Driving & Renting a Car......

[Europa93]

We have booked our first trip to mexico beginning of may. We are staying at barcelo in riveria maya.We see round trip transportation can be a little high. We are thinking about rentng a car for a week but not sure how renting works in mexico and is it safe?? We been to other carribean islands, only drove in Aruba..we think that by renting a car also, we can check out the ruins,tulum,etc..without paying high costs for excursions..Anyone have any info and suggestions for car rental company?

[Europa93]

We have only traveled in a rental car in Aruba,that took a little getting use to but im pretty good with directions.. We will be staying in Riveria Maya and would like to visit Tulum and maybe one or 2 other nearby places.. Im still debating if we should rent a car or since being our first time there, to just get the round trip transfers..

[Steve]

I would just recommend you go with one of the well known rental companies like Hertz, National, Avis etc rather than 'Jose's cheap rentals'. Make sure you check the car over for dents and scratches carefully and ensure you have good insurance. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, often there might be a timeshare presentation commitment if you find say a Jeep for $20 a day.

You can get an idea on prices at my page below:
http://www.cancuncare.com/Cancun_Tra...car_rental.htm

When on the road be careful of traffic violations to avoid being pulled over by cops and be aware that gas stations can be few and far between if you're off the beaten path. Mexicans are not the safest of drivers (anyone can pass a test with a $5 bribe) so take more care than you might at home.

I think you'll find though that once you figure in all the rental costs, plus gas and toll fees (if you head out to Chichen Itza) it doesnt work out that much cheaper than using the regular tours and transportation, but it does give you that extra degree of freedom.

[carlbeitz]

Google this company in cancun or use this URL www.cancunmexicocarrental.com
This is an all inclusive rental, includes everything. No hassle about buying more insurance. We have done it five timews now without incident. Still have to examine car carefully at pickup but worked out saving us almost a thousand dollars because of the outings we did.