- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2021
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An IDP is recommended to bridge any language gaps and ensure smooth interactions, especially at border controls and for car rentals, as most agencies require.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
The prices you see online are unbelievable and should not be believed. Add in insurance, collision wavers, cleaning charges and the “you’re a foreigner; open your wallet and repeat after me “help yourself”” and the bargain becomes less of a bargain.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 had a look on Avis.com for Porto to Santiago just out of curiosity. On the first page, in small print and at the bottom, it says "Fees and taxes are not included in the car rates displayed above". On this version of the website you will see the one-way fee and a surcharge only at the very end when you are about to pay. Be ready for a very big surprise because pick-up and drop-off location are not identical and they are in two different countries.Also the prices I see online to rent a car are so cheap I can't believe they are correct.
I rented a car in 2022 in Spain. Also for me, car rental prices were much cheaper in Spain then in North America or many other places. But just make sure that you read all the fine print and extra charges so you don’t get any surprises. A foreign country drop fee could be high.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
In 2022 when I rented a car, the prices were all over the place. I was in santiago trying to rent a car for a month and it was usually at least €2000. But I started checking other cities and saved €1000 by taking a train to Leon and picking up a car there. So I think there’s some demand algorithm? Some places are cheaper.In 2017 it was cheaper for us to rent a car for a couple of weeks to volunteer than it was to take the train or bus from Madrid to Zamora. Also due to lack of trains and buses on the Jan 1 holiday, we couldn't get back to catch our early flight on Jan 2. It was very reasonable then costing less than a couple hundred dollars.
Last summer rented and returned a car in Pamplona as we needed one for shopping in our remote volunteer site. It was almost 5 times that much. Prices have gone up.
If you use Avis.es you will see the fee for a one way car rental between two countries straight away but it is more or less the same as on Avis.com, namely in the region of $500-$600 / €500-€600. That's for a one day rental and a tiny car (Peugeot 208) for a trip from Porto to Santiago !On this version of the website you will see the one-way fee and a surcharge only at the very end when you are about to pay
That's different then. And, wow, renting from a town in Portugal in January for example looks really cheap. Quite a bit cheaper than renting from Santiago. Not to mention from where I live (further north).We would be returning it to Porto
Definitely not needed to rent the car, all you need is a valid driving license.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
Whether an international driving license is needed, at least in theory, depends on the country that issued your driving licence and the countries you want drive in, in this case in Portugal and Spain.Definitely not needed to rent the car, all you need is a valid driving license.
Spanish law requires drivers with US licenses to have an international drivers license. These are available, as you probably know, at the American Automobile Association offices. If the Guardia Civil stops you, and you do not have an international drivers license, they have the authority to fine you €250 if you are driving a passenger car. Fines are higher for a truck.Do you need an International Drivers License ?
I agree you need an International Drivers Licence - it tells the car rental company what type of licence you have. You will also need a physical copy of your regular licence which includes a photograph. As I understand it, electronic copies of your licence (those saved to your mobile phone or tablet) are usually not accepted. Also tell the car rental agency that you will be leaving Portugal. CheersHello 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
Correct. However, you do not need an IDL to "hire" a car which I understand was the question.Whether an international driving license is needed, at least in theory, depends on the country that issued your driving licence and the countries you want drive in, in this case in Portugal and Spain.
The rules are different for holders of driving licenses issued in the EU including the UK and for holders of driving licences issued in the USA which I guess it is the case for the OP.
That you can rent a car without presenting an IDP may also be different from whether you have to have an IDP while driving in the foreign country and present an IDP when you happen to end up in a police control.
I live in Porto. They recognize US drivers licenses. So you don't need one. That said it's super easy to get one in the US if you want one. Just go to triple A. The prices are cheap but they don't usually include the insurance that is mandatory for foreigners. I highly recommend using a car company that is also in the US. Like Enterprise or whomever. That way when there is a problem (and there will be a problem) you can handle it when u get home. Also you absolutely can take flixbus to Santiago and save yourself the headaches. Just food for thought.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.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've been considering extending my time in Spain when I do my next camino and have thought about buying a car. Is the process of buying/selling significant? You did it twice, so I assume it must have been worth it for some situations. Your thoughts would be appreciated.Spanish law requires drivers with US licenses to have an international drivers license. These are available, as you probably know, at the American Automobile Association offices. If the Guardia Civil stops you, and you do not have an international drivers license, they have the authority to fine you €250 if you are driving a passenger car. Fines are higher for a truck.
Having said that, I have never been asked to show an international drivers license by any rental car company, by any car dealer (I have bought two cars in Spain), or by the Guardia Civil during the 3 random highway stops I have been stopped in over the years. So I guess it’s a question of how important following the rules is to you and what your risk tolerance level is.
Both times we were living in the country for a year, so it was kind of a no-brainer. The process wasn't terribly complicated, but I confess my husband did most of it. In Madrid in 1994 we bought a 1979 Peugeot, best car we ever had, for about $1000 US (no euro yet). We put about 35,000 kms on it, just on the Iberian peninsula on out of town trips. Never drove it in the city. At the end of the year, we couldn't find anyone to give it to, much less sell it. The manager of our apartment building took it to a scrap yard. That made me very sad, because it was such a great car, except for the fact that you had to turn on the heat and open the windows to take some of the heat off the motor when driving in the Picos or Pyrenees. The other time was in Portugal and it was also very straightforward. We were able to sell that car for a little more than what we paid for it, which was a treat, that was in 2004. It was a small VW.I've been considering extending my time in Spain when I do my next camino and have thought about buying a car. Is the process of buying/selling significant? You did it twice, so I assume it must have been worth it for some situations. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Don’t entirely agree. The prices you see online (for Spain at least) are accurate so long as you have a credit card that provides insurance coverage. I have used my Amex Platinum card for decades and have rarely paid more than $30 a day. The car rental companies will always try to upsell you on car size and insurance and imply that you need to pay for more coverage. Make sure you understand your credit card coverage properly and ignore the upsell. Avoid the companies you have never heard of who will try and charge you for non-existent damage. Take dozens of photos of the car when you pick it up.The prices you see online are unbelievable and should not be believed. Add in insurance, collision wavers, cleaning charges and the “you’re a foreigner; open your wallet and repeat after me “help yourself”” and the bargain becomes less of a bargain.
If you’re thinking of a one way pick up and drop it’ll probably be cheaper to buy a car in Porto and sell it in Santiago. Or you could just catch the bus
I looked intoa car rental going from Santiago to Porto two months ago. The rental car web sites are somewhat deceiving. The car rental was very cheap, but as you walk through the reservation process you see a one way drop off fee of about $800.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 ended up making a claim On a credit card for about €1200 of damage to a car in Spain. It took about six months but eventually they paid.Don’t entirely agree. The prices you see online (for Spain at least) are accurate so long as you have a credit card that provides insurance coverage. I have used my Amex Platinum card for decades and have rarely paid more than $30 a day. The car rental companies will always try to upsell you on car size and insurance and imply that you need to pay for more coverage. Make sure you understand your credit card coverage properly and ignore the upsell. Avoid the companies you have never heard of who will try and charge you for non-existent damage. Take dozens of photos of the car when you pick it up.
I remember one toll road we took in '88. They wanted us and the two other drivers that afternoon to pay the entire construction cost and the toll taker's annual salary.Unless you limit your driving to the back roads, you will find out that the road tolls are equal to a bus or train fare.
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