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Beware

Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:42pm
16 replies848 views9 members subscribed
ednab

ednab

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Please inform your goes that are booking car hire that the rules have changed.  You need you  driving license with your photo and the paper with it and also most are requesting an international driving license.

My daughter arrived at Alicante airport this morning and because she did not have the international driving permit I had to go and collect her from the airport.  The car hire company were not going to refund her money but after arguing that their web site did not request an international permit they did  refund her money and said they would alter their website.  The post office in England said she did not need one, because she asked before coming.  The cost of a permit is about £8 and you get it from the post office so it is well worth getting one instead of being stranded.  Please let all your visitors know as my daughter was very upset and had to wait two and half hours for me to get there

grahamerv

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:29am

grahamerv

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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:29am

ednab wrote on Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:42pm:

Please inform your goes that are booking car hire that the rules have changed.  You need you  driving license with your photo and the paper with it and also most are requesting an international driving license.

My daughter arrived at Alicante airport this morning and because she did not have the international driving permit I had to go and collect her from the airport.  The car hire company were not going to refund her money but after arguing that their web site did not request an international per...

...mit they did  refund her money and said they would alter their website.  The post office in England said she did not need one, because she asked before coming.  The cost of a permit is about £8 and you get it from the post office so it is well worth getting one instead of being stranded.  Please let all your visitors know as my daughter was very upset and had to wait two and half hours for me to get there

What company was this?

ednab

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:13am

ednab

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Posts: 329

178 helpful points

Location: Oria

Joined: 27 Mar 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:13am

grahamerv wrote on Fri Sep 17, 2021 7:29am:

What company was this?

This was gold car but they say, and I am sure if it is true, that all companies are the same. I am concerned that people come out on holiday and do not have anyone to call to pick them up.  The man on the desk did not care he told her to get a taxi.  She booked through a trip adviser, she phoned them and they helped by speaking to a manager, this is how she got her money back.  The man had no intention of giving any money back. 

PhilBr

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:42am

PhilBr

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Location: Mojacar

Joined: 29 Dec 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:42am

ednab wrote on Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:13am:

This was gold car but they say, and I am sure if it is true, that all companies are the same. I am concerned that people come out on holiday and do not have anyone to call to pick them up.  The man on the desk did not care he told her to get a taxi.  She booked through a trip adviser, s...

...he phoned them and they helped by speaking to a manager, this is how she got her money back.  The man had no intention of giving any money back. 

In theory, you don’t need an international permit - there is no such thing as an international licence - for driving in Spain but do need one for France. I got one pre-Brexit for the french part of our journey to our new home in Mojacar.

As above, available for a few quid from the post office.

Seems like a money making opportunity to me or a major misunderstanding of the rules which has also happened with stamping of passports.

Lmj18

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:36am

Lmj18

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Joined: 2 May 2019

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:36am

Gold car strikes again! A bit naughty particularly as she checked before hand. There are many companies that don’t require an IDP, but prices are quite expensive at the moment for ca

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Ian 77

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:23am

Ian 77

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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:23am

PhilBr wrote on Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:42am:

In theory, you don’t need an international permit - there is no such thing as an international licence - for driving in Spain but do need one for France. I got one pre-Brexit for the french part of our journey to our new home in Mojacar.

As above, available for a few quid from the post office.

Seems like a money making opportunity to me or a major misunderstanding of the rules which has also happened with stamping of passports.

There is a international licence for Spain I

Have one my wife has one too … they are different now you cannot use a Spanish one for France or vice versa , they cost 6 pounds at the post office . For 12 months. Years ago you could get on for Europe , now it’s one for each country. And in Spain I think it depends on we’re you are some company’s will ask for one some will not  my daughter only needed her normal licence at malaga. To hire a car ..but it’s also wrong to say you need your paper licence to as they were stored a few years back so most only have one with there pic on …

Lmj18

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:44pm

Lmj18

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Posts: 396

452 helpful points

Location: Partaloa

Joined: 2 May 2019

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:44pm

Ian 77 wrote on Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:23am:

There is a international licence for Spain I

Have one my wife has one too … they are different now you cannot use a Spanish one for France or vice versa , they cost 6 pounds at the post office . For 12 months. Years ago you could get on for Europe , now it’s one for each country. And in Spain I think it depends on we’re you are some c...

...ompany’s will ask for one some will not  my daughter only needed her normal licence at malaga. To hire a car ..but it’s also wrong to say you need your paper licence to as they were stored a few years back so most only have one with there pic on …

It’s a permit, not an international license.

ednab

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:02pm

ednab

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Posts: 329

178 helpful points

Location: Oria

Joined: 27 Mar 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:02pm

Ian 77 wrote on Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:23am:

There is a international licence for Spain I

Have one my wife has one too … they are different now you cannot use a Spanish one for France or vice versa , they cost 6 pounds at the post office . For 12 months. Years ago you could get on for Europe , now it’s one for each country. And in Spain I think it depends on we’re you are some c...

...ompany’s will ask for one some will not  my daughter only needed her normal licence at malaga. To hire a car ..but it’s also wrong to say you need your paper licence to as they were stored a few years back so most only have one with there pic on …

I do agree so you can imagine my daughter on her own at the airport being refused a car hire when she had check everything before leaving the UK.  I have managed to arrange a friend to take her back to alicante next week. 

jtp890

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:20pm

jtp890

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Joined: 15 Aug 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:20pm

Think there may be some confusion re paper licence. Hire company require dvla code to check for motoring procecusions which used to be shown on paper licence. Spain currently does not require a permit 

James

ednab

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:39pm

ednab

Original Poster

Helpful member

Posts: 329

178 helpful points

Location: Oria

Joined: 27 Mar 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:39pm

jtp890 wrote on Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:20pm:

Think there may be some confusion re paper licence. Hire company require dvla code to check for motoring procecusions which used to be shown on paper licence. Spain currently does not require a permit 

James

I do not know what paper licence but apparently it is the one that come with your licence with your photo on it. Which ever it is they still insisted on an international permit.  I have found out it is £5 from the post office and for such a small amount it would save a lot of heart ache, hassle and a spoilt holiday. 

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