Is it a good idea to fly to cancun from without reserving a hotel or is it better to reserve in advance.?

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flightpillow

I've done that in Cancun when I first started traveling there, I don't think it's a bad idea, if you don't mind paying for your taxi to go place to place, I found after a while of doing that it
was more of a pain because I just wanted to get to my
hotel once I arrived, Personal opinion, I would do your
research before you go, ask questions, search the hotels website, check Trip advisor for the most updated reviews then book, you don't necessarily have to do a package, sometimes it's cheaper to go Land only and get a sell off on your airfare, transfers in Cancun are easy and affordable, if you are staying in the Mayan they are obviously more $$, but do the research , try it out and you'll know for next time what works for you. Watch peak travel times, but then again , there are so many properties in Cancun you won't have a problem, it may not be your first choice if it came down to availability, but it's an adventure in itself.
Have fun!

sunsationvacations

Look......you will pay a lot more if you wait until you get to Cancun. If you want to know about the hotels....ask me....I know about 90 percent of them. It also depends on the month in which you plan to travel. Spring Break season is always full, unless you want to stay downtown. I suggest booking before you go, but you make that decision. I would be glad to help you search for a good price on a hotel.....I am a travel agent and specialize in Cancun. I do not charge a booking fee...I only love selling Cancun. I could give you some suggestions if you like. You can e-mail me and I will help you make your decision. It is hard to carry your stuff around searching for hotels by bus, and the taxi will be outrageous. If you would like, I can at least give you the names of some good hotels with reasonable prices if you want to e-mail me.

michellandhashi

Depending on when you are travelling. If you are going during a high populated time I would book a package. Doing that you won't run into hotels being sold out or them being way over priced. A good thing to do is stop by your local travel agency and pick up a few brochures or ask an agent. If you are a little yuck about travel agents just get their opinion and that's it! If you feel more comfortable with just going to get a feel you can do that, just not during high season.

Rockin' Mel S

The only people I know that have tried this did so around Christmas time and got burned. They payed a bunch of money for a crap hotel downtown. Not even in the hotel zone!

Now, that was a few years ago and at peek season so it's not all that surprising that they had problems finding hotel rooms. You may have an entirely different experience.

If it was me however, I'd book in advance. By the time I get to the airport 3 hours before my flight to check bags and clear security. Then fly for 4-5 hours, clear customs etc. the day is already too long for me and the last thing that I would want to do was rent a car and drive all over the place stopping at every hotel to enquire about rooms and rates.

If it helps at all, what I usually do is pick about 4 or 5 hotels in my price range and then start reading reviews on them. That usually will eliminate some an move others up the list.

There are lots of great sites that post reviews and trip reports. One of my favorites is Debbies Caribbean Resort Reviews:

This is the main page:
http://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com/

This is the page to Mexican resort reviews:

http://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com/mexico/mexrevind.html

Good luck and enjoy your vacation.

chad_zortman

It would be best for you to have something reserved as this time of year is the peak of the season in Cancun.

You should check out the trip advisor site and look at their top rated hotels. You should decide if you want an all-inclusive or basic hotel and what ammenities you are looking for.

I stayed at the Riu Cancun last week and it was great. Other nice locations are the Gran Caribe Real, the Dreams resort and the Hilton.

Have fun!

lucky7a2000

BOOK AHEAD, to be sure you HAVE a room, especially now until May

stella39

Plain and simple. Plan ahead. You don't want to be running around Cancun with your luggage trying to find a place to stay. I think you will get a better priced package planning air and hotel together. JMHO

Good Luck and happy travels.

Check out www.tripadvisor.com. lots of reviews on hotels and another place to post some questions.

spell_live_backwards

There are plenty of vacancies in Cancun. You get what you pay for. If you want crap you will easily find it. Do a little research and find yourself a nice place. Vacations are about relaxing and enjoying yourself. Not worrying whether or not your valuables will still be in your room when you get back to your room. If you book yourself a "all inclusive" resort or hotel you can avoid having to carry allot of cash or credit cards around.

Snowman1234

I think you answered your own question, in a way and already have some good advice from others here.

The safest way is to book your hotel with a reputable website with good customer service in your country of origin. ie plan ahead.

Land - take it easy and look around for something better, if you want to spend your holiday looking for hotels.

The smartest way ( in my opinion ) is to pre book the lot, or at least a substantial part of you holiday.

Sure, there may be plenty of hotels around, but why not do your research well before you go and take it easy when you arrive.

I've provided some links which may help you including the Mexican National Tourism website.

All the best with your plans and vacation.

flipdout2

As a travel agent, definately plan ahead especially in mexico. I have many years of travel experience all over the world and sice the explosion of the interent, NEVER confirm a hotel without visiting tripadvisor.com. In my opinion, it is the best source for unbiased reviews of hotels. And really trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be wandering around anywhere in mexico looking for a hotel--it's not like Jamiaca or anywhere in the Caribbean where that is pretty safe to do. Oh--and be sure to memorize hte phrase "Donde esta el bano" (donday estah el banyo)--where is the bathroom? before departing. Good Luck! Vaya con Dios!

LAC

I backpacked through Mexico, and even I made plans before going. I was concerned about hotel quality as well, since I stayed in the simple ones inside the city of central Cancun. I had backup hotels and addresses on a sheet of paper in case I wanted to switch. But I would not recommend showing up, going to a random resort with all your stuff and expecting not to get burned price-wise. My friends stayed at Barcelo Tucancun, and it was beautiful there. And my friends are picky people.

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