Renting a car overseas sounds simple enough.

Show your driver's license, get the keys, figure out which side of the road everybody is using, and off you go.

Except there's a little more to international driving than that.

Your U.S. driver's license may be accepted in some destinations for short visits. Other countries may require or strongly recommend an International Driving Permit. Rental companies can have requirements of their own as well.

An International Driving Permit, or IDP, isn't a replacement for your driver's license.

Think of it as a standardized translation of the information contained on your license. When using one abroad, you generally need to carry your valid U.S. driver's license with it.

And an IDP doesn't permit you to drive in the United States.

It's intended for international use.

Before renting a car overseas, check the requirements for the actual country you're visiting. Don't assume the rules in France will be identical to those in Italy, Japan, Brazil, or another destination.

Then check the rental company's rules.

Legal permission to drive and permission to rent a particular vehicle aren't always the same thing. Rental companies can establish minimum ages, additional fees for younger drivers, license requirements, credit-card policies, and restrictions on certain vehicle classes.

Insurance deserves a closer look too.

Your normal U.S. auto insurance may or may not provide the coverage you expect outside the country. Credit cards sometimes provide rental-car benefits, but those benefits have exclusions and conditions. The rental company may offer its own coverage.

Figure this out before you're standing at a rental counter after an eight-hour flight.

Also ask whether you're crossing any borders.

Europe makes it tempting to rent a car in one country and drive into several others. That's a fantastic way to travel, but your rental agreement and insurance need to allow it.

International driving can also mean learning some unfamiliar rules.

Road signs may use symbols you don't immediately recognize. Speed limits will probably be posted in kilometers. Toll systems can work differently. Some cities have restricted driving or environmental zones. Parking regulations may be considerably different from what you're accustomed to at home.

And yes, sometimes everybody really is driving on the other side of the road.

Give yourself time to adjust.

There are a few adjacent travel requirements worth checking at the same time.

Make sure your U.S. passport is valid and acceptable for the trip. Determine whether your destination requires a visa or electronic travel authorization. Check insurance requirements. If you'll be driving into neighboring countries, make sure your immigration documents allow those entries too.

Texas Tower provides International Driving Permit services alongside expedited passports, travel visas, apostilles, certified birth certificates, translations, and other international document services.

That's useful because international trips rarely involve just one piece of paperwork.

Driving overseas can be one of the best ways to see a country. You aren't limited to airports, train stations, or the neighborhood surrounding your hotel.

Just sort out the documents first.

Then you can concentrate on the real challenge:

figuring out what that road sign with the red circle actually means.