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Car Rental in Cozumel

bubbachief

By bubbachief,
in Cozumel

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kthy66

kthy66

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We rented a jeep last year. Driving in Cozumel is easy and safe. Downtown does get very busy though so I would steer clear of there. We circled around the whole island stopping here and there at different beaches.

We were told to be very careful when fueling up. The gas station attendants are known to not reset the gas pump and rip you off.. so make sure you check the pump before you fill up.

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jerry20001

jerry20001

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It can not be more strongly recommended that full, complete, total coverage car insurance be purchased which will add $20-25 dollars to the rental cost. No matter what you may believe any coverage provided by credit cards will be for reimbursement after all claims have been paid in cash. You can not drive off paved roads, 4-wheel drive jeeps have the 4-wheel drive disabled. If you should happen to be involved in an accident, alcohol consumption will invalidate your coverage.

 

There is one road that circles the southern half of the island, it is impossible to get lost and a rental vehicle is a great way to see many of the sights and wonders the island has to offer.

 

Obey all traffic regulations and positively buy full insurance coverage. You'll have a blast!

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bubbachief

bubbachief

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It can not be more strongly recommended that full, complete, total coverage car insurance be purchased which will add $20-25 dollars to the rental cost. No matter what you may believe any coverage provided by credit cards will be for reimbursement after all claims have been paid in cash. You can not drive off paved roads, 4-wheel drive jeeps have the 4-wheel drive disabled. If you should happen to be involved in an accident, alcohol consumption will invalidate your coverage.

 

There is one road that circles the southern half of the island, it is impossible to get lost and a rental vehicle is a great way to see many of the sights and wonders the island has to offer.

 

Obey all traffic regulations and positively buy full insurance coverage. You'll have a blast!

 

Any suggestion as to who to rent from?

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LHP

LHP

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I reserved on their website. You will need to catch a cab from the pier to less-Play, I don't recall exactly but I'm sure it is several miles. We paid 5 bucks for a cab ride

 

It is about a 4 mile walk from the Carnival pier to Punta Langosta (next to the Barracuda Hotel) . Hubby and I have done it once. Good sidewalks all the way. We walk 4 miles a day for exercise....

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CaribQween

CaribQween

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Question. Were you able to reserve online prior to getting off the ship? AND....how far away from where the piers are do you have to walk to get there?

 

There are several car rental places by each pier. If you know what pier you'll be docking at, then you can see what car rental places are near by. We'll be on Carnival which uses the Puerta Maya pier. There is an Avis and Alamo right at that pier and you can make reservations online for both. However, you might want to call ahead and talk to the location directly (not the 1-800 reservation line) to see exactly what vehicles they actually have to offer. We first checked Alamo and even though the website showed they had what we were looking for, when I called they said they didn't have that vehicle. But he said they were getting some new vehicles and to call back a couple of weeks before our cruise. When I called the Avis location at the pier, he said they did have what we wanted and to just reserve online, which is what we did.

 

Also, on a different thread, someone recommended a site for ordering maps for Cozumel for only $10. We ordered them and they are really very nice. You get two of them and they give you all sorts of info on car rentals, restaurants, shopping, siteseeing, etc. I was really pleasantly surprised at how much info they provided. It was a great deal. The website was www.cancunmap.com.

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CaribQween

CaribQween

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Thank you. We will be coming in on the international Pier, does that sound right? I've done some looking on the internet for reserving a jeep, but not doing real well :(

 

The International Pier is one of the 3 piers there in Cozumel. It just depends on what cruiseline or ship you'll be on. Punta Langosta is the main pier and it is closest to downtown. Then there is the TMM International Pier a few miles south of that. Then about 1/4 mile south of the International Pier is the Puerta Maya Pier. Both the International Pier and Puerta Maya are two-berth piers. Many times, the International Pier is used for overflow if the Punta Langosta pier has too many ships scheduled. I believe that the TMM International Pier is owned by RCCL. Puerta Maya is used mainly by Carnival and Princess.

 

The car rental companies at the Punta Langosta Pier are Alamo, Budget and Executive. At the International Pier are Alamo, Avis, Executive, EZ, Dollar, Fiesta, and Hertz. Just outside of that pier are Budget and Caribena car and scooter rental. At the Puerta Maya Pier are Alamo, Avis, Executive and Specialty (buggies).

 

We were looking to rent a jeep also. Many of the rental companies had jeeps with manual transmission and no AC which were not too expensive. However, we needed an automatic transmission. Some of them have the new Jeep Wrangler 3-door which has a removable top (which has auto transmission and AC). Those are about $110 (including taxes but without insurance). But, you really should call directly to that location to find out if they actually do have the vehicle you're looking for even if the website says they do. We found that Avis had them (at the Puerta Maya location), but Alamo did not even though their website showed it as available. If you're looking for a manual transmission, you should have an easier time finding one. Good Luck :).

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Marietta

Marietta

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We rented a jeep our last time in Cozumel and had a blast. I had reserved a small car with one of the major companies online(Avis, Alamo, Hertz, don't remember which one) but when we landed at the wrong pier and another major company offered to match our reservation with a jeep right there we saved the taxi fare. I did a LOT of research and read a LOT of horror stories of getting tied up after an accident that was probably set up, and it seams that the major companies (I like to stay with the names I know) are pretty good about taking care of you and getting you out in time to make your ship if you have their full insurance. We only paid about $65 for the day including insurance and gas, so it was a really cheap way for the 4 of us to see the island.

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bastrddrmr

bastrddrmr

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We rented a Jeep last week in Cozumel at the Puerta Maya pier. At Avis I was quoted $93 USD with full insurance and right as I was about to walk out the door they dropped it to $80 USD. I decided to bite on that although now I wonder what Alamo would have charged (which is literally right next door).

 

Either way, a rental is an excellent way to experience the island. We stopped at San Gervasio, Punta Sur, the downtown, and a few other scenic places along the east coast of the island during the time we had.

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CaribQween

CaribQween

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We rented a Jeep last week in Cozumel at the Puerta Maya pier. At Avis I was quoted $93 USD with full insurance and right as I was about to walk out the door they dropped it to $80 USD. I decided to bite on that although now I wonder what Alamo would have charged (which is literally right next door).

 

Either way, a rental is an excellent way to experience the island. We stopped at San Gervasio, Punta Sur, the downtown, and a few other scenic places along the east coast of the island during the time we had.

 

Could you tell us if the jeep you had was manual transmission or automatic? Unfortunately, we need an automatic, which is a little harder to find so quite a bit more expensive. The one we have reserved with Avis is an auto and is $110 ($89 plus taxes) but that is without insurance. I think the full insurance would be another $25 or so. Even though our own personal car insurance would fully cover anything that might happen, I would much rather have the insurance there that would ensure us to get back to the ship on time just in case something did happen. It would be worth the extra just to have peace of mind for the day.

 

We've never been to Cozumel so we were initally a little leary of touring the island on our own. But, there were so many recommendations on here for doing it, that we decided to give it a try. From all of the posts, it seems like there is just one road that pretty much circles the entire island so it doesn't seem very difficult to follow.

 

Some of the places we've been planning on stopping are downtown (San Miguel), Punta Sur (El Celerain Lighthouse), Coconuts on the Hill (for the view), El Mirador bluffs, San Gervasio and El Cedral. We've been trying to find any good recommendations for lunch also. But, if you have any must-see spots or must-miss ones either, please let us know.

 

The maps we have don't really show much of what is in the northern portion of the island except for lagoons and such. Would you happen to know if there is much up there to see? It's hard to see how far north the main road you follow around the island really goes. Any help here would be appreciated also.

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ShariLynn2

ShariLynn2

Posted
Posted

I did a LOT of research on renting a car in mexico for a trip to Puerto Vallarta a few years ago. Get all of the insurance, your regular insurance isn't valid. They have napoleonic law there, so if you get into an accident and can't prove you can pay, they can jail you. Lovely, huh? We didn't run into any issues there, it was just something I found. ALSO - when we were in PV we got pulled over for "speeding" - 4 american girls in a brand new rental car. If you do get pulled over, they will take your license and you won't be able to get it back until the next day, etc etc... so... offer to "settle" with the cop. They make VERY little there and often rely on "settlements" with the people they pull over. I managed to "settle" for $80 when the original ticket was $120 (and they were going to take my license). The crappy part was that two of the other girls with me (who refused to drive) refused to chip in claiming it was "my choice" to speed. Oy, I hate people.

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blosoom

blosoom

Posted
Posted

Okay..so we have defiently decided that the best way to see Cozumel is on your own by car/jeep.....I was wondering if people could keep posting the best places to go...things to do...great places to eat...we want to do and see as mcuh as we can while there...thanks

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mdrobtx

mdrobtx

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Posted

We rented from Alamo last Wed at the Puerta Maya pier. $70.12 for a car. We walked out to the lot and they didn't have any cars available so they asked us what we'd like so we grabbed a Chevy SUV. Easy, easy to drive all over. This was our third time to drive the island. Nothing up northeast side. I know they do some of the ATV tours back in there. We checked out the north hotel zone across from the airport after driving the east side.

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BeachChica

BeachChica

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mdrobtx - would you or anyone else know the address to the Alamo at the Puerto maya Pier? I tried to book through the 800 # but they are not sure which Alamo is located at that pier and I don't want to book at the wrong one.

 

I tried to send them an email and I I got 1 response but when I emailed back with some additional questions I still have not heard back from them.

 

Thank you! :)

Jessie

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jennlynnmahan

jennlynnmahan

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Don't rent a scooter - too many accidents and even fatalities with them. You will see several locals using them, but I don't think it is a good idea for tourists who aren't use to the local driving.

 

We were in Cozumel in July and stayed at an all inclusive. We rented from Isis which is downtown and had a great experience. Jeep rental was $50 that included insurance.

 

We are leaving tomorrow for our first cruise and have reservations with Less Pay for their suburban. I have to tell you - you wil not want to miss the East side of the island. It is beautiful!

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mdrobtx

mdrobtx

Posted
Posted (edited)
mdrobtx - would you or anyone else know the address to the Alamo at the Puerto maya Pier? I tried to book through the 800 # but they are not sure which Alamo is located at that pier and I don't want to book at the wrong one.

 

I tried to send them an email and I I got 1 response but when I emailed back with some additional questions I still have not heard back from them.

 

Thank you! :)

Jessie

 

Hmmm...I just went to Alamos website

Whoops had to edit. Check the next post.

Edited by mdrobtx
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