patriciatbrogan

Hello, we want to spend 2 days in Ruta Puuc and then I believe from there it is a stunning drive to Campeche - this then got me going on thinking of hiring a car: oh my goodness, the prices - about US$50 + per day, it seems (more than double what one pays in Europe). Any thoughts/ advice on hiring a car in Merida, etc to do this tour would be appreciated.
Otherwise suggestions on how to do it otherwise?
Thanks

SambaChula

If you want to rent a car, check Easyway for prices. A compact should be about U$40 per day with full insurance (which you need, credit card insurance will not get you out of any trouble you may get into). Driving is quite easy; roads are good. Watch out for speed bumps in inhabited areas. Drive the posted speed limit, no matter what everyone else may be doing. And pay close attention at the gas station. Note: One way drop off incurs an extra fee.

jamie99

Ditto what SambaChula said, the main expense for a rental car is the insurance, your own insurance will not cover you in Mexico and liability is mandatory.

kja

I used a rental just for the Ruta Puuc and one other stop (Celestun). I picked the car up and returned it to Merida in time to take a bus to Campeche.

I don't remember the scenery between Merida and Campeche as "stunning" or anything even remotely approximating that. I remember mostly flat stretches of scrub palm. My memory could easily be off, but I checked my journal, and have absolutely nothing to suggest that anything during that trip was memorable -- and I usually take advantage of the time on buses to record what I'm seeing if I think it warrants comment. That doesn't mean there wasn't something special -- maybe I read or dozed?

FWIW, when drives are particularly scenic, I prefer to be on a bus so I can take full advantage of the opportunity to actually enjoy the scenery.

cybor

I also don't remember the drive being stunning. But then again, maybe I wasn't looking.
In regards to driving by car, the roads, as said, are easy to drive on and well marked. Reserve your car way ahead as the cars in Merida usually get booked up quickly. I know of a few private rental car agencies that do better than 50. so check around.
I've also taken the bus down. The bus is pure luxury but you'll arrive a bit outside the historical part of the city and need to make your way in if that's where you ultimately are heading. Speaking a bit of Spanish is a help there as it can be a bit confusing.
Campeche (historical) itself is a nice little walking city that often has singing and dancing in the main square. It's also a city that you can easily see in a half day IMHO. I wasn't all that impressed with the main mercado or the outlying areas. Perhaps I missed something.
There is an awesome ruin that you have to walk quite a bit to get to that's fairly close by. Sorry forgot the name -anyone?

cybor

Here you go;
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...Peninsula.html

kja

I agree that Campeche is well worth seeing, and it is quite different than Merida. At least when I was there, it had two very small museums of Mayan artifacts, one in the city itself (in part of the city wall) and one a bit outside in a protective fort. IMO, each held some absolutely exquisite and very rare examples of Mayan work.

If in the area, I agree that visiting Edzna makes sense, although in honestly, it was my least favorite of the dozen or so Mayan sites I saw. JMO.

patriciatbrogan

Thanks all - so is it worth it to go to Campeche then?

kja

I enjoyed Campeche. Whether it is worth it depends on your interests and priorities and what else you are doing.

jamie99

Yes if you have the time, we enjoyed the Fuerta de San Miguel and the small but well done Mayan museum there.

cybor

Good question.
The historical section really isn't all that big and can be done very easily in less than a half day. There's also not a lot of restaurants that you may or may not consider to be note worthy.
For me, if I had a limited amount of time, I'd skip it but only because I'm not crazy about the 'authentic places' ie, the mercado, the places where the locals hang out etc.
We did go to the fort, the rather short malecon (area that runs in front of the water.

cybor

edit - I meant the authentic place in Campeche. I usually love mercados and local eateries but didn't love them in Campeche.

tom_mn

Just a general comment about rental cars in the Yucatan: For a larger car, say a Jetta with insurance, $50/day is on the cheap end.

Some clarifications: All rentals in Mexico include some liability, it's the law. You may add extra liability coverage on top of the basic if you want to. CDW may be included with your credit card for free, but the rental agency may not honor it so you're then stuck. Or, the rental company may only sell extra liability with the CDW insurance as a bundle.

My sense is that car rentals cost twice what they would in the US or Europe.