 Poster: A snowHead
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@cardweg When you refer to booking sites saying an IDP is, or may be needed - are these the actual rental company sites, or the intermediaries?
This has come up before and the counter has always been that the actual car rental companies on the ground make no mention of an IDP being needed. As well as the fact that UK official advice is that one isn’t needed and that no one has ever been asked for one. But I can imagine that some of the intermediaries have got it wrong, as most have such thin margins, they won’t have the staff to do the research properly. But if the likes of Hertz etc are now saying it is or may be needed, then that’s a change.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@LaForet, I suspect most renters' small print DOES include reference to the fact that an IDP may be required - they are covering themselves. e.g. I just looked at Hertz conditions for Heathrow and it says "An International Driving Permit (IDP) is highly recommended for non-European Union renters". That's a blanket recommendation - others will say that IDP is needed if language/characters different from the country of rental.
Also buried in the Hertz small print is that if you drive a car "cross border" unless you have declared this and paid the relevant fee, all bets are off.  You will be uninsured.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I had a panic about this...
I booked a car in Munich through Holiday Autos and checked the small print which mentioned the requirement to provide an IDP and a utility bill (not a print out of an electronic bill and less than 8 weeks old etc). Neither of this was asked for at the hire car desk.
I did some reading and I think that these T&Cs are from the booking company rather than the hire car provider.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just looked at my T&Cs for car hire at Easter-just said that an IDL was only needed if your country's licence was not in Roman Alphabet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| LaForet wrote: |
| @cardweg When you refer to booking sites saying an IDP is, or may be needed - are these the actual rental company sites, or the intermediaries |
It was the Geneva Airport site & the renter in question was Enterprise.
I’d rather be safe than sorry for the sake of £5.50, but I can’t help thinking this is a combination of people who don’t really know just asking for stuff because they can and the uncertainty around just about every regulation there is since we left the EU.
Hey ho.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| cardweg wrote: |
| LaForet wrote: |
| @cardweg When you refer to booking sites saying an IDP is, or may be needed - are these the actual rental company sites, or the intermediaries |
It was the Geneva Airport site & the renter in question was Enterprise.
I’d rather be safe than sorry for the sake of £5.50, but I can’t help thinking this is a combination of people who don’t really know just asking for stuff because they can and the uncertainty around just about every regulation there is since we left the EU.
Hey ho. |
I used Enterprise at GVA in January and the chap at the desk was more interested in upselling me to a bigger car and insurance than wondering if I had an IDP. It’s valid for them to include IDP in their T&C’s as renters come from all over the world holding national licenses written in foreign characters.
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We don't need IDPs with UK photo licences. Hertz mentions IDPs in their general small print too - probably they all do. It would be odd if they didn't.
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So just to close this off, I have hired via Expedia & the confirmation says “ An international driving licence is required if the driving licence is non-roman alphabet.”
As you advised.
On a separate note, I always wondered why coaches from GVA to Tarentaise went via Ugine rather than the Chambéry autoroute. Having just been on the APRR website, a €40 difference in toll fees might be part of that… I’ll be using that option for that reason 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I'd certainly choose that route. The autoroute is longer, much more expensive, and boring.
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