Do we need to rent a car in Cancun?

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Jeff M

Probably not, most likely not, you will stay at the resort the majority of time time, and if you want to go to different places you can take the buses.

John

Don't Rent a Car! They have non-stop buses running 24-7 and they are only 50-75 cents a trip to go as far as you want anywhere there. There are two different bus companies and one of them is about twice as high so watch which bus you get on. Also, they drive like maniacs and you don't want to deal with a Mexican Insurance Company or someone who is trying to sue you for damages or medical.

smiffys

BE ADVISED LOCALS DONT NEED INSURANCE IN CANCUN AND ONLY A BASIC DRIVING LICENSE SO DONT DO IT LOCALS ARE MAD DRIVERS BUT NICE PEOPLE,GET THE BUSES THEY ARE GREAT FUN DRIVERS SPEAK BROKEN ENGLISH THEY WILL HELP YOU AND ITS ONLY ;LIKE ONE LONG ROAD SO U WONT REALLY GET LOST

Tim S

I have been to cancun 4 times, you will not need a rental car unless you would like to do the driving yourself. I am not sure which country you are from , but the driving is very different there. Everyone zooms around as fast as they can go, and I would feel very uncomfortable driving. We rode the bus every where .. . it is a measly .60 cents american, and runs continually throughout the day and night.

Something to keep in mind: Renting a car in Mexico is very expensive, and you could become a target for the corrupt federales. So whatever you choose, stick with a group and be careful! :)

We are heading there again in August :)

Big Kat

Hi,
Depending on your travel plans you might not need a car. The Bus service in and around Cancun to Playa del Carmen for example is not expensive. You can catch the Bus from the Airport to the Playa del Carmen Bus depot two blocks from the Ferry Terminal to Cozumel for $8.00 US one way. The ride takes about an hour. The bus is really first class and they run on a regular schedule.
The Ferry service to Cozumel is also on a regular schedule. Every hour on the hour from 5am to 11PM daily. The Ferry takes right around 30 minutes. The cost is $16.00US one-way so buy a round trip ticket.
If you like Mayan History you might consider a car rental and drive yourself to Tulum, Coba, or the site at ChitasItza(sp). The rental for a day might be $35.00 or you can take a tour, check with the hotel. There is a Mayan site south of Tulum that is in the AAA book and it's really interesting. You'll have to find it by car.
Driving in and around the City of Cancun is a real trip, the streets and full of pot-holes and the drivers are not very good, so if you can use the bus system in Cancun just ask at the Hotel..
For gifts and such, I suggest you get away from Cancun's hotel row and travel by bus to Playa del Carmen, you'll find items a lot less expensive or you can try and get downtown and purchase items at the market place. Remember to bargan don't take their first or second offer, make sure you are happy with your price.
Enjoy

No. You do not need to rent a car in Cancun. They have an excellent bus system that you can ride for viturally pennies. They busses pick up everywhere along the main strip on a regular basis. You hop on one and just yell "ALTO" (stop) when you want to get off. What's really nice is that the busses don't just run in Cancun. If you go to the main bus station downtown you can hop on a bus to Playa del Carmen. You can stay there or take the ferry over to Cozumel if you'd like. (If you do decide to do this, start early in the day ensuring you'll have enough time to catch the last ferry out of Cozumel..10 or 11pm I believe.)

The second time I went to Cancun, I rented a Jeep from a place downtown and we paid about $40-60 for the day. If you can help it, try not to rent a car from your hotel. They will rip you off. There are A TON of rental places all over the strip, and that's where you'll get your best prices for a rental car.

Tips for Renting a Car in Mexico:

1) Pay the extra money for car insurance!! If you get in an accident in Mexico, they can prevent you from leaving the country until you pay for the damages or the vehicle in cash! Yikes! You don't want this to happen, so make sure you are covered.

2) Ask to see the rental before you sign the papers. Sometimes rental places rent out old, vehicles with you name it... no floor, no seat belts, doesn't run well, looks/sounds as if the car is going to fall apart if you take it over 20mph. You get the point...

3) Carry extra cash in your pocket. If you get pulled over on a speeding violation (don't do this!) you may be asked to pay the fine right then and there. Otherwise, you can be taken and held until you pay. Don't try and pay off a police officer. These days, Mexican officials are taking this as an insult, and could get you into hot water. Be firm, act like you know what you are doing, and cooperate.

4) DO NOT drink and drive. Cozumel/Canzun have been recently cracking down on this. Make sure whoever is driving has not had anything to drink. This may seem odd, but it is actually ok for the passenger to be drinking while in the car. Wouldn't recommend, but it's legal.

I sincerely hope this helps. Overall, I'd try not to rent a car. Traffic can be intimidating, especially with the constant horn honking. You really should be fine w/p a car, but if you do decide to venture out, be villigent.

Erika

Don't rent a car! Depending on where you are staying at you could go there by bus. We stayed at hotel Krystal and EVERYTHING was walking distance to us. Have fun on your trip.

Melissa

No, you won't need a car. The bus system in Cancun is really pretty good, and it's safe. We were able to get where we needed to go by bus. If we had wanted to go out and see the ruins, we could have taken a tour from our hotel as well, and I've heard that's the safer way to do things like that.

I'm not sure about daily rentals from the hotel. We didn't see anything like that.

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