Hey guys/gals...

Most of my international travel has been of the group tour variety - transportation has been arranged in advance or we took public transport (subways, bullet trains, buses, taxis, pedicabs etc... )

The wife and I are thinking about a trip around Asia on our own and that got me thinking about renting cars/motorcycles while we were out there...

Any advice would be appreciated. (other than driving on the proper side of the road )

Thanks in advance...

lig

 

Dont know about American licence but my UK is fine every where I have been - wouldnt imagine that it is a problem - speak to the travel agent.

Other point is get a Rough Guide or somesuch as they always give advice about driving standards and what to look for

eg - driving in Rome - dont!!!!!

 

hehe... those roundabouts looked pretty fierce in Rome. We just took the bus! I do want to go back and take a shot at Amalfi again though...

Thanks for the tips.

 

You shouldn't need to bother with one. I've rented cars in all parts of Europe with just my U.S. license and passport, but I'm not sure about Asia. If you are an AAA member I think they have a pretty good deal on the license. Cheaper still if you provide your own picture(s).

 

Been years since I had an international drivers license. Any travel agent should be able to tell you if your stateside drivers license and passport will be sufficient...and I would imagine it would be in most cases.

Having said that, I think it's insane that any other country lets us drive on their roads since the tests in other countries are exponentially more comprehensive...

 

I used to use an International drivers licence when I traveled to the US.

I had 9 points on my UK licence (12 points and you lose it ) and no rental company would give me a car if I produced it

The International licence doesn't show endorsements so I was OK

 

One stop on the itinerary is Okinawa. I wouldn't even pass basic part of the test since I can't read a lick of Japanese. Thankfully Mrs. Lig is a native speaker

The Intl Drivers Licenses are so cheap it got me wondering if they were of any value at all...

I'll just contact a car rental agency and get the scoop.

Keep the suggestion comin'

Thanks!

 

a couple years ago, 2yrs to be exact, i went to korea and needed an international drivers license to get around, went to AAA, paid them ten bucks, showed them my license and left with an international license for driving.

kind of surprising how easy it is to attain...