cheap insurance. You're the only one who can decide that. Me, I hate wasting money on things that are completely unnecessary.
Interestingly enough our first trip to Italy we rented a car making the reservation IN Italy (not from the USA). I had gotten an IDP "just in case" and the ONLY document the rental agency wanted to see was the IDP. Didn't care what my US driver's license says.
Last trip I had a little contretemps with the italian police on a bus. Long story. Suffice it to say that I was very glad I had my IDP along as I
Topic Closed
) since it is the law and I don't think it is a waste getting an IDP if visiting Italy and Spain (these are the two that require it that I know of off the top of my head) Now that the police are getting serious 
they are fining people who they stop who do not have one. 
We've actually never had an IDP. Our first trip was to visit my parents while they were living in Gaeta, they said it was not necessary. A few years later when we went back we asked the rental car agency when we booked and they said it was "recommended but not mandatory" so we didn't bother with it. Now after reading this thread I find out, after four trips of driving basically illegally, that it is mandatory after all! Mamma mia! Next trip we'll definitely be making that visit to AAA!
