Renting Car along Riviera Maya
 

We plan to spend 4 days in Puerto Morelos at a VRBO. I am curious if we should rent a car in Cancun, or if we should just try to rent a car by the day if we choose to drive ourselves to some of the ruins or other towns. Any insight is great - thanks.

Transport to and from PM and tours/taxis/ collectives to sights.
Or about $45/day with full insurance for a compact from Easyway.
Your math to do.

Things to see and do:
Ruins (Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, Coba, Tulum
Cenotes
Towns ( Tulum, Valladolid, Playa Del Carmen)
Turtles in Akumal, flamingos in Rio Lagartos, Sian Ka'an biosphere

I would definitely rent a car. The driving is easy, and there there lots of places to explore.

I think you will enjoy having a car. I highly recommend RENTADORA ISIS in Playa Del Carmen. We rent from their sister shop in Cozumel every winter. They are honest business people who do not play games with the price. In Mexico you want to have full insurance coverage. ISIS prices include the insurance.....no low bal ,price up front and then a big add on when you arrrive.


http://www.rentadoraisis.com.mx

If you're flying into Cancun, get the car there.

Easyway can be waiting outside the terminal with a sign and quickly get you out of the chaos and over to their nearby off-site office. It's simple to pick up the 307 highway from there to PM. The full price, including full insurance (or whatever you choose), is stated on the website when you book.

We like having a car for the flexibility. Driving is easy there. Definitely get full insurance and don't rely on a 3rd party - buy it from the rental company. And there are a couple scams to be aware of. Gas station attendants are notorious - not zeroing the pump, short-changing, etc. So watch them carefully, and always pay in cash. There is also a problem with police stopping motorists to get bribes - most people don't experience this, but it's important to know that it does happen. Most of the time, if you insist on a ticket rather than paying the bride, the cop will let you go with a "warning" because he doesn't want to take the time to deal with a ticket - he'd rather look for another tourist and try to get him or her to pay a bribe. Some people do choose to pay the bribe rather than spend time dealing with a possible ticket.

Thanks for the Easyway recommendation. We had a Hertz reservation, but Easyway was less expensive, and comes with FULL insurance coverage (so no figuring out what to buy, what our regular auto insurance and credit cards cover, etc.). And they meet you at the airport - here's part of the confirmation email we got from them.

"OUR STAFF WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU AT THE AIRPORT. OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING AT THE AREA WHERE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS MEETING, JUST PASSING THE BERRY HILL RESTAURANT."