N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check

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Sat 7 Nov 2015 13:44
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - FP

Next weekend we're off to Gran Canaria for a week and will be hiring a car.

I'm aware that, since the UK switched to photocard licences, there is the possibility that car hire firms will want to know more about the licence-holder's driving history.

Following the advice of the AA, I have kept the paper counterpart and have also obtained a Licence Check Code from the government website.

Have members of the forum had problems with the protocol when hiring cars abroad?

My guess is that the Spanish at the Autoreisen desk at Gando Airport will completely ignore it all and just glance at the photocard.

(Can't wait to get away from all this rain we're having!)

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Sat 7 Nov 2015 14:07
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - efad2

I hired a car in sept on one of the greek islands they were not interested in enything more than my plastic license If you take your Nat Ins number with you you can access your details on dvla site on any computer anywhere so you will be covered

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Sat 7 Nov 2015 17:10
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - RobJP

I hired a car in sept on one of the greek islands they were not interested in enything more than my plastic license If you take your Nat Ins number with you you can access your details on dvla site on any computer anywhere so you will be covered

Ditto in Australia for me in September, I offered to pull up the link and they weren't bothered about it in the slightest.

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Sat 7 Nov 2015 19:48
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - Happy Blue!

I have rented over 100 cars overseas for the whole period we had the card licence with counterpart. I have never been asked to show the counterpart and never took it with me. Since the new system came into force., I have not offered to produce the relevant documentation either. The UK insurance system is a joke.....because it is only they who demand that cars and drivers are inextricably linked.

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Sat 7 Nov 2015 23:45
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - Bilboman

The UK insurance system is a joke.....because it is only they who demand that cars and drivers are inextricably linked.
I couldn't agree more. It may well produce instances of unfairness, but the system prevalent in almost every other country in the world assumes that a car with a valid insurance policy *might* be driven by any driver - regardless of whether that driver has a policy or owns a car - and minimum 3rd party cover is guaranteed. A pedestrian injured in a crash is covered; a car thief isn't.
The last time I hired a car in the UK, I presented my Spanish licence. When the clerk asked about points I smiled sweetly and said it is a valid licence and Spain fully repects European Data Protection legislation. A police officer or judge can request information regarding my driving record but it is not a car hire clerk or insurance company's business.

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Tue 10 Nov 2015 17:31
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - Armitage Shanks {p}

I am hiring a car for two weeks in Lanzarote, Auto Reisen, Citroen C2 for £77! I asked them if they wanted sight of the DVLA code and they confirmed in writing that they did not.

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Sat 14 Nov 2015 16:45
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - grumpyscot

Rent in Turkey ervy year and not been asked for anything other than photocard. Have been stopped at roadchecks several times and police only check rental docs and a cursory glance at photocard.

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Sun 15 Nov 2015 12:45
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - focussed

BilboMan-I think you will find that european car insurance covers anybody driving the car with or without a licence - even without permission ie a thief, although the cover in that case is strictly basic third party.

Our cover on all our cars here in France covers any licenced driver using them with permission with the same comprehensive cover "toutes risques" but the excess is higher.

Insurance law here is that everything with four wheels an engine and a seat has to be insured 24/7/365 at least third party-even your ride-on lawn mower! Fortunately our house insurance covers ride-ons up to 20 hp.

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Sun 15 Nov 2015 13:25
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - jc2

You can insure your car in the UK for "Any Driver" but it's expensive."OOD" or "named driver" is much cheaper.Nothing to stop you doing the same in France but most people seem to use "any driver" cover-you don't need to.

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Sun 15 Nov 2015 21:22
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - focussed

On our last visit to our agent to re-negotiate (moan about the cost of) our various insurances we asked about restricting the car's insurance to us two only and was told that it wouldn't make any difference to the premium.

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Wed 18 Nov 2015 16:07
N/A - Hiring car abroad - licence check - concrete

Very recent car hire in Majorca (October), took a print out of DVLA code and paper counterpart ( belt and braces ). Offered both, the car hire operative said no need as I gave all licence details and paid online the previous week. Makes a mockery of any system to waste the time and energy of people on such a rigmarole, which the rest of the world ignores. Only in the UK! Have used Sixt a few times this year and I am now a member of their Express Club. This mean they simply retain the licence and other relevant data and it is used for future car hire. I am hiring again in a few weeks at Malaga airport. Simples! The only requirement is to inform them of any major material changes i.e health, driving bans etc.

I also have an Insure4Excess policy that covers all excesses on all my policies, even household. This means you don't have to take the ridiculously expensive Damage Waiver insurance hirers offer.

Cheers Concrete

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