Taxi or Private Car????

[Travel_Lover28]

This is our first to Cozumel and arriving in Puerto Maya. There will be five of us. A private tour for 5 is about $300 for three hours, which is more than what I want to spend but we don't have to worry about looking for a taxi for five and are able to go anywhere we want.

 

If we just go with a taxi, will there always be one available that fits 5 adults everywhere? If we have to take two taxi, it'll probably add up to alot of money.

 

We want to visit the Mercado, do the free tequila tour, maybe the chocolate tour, and shop around downtown. If there is time, spend time at the beach.

 

Please help me decide. Which way should we go? :confused: Our group consist of 2 young adults, 2 older adults (40's), and a 70 year old.

[c-leg5]

This is our first to Cozumel and arriving in Puerto Maya. There will be five of us. A private tour for 5 is about $300 for three hours, which is more than what I want to spend but we don't have to worry about looking for a taxi for five and are able to go anywhere we want.

 

If we just go with a taxi, will there always be one available that fits 5 adults everywhere? If we have to take two taxi, it'll probably add up to alot of money.

 

We want to visit the Mercado, do the free tequila tour, maybe the chocolate tour, and shop around downtown. If there is time, spend time at the beach.

 

Please help me decide. Which way should we go? :confused: Our group consist of 2 young adults, 2 older adults (40's), and a 70 year old.

 

I am not sure where you are getting that price from - Tours plaza and Cresencio Lopez (the private drivers regularly recommended on the "hiring a driver thread") are around $200 for three hours. A taxi van from the pier is listed at $140 for island tour which is around three hours. Link to taxi prices from puerto Maya .

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Taxipuertamaya?From=Taxiczm

[JohninDC]

Lots of van cabs that could handle 5 or more in line every time we have been to Coz. :cool:

[Travel_Lover28]

I am not sure where you are getting that price from - Tours plaza and Cresencio Lopez (the private drivers regularly recommended on the "hiring a driver thread") are around $200 for three hours.

 

c-legs5 you are right! :o All this planning, I got confused about the time. It's $195 for three hours, then $40 extra per hour. I was planning for a 5 hour tour.

Is a taxi van for an island tour at the pier as reliable as booking with Tours Plaza? I would prefer to get a driver that speaks English and knows history/facts about the island.

Will there be time to do an island tour and spend some time on the beach?

[c-leg5]

c-legs5 you are right! :o All this planning, I got confused about the time. It's $195 for three hours, then $40 extra per hour. I was planning for a 5 hour tour.

Is a taxi van for an island tour at the pier as reliable as booking with Tours Plaza? I would prefer to get a driver that speaks English and knows history/facts about the island.

Will there be time to do an island tour and spend some time on the beach?

 

We have used ToursPlaza many times, both as a couple and as a group. They are very reliable and communications are very good beforehand. The website has some good suggestions for places to visit and after meeting you, and settling you in the van, the driver will sit with you with a map and make suggestions and ask you what you are interested in and plan a route.

 

Many people have had good luck picking up a taxi at the port, some even claim to negotiate a rate although rates are posted at the port and should be verified with the driver before leaving.

 

You may or may not be lucky with finding a driver who speaks good English. Personally, I was a lot more comfortable using ToursPlaza on my first visit and I have subsequently used them for a tour with my 90 year old mother! Gerry is very attentive and considerate but will give you space if you need it.

 

Depending on where you visit and how long you stay you should have time for beach time. The usual suggestion for a quick synopsis of the island is a circular tour round the island either clockwise or anti-clockwise. If you go clockwise you could visit downtown, ruins/tequila factory, east coast bars and photo shoots, Punta Sur lighthouse and crocodiles and back round and up passed the southern beaches and bars. If you wanted you could follow this route for maybe 3 hours and then depending on how long your ship is in port you could get ToursPlaza to drop you at a southern beach club and pick up a taxi back when you are ready. It is easy to pick up a taxi from the southern beaches but not from the east side. Otherwise ToursPlaza are quite happy to wait while you relax at a beach and include it in your 5 hour tour. It will cost you about $30+ to get back from Paradise Beach/ Mr Sanchos area so you need to do the math on cost of transport and length of time you have available.

Edited October 16, 2013 by c-leg5

[mitsugirly]

If you don't decide to use the private tour, just know that there are TONS of van taxi's everywhere all over Cozumel that will take a family of 5 (and more) at the same time. :)

[Travel_Lover28]

The usual suggestion for a quick synopsis of the island is a circular tour round the island either clockwise or anti-clockwise. If you go clockwise you could visit downtown, ruins/tequila factory, east coast bars and photo shoots, Punta Sur lighthouse and crocodiles and back round and up passed the southern beaches and bars. If you wanted you could follow this route for maybe 3 hours and then depending on how long your ship is in port you could get ToursPlaza to drop you at a southern beach club and pick up a taxi back when you are ready. It is easy to pick up a taxi from the southern beaches but not from the east side.

 

Thank you c-leg5. I am leaning towards the private tour as you suggested. I like the circular route. This sounds like a full day tour so I hope we have time for the beach. I don't like to rush through each stop specially shopping around downtown. I know a lot of cc members have done something like this. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

[Travel_Lover28]

If you don't decide to use the private tour, just know that there are TONS of van taxi's everywhere all over Cozumel that will take a family of 5 (and more) at the same time. :)

 

Thank you mitsugirly. I've read a lot of your posts and your reviews. Thank you for sharing.

It's great to know there are a lot vans available everywhere. This was the answer I was looking for. How do you determine how much each trip would cost from one point to another since they are not metered? There are post on pricing from port to town but how about from town to tequila factory or from there to beach? Do you just make a deal and hope you are not being jiffed?

[mitsugirly]

Thank you mitsugirly. I've read a lot of your posts and your reviews. Thank you for sharing.

It's great to know there are a lot vans available everywhere. This was the answer I was looking for. How do you determine how much each trip would cost from one point to another since they are not metered? There are post on pricing from port to town but how about from town to tequila factory or from there to beach? Do you just make a deal and hope you are not being jiffed?

 

There are over 750 taxis on the streets of Cozumel at any given time and they provide transportation to locals and tourists alike. The vehicles do not have meters, but rather there is an established fare that drivers are authorized to collect depending on distance and zone. Each driver must have this fare schedule in his possession and present it to the customer when requested to do so.

 

Always ask the driver how much the fare is from point A to point B before getting in the taxi. Be certain that you have close to the exact amount because drivers rarely carry a great deal of change and occasionally claim they have none in hopes of keeping your change for themselves.

 

http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/Pages/TaxiPrintable1.htm

 

There use to be a really good map out there that showed the zones (kinda like a map of your US time zones with the line dividing where they are located at), but I can't seem to find it anymore. :o

[#1TravelMom]

I highly recommend Crescencio Lopez. We just love him. Don't take a chance on a random driver at the pier. Some speak very little English and get kickbacks for recommending certain places. Crescencio speaks good English and will make sure you have a great day. You won't meet a more friendly guy. Have the peace of mind of having a great guide reserved for the day!

[brixy]

I wanted to chime in as well. We booked Crescencio as our private driver during a girls weekend in January and he was excellent! He was very helpful in planning our day before we go there and very flexible when we changed our minds on something. Best prices that I found for similar tours also. He was extremely friendly and took pictures for us at every stop. His van was cool and comfortable and we had a great day thanks to him! He's on facebook as Black Hat Cozumel.