kos

My husband, daughter and myself are going to Cabo on Sunday, July 13 - 19 and staying at the Hilton on the corridor. I just learned from the Hilton that there is a new transportation law there, and the Hilton no longer offers its shuttle service to and from the towns, and can no longer take people to the airport. They will pick you up from the airport for $120 one way. Question: Can anyone recommend a good car rental place in Cabo? Is parking in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo an issue? Does anyone know the price of gas there? The price of taxis? Would appreciate any ideas about whether to rent a car, or how to get to and from the airport and the towns without breaking the bank. If it's going to cost me $400 to rent taxis and airport transfers, maybe we should rent a car? Thanks for your input.

MichelleY

Dear kos:

I can't believe the Hilton wouldn't offer a more reasonable alternative. There is some sort of labor dispute causing all the problems.

All the major car companies are located at the airport. Go on line and reserve. You will be required by Mexican law to get their 3rd party liability. If your credit card covers collision, go thru them. If it makes you feel better, get all the insurances for peace of mind. In the past, we rented from Europecar and Dominic(a local rental co.)

We really liked renting a car since it gave us more freedom. Parking can be a problem in both CSL & SJdC. In CSL, we usually park at the Paraiso Mall garage or another garage near Cabo Wabo. In SJdC, we have parked several blocks from the main square area.

Taxis can be very expensive, especially since you are on the corridor. $20 - 30 one way. Gas will be similar to here, maybe a little more expensive. Watch out for the gas station scam: when you finish pumping, the attendant will distract you and the price on the pump will be changed. OR they will try to confuse you about how much money you gave them. Just be cautious.

Check over on the Cabo forum in Tripadvisor. It is very active and the experts there will be very helpful. You may also do a search there also.

Good luck, don't stress, and have fun on your trip.

MY

Bill_H

<b>They will pick you up from the airport for $120 one way.</b>

You can take a shuttle or taxi for much less than this ... that's what most people do if not renting a car.

<b>Can anyone recommend a good car rental place in Cabo?</b>

Most of the chains like Hertz and Avis are there ... we like National for various reasons, they seem to have lower rates and have a good web site that gives accurate quotes ... http://www.nationalcar.com.mx/ ... I just plugged in Cabo for a week with an economy car and it was $268 + insurance ...

<b>Is parking in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo an issue?</b>

You can find parking lots in Cabo that charge a reasonable fee, and we never had a problem parking near downtown San Jose for free.

<b>Does anyone know the price of gas there?</b>

Less than the US ... the cars seem to get better mileage.

<b>Would appreciate any ideas about whether to rent a car, or how to get to and from the airport and the towns without breaking the bank</b>

If stayin in Cabo we rarely rented a car (except for a day trip outside town), if staying in the corridor we always rented ... not only are the taxi fees a consideration but it's cheaper to eat in town so we would save $$ by driving in to town to eat most meals too.

Bill

Marginal

If you rent a car, get down on your knees and look at the tread on the tires, and look at the spare tire to make sure it matches the size.

I rented a car at the airport. At our condo, about an hour away, someone pointed out to me that the steel belts were poking out through the sides of 2 of the tires, and that you could see the steel through the tread on one of the others. The spare was pristine, but undersized. I was at great risk of not one, but even 3 blowouts. The friend called the rental company and gave them hell over the phone in Spanish. They drove out a practially-brand new car, but not until after my new friend had really laid down the law. He happened to be an off-duty policeman!

kos

Many thanks to all who replied. You have enormously.

kos

We are going to rent a midsize car from National at the airport.

MichelleY

Dear kos:

Have fun on your trip. My husband really enjoys having a car. Several years ago, we took a drive up to Todos Santos and this last March, a drive on the East Cape. A car will also make it easy to go to Chileno or Santa Maria Beach for snorkeling.

MY

kos

Thanks for your tips and good wishes.