Taxi vs Car Service for ~3 hours

[D C]

We've been to Cozumel a good many times and we're not interested in a tour.  We plan to 'hitch a ride' to make some stops along the East side of the island.

I've seen a couple of car services/private tours mentioned fairly often in this forum.  And of course there is always the option of just hiring a taxi for a few hours.

 

Any pros/cons to either one when we're solely looking for transportation to our desired locations?   Is a taxi too hit & miss with a random driver to be reliable for that?

Thanks!
Dave

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, D C said:

We've been to Cozumel a good many times and we're not interested in a tour.  We plan to 'hitch a ride' to make some stops along the East side of the island.

I've seen a couple of car services/private tours mentioned fairly often in this forum.  And of course there is always the option of just hiring a taxi for a few hours.

 

Any pros/cons to either one when we're solely looking for transportation to our desired locations?   Is a taxi too hit & miss with a random driver to be reliable for that?

Thanks!
Dave

Taxi rates used to  be posted on a board at dispatch - presume this is still the case. Taxi driver will certainly be cheaper and you may be able to negotiate. IF you are familiar with the island and know exactly where you want to go, I don’t see a problem. The cons are you don’t know what you are getting, driver may/may not speak English.

 

We have had a driver from ToursPlaza many times, just because they are reliable despite the fact that I always know exactly where I want to go. If you don’t know they will be able to make suggestions. I will warn you three hours will pass very quickly if you plan to go right round the east side and stop for drinks and lunch.  

[vilacr]

Rent a vehicle and do as you please. 

[crewsweeper]

On 10/18/2021 at 2:27 PM, c-leg5 said:

Taxi rates used to  be posted on a board at dispatch - presume this is still the case. Taxi driver will certainly be cheaper and you may be able to negotiate. IF you are familiar with the island and know exactly where you want to go, I don’t see a problem. The cons are you don’t know what you are getting, driver may/may not speak English.

 

We have had a driver from ToursPlaza many times, just because they are reliable despite the fact that I always know exactly where I want to go. If you don’t know they will be able to make suggestions. I will warn you three hours will pass very quickly if you plan to go right round the east side and stop for drinks and lunch.  

If you and your driver can't communicate, just get out of the taxi and tell the taxi captain you need a driver who speaks English.

 

Taxi rates for island tour were $70 (1-4 passengers) for up to 3 hours, pre-covid.

a Full island tour is $100. There may be waiting time charges as well. 

Tours Plaza charges $139 for 3 passengers for 3 hours.

Black Hat can do customized tours. But will only quote a price if you contact them.

 

[bajathree]

On 10/18/2021 at 12:36 PM, D C said:

We've been to Cozumel a good many times and we're not interested in a tour.  We plan to 'hitch a ride' to make some stops along the East side of the island.

I've seen a couple of car services/private tours mentioned fairly often in this forum.  And of course there is always the option of just hiring a taxi for a few hours.

 

Any pros/cons to either one when we're solely looking for transportation to our desired locations?   Is a taxi too hit & miss with a random driver to be reliable for that?

Thanks!
Dave

Have got off many times in Cozumel and just made a deal with a taxi driver to bar/beach up around the island for 4-5 hours with no problem. Usually around $125 plus tip for 2 of us.

[mscloyd]

Curious about hiring a taxi for the day and how your handle the financial arrangements.  I would assume you would not want to pay up front because they might leave and never come back, but I would think they would want some money up front.

[c-leg5]

32 minutes ago, mscloyd said:

Curious about hiring a taxi for the day and how your handle the financial arrangements.  I would assume you would not want to pay up front because they might leave and never come back, but I would think they would want some money up front.

If you have a taxi for the day negotiated at the port you will pay at the end of the day.

 

If you book a driver in advance ToursPlaza, or Black Hat they will require a deposit.