Rental Car Question

[PARADISE HUNTER]

My wife and I are flying into Cancun and staying in Akumal for eight nights in March. We plan on visiting a number of the ruins and checking out the area in general, when not diving of course.

We get into Cancun at 4:00 and would need to go through the usual process at the airport before we would get a rental car or grab a hotel transfer. So which is better, renting a car at the airport for the full duration of the trip or getting a one way shuttle trip upon arrival to the hotel and renting a car in Akumal for the rest of the trip? By better, I mean easier or less expensive.

Any favorite rental company name that you mention would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ReefHound]

I would rent at the airport. For one, you won't be prey to the taxi/shuttle sharks. For another, it'll probably be cheaper though I haven't looked up rates. I've generally found when you reserve in advance at a major location it is cheaper than on-site at a smaller resort area. Just my 2psi.

 

[DET]

I don't have an answer to your question, but, I would check to see first if rental cars are available in Akumal. Also, maybe you can find tours, buses or hire a cab for the trip to your destinations. (most cabs will only hold 3-4 people). I have gotten by without rental most of our stay in PDC. Something that may help is a map of the area. We've acquired maps from Mapchick.com home page They are loaded with information along the Mayan Riveria, esp. Cancun, PDC, Cozumel. They show business, hotels, diveshops, approximate cab fares and much more. good luck

 

[ScubaBumlet]

Paradise Hunter - I would reserve a car in advance at the airport as Akumal really has no rental car agency. Maybe at the ABR?? (All Inclusive). Do not know where you are staying. I travel to Akumal often. I use which ever rental company I can get the best deal with. All cars are pretty much the same no matter who you rent thru. Do you arrive at 4:00 am or pm? When you arrive, you go thru immigration and customs, then a shuttle will take you on a 3 minute ride to the on-site rental agency, You could walk, but I have so much gear, I take the shuttle. It is easy-smeasy to get to Akumal from the airport. Read up on the driving practices and know what the signs say and watch for the giant 'topes' (speed bumbs) as they are big enough to actually 'launch' your rental car and chip your front teeth... The driving is real easy once you get past Playa del Carmen. Stay to the center lanes.

A rental car is really the way to go as there is so much to see and do within 30-45 minutes of Akumal.

 

[bubba105]

I would say rent in the airport. You're getting in kind of late so just take your time driving in the dark. Lots of speed demons on that road. Do a search for rental cars, the usual suspects, orbits and the like, will reserve a car for you at a better price than just showing up. Check around because rates vary on different sites. Something I found out recently, since you want to save money. When you rent a car with your Visa card they (Visa) cover insuring the car. Call the 800 number on the back of your card & they will e-mail the document you can present to the counter people. They already know but they play dumb so bring the document. Saves you like $20 a day. Thanks again Visa.

 

[docmartin]

the visa thing is correct. however, if you have any kind of accident mexican police will not let you go with credit card insurance. you will have to settle everything before you can leave. with insurance from the car rental that's not the case. most "experienced" mexican travellers will tell you that they buy full insurance although their credit card company provides coverage. i used to go with the credit card insurance but switched camps after hearing some horror stories.

 

[GeorgeC]

I arrived in Cancun airport Thursday 12/6 and walked up to the first car rental place (there are several in a row) and asked how much for a compact car for 7 days. They said $200 US, which includes everything. Your guess is as good as mine as what they mean by everything. I was staying at an all-inclusive and wondering it if would be worth the money to rent rather then use the colectivo or a taxi to do off premise diving.

 

[bubba105]

the visa thing is correct. however, if you have any kind of accident mexican police will not let you go with credit card insurance. you will have to settle everything before you can leave. with insurance from the car rental that's not the case. most "experienced" mexican travellers will tell you that they buy full insurance although their credit card company provides coverage. i used to go with the credit card insurance but switched camps after hearing some horror stories.

I've never had an accident in my travels, knock on wood. My mistake on the insurance thing. :11:You're right. I asked the bride, who is in control of our money and we did take the accident insurance when we rented in both Costa Rica and Mexico, about $8 a day, but, Visa covers the theft portion, which would have brought the total to about $23 a day. Still a very nice thing for Visa to do for me. By all means, take the accident insurance. It's better to be able to walk away without having to stress the plastic.

 

[driftwood]

My wife and I are flying into Cancun and staying in Akumal for eight nights in March. We plan on visiting a number of the ruins and checking out the area in general, when not diving of course.

We get into Cancun at 4:00 and would need to go through the usual process at the airport before we would get a rental car or grab a hotel transfer. So which is better, renting a car at the airport for the full duration of the trip or getting a one way shuttle trip upon arrival to the hotel and renting a car in Akumal for the rest of the trip? By better, I mean easier or less expensive.

Any favorite rental company name that you mention would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Akumal will look pretty good after a Michigan winter. Last time I checked, the transfer rates from CUN to Akumal were pretty high and would almost cover 4 days of a rental. Also the last time we rented, June of '05, the airport rates were much better than the town rates. We have used both Executive and Alamo without any problems (we did get the full insurance). Go to Can-Do Maps and travel guides, they have an excellent section on car rental with all the agency's links (you will sell yourself short if you don't get maps for all the areas you will be visiting, they are the best travel guides available and a bargain at $8 each).

I am assuming that you are familiar with the local driving customs but, just one note on turning left off Highway 307 into Akumal. DON'T do it, exit to the right then cross 307. That is what the locals expect you to do, so it is much safer.

Regarding the Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza is the most famous and best restored. Ek Balam is literally rewriting the book on Mayan art and is the only one I would spend time to see again. Coba is the largest and least restored site, much more of an "Indiana Jones" feel to it. Finally, Tulum is the most visited and has the most beautiful site right on the ocean. Tulum is the youngest of the four and a shadow of what the Mayans could do. Go for the photos, not the rocks.

Traveling in Mexico is measured in time not distance. Tulum is about 30-40 minutes, Coba, about an hour. Both CI and Ek Balam are near the town of Vallidolid and either one is a LONG day from Akumal. You might want to take a small tour to them instead of driving. Playa del Carmen, Mexico's Virtual Guide Book : Playa.Info has excellent tours that are van sized instead of bus sized (good reviews of the ruins as well under "trip planning"). Another option, is to hire a guy in Akumal named Hilliario Hiller. We used him in the past and he is reliable, very knowledgeable, speaks English, Mayan, Spanish and around $100 for the day. If I could only visit one ruin and it is your first one, go for CI. If you want the best art, Ek Balam is blowing the experts away, nothing like it had ever been found, the preservation is remarkable. If you start early, you can see both sites in the same day, and it will be a LONG day.

 

[ovarygirl]

We booked with Budget in advance and received an economy Chevy Corsa. Nine days cost about $250 USD, excluding the CDW (we used our VISA's CDW) and including the mandatory Mexican liability insurance. After claiming your luggage and clearing customs, it's pretty easy to find the rental agencies. Budget has a rep with a big sign standing around the airport who radios the shuttle to come pick you up. After a quick 2-3 min ride, you arrive at the rental agency just off-site at the junction with the major highway. They were very professional and the car didn't give us any problems. I would definitely rent with them again.

Prior to my trip, I read plenty of reviews on all sorts of boards warning folks about not using their visa insurance and was a bit concerned. However, if you are able to pay for the damage (up to the cost of the car) using cash/line of credit/credit card etc. while in Mexico, then you will be reimbursed once you return to your home country by the insurance company. Although they are often able to arrange advance payment to the rental agency if you total the car, in countries such as Mexico the local authorities don't really care about our policies so you will need to pay out of your own pocket in advance. If you aren't able to come up with hundreds or thousands $$$ using the methods mentioned above then you're probably better off purchasing the all-inclusive insurance with your rental. Driving's kinda crazy in Mexico so you really have to drive defensively.

I highly recommend the ruins in Tulum and Coba. Chichen Itza's kinda far but well worth the trip; one of the locals recommended staying there overnight since it's a long trip and driving at night is kinda dangerous. Coba's about an hour from Akumal and was a lot of fun. I recommend going to the touristy spots early in the morning so you avoid the bus tours.