New to the board- Hi Everyone-Love the board! Need car rental advice please.

[gonecoastal1]

Me and the family are headed to Cozumel for a week in June/July and will be staying at the Iberostar. We are all divers except for my 9yr old son. We really want to rent a car for a week (reserve/prepay) at the Airport and return it to the Airport when we leave. We have checked the internet religiously and have not really found anything. Also, glad we chose the Iberostar, as I have seen great reviews on Dressel divers located there whom we plan to book for dives. Any input/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[00wabbit]

I haven't rented a car from a rental agency, but I did rent a jeep there for a day to go around the island. Be careful. The police set up on the roads cutting across the island to extort tourists. 1mph over the speed limit and they get you. They try to make you pay cash on the spot. Coz is a tiny island and you only really hang on one side of it. I don't think a car is really necessary. Probably why you aren't finding any info on it.

 

[smorneau]

I usually book with Hertz or Alamo through Expedia or Travelosity. Just last week I was looking at Cozumel and both agencies had rentals for about $200 a week.

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[gonecoastal1]

Well, 00Wabbit, a rental is a "must" for us being that the Iberostar is quite a ways out of San Miguel. I've rented cars there in the past and we have always enjoyed our "freedom" to come and go as we please, esp. since this is the first trip for our two boys. Should have said in my earlier post that this my 12th trip to Cozumel- Just haven't been there in 11 years so I'm out of touch a little. Thanks for the advice Smorneau! Will check it out.

 

[Mike]

There are a couple of car rental agencies right across the street from the airport.

One option is to rent from one of them before you arrive, walk across the street when you get in at the airport, pickup the car and drive back across the street to the airport and pick up your family and luggage and off you go. At the end of your trip you just repeat the process, drop off the family at the curb at the airport, drive back across the street, drop off the rental and walk back across the street to the airport and away you go.

Another option that I've done more than once is not to rent the car for my whole time there. Instead I arrive, take the airport shuttle to the hotel, settle in for a few days and then once I get the hankering for getting out and about, I go online to expeida or some site and rent the car on Cozumel while I'm already there. Take a cab over to the airport and pick up the car, keep it for the rest of the time I'm on the island, then when it's time to go, drive to the airport, drop off the family/luggage at the curb, drive across the street, drop off the rental and walk back across the street and get on the plane.

 

[mstevens]

We use Rentadora Isis, which has a great reputation for honesty and customer service. They're downtown rather than at the airport, but you can get the airport shuttle to their location to pick up a car then at the end of the trip after you return the car and pay they'll drive you back to the airpport.

 

[gonecoastal1]

Wow, you guys are great help, thanks for the replies. One other Question, do they (car rental co.) require you to purchase their insurance? I have State Farm stateside, don't know if I'm covered in another country?

 

[beaverdivers]

Welcome to SCUBAboard!

Ditto, Mike's ideas.

 

[smorneau]

They do not require it, but it is still Mexico. When I am stateside I don't get the extra insurance, but when I am in another country I do. To much corruption and PITA if you hit another car or cause bodily harm to someone while on vacation.

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[divingjd]

If you want the convenience of an agency right at the airport, I think your only choices are Hertz and Avis. Most of the cars are small, so if you need something big enough for four people and bags, a reservation is a necessity. I often see a $300/week special on the Hertz website for a "luxury" car (Chrysler 300 or similar). They don't have any 300s in Coz, so you end up with a Jeep Patriot or maybe a minivan. If you price an SUV or minivan on the Hertz website, it's usually over $600/week. You're rolling the dice a little with this gambit, but it's worked for me several times.