International driving permit???

jimbob1982

Okay guys , I'm going to America in a months time for a two week holiday and am driving from Seattle to San Diego.I have a car booked from Avis for 600e and was told by the person over the phone that I would not have any excess to worry about.In other words they're not going to be putting a hold on my credit card.Does this sound right to you guys? And as for the IDP, I'm just wondering is it necessary or just another money making gimmick? Cheers folks.

Cookie_Monster

Not if you are going to the US, IDP is really only for non english speaking countries where your licence needs to be translated.

liger

jimbob1982 wrote: »

Okay guys , I'm going to America in a months time for a two week holiday and am driving from Seattle to San Diego.I have a car booked from Avis for 600e and was told by the person over the phone that I would not have any excess to worry about.In other words they're not going to be putting a hold on my credit card.Does this sound right to you guys? And as for the IDP, I'm just wondering is it necessary or just another money making gimmick? Cheers folks.

Excess is the amount you need to pay if you have an accident or windscreen break etc. Some car rental places have this set very high.

I've rented cars in the states a number of times and only needed my full licence, never been asked for international permit.

Alun

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Not if you are going to the US, IDP is really only for non english speaking countries where your licence needs to be translated.

No need within the EU as all fields on the licence are the same and numbered as well. Probably only useful in countries that use a non-Latin alphabet really, like Russia, China, Japan etc.

jimbob1982

Thanks a million guys.Really appreciate your feedback.Just does the cost of the car seem right considering there's 0% excess and it also includes one way fare.

Fred Swanson

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Charles Babbage

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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The point being that drivers from these countries might need an IDP, but not an English speaking one.

In the US the deals offered to international tourist does not have an excess, in general.

€600 seems plausible, as there is a significant one way fee in there.
While you can of course drive this, you won't have much time to see stuff along the way, especially in California.

jimbob1982

Charles Babbage wrote: »

The point being that drivers from these countries might need an IDP, but not an English speaking one.

In the US the deals offered to international tourist does not have an excess, in general.

€600 seems plausible, as there is a significant one way fee in there.
While you can of course drive this, you won't have much time to see stuff along the way, especially in California.

Im not quite sure I follow. What difference would it make paying more? The duration of the holiday is fixed.

Marcusm

jimbob1982 wrote: »

Thanks a million guys.Really appreciate your feedback.Just does the cost of the car seem right considering there's 0% excess and it also includes one way fare.

Does the quote include supplemental liability insurance or super CDW codes? Some US states mandatorily include excess insurance for non US residents, some do not. I don't have personal experience of Washington state's requirements.

Doltanian

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

So a foreigner (or foreign license holder e.g. Chinese emigrant worker abroad) cannot rent a car and go driving around China?

Peregrinus

Doltanian wrote: »

So a foreigner (or foreign license holder e.g. Chinese emigrant worker abroad) cannot rent a car and go driving around China?

To drive in China, you must have a PRC driving licence. Even licences from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are not acceptable.

However if you already hold a foreign licence it's relatively easy to get a Chinese licence. You can get a provisional licence at Beijing Airport, and car hire companies will rent to you on the strength of that.

Option B is to hire a care and driver, which is relatively cheap. This has the advantage that it saves you having to drive in China, which by all accounts is a terrifying experience.

jimbob1982

Right guys.I had a great holiday yes 3000 pics.Picked the car up in Seattle for about 1900 dollars.3 times the quoted price here at home in Ireland.That was alright but about a week later Avis put about 1500e back in my account but with no sign of it on my transaction list.So I'm home now 4 days and they deduct 1700e from me and I'm now -1100e. I am so goddamn sick of this lies and towing and froing with money.Has anybody had this experience before and how do you deal with it? I don't know whether Avis are in the right or whether they're scamming but I know I asked that woman from Avis in Cork 3 times "Is this amount final?" and she said yes.More importantly though how can I stop this happening again?2 weeks on the west coast of America Seattle to San Diego one way by the way and she said that was all included aswell as the excess so I just don't know.