Renting a car in Mexico

Have you ever driven out of the country? I've been to PV and it didn't seem that crazy but then again I've done work in Mexico City, Thailand, Japan, and a lot of other countries that drive on the wrong side of the road of which a lot have no respect whatsoever for stop signs, stop lights, or the rules of the road. Apart from Canada, driving out of the country is a very different experience when compared to driving here (even if it's only because they are driving on the other side). Why exactly are you renting a car down there? Taxis are a lot cheaper than they are here or you can hire a driver for the day and it's pretty cheap if you just want to drive around and see the sights.

Regardless, if you do decide to rent a car I would HIGHLY SUGGEST getting the damage insurance. It's annoying to pay but your US insurance will almost for sure not cover damage down there and even if it does it's far less hassle.

Quote from LivninSC : Have you ever driven out of the country? I've been to PV and it didn't seem that crazy but then again I've done work in Mexico City, Thailand, Japan, and a lot of other countries that drive on the wrong side of the road of which a lot have no respect whatsoever for stop signs, stop lights, or the rules of the road. Apart from Canada, driving out of the country is a very different experience when compared to driving here (even if it's only because they are driving on the other side). Why exactly are you renting a car down there? Taxis are a lot cheaper than they are here or you can hire a driver for the day and it's pretty cheap if you just want to drive around and see the sights. Regardless, if you do decide to rent a car I would HIGHLY SUGGEST getting the damage insurance. It's annoying to pay but your US insurance will almost for sure not cover damage down there and even if it does it's far less hassle.

I have driven the border, its more for my parents (they are the ones going) and I wanted to book them up here to save them money. The times I have gone to Mexico (younger with my parents) I know what you mean its a different enviroment traffic is a pain at times a nightmare. The reason not to rent a taxi is my parents want to go visit relatives that are not in the area so they will move I assume 50 to 100 miles. I will definitely take that into consideration the damage insurance. How about the experience though renting like hertz.com? I don't want to rent it right there because as I mentioned they want to rip you off.

Quote from gpister : I have driven the border, its more for my parents (they are the ones going) and I wanted to book them up here to save them money. The times I have gone to Mexico (younger with my parents) I know what you mean its a different enviroment traffic is a pain at times a nightmare. The reason not to rent a taxi is my parents want to go visit relatives that are not in the area so they will move I assume 50 to 100 miles. I will definitely take that into consideration the damage insurance. How about the experience though renting like hertz.com? I don't want to rent it right there because as I mentioned they want to rip you off.

The only car I rented ever was in Mexico City and it was though a major US chain.
I definitely wouldn't go through some mom and pop place but all the major US chains I've rented from overseas never had large pricing discrepancies perse over what was shown on-line. They may not have the same requirements as the US where it shows the total price for example but if they don't show you the tax on-line, or some local fee, no matter who you go through you're gonna pay the same taxes/fees regardless of who you chose.

A lot of times when you book a rental car they have the fine print of "taxes and fees can be extra" so I wouldn't be shocked if you get hit with some additional fees/taxes when you rent the car down there.

Quote from LivninSC : The only car I rented ever was in Mexico City and it was though a major US chain. I definitely wouldn't go through some mom and pop place but all the major US chains I've rented from overseas never had large pricing discrepancies perse over what was shown on-line. They may not have the same requirements as the US where it shows the total price for example but if they don't show you the tax on-line, or some local fee, no matter who you go through you're gonna pay the same taxes/fees regardless of who you chose. A lot of times when you book a rental car they have the fine print of "taxes and fees can be extra" so I wouldn't be shocked if you get hit with some additional fees/taxes when you rent the car down there.

Any recommendations of major US chains that work well with Mexico like the ones you have used? I thought hertz.com look good I just don't want them to get hit with a big fee (a small one is fine).

Quote from gpister : Any recommendations of major US chains that work well with Mexico like the ones you have used? I thought hertz.com look good I just don't want them to get hit with a big fee (a small one is fine).

Avis/Hertz/Budget/National

Those are all the big names my company has used. SixT is another good/large international brand I've used in Europe.

Realistically if you chose any of the big ones above you shouldn't see a wide difference in unknown fees. If one is going to charge you $100 more in taxes and extras they all are more than likely to. Same if one is gonna charge you $20 more, they are all more than likely to. In other words, if you're gonna get screwed you're more than likely gonna get screwed regardless of who you chose.

Quote from LivninSC : Avis/Hertz/Budget/National Those are all the big names my company has used. SixT is another good/large international brand I've used in Europe. Realistically if you chose any of the big ones above you shouldn't see a wide difference in unknown fees. If one is going to charge you $100 more in taxes and extras they all are more than likely to. Same if one is gonna charge you $20 more, they are all more than likely to.

Alright than I will check budget to I like hertz it was on the airport. By any chance do you know if they are 24/7 (they are going to get there late that day). I rather seek help here where people really help you and give you feedback on the phone not much help. Also you knowing the experience I don't pay online than I just get the quote and they pay on the port itself?

Quote from gpister : Alright than I will check budget to I like hertz it was on the airport. By any chance do you know if they are 24/7 (they are going to get there late that day). I rather seek help here where people really help you and give you feedback on the phone not much help. Also you knowing the experience I don't pay online than I just get the quote and they pay on the port itself?

I've used EZ rental in Cancun a couple of times and had good success (no extra charges and clean/new cars). I'll be using them again in November. They're the best rate I've been able to find.

We went to an all-inclusive in PV in 2011 and rented a car from Fox (via carrentals.com). It was the basic cheapest selection. We were picked up at the airport and taken to their location, a 2 minute drive at most. We had decided to use our credit card to cover the additional insurance needed, but the rental agency would not let us use it. They wanted us to charge the entire purchase amount of the car as insurance (about $25,000), which would be refunded if the car was returned without damage. (This was their policy, but I didn't know this until reviewing all the contracts when I returned home.) After a long phone call with the credit card company in the rental agency between the rental company and the credit card company- to no avail, we decided to just pay the necessary additional insurance.
The total of the rental from carrentals.com was:
3 Days @ 6.16/day = $18.48
Estimated Taxes and Fees: $4.45
TOTAL ESTIMATED CHARGES: $22.93 (USD)

After adding the add'l ins, it was around $76 total. Still a good price. (Better to lose $50 than a few hours of all-inclusive!) ; )

As far as driving there, it's fine. However we were in 5pm traffic and we saw a line of police officers flagging specific cars and pulling them over, and yes, the drivers looked like tourists. Night driving is more difficult than here in the US, so be warned.

As far as insurance, let their insurance company know where they will be driving so they can assist if anything happens. Also, go over the rental contract and know the specific type of coverage the car company needs and what coverage the credit card (if they go that route) has.

Quote : From Visa: How do I activate this benefit? For the benefit to be in effect, you must: Initiate and complete the entire rental transaction with your eligible Visa card, and Decline the auto rental company’s collision damage waiver (CDW/LDW) option, or similar provision. Helpful hints: Check the rental vehicle for prior damage before leaving the rental lot. (Take pictures) Review the auto rental agreement carefully to make sure you are declining CDW/LDW and also to familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of the auto rental agreement.

When I rented from Hertz in Santiago, Chile, they were a franchise location (most are) so Hertz had no authority to help with the dispute I had. They were incredible rude with us and did not fully explain the contract to us, which was in spanish. (Which I, unfortunately do not understand.) They double charged me, and added excessive fuel charges.
I personally would not rent from Hertz again because of this example, but I know many business travelers find them adequate.
Best of luck!

I just wanted to give an update of how it went. The price was indeed like the poster above $75.66 (8 days) in total when he arrived there it increased 125% (for what they ended up getting) crazy all because of the insurance. They first said that the insurance would be $50 dollars a month than my dad said I want something cheaper and they got him something cheaper so overall I believe they paid $220. It was an ok deal, but you need a car to move other than that Hertz wasnt as bad as I thought plus it was near the airport and they even drove him all the way to the airport when coming back.