Available in :
Renting a car in Mexico is an excellent idea. Distances in this wonderful Central American country are vast, and a vehicle of one’s own facilitates the travel itinerary. The best area to visit Mexico with a car is definitely the Yucatan Peninsula: you can find a list of what to see here.
The travel itinerary takes between ten and fourteen days: there is no shortage of beauty!
Renting a car in Mexico: DiscoverCars
To rent the car I relied on DiscoverCars: with them you can rent the car in Cancun, but you can also leave the car in another location., I also added insurance, which made it possible to lower the value of the deductible.
All in all, the cost of renting a car for ten days or so is around 150 to 200 euros: that’s a very good price, calculating insurance. You could calculate to pay a one-fee, which would allow you, for example, to rent the car in Cancun and leave it in Merida.
Renting a car in Mexico: speed bumps
In Mexico you follow the same car rules as in Italy. One must, however, be very careful about speed bumps (topes in castellano). These speed bumps are found near population centers. They are generally found at the entrance, near the city center and at the exit of towns. They are often unmarked. Other times, however, there are signs, often accompanied by a speed limit. This limit, however, is often set at 40km/h. This speed would be too high: the speed to be maintained on speed bumps (at least the higher ones) is 10km/h.
Renting a car in Mexico: solidarity among motorists
As I mentioned earlier, there is often only one lane on Mexican road sections. Slower vehicles tend to move into the emergency lane, so as to make it easier for faster vehicles to overtake. An unwritten rule, but one that I have seen observed all the time, says that the faster vehicle puts on the four arrows when overtaking is complete-this is the way to thank the facilitated overtaking. The overtaken vehicle responds with the four arrows: in this way it says ‘you’re welcome!’
Renting a car in Mexico: a recommended itinerary
The best place to rent a car in Mexico is Cancun. The airport is conveniently located south of the city. As soon as you rent a car you can drive to Tulum, passing through the cenotes and the archaeological zone of Coba. From Coba you can drive down to the beautiful Bacalar Lagoon and then continue to the magnificent ruins of Calakmul. To reach the archaeological site you have to drive about forty kilometers through the jungle. The road is narrow but well maintained: a maximum speed of 40 km/h must be observed.
After Calakmul you can continue to Campeche, Merida and Valladolid, appreciating the archaeological sites of Chichen Itza and Ek Balam. Near Valladolid you can admire several cenotes, which would be unreachable without a car. You can complete the tour by passing through the beautiful island of Holbox.
IN ADDITION TO RENTING A CAR IN MEXICO, YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN …
Discovering the West Coast of the United States!
INFORMATION ON HOW TO RENT A CAR IN MEXICO
- A credit card is required. At the time of booking, I recommend additional insurance: this will lower your deductible. Remember to check your credit card ceiling: you may be able to add additional insurance on site to lower your deductible.
- An international driver’s license is not necessary. It may be necessary, however, to have an English driver’s license. Personally, I showed up at the car rental with my laminated driver’s license and had no problem.
- Generally, the car at pickup has a full tank of gasoline. It must, therefore, be left with a full tank.
- I did not find any speed cameras. There are, however, well-marked speed limits. The one leading to Calakmul you have to obey it to the letter: the maximum speed is 30 km/h (in a 40-kilometer-long stretch) because the road is narrow and there might be animals.
- I strongly recommend not driving after sunset for safety reasons.
- Highways are almost nonexistent. Occasionally you will find ‘cuota’ signs: this means you are about to enter a highway.
- The roads are often boring. There is no shortage of endless straightaways while, on the other hand, along the Mayan Coast of Yucatan the scenic spots along the road are almost nonexistent.
- Renting a car in Mexico allows you to get to know this country in depth: by driving slowly and relaxed you can appreciate the beauty of Mexico even more! In particular, you can appreciate places where, without a car, it would be very difficult to get to, such as the cenotes!
