YorkNYC

Hi, Everyone,

I have an upcoming travel dilemma regarding one-way car rental, and I am hoping you might have suggestions. Any insight is most welcome and appreciated. Four of us are planning to drive the Yucatan peninsula and into Palenque, Villahermosa and San Cristobal over 15 days in early November. We already have our airline tickets purchased and would like to rent a car one-way from the Cancun airport to the Villahermosa airport. Although a bit off-put by the one-way drop off fees and rather steep prices in general, I had committed to booking online when I began reading hundreds of negative reviews about international rental companies like: Alamo, Hertz and Europcar. There are so many consistent, horrifying stories of being scammed with additional fees and not having any legal protection from the US offices because the local franchises are independently owned. So, I also looked up a local Cancun rental company that offers one-way rentals named Buster Rental Car; but, they also had very negative, alarming reviews. My friends and I are looking forward to a nice, relaxing roadtrip where we can explore on our own time and much off the beaten path; but, I’m very concerned about finding a legitimate car rental company. Can anyone please recommend a car rental company (local or otherwise) that offers one-way rentals and is reputable? We are all veteran travelers who enjoy immersing ourselves in local culture and are pretty easygoing when traveling; but, finding hundreds of negative reviews from separate agencies in Cancun has been pretty disheartening and warrants caution.

Thank you so much, in advance, for any help or recommendations you may be able to provide, much appreciated. I’d like to book a car as soon as possible. Thanks again.

colokid

There is good reason for so many negative reviews. I have rented from Hertz, Avis, Executive, Easy Way, Happy, and Caribbean. Of all of them, Executive was the best. I am looking at renting over Christmas through Mexexperience who uses Hertz but is much less expensive. I have a friend who only rents from Avis in Cancun and has never had a problem. I've had several problems with all of the other agencies I've listed. I haven't rented recently because of that...the last time I really got burned and I knew what they were trying to do. I used to rent quite often but, because of their practices, much less now. I tend to try and take the bus or colectivo everywhere. But, if I had to rent through one, I would either try Mexexperience.com or Executive.
Caution is a good thing. If you do rent here are some tips:
take pics of the vehicle before you leave
mark every dent, scratch, damage to headlights, everything
look and make sure there is a spare tire which is inflated and a jack
make sure you have two license plates front and back and the tags are current
test the a/c, windshield wipers, etc before leaving
check the gas level and fill up if needed before leaving the Cancun area - Pemex stations are not as available as in other countries. Be aware of this when traveling.
watch out for topes when driving
one additional concern - when you rent you will sign a blank credit card receipt for damages which, if you are renting one way, will not be returned to you.

Do a google search of gas station scams and police morditas before leaving so you know what to expect. Or check sites like www.playa.info or www.locogringo.com for info. Don't play their games.

YorkNYC

Thank you so much for your helpful and thoughtful reply; I really appreciate it. I had spent hours researching options and became overwhelmed by the number of negative reviews and scams. I have spoken with Mexexperience a couple times; but, since they use Hertz (which seems to be the worst of all options), I am hesitant to book through them. Avis, however, seems to have the least amount of negative reviews; so, I think I'll go with them. I appreciate your caution recommendations and will absolutely take them into account. Will post again in Mid November to let everyone know how it went.Thanks again!