Mexico City: By Car

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By Car

It's usually impractical to rent a car for travel within Mexico City, though it may be a good option for trips outside of the city. Within the city, traffic can be dense, and drivers who don't allow other cars room to move (and who are not at all shy about using their horn!) make driving difficult and stressful. Traffic accidents are also difficult to navigate. When accidents happen, both parties involved call their insurance, and their insurance companies send representatives to the scene to negotiate responsibility and payment. If someone is injured in a traffic accident, the situation may be even more complicated. In this case, it's advisable to contact your country's embassy so they can recommend the best course of action. Insurance options are available when renting a car through a major agency. All rental companies listed below have offices at Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez.

Major arteries into Mexico City include Highway 57 to the north, which starts at Laredo, Texas, and goes through Monterrey and Querétaro. Highway 95 comes in from Cuernavaca to the south, and Highway 190D from Puebla to the east. Highway 15 via Toluca is the main western route.

Millions of intrepid drivers brave Mexico City's streets every day and survive, but for out-of-towners the experience can be frazzling. Rush hours generally include weekday mornings from 8 to 10 and again from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Fridays are particularly clogged. You can hire a chauffeur for your car through a hotel concierge or travel service such as American Express.

Also, the strictly enforced law Hoy No Circula (Today This Car Can't Circulate) applies to most private vehicles, and may include your rental car. One of several successful efforts to reduce smog and traffic congestion, this law prohibits every privately owned vehicle (including out-of-state, foreign, and rental cars) from being used on one designated weekday. All cars in the city without a Verification "0" rating (usually those built before 1994) are prohibited from driving one day a week (two days a week during alert periods, which are usually in December and January). Cars in violation are inevitably impounded by the police. Expect a hefty fine as well.

The weekday you can't drive is specified by the last number or letter of the license plate: on a nonemergency week, 5-6 are prohibited on Monday; 7-8 on Tuesday; 3-4 on Wednesday; 1-2 on Thursday; and 9-0 on Friday. For further information, contact the Mexican Government Tourism Office nearest you, or log on to www.mexicocity.com.mx/nocircula.html and plan accordingly.

It's easiest to park in a staffed lot; these are especially common in the Centro. You can expect to pay between $1.50 and $3 per hour. Street parking can be hard to find. Police tow trucks haul away illegally parked vehicles, and the owner is heavily fined. Locatel is an efficient 24-hour service for tracing vehicles that are towed, stolen, or lost (in case you forgot where you parked). There's a chance an operator on duty may speak English, but the service is primarily in Spanish. Locatel also gives information on city bus routes.

Information

Locatel (55/5658-1111).

Information

Alamo (Av. Paseo de la Reforma 157-B, Col. Cuauhtémoc. Thiers 195, Col. Anzures. 55/5250-0055. www.alamo-mexico.com.mx). Avis (Atenas 44, Col. Juárez. Campos Eliséos 218, Col. Polanco. Insurgentes Sur 730, Col. del Valle. 55/5283-1112. www.avis.com.mx). Budget (Campos Eliséos 204, Col. Polanco. Atenas 40, Col. Juárez. Hamburgo 71, Col. Juárez. 55/5566-6800. www.budget.com.mx). Hertz (Versalles 6, Col. Juárez. 55/5592-8343. www.hertz.com.mx).