car rental in Cozumel

[CarribbeanTina271]

DH and I are wondering what the pros and cons are to renting a car in Cozumel and what kind of prices are we looking at?

[kathy7558]

We rented a car in Cozumel on our first trip there. We wanted to go to the San Gervaso ruins and the rental agent convinced us it would cost less to rent for the day than to take a taxi there and back. I think we paid less than $50 total for the car for the day - can't remember exactly how much, but we did have to pay the extra fee for not filling the gas tank - only saw one gas station and that was in the middle of the island on the way to the ruins.

 

Anyways, we were given a vintage (read original and NOT restored) VW bug that wouldn't go in reverse - of course, we didn't find that out until we were in the middle of the island. We were given a simple map and shown the route to San Gervaso. It seemed simple - but the map didn't show all of the streets. Plus, the street signs were in Spanish and our map was in English! Needless to say, we got lost! Long story, short - we got to the park and saw the ruins, made it back to downtown to do some shoppings, and back to the pier. All in all, we had a good day, but would never rent a car again in a country where I couldn't read the road signs! LOL :o

 

I've read other posts about renting cars in Cozumel - some frightening, like being pulled over by machine gun toting "police" and being forced to bribe them or lose their driver's license - and some about how great and easy and cheap it is. If you really want to rent, it should be quite easy - they're right at the piers and practically in your face trying to get you to rent.

[betsyrossapk]

Go over to the Cozumel port of call boards. Click on the ad at the top for the Cozumel Insider website. I have rented a car w/them for our upcoming cruise.

$45 + $22 for full insurance + tax for a Ford Focus ( I told them I wanted automatic transmission only). I received a response from my email from Jacqueline the following day I inquired. I also sent away for a nice map of Cozumel. It appears that it would be hard to get too lost on this island. They have one main road that circles all the way around. I don't expect to go to Mexico & have them have their road signs in English for me, so I will be bringing a Spanish dictionary for simple words. I am looking forward to the chance to explore this area, I hear really nice things about it.

[purplefrog1111]

Sorry the above poster had a bad experience with car rental. We rented an old beat up VW bug (it did go in reverse) and the terrible map came with it. We had a blast driving around Cozumel. Yes, we got lost. Yes, the car was on the greasy side. We eventually found Paradise Beach and the others spots we were looking for. A couple of times we drove the wrong way up one way streets. We laughed almost the entire time we were driving around. Every time we hit a bump (alot) the glove box would fly open and stuff would fall in my lap! It was an adventure, but we loved it. We rented right from Puerta Maya pier and it was approx $70 for the day. We have since found several sites a few block away from the pier that only charge $30 for the day and that's where we're going next month.

[miclane001]

It's a very small island. How lost can you get?

[kathy7558]

You're right about the island being small, and we DID eventually find our way to where we wanted to go and back again. We DID also have a good time - I just would do some things differently next time.

 

I have, since that trip, found out from the Cozumel boards here that one can get a better map of the island. I certainly didn't expect the road signs to be in English, but I WAS a bit naive in thinking that the rental agent was telling the whole truth about how easy it was to get around.

 

Yes, if we'd stuck to the coast and the beaches, I don't think we'd have gotten so lost. San Gervaso is in the center of the island, and after a few wrong turns, we were in a residential area with NO road signs. Thanks to a fairly good sense of direction, we eventually found ourselves on a main road with the aforementioned gas station where we stopped to ask a taxi driver for help.

 

We all have "first time for everything" experiences. Iagree with the poster who said, go to the Cozumel boards and check it out. There are other posts there about renting cars on the island.

 

To the OP: I hope you have a grand time, whatever you choose to do. :D

 

We'll be in Cozumel ourselves again, for the third time, in two months. I plan to have a blast!!!!

[Perrys100]

We have spent many days and nights in Cozumel. We have done entire week land based trips there. We have rented mopeds and rented cars. We have had to visit the hospital on several occasions! I have seen HUNDREDS of minor accidents and several Very bad accidents.

 

If you party DO NOT rent a vehicle. If you want to see the entire island and go all the way around just find a cab and negotiate an hourly or half day rate.

 

We used to rent in playa to visit tulum, it was over $120.00 per day plus gas and all the responsibility of road side checks, accidents, getting lost, etc...

 

We now find a cab for the entire day for around $75.00 and now we have a local driver! This cruise is only there 6a to midnight and for my money, safety and convienience I am calling a cab!

[kujobie]

Your getting mixed reviews here. Here's my story. We rented a car the last time there and I would not visit that island any other way. We got a late model VW beetle for about $40, that's including the full insurance, which is a must in any foreign country. And here's the deal with the VW's. In the late 70's or early 80's, VW stopped producing the old rear engine Beetle in the states but production continued in Mexico until just a couple years ago. So if you rent a Beetle, (half of the cars there are beetles) you will be getting a late model Beetle, not the new ones we have here in the states, but the rear engine model like you saw in the early 70's, except it will be in almost new condition. Pretty cool, eh? Anyways, all of the major U.S. agencies are there (Hertz, Alamo, Budget, etc.) and they are right off the pier. The roads are in very good condition IMHO. Many of the roads in my home town are in worse shape. There is one major road that circles the island. It is difficult, nearly impossible, to get lost. Start by going away from downtown, towards Chankanaab National Park. Make stops there and/or at any of the many beach clubs along the way. Most of them have free beach access and pools, showers, EXCELLENT food, etc. It is assumed you will at least buy a drink to get use of these amenities. Mr. Sancho's was our favorite. Continue in the same direction and you will see some of the most beautiful coastline in the world. Words can't describe it. Eventually you will pass by the ruins. It is well marked. We didn't go there so I can't comment. The 1 or 2 gas stations on the island are on this main road as you come into town. There are no stop signs or traffic lights in town. north/south traffic has the right of way and east/west does not. Or vice/versa, I can't remember. Ask when you pick up the car. We saw and passed many drunks on mopeds and I wouldn't recommend doing that but I was completely comfortable in a car.

[p2lockhart]

I have rented late model cars in Coz on numerous occassions, even without my husband. We do both speak Spanish, though. Last time was 9/29 and we will be back about 11/28.

Below are some links that I found helpful in finding a vehicle to rent. I wanted to rent from an agency that had a location at the pier we would be docked at. But on the Elation that apparently is not set in stone ahead of time and can change at the last minute, depending on how crowded the piers are. I found the info on cancunmap.com the most helpful because it told me which rental agencies offered full coverage and had links to eack agency. The travelnotes link seems to be out of date. The cozumelinsider ship schedule comes out on Mondays, which does not help those on the Elation that departs on Sundays, unless you access the computer on the ship, and even then the pier designation is subject to change. Ours was scheduled for Puerta Maya so I made my reservation at the Executive office there, and we ended up at the Punta Langosta pier, which I did not discover until the morning we arrived. But Executive has an office there, too, and I just rented one there. It was $130 for the Ford Excursion that seats 9, including insurance.

Hope this helps. BTW, the mapchic's Cozumel map at cancunmap.com is the best and I highly recommend ordering it. It is very detailed and hard to get lost with it, plus it contains much more useful info. Buena adventura!

 

http://www.travelnotes.cc/cruise/index.php Which pier in Coz

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/cruiseships/ Coz Cruise Ship schedule

http://www.cancunmap.com/car_rental_tips.html great Cozumel car rental info

http://cozumelinsider.com/carrentals/ more on Cozumel car rentals

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[Cruisin'Susan]

we were just there, the weekend before last. We rented and old vw bug. Was kinda cool actually. It was convertible. The signs are not hard to read but some of the beach spots are. Its was 40.00 plus 25.00 for full insurance. So it was 71.50 split between 2 couples. Not bad. We had a blast. Gas station is RIGHT across the street from where you return the car and you have til 7 pm. We never got lost, just missed dzul-ha. everything else had signs. We ended up somewhere else and had lots more fun following a big tour out to snorkle. Gas is 3.00 a gallon. We went all the waY around the island and it cost us a whole 6.00 to fill gas back up LOL That was alot of riding for 2 gallons. U will have fun. The island is so beautiful and lots of places to stop and take pics!

 

 

SUsan

[ccletzgo]

there last month. VW convertable. what a blast. $40.00 all day, includes insurance. Rented it right at the ship terminal.

[Flip2cruise]

Moving this up since someone asked about Coz rentals.

[TPFilm]

That was me... Probably.

We wil be back in Cozumel in September after a few year's of self-imposed exile from cruising.

 

We rented a Tracker a few years ago the day we were in Cozumel. Can't remember the price, but it was from Executive (I think.) Didn't cost more than $75 I think. Renting a car in Cozumel is not for everyone. If you are afraid of driving in a foreign country or afraid that a lack of Spanish will ruin your fun... Stick with the taxis and stay in the tourist areas. If you have a sense of adventure (even a small one) and aren't afraid of doing something different (how many times do you get to say you drove a car in a foreign country?) go for it. It's really no worse than trying to negotiate Atlanta, GA at 5PM on a Friday! In fact, I would take driving in Cozumel, or the Playa Del Carmen-Tulum corridor anyday over Atlanta!

 

Just do a little research, discover the local driving practices - pulling over to the right to make a left turn, etc. - and you will do fine. Even though the signs will be in Spanish, the basics are the same: octagon: stop. Upside down triangle: yield, diamond: caution. Square: information. Most of the signs (what few there are, yes) will have some kind of picture like we do in the US ( a P with a line through it... come on, any takers? That's right, no parking!)

 

If you stay in the tourist area only you are missing so much. There is a little village down to the south of the hotel zone, a light house and national park on the southern tip, great little bar and grills on the east coast. Little ruins are all over the island! There's more to Cozumel than the beaches and wild drinking around the piers!

 

That being said... anyone ever use Pay Less for renting a car? I really want to drive one of their VW Safaris (think VW Thing!)

[gwe21]

we were just in Coz at the beginning of April (6th) and we rented a Jeep from Executive. We were not sure what we were going to do that day, and so when we got off the ship (puerto langosta pier) we just went over the Executive and got the Jeep. The total was 66 dollars and we paid cash at the end. We only put 5 bucks in gas in too. We drove around the east side of the island, and IMO was the highlight of our trip! I love the east side of that island....it is gorgeous over there...well worth it! I will never do anything but rent a car in coz again!

[blyle]

When we moved to Texas ( my husband works for and insurance company) THe first thing they told us was not to ever rent a car in Mexico. Apparently there were lots of problems. You also had to get insurance because of their laws. I am glad to hear good reports but there is a post about some things that have happened in Cancun lately. Be sure to read it.

[khardest]

We are going May 23 on Inspiration...Executive quoted $70 for jeep..Is it close to the pier? How long do you get?

[Cavscout]

I rented a jeep from executive off the Puerto Maya pier on May 3rd. Paid $71 including FULL insurance. Just follow the walkway out to the road and you will see a swarm of guys at each of the rental agencies trying to get your business. I went to the first guy and didn't like his price so I walked right next door and got a better price. The jeep was beat up but at least I didn't have to worry as much about messing it up :) We drove to San Gervasio then down the east side for lunch at coconuts then back around to Paradise Beach. The plus was we were able to do what we wanted when we wanted without coordinating with someone else to pick us up and then worry if they would really come back. Rent if you will want to see a lot. They drive a bit more spontaneous down there but you get used to it quick.

[jgmpuma]

We have rented the infamous VW convertables on our last three trips to Coz, and drove to the beaches and beach clubs on the eastern side of the island, and had great times. There are few tourists and very little traffic once you pass the clubs on the western side. There is only one road, so you can't get lost.

 

Those VW's actually do have a reverse, but it isn't where you would find it on an American VW. I had to push ours out of a parking space the first time and after seeing me sweating and cursing, a local came and showed me where reverse is.