corleycl

Has anyone rented a car/jeep in Cozumel before? We were thinking about booking one on-line through Avis or Budget, but did not know if this would be a smart move.

We have heard stories that if you wait until you get to your resort that rental cars are trashed and cost a fortune.

Please help!

Thanks!

RobertSDF

I have often reserved through Executive Car Rental in Cozumel. The cars are in very good condition--and they give you the price quoted.

corleycl

Thank you for the information! Did you book your rental car in advance or did you wait and do it once you arrived in Cozumel?

RobertSDF

I have done both without a problem. It might be best to reserve in advance to assure the type vehicle you want but probably not a problem if you see them upon arrival.

TC

Do you really need a Jeep (it will most likely be a Tracker)? They are the most expensive cars. We always rent a little VW - either sedan or convertible. The best deals are either SMART Rental with an office just off of airport property or CP Rental with a downtown office. Both offer 1/2 price deals on their Internet web pages if you rent for more than 3 days (no hidden costs like mandatory insurance that some tack on). A VW will cost about $25 per day compared to a Tracker which will run about $50 per day. We usually reserve with them in advance and then pick up the car once on the island, but its not necessary.

CP Rental:
www.islacozumel.net/services/2000/

SMART Rental:
www.islacozumel.net/services/smartcar/

corleycl

Thank you so much for the information!

RobertSDF

I would be very cautious about renting any car in Mexico without the optional insurance. Your insurance is not valid and Mexican law is very different about liability in case of an accident. I rent in Mexico often and wouldn't consider renting without adequate insurance coverage!

TC

Robert; CP INCLUDES the insurance in their rental prices -- no surprise add-on after the price has been quoted.

RobertSDF

Thanks for the info, TC. The CP website made no mention of insurance one way or the other so wasn't certain. Will check them out when I am there in a couple of weeks.

TC

Robert, We used them last year and had great (new) VW at an excellent price. Interested in hearing your assessment this year. I'll be down for several weeks in Feb and need a couple of cars so want to know that they are still a good operation. The owner used to work for SMART - who we used for many many years and liked. CP is just a bit cheaper and includes the insurance. Also, SMART started charging for an extra driver and CP didn't (at least not last year). That makes a big difference to us over the course of a month. Drop me an email when you return with all the news on car rentals and new restaurnts. Happy travels.