Does Avis require an IDP in Benin?

Avis's standard minimum rental age is 25, though it rents to drivers as young as 21 in most US states/provinces (some locations require 25 by local law); renters aged 21-24 pay a young-driver surcharge of roughly $25 per day in the US (about $35/day in Canada).

Avis requires an Avis-honored credit or charge card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.) and places an authorization hold covering the estimated charges plus a security amount; Visa/Mastercard debit cards are accepted at most US locations but are subject to stricter checks, and the card must be in the renter's name.

Additional drivers must be at least 25 (or meet the underage rules) with a valid licence and typically cost about $13 per day, capped near $65 per rental; in California the fee is waived for a spouse, parent, sibling or child of the renter. Avis requires a valid driver's licence held for the entire rental period that is not suspended, expired, revoked, cancelled or surrendered; it does not publish a fixed minimum holding period in the US, though some international locations require the licence to have been held for 1-2 years.

Avis generally permits US-to-Canada travel if the renting location is notified in advance, but driving into Mexico is restricted (typically corporate accounts only, no one-way, and Mexican insurance purchased through Avis from border states); one-way rentals are offered with a drop-off charge that may apply on certain rates.

Avis states that "International Driver's Permits are valid only if presented with the original local license. An International Driver's Permit is not acceptable by itself." Foreign licences are accepted if the issuing country participated in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or has a reciprocal agreement with the US; non-Roman-alphabet licences effectively require an IDP, and renters with a foreign licence may need to present a passport.

Benin has no motorway-style toll network; the main paid road infrastructure is the port/border corridor and there are no electronic tags for tourists. Budget instead for frequent informal 'fees' at police and gendarmerie checkpoints rather than formal tolls.

Cotonou has no organised paid-zone system; parking is informal, often on packed-earth lots where attendants ('gardiens') expect a small CFA-franc tip to watch the car. Avoid leaving a vehicle unattended on busy streets where zemidjan motorbike traffic and theft are concerns.

Traffic enforcement is largely on-the-spot by police/gendarmerie at the many roadside checkpoints, where licence, IDP, registration and insurance are checked and fines or 'arrangements' are paid in cash CFA francs. Seatbelt and phone-use rules exist but are loosely enforced; carry documents at all times to avoid delays.

After a crash you must stop, not move the vehicles, and call the police/gendarmerie (commonly 117 for police, 118 for fire/rescue) and obtain a report (constat) for any insurance or rental claim. In serious or injury cases wait for the gendarmerie; do not flee the scene as crowds can gather quickly.