Does Avis require an IDP in China?

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.

Most intercity expressways are tolled, paid in cash or by the ETC electronic transponder at booths; rental cars usually come with an ETC card and tolls are billed back to the renter. Costs run roughly RMB 0.4-0.6 per km, so long expressway trips add up quickly.

Cities use metered street bays and paid garages, increasingly cashless via Alipay/WeChat scan-to-pay; many districts (notably central Beijing and Shanghai) restrict parking heavily and tow illegally parked cars. Beijing and several big cities also run last-digit licence-plate driving bans on weekdays that a rental's plate is subject to.

Foreign drivers face fines for speeding, mobile-phone use and seatbelt offences, plus a demerit-point system; serious unlicensed driving can mean vehicle impoundment and administrative detention. Camera-enforced fines on a rental are passed to the renter by the rental firm, often with an admin fee.

Dial 122 for traffic accidents (110 for general police); do not move the vehicles in an injury or disputed crash until police arrive and document the scene. A police report is needed for any insurance claim and for the rental company.