Car ferry preferences

[BRT]

and I can get a car for $2/day in Playa if I want to use someone like Fox and spend time fighting with them about my credit card insurance coverage.

I'm talking about renting from an established rental company that doesn't have a history of bait/switch tactics and includes full coverage in their quote.

In Cancun/Playa, that's America Car Rental and a fully covered VW Gol is $23/day.

In Cozumel, that's Isis and a fully covered VW Gol is $45/day.

In Cancun you should look at Yes! car rental. I used America many years with few problems but Yes! is a level above.

 

[mstevens]

One way of looking at this is that we own a car on the island and have never taken it on the car ferry. When we need a car on the mainland, we rent one from Isis Playa. We qualify for a discounted fare program for island residents but have never felt as if it were worth applying.

The car ferries are slow, expensive, and limited in terms of schedule compared with the passenger ferries. We find it much more convenient to take the passenger ferry and can rent a car for the day for not much more than the car ferry fare.

The only reason I'd use the car ferry would be if we planned to be on the mainland for more than a couple of days or if we were going to pack our car to the gills with stuff from Costco or Home Depot.

 

[BRT]

One way of looking at this is that we own a car on the island and have never taken it on the car ferry. When we need a car on the mainland, we rent one from Isis Playa. We qualify for a discounted fare program for island residents but have never felt as if it were worth applying.

The car ferries are slow, expensive, and limited in terms of schedule compared with the passenger ferries. We find it much more convenient to take the passenger ferry and can rent a car for the day for not much more than the car ferry fare.

The only reason I'd use the car ferry would be if we planned to be on the mainland for more than a couple of days or if we were going to pack our car to the gills with stuff from Costco or Home Depot.

Expensive? Maybe if you are a resident. For us tourists three people in a care is cheaper than 3 people on the passenger ferry. Four people are allowed for the same money. So far as speed it is slower but when you get off you drive right to where you are going which is a lot different from getting off the ferry and walking out, finding a taxi and getting to a car rental place. Schedule, yes you have less trips each day.

 

[Steelyeyes]

I prefer Ultramar, as there is a single car deck, more or less at dock level. Transcaribe is a narrower, taller ship with two decks, and visibility is not good, especially when going down the ramp between decks.

Depending on where you're going in Tulum, you might consider leaving the card on the island, taking the passenger ferry to PDC, and then ADO Bus to Tulum. The bus stops at the entrance to the ruins, and downtown. This also has the advantage of more frequent (more convenient?) ferry service, versus the 6x/day for the car ferries.

Driving up and down to the upper deck on that ferry is a bit sporty for sure.

 

[Augustus]

I would not call the ferry slow after dealing with the old route to puerto morelos. Obviously for a one day trip not worth the hassel but 500 is cheap an with two companies running trips lots of time to choose from

 

[El Graduado]

I would not call the ferry slow after dealing with the old route to puerto morelos.

RIGHT! Plus, you don't have to put up with the smell of truckloads of seasick pigs wafting up through the open doors on the new air-conditioned ferries!

 

[horn34]

I would not call the ferry slow after dealing with the old route to puerto morelos. Obviously for a one day trip not worth the hassel but 500 is cheap an with two companies running trips lots of time to choose from

Ultramar is only 400 pesos, as of last month.