Does Avis require an IDP in Madagascar?

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.

Madagascar has no toll-road or vignette system; the national 'Route Nationale' network is toll-free. Roads vary from sealed RNs to rough tracks needing a 4x4.

Urban parking, mainly in Antananarivo, is informal with no colour-coded paid zones; 'gardiens' (informal attendants) watch parked cars for a small cash tip (a few thousand ariary). Park in guarded hotel/lot spaces overnight.

Foreign drivers face on-the-spot cash penalties for speeding, no seatbelt or phone use, often negotiated at police stops; always ask for a receipt. Banditry and armed highway robbery on RN7, RN13, RN10 and others is a bigger risk than fines, so avoid driving after dark.

After an accident call police on 117 (or 119) and wait for an official report; do not move vehicles if there are injuries. Roadside assistance is essentially absent outside Antananarivo, so carry water and a spare.