I cannot ring the Budget Rental Car agency because they only provide a 1-800 number. I sent an email over a week ago and have gotten no response.
I just recently got my French driver’s license. All I had to do was exchange it for my Illinois license, which they took. I still have a photocopy of it.
Do I need to have an “International Driver’s License” to rent a car? All the sources on the net are either vague or conflicting.
Has anyone had any experience with this?
Just for the record, I’m over 25. Considerably over. 
No, you don’t. I rented with Budget in San Fran last year with just my British license (and a passport because it doesn’t have a picture on it).
The International Driver’s License is a load of nonsense. It’s not a legally binding document, and affords the bearer no extra rights.
Thanks, jimm, that takes a load off my mind. I searched the Budget site thoroughly and there’s no mention of driver’s licenses at all.
Just out of curiousity, did you get the car insurance through the car rental place?
BTW for Budget, you can do the entire booking online, and only pay when you get/drop off the car.
Are you sure the 1-800 number won’t work? It worked fine from Ireland.
Yes, I paid an optional extra $17 a day or something for insurance, though some credit cards offer free car hire insurance by default (though probably only US ones do).
I’ll have to check into that. We’ll be using Citibank to hire the car. We did make the booking through the internet site and no, you cannot call 1-800 numbers from here.
In Japan, you are given the option of dialing a US 1-800 number, but are told you’ll be paying at international rates. When you dial a 1-800 number from here, you’re told to dial 1-888-XXX-XXXX and when you do that, it says you cannot call that number.
I’m not sure why.
Another suggestion is to call a Budget office in Paris - I’m sure there is one, and either book through that office, or get a number for international enquiries.
Yeah, all the IDL does is translate the original document. It’s a worthless ripoff.
You had to return your Illinois driver’s license? Odd. Why’d you get a French one to begin with? I think European governments do strongly encourage getting a license in the nation you’re living, but I’ve never bothered (nor has anyone else I know), have been pulled over several times in several countries without any problems with my Illinois license.
Just curious. A French license would look cool, anyhow. My favorite are the old British licenses (they were using them through at least the mid-90s, if not still.) They don’t even include a photo.
If it’s a 1-800 number, try dialling it as “1-880”
If it’s a 1-888 number, try dialling it as “1-881”
That works in Central and Eastern Europe. I’ve a hunch it may work in France, too. Otherwise, if you have a cell phone, many service providers let you do voice-over-IP calls for cheaper by dialling an extra “0” before the country code. So if you dial “00” or “+” for international call, substitute “000” or “+0.” I’ve found that 1-800 and 1-888 numbers work normally via IP.
Thanks, but the phone number does not work. I’m not sure why.
You are obligated to get a French license if you’ve lived in France for one year. Fortunately, Illinois is one of the dozen or so states that has reciprocity with France. I didn’t have to sit an exam or take a driver’s test.
Yes, they take your IL DL and advise you that when/if you repatriate, you can turn it in to the nearest consulate and they’ll give you a form to take to the DL place to get your IL DL reinstated.
Also, having a French DL will make it easier when we move to Ireland. Hopefully, I won’t have to take an exam there! Eep, they drive on the WRONG side of the road and the steering wheel is on the WRONG side, too!
Next time you need to call a 1-800 number, just use net2phone.com or dialpad.com or any of those internet to telephone services. Calls to 1-800 are free from these services, but you do need to have an account with them.
Same law here in Hungary. But you have to retake the test, and its in Hungarian, and yadda yadda yadda, so not a single expat bothers. Maybe France is more stringent with violators. Je ne sais pas. I’m not exactly sure how you can enforce the law, anyway. The advantage is, though, if you get pulled over in the States, cops often have a difficulty deciphering your foreign paperwork and occassionally will just give up on you. At least that’s what’s happened several times to my German friend in Chicago.
If the Citibank numbers don’t work, even with the substituted 1-880 prefix, there should be a non-toll-free number listed. I know their website lists numbers for branches in France, and domestic numbers in the States. If you have a Citibank card, there should be both a toll-free and “If calling outside the US or Canada” number on the back of it.
Hey…I called 'em for you. The customer service rep at Budget said there will be no problem for you to rent on a French driver’s license.
Thanks, pulykamell, how kind of you!
Well, I did want to answer the OP ya know. 
(Besides, the call cost perhaps a quarter or two. I think I could spare one in the pursuit of knowledge.)
Incorrect. It is a specific document which is recognized in some jurisdictions and not recognized in some other jurisdictions. Also, as a recognized document in some jurisdictions, the IDL actually is a legal document in those jurisdictions. Japan honours the IDL but not the foreign jurisdiction’s DL (that was the situation when I was stationed in Japan).
California is not a jurisdiction which recognizes the IDL; however, according to http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#idp:
Thus, your valid UK license was what you needed to operate a motor vehicle in this state. Although this list, http://www.iadc-club.com/pr2/clist.asp, shows the United States as a county which honours the IDL, it really should’ve listed which states in the US honour it as at least one (California) doesn’t.
In short, the IDL is not a load of nonsense. It’s valid in some areas (Germany {when I was stationed there 1979~1982}, Japan {when I was stationed there 1990~1996} for two) and not valid in some areas (California for one).
Sorry, my bad. I got one of these things a few years ago, and it wasn’t useful in any of the dozens of countries I hauled it thru, hence my disdain.
Interestingly, on further research, I find that a whole raft of countries signed up to the 1949 UN Convention on Road Traffic, which says:
[my emphasis] Since the US put its moniker on the convention’s Final Act, is California in breach of this resolution?
No doubt. We’re kind of (in)famous for that, what with having the City of Bezerkely and all. I’ll hazard a guess if you don’t mind: the IDL is probably honoured for someone who drove a vehicle registered or rented out of state but not honoured for a lawful resident of the state.
Anyway, whatever the law actually is, I’d rather comply with what a State Trooper thinks it is…