The Airport in Cozumel - arrival insanity

[vdoman]

I hope things have changed since we were there in July. From what I heard and experienced, the government had "cracked down" and had taken more control of the vendors dealing with the airport.

We arranged for a rental car from Budget. I called to confirm the afternoon before our trip and was assured that somebody would be there to pick us up when we arrived to take us to the Budget office.

When we got there and got through customs and immigration, we ran the gauntlet of people trying to get our attention. There were at least 30 people calling me over saying "Sir! Sir", or "May I help you". I was warned ahead of time that all of these guys are Time Share salesmen trying to get you to go to their properties for a sales presentation. These guys are lined up like electronics salesmen when you get through the door. I took my family straight out the door to the curb. We looked and waited for about 20 minutes for our Budget transportation.

So, I went into the lobby hopeful to find a counter for Budget. All there are counters for, as I recall, is Avis and Hertz. All the while I was trying to sort this out, these sales guys were at me from all sides. Way back and around a corner, I find a pay telephone. I call Budget and get no answer. So I wait another 15 minutes and call again. This time the guy who was supposed to pick me up, because I talked to him the day before, tells me that he will be right over. He asked me to meet him out on the street in front of the airport, where a circle or round-a-bout was. I saw an empty Budget office out there.

On the trip to his office he explains that the government will not allow taxi's to pick people up at the arrivals door. There is a fleet of government vans and they charge twice as much to take you to a hotel or villa than a regular taxi would. He also told me that the government had just made things too expensive to operate on airport property. Even further, he told me that morning he was directed by the police, not to pick people up at the arrivals door.

This type of government run insanity is the very kind of thing a new traveler to the island needs to know. I sure wish somebody would have told me about this ahead of time. I'm glad my instincts got me through it all.

Funny thing, leaving the country was easy and non-eventful. I just wish we wouldn't have felt "preyed upon" when we first got there.

 

[scubafanatic]

....so the govt is banning taxi's....but not the Time Share hawks ? ...and the govt has confiscated the 'taxi business', and basically nationalized transportation from the airport ...at twice the price ?

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Taxi's have been prohibited from picking up at the airport for a LONG time. This is nothing new. If you want a taxi just walk out to the roundabout and wait for one, it won't take long.

 

[billindenver]

I hope things have changed since we were there in July. From what I heard and experienced, the government had "cracked down" and had taken more control of the vendors dealing with the airport.

We arranged for a rental car from Budget. I called to confirm the afternoon before our trip and was assured that somebody would be there to pick us up when we arrived to take us to the Budget office.

When we got there and got through customs and immigration, we ran the gauntlet of people trying to get our attention. There were at least 30 people calling me over saying "Sir! Sir", or "May I help you". I was warned ahead of time that all of these guys are Time Share salesmen trying to get you to go to their properties for a sales presentation. These guys are lined up like electronics salesmen when you get through the door. I took my family straight out the door to the curb. We looked and waited for about 20 minutes for our Budget transportation.

So, I went into the lobby hopeful to find a counter for Budget. All there are counters for, as I recall, is Avis and Hertz. All the while I was trying to sort this out, these sales guys were at me from all sides. Way back and around a corner, I find a pay telephone. I call Budget and get no answer. So I wait another 15 minutes and call again. This time the guy who was supposed to pick me up, because I talked to him the day before, tells me that he will be right over. He asked me to meet him out on the street in front of the airport, where a circle or round-a-bout was. I saw an empty Budget office out there.

On the trip to his office he explains that the government will not allow taxi's to pick people up at the arrivals door. There is a fleet of government vans and they charge twice as much to take you to a hotel or villa than a regular taxi would. He also told me that the government had just made things too expensive to operate on airport property. Even further, he told me that morning he was directed by the police, not to pick people up at the arrivals door.

This type of government run insanity is the very kind of thing a new traveler to the island needs to know. I sure wish somebody would have told me about this ahead of time. I'm glad my instincts got me through it all.

Funny thing, leaving the country was easy and non-eventful. I just wish we wouldn't have felt "preyed upon" when we first got there.

The shuttle van costs $8. Yes, you could get a taxi for $5 if not going further south than say...Hotel Coz maybe...but that $3 isn't going to cause me any real grief. Sure, you are in a van full of people instead of a taxi by yourself, but I have met some of the coolest people in those vans...and the ride is a few minutes so I don't really mind it. When you walk through the doors after the red light/green light turn right and go 30 feet to the last booth on the left. Says shuttle or van or some such thing on it. Typically two friendly girls behind the counter and they sell the van tickets. Ignore the time share guys. Coz is a foreign land and things are different here than in the states. Celebrate the differences, even if they are cheezy...there are plenty of tourism ripoffs in the states, especially in my home town...Orlando, where you are. You know this to be true. If you travel in a family pack of five, the math certainly works differently but then you could just walk out to the circle and wait for a cab, in the sun....

Now...off to find some chicken tacos!

 

[tedgarner]

This is also the story at the Cancun airport no taxis just he van thing.
This is one of the topics that comes up here alot. We all wish it was different but it is not and will not change.
I happened to be at the airport picking up some friends and I noticed the time share guys where a little better still a pain but better.

 

[ggunn]

I hope things have changed since we were there in July. From what I heard and experienced, the government had "cracked down" and had taken more control of the vendors dealing with the airport.

[...]

On the trip to his office he explains that the government will not allow taxi's to pick people up at the arrivals door. There is a fleet of government vans and they charge twice as much to take you to a hotel or villa than a regular taxi would. He also told me that the government had just made things too expensive to operate on airport property. Even further, he told me that morning he was directed by the police, not to pick people up at the arrivals door.

This type of government run insanity is the very kind of thing a new traveler to the island needs to know. I sure wish somebody would have told me about this ahead of time. I'm glad my instincts got me through it all.

The Cozumel airport shuttles have been an institution for many years, and I don't have a problem with them. The infrastructure at the airport would not handle the load well if all those people had to be ferried away in cabs; the mob scene would be much worse than it is now. The shuttle is a bit more expensive than a cab would be if you are traveling with a group (if you are alone it's about the same), but the difference isn't that much, comparatively speaking.

If you knew about the timeshare folks, how come you didn't know about the shuttles? Just about any thread about coming into CZM by air mentions them both.

 

[RonFrank]

It been over a year since I've been there, but I doubt much has changed. $8 for a shuttle is not much, even if they don't go far. That is my biggest complaint... transportation costs are absurd. Ohh well, in the scheme of things paying $5 to go 1 mile is not going to break the bank... but IMO that is a pricey mile run.

 

[ggunn]

It been over a year since I've been there, but I doubt much has changed. $8 for a shuttle is not much, even if they don't go far. That is my biggest complaint... transportation costs are absurd. Ohh well, in the scheme of things paying $5 to go 1 mile is not going to break the bank... but IMO that is a pricey mile run.

If you are staying at the south end of the central hotel zone, Villablanca, for example, and you are traveling alone, the shuttle is probably cheaper than a cab would be.

 

[Prop Joe]

When I run the gauntlet. I tell the time share gents that my wife has all of the money, is wearing a red blouse, is right behind me, and she was talking about buying some property on the way down...
My wife does not even own any red clothing.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

When I run the gauntlet. I tell the time share gents that my wife has all of the money, is wearing a red blouse, is right behind me, and she was talking about buying some property on the way down...
My wife does not even own any red clothing.

So then they jump twice as hard on the next person to come out wearing red? That seems nice of you. Why not just keep walking?