Thetraveller

I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
it turned out to be a waste of money.

Ryan B

"TheTraveller" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    > a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    > know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    > it turned out to be a waste of money.

It is a law in Italy to have an international license. The purpose is for
language translation. Waste of money, yes but it's the law.

LJM

Mason Barge

On Sat, 31 May 2003 08:25:40 -0400, TheTraveller
wrote:

    >I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    >a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    >know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    >it turned out to be a waste of money.

Yes you need one. If you still have the old one and want to roll the dice, it
might be okay.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln

Adrian Rothery

"Mason Barge" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On Sat, 31 May 2003 08:25:40 -0400, TheTraveller

    > wrote:
    > >I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    > >a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    > >know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    > >it turned out to be a waste of money.
    > Yes you need one. If you still have the old one and want to roll the
dice, it
    > might be okay.
    > --

I'll go with that, at best it'll cost you a few dollars, at worst it could
ruin your trip.

Adrian.

Cristina

"TheTraveller" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    > a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    > know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    > it turned out to be a waste of money.

Yes it is the law and luckily (or unluckily depending) the police here in
Siena are following through with impounding vehicles and fines (fines up to
$500 plus towing charges etc.). Could really ruin a vacation :-)

Cristina

Mason Barge

On Sat, 31 May 2003 09:31:42 -0400, Mason Barge
wrote:

    >On Sat, 31 May 2003 08:25:40 -0400, TheTraveller
    >wrote:
    >>I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    >>a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    >>know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    >>it turned out to be a waste of money.
    >Yes you need one. If you still have the old one and want to roll the dice, it
    >might be okay.

I should have said, I have heard people on several occasions say that an expired
Internation Driver Permit has been accepted in Italy, as long as the underlying
license is current and the license number is the same. I have only been asked
once and had a valid Internation License, so I don't know first-hand.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln

Barbara Vaughan

TheTraveller wrote:
    >
    > I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    > a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    > know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    > it turned out to be a waste of money.

It is required to have an international driver's license unless your own
license conforms to EU requirements. I live in Italy and asked about
this when I first arrived. A particular policeman may not give you any
grief if you don't have one, but this doesn't change the requirement.

I've never needed my auto liability insurance either, but I keep
renewing it every year.

Barbara

Earl Evleth

On 31/05/03 15:31, in article [email protected],
"Mason Barge" wrote:

    > On Sat, 31 May 2003 08:25:40 -0400, TheTraveller
    >
    > wrote:
    >
    >> I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    >> a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    >> know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    >> it turned out to be a waste of money.
    >
    > Yes you need one. If you still have the old one and want to roll the dice, it
    > might be okay.


We just picked up a couple for our trip to the USA, we have French driver`s
permits. The man at the prefecture reminded us that the international
license is just a translation of the regular one and you should have both.

However, US citizens can drive in France on their US permits for a certain
period, so the international permit is not really required here. Likewise
in the US I have rented cars for years using just the French permit, no
problem.

However, give the anti-French reaction in the US and thinking we might
run into a problem we also go international permits. Here they are free
so it just costs a person the time to go down and get one.

Earl

Donna Evleth

Dans l'article , "Ryan B"
a écrit :


    > "TheTraveller" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    >> a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    >> know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    >> it turned out to be a waste of money.
    > It is a law in Italy to have an international license. The purpose is for
    > language translation. Waste of money, yes but it's the law.
    > LJM

Here in France there is no charge for an international driver's license. We
just got one for going to the US, and paid nothing for it.

As stated, the purpose is for language translation. You must carry your
national license also, as the international license is no good without it.

Donna Evleth
    >

Mason Barge

On Sat, 31 May 2003 19:47:34 +0200, Earl Evleth wrote:

    >On 31/05/03 15:31, in article [email protected],
    >"Mason Barge" wrote:
    >> On Sat, 31 May 2003 08:25:40 -0400, TheTraveller
    >>
    >> wrote:
    >>
    >>> I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    >>> a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    >>> know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    >>> it turned out to be a waste of money.
    >>
    >> Yes you need one. If you still have the old one and want to roll the dice, it
    >> might be okay.
    >We just picked up a couple for our trip to the USA, we have French driver`s
    >permits. The man at the prefecture reminded us that the international
    >license is just a translation of the regular one and you should have both.
    >However, US citizens can drive in France on their US permits for a certain
    >period, so the international permit is not really required here. Likewise
    >in the US I have rented cars for years using just the French permit, no
    >problem.
    >However, give the anti-French reaction in the US and thinking we might
    >run into a problem we also go international permits. Here they are free
    >so it just costs a person the time to go down and get one.

I think that's silly actually. There is practically no "anti-French reaction"
noticeable in the US.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln

The Juggernaut Jockey

"TheTraveller" wrote

    > I am leaving from USA, going to Siena, Italy next week and want to rent
    > a motor scooter or car. Do I need an international drivers license. I
    > know it is recommended but years ago (10) no one ever asked for it and
    > it turned out to be a waste of money.


It`s not a legal requirement.

However, since the police in Italy are keen on asking you for your driving
licence, and reluctant to return it, it may be a worthwhile investment, and
forfeiture of an International Drivers Licence may prove to be cheaper than
a contribution to the local Police Social Fund.

I used to buy them, six at a time. There are many traffic police officers in
Russia and Ukraine who still have one, as a souvenir of the day they met
me, and as proof of my superior brain-power over theirs!



.--
Regards,
Vince
Truck Driving In Russia- www.coventon.co.uk

Jonathan Morton

"The Juggernaut Jockey" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

    > However, since the police in Italy are keen on asking you for your driving
    > licence, and reluctant to return it, it may be a worthwhile investment,
and
    > forfeiture of an International Drivers Licence...



It's an International Driving Permit.

Adrian Rothery

"Jonathan Morton" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "The Juggernaut Jockey" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > However, since the police in Italy are keen on asking you for your
driving
    > > licence, and reluctant to return it, it may be a worthwhile investment,
    > and
    > > forfeiture of an International Drivers Licence...
    >
    > It's an International Driving Permit.
    >


No, it's called and known as an International Driving Permit. It neither
gives permission or acts as a licence.


It is a translation of the actual driving licence for the benefit of the
country being visited.
The truck driver from Britain who gives copies away as souvenirs will notice
that his licence is already recognised in Italy (and the rest of the EU). US
visitors won't have this advantage.

Adrian.

Jonathan Morton

"Adrian Rothery" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    >
    > No, it's called and known as an International Driving Permit. It neither
    > gives permission or acts as a licence.
    >

Nice point, but I didn't say what it did or did not do :-)

Adrian Rothery

"Jonathan Morton" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Adrian Rothery" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > > No, it's called and known as an International Driving Permit. It neither
    > > gives permission or acts as a licence.
    > >
    > Nice point, but I didn't say what it did or did not do :-)
Sorry, I'll rephrase that:

No, it isn't an International Driving Permit, it's just called/known as
that. :-)

Adrian.