Renting A Car In Cancun

All, Please be warned that even though your credit card may cover damage to your rental car, that is all it would cover. Insurance purchased through the rental agency is the only way to get liability coverage in this part of the world!

When Katey and Ron rented their car at the Cancun airport, they had the impression that their gold credit card would provide the Collision Damage Waiver part of the rental-- as is common in the USA-- and so they declined to purchase this vehicle coverage to save money. (Collision Damage Waiver eliminates the driver's responsibility for damage to a rental vehicle.) Not good! Later they learned that during the duration of their rental they had not had this protection at all. Basically, visitors are well-advised to over-insure rather than risk any possibility of under-insurance. Accidents do happen in this area, and even in the case of a minor dent your hassles can mount alarmingly without insurance coverage by a Mexican company. You may even be required to pay damages on the spot. Don't be penny-wise and pound foolish!

Also with your Cancun car rental avoid driving in heavy rains as puddles will hide the pot-holes. Avoid driving after dark. Look out for people walking animals or stray animals. Make sure that your rental car has good windshield wipers and make sure your rental car is properly insured!

When you rent your car, you will get a form indicating certain things related to the car or vehicle. It contains basic information like mileage, the rental date, and the car's gas level. It also has boxes to indicate that the car has working windshield wipers, seat belts, mirrors, spare tires and other things your Cancun vehicle has. The important part of this checklist for you is the area where you mark existing damage for the vehicle. The car could have dents, scratches, chips, tears, stains, marks. Verify please! And make sure it's indicated where applicable. You should be very thorough when signing the check-list.

A dollar will get you a dime or a peso will get you a centavo your car runs on gas. Perhaps the car is given without filling the tank completely. If it goes out near empty, you're supposed to return it at the same level. If it goes out half full, you are expected to return it half full. In the event you return the car with less than gas than when the car was given to you figure you'll be charged higher rates for the gas than at the pump. In Mexico, if you park illegally, the police may remove a license plate if they have a screwdriver and can figure out how.

Then you will have to go to the police station (transito) and pay a fine to get your plate back. If you return a car with a missing plate, the rental company will charge you a fee for it's recovery. Verify if your car has a license plate in the front and back when it is given to you. On brand new cars in may have a paper permit taped in the car's rear window in lieu of plates. When any doubt ask us. In the event the vehicle is missing one plate when you sign for it insure this is so indicated on the rental form.

Don't be shy to indicate any imperfections with your car and write them on the form! And don't leave the keys in the ignition and lock the door afterwards. Last month a nervous girl called us from Playa del Carmen doing just that. We barely made it down there in time to open her car so she could get to the airport in time for her flight.