Accomodations near Fonatur?

[BRT]

So this didn't include insurance. Tacks on another $13/day.

Good rate. After your trip please report if they hit you for anything else.

 

[Andy Ralph]

Good rate. After your trip please report if they hit you for anything else.

I think I may purchase the add'l insurance for $13/day. However it's just collision so only protects the rental. Doesn't help me if I hit someone else and it's my fault. Although I do see that they charge you for SOME mandatory liability insurance that's baked into the rate/taxes. My CC provides me collision but that doesn't really help me if I damage/lose the car and I'm trying to pay so I can get back home!

 

[Andy Ralph]

If I were staying on Cozumel with 2 growing teenage boys, I would definitely look at an AI. They can eat any time all they want,
Park royale is closer to town. Great restaurants, 3 pools. 3 P’s picks up there.

I went ahead and booked in Central, so I'm close to the restaurants. Not a big fan of AI, for the same reason I don't eat at chain restaurants. I'd rather pick my spots and get the best food I can. One of my trip enjoyment factors I guess. Didn't plan on renting a car but, cest la vie.

 

[jonhall]

just grab a cab the published fare is $75 MXN ($3.64 USD)

I'm with you on that. On the mainland in PDC, my buddy and I, in between dives, walked along the shore across several properties to get to our resort and then back to the dive op. The shore narrowed in a few places where it was just slippery iron shore - probably took about 20 minutes one way, but seemed more like an hour. Only did that one day as the op provided free transportation on their schedule.

 

[BRT]

I think I may purchase the add'l insurance for $13/day. However it's just collision so only protects the rental. Doesn't help me if I hit someone else and it's my fault. Although I do see that they charge you for SOME mandatory liability insurance that's baked into the rate/taxes. My CC provides me collision but that doesn't really help me if I damage/lose the car and I'm trying to pay so I can get back home!

Wrecking the rental car worries me a little. Might be a bill I really don't want to pay. Damages to some 3rd party is not something I want to work out with my CC company while I wait in jail.

 

[ReefHound]

I think I may purchase the add'l insurance for $13/day. However it's just collision so only protects the rental. Doesn't help me if I hit someone else and it's my fault. Although I do see that they charge you for SOME mandatory liability insurance that's baked into the rate/taxes. My CC provides me collision but that doesn't really help me if I damage/lose the car and I'm trying to pay so I can get back home!

Who did you rent from and have you rented a car in Mexico before?

 

[Andy Ralph]

Who did you rent from and have you rented a car in Mexico before?

Mex Rent A Car (via priceline), pickup at airport. No, first time renting.

 

[ReefHound]

Mex Rent A Car (via priceline), pickup at airport. No, first time renting.

I wish you luck. I don't mean to be a debby downer and you're welcome to forge ahead but I've seen this movie many times and it almost never ends well.

1. Never heard of them. People are often asking on Cozumel For You facebook page about car rentals and the locals are quick to offer their recommendations and not once have I heard this name mentioned.

2. A google search turns up horrible reviews. MexRentACar Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of mexrentacar.com I only read page 1 but every single review is 1 out of 5. Seems they either don't have the cars when you arrive, don't honor the price, or try to scam you with other charges. Here's one example: "This is a scam. Paid Priceline in advance and then they still charged me again at the location. They also did not have the car type I reserved"

3. It's just not economically viable to rent a car for $22/day. It just isn't. Cars cost as much or more in Mexico than here. Places like ISIS are able to rent a VW bug for $35 only because the cars are as old as dinosaurs and they pay no booking fees or advertising expenses.

I coud go on but at this point you're either having second thoughts or you never will.

 

[morecowbells]

We used to always rent a car since Residencias Reef is a decent 15-20 minute drive from town. A couple of years ago we decided to ditch the car rental and use a taxi. It is far less stressful. No hassles with parking, I get dropped off directly at destination without running the gauntlet through pushy vendors and no fuss with designated driver(not big drinkers, but I want to at least have a drink with my meal and not worry about approaching a foreign check point). When doing the math with a rental car plus fuel, it came out about the same as using a taxi. I would be cautious about not purchasing full coverage. Sure, it gets pricey, but I have heard of people getting into accidents and put in a real bind since damages are expected to be paid up front ASAP.

 

[yle]

Planning to dive with Martin. They are leaving out of Fonatur now (due to COVID). Was looking at staying in town for proximity to restaurants (and was an easy bike ride to Martin's regular shop), but that's likely out unless I want to rent a car or take a cab back and forth each day. I prefer to book Airbnb/VRBO as opposed to hotels. Anything near Fonatur that can be recommended? Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and plant to stay in Central and rent a car? Or perhaps book with a dive Op that is closer to town.

This isn't as easy as I thought it would be.

We stayed at an Airbnb near Chedraui in April for a week, dove with Dive with Martin every day. We met a taxi driver outside the airport (across the street) when we first arrived, told him our plan for the week. He gave me his card and his WhatsApp number. He picked us up each morning for the quick drive to Fonatur... like clockwork (we used WhatsApp to confirm with him each evening for the next morning.) And he took us back to the airport at the end of our trip.

For the drive back we just grabbed a taxi at the marina, they're lined up. They asked for 110 pesos (about six bucks) each way, I gave them 150. It was about 15 bucks for each house-marina-house roundtrip and there were four of us... so a few bucks per person per day. Much easier and cheaper than renting a car.

Once we were back at the house in the afternoon, after diving, we walked everywhere around town.