Hello ALL
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I want to rent a car In Porto and drive to Santiago de Compostela.
Do you need an International Drivers License ?
Also the prices I see online to rent a car are so cheap I can't believe they are correct.
Thanks JLV
I believe you can get one from your local AAA office.
Also, BEWARE of drop-off fees for picking up a car in one place/country, and dropping it off in another place/country. These charges could easily exceed the cost of rental.
I recommend you take the full insurance cover offered by the renting agency at the time of renting. Yes, it costs more. But, you basically only have to return the parts to the rental agency. I had this happen to me in Belgium about seven years ago. I had the near-totalled car towed back to the airport rental location. They simply gave me a new car. A dump truck side swiped me and tore off the partially open driver's door while I was properly parallel-parked. THAT was an interesting explanation.
I had another instance in Spain about five years ago where I backed into a parking bollard and damaged the rear bumper cover. In that instance, my credit card company picked it up, but I had to pay a large flat fee on the credit card to return the car. It all worked out, but it is a hassle.
Remember that you will need a different set of driving skills in old Europe (non limited access highways) than in the US. The roads are far narrower, with more blind corners, and drop offs. In most places, once you leave downtown, there is not a lot of night street lighting, except on limited access roads.
I always rent the smallest possible car consistent with my needs, to increase my separation for other vehicles and immovable objects. Finally, do drive slower and more deliberately than you would at home. Just sayin'
Hope this helps,
Tom