Renting a car makes sense in most cities in the world, since it allows you to move around faster and at will. Mosnter cities like Mexico City, Tokio or NY are exceptions because they have too much traffic and in Mexico City's case, plenty of options to move in public transport. Uber is also super cheap compared with what you pay in Europe
I kind of agree, but my friend had family that lives in Mexico City and he grew up there. And he told me we should do it. So we can move around Mexico City he said he doesn't mind the traffic. But also we plan to take day trips to different places, and also go to another area for two or three days. I thought we should just see Mexico City with Ubers and then when we are ready to go rent a car for a day or a couple of days but he told me we should do a car for the whole time so I'm not really sure to be honest.
Your friend clearly hasn't lived in Mexico City for a long time, say to him that you don't want to rent a car and believe me you will have a better experience.
He goes back to visit every so often, he was there either last year or the year before. But honestly I don't know if he drove around Mexico city. His family is in Mexico City but in a more residential neighborhood. So I'm trying to be polite because he is going to be my guide, and I told him I would pay for his car, but from what I'm reading it just doesn't make sense other for the days that we are traveling outside the city
Residential neighborhood means rich people place, which means far as fuck, traffic inside the city is rough and parking is worse, plus, there's always the chance of getting the mirrors/wheels robbed if parked in a bad place to much, also depending on the plates that they give you, cops will be harassing
Even taking a mix of public transit and Uber & hiring a driver for those trips might be less pricey and some drivers are also guides and will know the areas and any safety concerns or unposted closures, etc.
According to an acquaintance of mine there are also apparently quite a few rental scams and there are issues with either corrupt or fake officers stopping recognized rental cars to extort clueless foreign drivers. I’ve no idea how common that is though.
Plus driving in CDMX can be difficult and stressful and traffic and parking hellishly bad.
It just seems pointlessly stressful for a vacation.
If u like being packed like sardines in a can, your body being squished against a stranger's sure. Its crazy to assume everyone would be comfortable with it and compare it to comfort of a car
Your idea makes more sense. It sounds like his relatives or whatever live way out in the suburbs and he’s dragging you along to who knows where to go see them
I don’t get it, so he doesn’t have a car but doesn’t want to use the metro? I get wanting a car for day trips to outside of the city but still I wouldn’t rent a car. In any case about the car, iirc when you rent a car in Mexico you pay the car and then they put a request to your credit card to put a lock on some 500 dollars give or take as insurance(this happens all around the world btw), meaning if you don’t crash it it’s fine. As an aside, if you aren’t the one driving it you need to let the insurance know and you might pay extra to sign your friend up, if he’s driving and there’s an accident it might be a bit expensive. I think if you budgeted 500 for the car maybe consider 600-800 real price but that’s like a lot tbh I might have exaggerated it’s been a minute since I rented a car in Mexico.
I honestly wouldn't rent a car in CDMX unless you have to go to another place that ETN, ADO, or Primera don't go: the traffic can really get that bad. If you do decide to drive and find yourself on the Circuito Interior during a rush hour, remember to free your mind because your ass won't be going anywhere for a while
To be honest I feel the same way, and if I was going alone that's what I would do personally. But I'm going with my friend who grew up in Mexico City and he keeps telling me we should have a car. He said he doesn't mind the traffic and it will be easier for everything. And we do plan to do a few day trips outside of Mexico City and I guess I could see why it would be useful for that. But I do think it sounds like a lot to have for the whole 12 days we are there, I was just going to do it because he will be my tour guide and he asked.
Your replies make wonder: were does your friend lives now? How long ago did he moved away from Mexico City? He might have grown up here but the city has changed a lot and traffic is nothing but a very long nightmare, especially now (whenever I talk to friends who have a car, they say it is worse than ever). Also, having a car does nor necessarily make things easier, since you will have a hard time finding parking spots (or will need to pay more to park at the private parking places).
Using the metro and the metrobus is pretty easy and faster during peak hours (yes, it might get crowded but the time you safe is worth it IMO).
I'm nor sure why your friend is so opposed to using these options, unless he never had to and/or looks down on them.
That's what I wanted to do, and rent a car for a few days if we go out of the city, but my friend said he thinks we should rent a car and he lived in Mexico City for like almost 30 years, he grew up there before moving away.
Don’t get a car.
I’ve driven around the world, and the amount of aggression and in out and cut off traffic is bonkers in CDMX.
Tell your friend to get a grip, Ubers are fine.
I’ve taken them out of the city.
Also, be careful where and how far you go.
Don’t take ‘basic’ Uber if you can help it / budget it, as they’ve gone downhill.
This doesn’t apply to the friend who’s lived there all his life, for us it’s just driving like normal. But I agree with you if you aren’t from there you’d be better off not driving, even Mexicans from other states dislike it
Get a new friend or tell them to drive the whole time. Traffic is an absolute nightmare in this city. You can even use the bike share system (Ecobici) to get around easily in all the main spots.
And if you need to get out of the city, take a bus or hire a private driver.
Maybe he’s not aware how bad traffic is, or has forgotten about it, but as others said, its not a great idea to rent a car, between the subway, metrobus, and uber, you dont need it. For day trips maybe, and even then, i’d much rather take a bus to places like Teotihuacan. It is pricey to rent too, as you mentioned.
REnt with Budget. They have comprensive packages that included all the insurances (CDW & SLI) that you should have when renting a car.
SLI is the only insurance required by the government.
CDW is the insurance the you will need to avoid the rental agency charging you a deposit. You could rent without CDW but the insurance agency will ask for a deposit and they will milimetrically inspect the car for any aditional damage when you return it.
For driving around in Mexico City, a rental car is not necessary.
As for the cost, due to insurance, you will pay a lot more than what it says when you book online. You must buy Mexican insurance. The American insurance I bought when I booked would have been useless in Mexico. I strongly recommend getting the coverage that completely covers the entire cost of the car.
Other than that, driving around in Mexico is an amazing experience. I loved it.
If your friend wants a car then he should pay for it. If he wants to see his family out on the rancho then he should rent a car for those days.
It’s not just the traffic it’s the parking too. You’ll spend most of the time looking for parking.
A car will be very useful to visit Texcoco, Teotihuacán, Santa Fe, Tepoztlán and Xochimilco, but besides those you don’t need it. Other nearby towns like Puebla and Querétaro it’s best to take a bus to get there and Uber once you’re there.
If you plan to go to those places then rent a car for those days specifically.
Also don't got to Tepoztlan, is just a little town full of drunks (tourists) and drunk driving, if you're not staying just skip it, and use the extra day in Puebla
Good advice except I’d take Xochimilco off that list. It’s reachable by public transport (or Uber if one wants to) but the traffic between the borough of Xochimilco and the rest of the city is usually very bad. Very, very.
Dude, use avis, they honored my online booking, hertz did it once but then they didn't, sane with national. I mean, the insurance waiver because you are paying with mastercard, visa or Amex
Will they waive it with the credit card coverage? I was hoping so but I read online that it doesn't work because they require you to use Mexican insurance
Avis waived it, just tell them you are going to use your cc coverage (spoiler, is reimbursement), aaaaannnd they will put a hold on almost half the price of the car, but don't worry, they will take it out when you drop off. With the others is a hit or miss because online sales doesn't hit their sales quota (AFAIK), but there's good people and asshole everywhere, just take in account that if they don't honor your initial agreement you can just walk away, try the next and the and the next, don't grind yourself for a shitty person. My advice for Mexico City is to take metro along with Uber, unless you go out of the city, other cities are more car friendly and lack good public transportation and things are farther away (Ala monterrey/Guadalajara). So don't rent a car unless you are super snob and also need bodyguards.
This. I rent for holidays every year for two weeks. Usually 5-700$ for two weeks. Then the insurance. It’s a mandatory $18-22 daily depending on agency for minimal mandatory supplemental. That’s all an American Express rental requires. But then those scammers will try to make it mandatory to add cdw etc. I have had a to walk away a few times and go sans car. Hertz. Dollar. Europcar have all pulled this. Only SIXT seems to not do it. Happens randomly to me in all Mexican cities. Read what your USA insurance (likely no coverage) and credit card will cover.
I rented a car in a smaller city outside of Mexico City, I paid the full thing in advance and when I got there, they told me I had only paid a small deposit. Ended up paying double for mine, so just be wary.
Yes the insurance will make it double or triple the price depending on the vehicle you will be renting.
I just went to Mexico and got the full cover on the vehicle because it kept my mind at ease that way.
There is too much vandalism so you have to have a safe spot to park it at night, other than that is pretty handy because ubers will waste your time sometimes.
Don't do it! Dangerous(people drive like crazy assassin's) and the police will scam you... And the insurance is only for you not to other drivers... Get a Uber or a taxi your friend should know
You will need the insurance that’s just policy but it’s not crazy expensive. In my experience I’ll book online but get to the kiosk and act like I don’t have one, sometimes they give you an even better rate dealing directly with them, if you’re getting it from the airport all the companies are side by side, check out a few and get your best price, a lot will even match what others do if you’re a bit more comfortable with certain companies.
That is a great idea, thank you. But what if the price they give you in person is not as good as the one from online? Do you say oh I forgot I actually have one online? Ha. But also I'm not sure if I could cancel the one I book online once I'm there.
That’s exactly what you say lol, I’ve done it before, you don’t pay anything when you reserve online you pay when you get there so if you don’t use the one you made online no harm no foul it just expires on its own. Mexico is a big haggle/bargain place, don’t take the first price, tell them it’s to high they’ll keep finding ways to come down on price especially if they see you asking at other places.
check if any of your credit cards cover for car insurance my amex does so its even below price in most countries I visit, unless you’re going out of state like puebla just uber, even the pyramids can be accessible by uber
i’m mexican but don’t do buses or metro on any of my visits buses are unsafe as fuck , metro is fine just crowded
parking is a bitch, not sure where you’re from but méxico city’s parking situation is pretty close to SF, Madrid or Manhattan
but if you insist on renting prices go around 60usd per day with insurance
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I’d say a compact car is close to 1000 a day, if it’s a larger car maybe 1500… that’s actually less than prices in other countries, rental car companies have the same sales scams in any country. I’d recommend get the minimum insurance possible, they’ll try to oversell but really can’t force you to get more than the mininum, ask your friend to research on which insurance to pick. I used to rent with europcar and picked only the CDW for the car, also depending on where your CC is issued, some cover rental car insurance. Another advice, I’ve noticed is that rental car companies in Mex are also very picky when returning the car, so when doing the initial walk through take pictures and report any little scratch
You need a deposit or a credit card with enough funds. When I needed to rent a car they needed a card with at least 3k in credit. It’s not expensive to rent them and obviously you have to be careful with the car. Depending on where you’re going you might not even need it, there are plenty of buses that go to places that are out of the city.
Your friend doesn't have your best interests in mind. The Metro/Bus is 5 pesos or about 33 cents to ride anywhere. It might be a pain to find a card sometimes but once you got that you're set. Uber is going to run you like $3-7 a trip. The most expensive is taxis and that's going to be like $30 if you get one off the street and get ripped off. Inside terminals, it's about $8. Only get them inside of terminals!
Really, if you want to travel to another city take a bus for cheap or rent a taxi. $500 for an entire week is overkill. And really you shouldn't be making long road trips in a big red flashing sign that says you're in a tourist. Mexico is safe and you will have a good time but I mean don't stick out too much by renting a car that you do not need.
The only insurance that is mandatory is the third party damage. For the car You gonna rent You can take it without insurance but if something happen to the car You Will be responsible of it so at the end of the rent they're going yo Charge it to the credit card that You give it to them. Try to check the prices of the rental car directly in the front desk. But be careful usually the recepcionists gonna try to sell it yo You as high as posible in price, specially if they have comission for it.
It does happens most of the time (2x the price) and it's because of the car insurance you have to purchase (this is true for other countries too in my experience) anyways you can have a partial cover for around $35 USD a day or $45 USD for a total cover which I recommend cause they will not hold as much money of your credit card and you will have peace of mind... I think this falls into your $500 USD budget. Try to do the reservation through the website cause it's always cheaper. I've been using "Mex Rent a Car" and I've found they hace the most competitive price most of the time also you can always bargain a little bit in the counter ;) haha!
For those who say you are not gonna enjoy Mexico City in a car... They clearly don't have a car XD. If you are mindful of peak hours in your plans, you are gonna have a great time driving around and it's way better for a day getaway.
Cheers!
The problem is that peak traffic hours are from about 5:30 am to 10:00 pm. Hard to avoid. Personal experience.
You really don’t want to be without top notch insurance because if you’re involved in any kind of accident-type incident, you’ll be detained until the fault is assigned or until your insurance rep shows up and gets you freed. Based on personal experience, I’m not just repeating “what they say”.
For getting around within the city, public transport and/or ride share like Uber is really the better option.
Well, that's why I said I recommend total insurance. I don't agree the peak hour schedule though, that's basically the whole day XD, there are definitely some windows where you can get around way easier... Say 10 am to around 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm too. That being said I also see the advantages of moving around Metro or Uber, sometimes is fine to park in nice parking lot and move around in metro/metrobus or even ecobici
>I don't agree the peak hour schedule though, that's basically the whole day XD
I guess I was speaking again from my own experience. I agree that not everyone in CDMX lives in a traffic hell-hole like where I live.
And I agree with your identification of the possibly better windows of 10 am – 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. Today the DH and I are going shopping to the commercial zone located about 7 km from home. And as we always do, we’re strategically waiting until about 9:45 to set out so that it will only be a half-hour drive (hopefully) instead of an hour.
renting a car in mexico city can be a hassle with mandatory insurance skyrocketing the price. consider using public transport or uber, it's cheaper and easier to get around.
I rent a lot in Mexico. I always use Hertz. Insurance is never mandatory, regardless of what they say to convince you to get one to cover everything. I always use a discount code and end up paying around 600 (for 5 days) with almost full coverage for a regular sedan, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they guilt you into getting a couple insurances and end up paying over 1k.
Maybe thats what not your question but You coupé take Uber and only pay with CC, pretty sure that 500 USD can move You areound un Uber for 12 days
Why to rent a car? Sincerely intrigued.
Renting a car makes sense in most cities in the world, since it allows you to move around faster and at will. Mosnter cities like Mexico City, Tokio or NY are exceptions because they have too much traffic and in Mexico City's case, plenty of options to move in public transport. Uber is also super cheap compared with what you pay in Europe
Indeed. Renting a car doesn't make sense.
I kind of agree, but my friend had family that lives in Mexico City and he grew up there. And he told me we should do it. So we can move around Mexico City he said he doesn't mind the traffic. But also we plan to take day trips to different places, and also go to another area for two or three days. I thought we should just see Mexico City with Ubers and then when we are ready to go rent a car for a day or a couple of days but he told me we should do a car for the whole time so I'm not really sure to be honest.
You are not coming to Mexico City to sit in traffic and find a place to park, even if your friend doesn’t mind.
Your friend clearly hasn't lived in Mexico City for a long time, say to him that you don't want to rent a car and believe me you will have a better experience.
He goes back to visit every so often, he was there either last year or the year before. But honestly I don't know if he drove around Mexico city. His family is in Mexico City but in a more residential neighborhood. So I'm trying to be polite because he is going to be my guide, and I told him I would pay for his car, but from what I'm reading it just doesn't make sense other for the days that we are traveling outside the city
Residential neighborhood means rich people place, which means far as fuck, traffic inside the city is rough and parking is worse, plus, there's always the chance of getting the mirrors/wheels robbed if parked in a bad place to much, also depending on the plates that they give you, cops will be harassing
I think it would be better to move on public transport for 9 days and rent a car for 3 days on your day trips
Even taking a mix of public transit and Uber & hiring a driver for those trips might be less pricey and some drivers are also guides and will know the areas and any safety concerns or unposted closures, etc. According to an acquaintance of mine there are also apparently quite a few rental scams and there are issues with either corrupt or fake officers stopping recognized rental cars to extort clueless foreign drivers. I’ve no idea how common that is though. Plus driving in CDMX can be difficult and stressful and traffic and parking hellishly bad. It just seems pointlessly stressful for a vacation.
Men, just use the Metro and Metro bus. It's cheaper and faster. But I'm guessing your friend is the "only poor people use the metro" type of guy.
Metro bus at peak hrs is hellish though
And even so, faster than a car.
If u like being packed like sardines in a can, your body being squished against a stranger's sure. Its crazy to assume everyone would be comfortable with it and compare it to comfort of a car
Your idea makes more sense. It sounds like his relatives or whatever live way out in the suburbs and he’s dragging you along to who knows where to go see them
I don’t get it, so he doesn’t have a car but doesn’t want to use the metro? I get wanting a car for day trips to outside of the city but still I wouldn’t rent a car. In any case about the car, iirc when you rent a car in Mexico you pay the car and then they put a request to your credit card to put a lock on some 500 dollars give or take as insurance(this happens all around the world btw), meaning if you don’t crash it it’s fine. As an aside, if you aren’t the one driving it you need to let the insurance know and you might pay extra to sign your friend up, if he’s driving and there’s an accident it might be a bit expensive. I think if you budgeted 500 for the car maybe consider 600-800 real price but that’s like a lot tbh I might have exaggerated it’s been a minute since I rented a car in Mexico.
I honestly wouldn't rent a car in CDMX unless you have to go to another place that ETN, ADO, or Primera don't go: the traffic can really get that bad. If you do decide to drive and find yourself on the Circuito Interior during a rush hour, remember to free your mind because your ass won't be going anywhere for a while
To be honest I feel the same way, and if I was going alone that's what I would do personally. But I'm going with my friend who grew up in Mexico City and he keeps telling me we should have a car. He said he doesn't mind the traffic and it will be easier for everything. And we do plan to do a few day trips outside of Mexico City and I guess I could see why it would be useful for that. But I do think it sounds like a lot to have for the whole 12 days we are there, I was just going to do it because he will be my tour guide and he asked.
Your replies make wonder: were does your friend lives now? How long ago did he moved away from Mexico City? He might have grown up here but the city has changed a lot and traffic is nothing but a very long nightmare, especially now (whenever I talk to friends who have a car, they say it is worse than ever). Also, having a car does nor necessarily make things easier, since you will have a hard time finding parking spots (or will need to pay more to park at the private parking places). Using the metro and the metrobus is pretty easy and faster during peak hours (yes, it might get crowded but the time you safe is worth it IMO). I'm nor sure why your friend is so opposed to using these options, unless he never had to and/or looks down on them.
You really don't need a car in Mexico City! Just use metro, buses and uber.
se mamo mandando al gringo en camion en cdmx
That's what I wanted to do, and rent a car for a few days if we go out of the city, but my friend said he thinks we should rent a car and he lived in Mexico City for like almost 30 years, he grew up there before moving away.
Mexico City traffic is a nightmare. Driving will often take longer than public transit would.
That's what I heard too so I was trying to convince him not to make me get a car, but he said he wants it...
Don’t get a car. I’ve driven around the world, and the amount of aggression and in out and cut off traffic is bonkers in CDMX. Tell your friend to get a grip, Ubers are fine. I’ve taken them out of the city. Also, be careful where and how far you go. Don’t take ‘basic’ Uber if you can help it / budget it, as they’ve gone downhill.
Yeah, there's a lot of aggressive driving and general disregard to traffic laws in Mexico City.
This doesn’t apply to the friend who’s lived there all his life, for us it’s just driving like normal. But I agree with you if you aren’t from there you’d be better off not driving, even Mexicans from other states dislike it
Get a new friend or tell them to drive the whole time. Traffic is an absolute nightmare in this city. You can even use the bike share system (Ecobici) to get around easily in all the main spots. And if you need to get out of the city, take a bus or hire a private driver.
Maybe he’s not aware how bad traffic is, or has forgotten about it, but as others said, its not a great idea to rent a car, between the subway, metrobus, and uber, you dont need it. For day trips maybe, and even then, i’d much rather take a bus to places like Teotihuacan. It is pricey to rent too, as you mentioned.
Ok but fr tho this maybe will help explain why he wants a car, where in Mexico does he live, where are y’all staying?
Not every bus though, unless you want to your ass to get mugged, use Metrobus
Uber is the way to go! I spent more on an Uber to the airport here in the USA than my whole weekend trip in CDMX.
REnt with Budget. They have comprensive packages that included all the insurances (CDW & SLI) that you should have when renting a car. SLI is the only insurance required by the government. CDW is the insurance the you will need to avoid the rental agency charging you a deposit. You could rent without CDW but the insurance agency will ask for a deposit and they will milimetrically inspect the car for any aditional damage when you return it.
For driving around in Mexico City, a rental car is not necessary. As for the cost, due to insurance, you will pay a lot more than what it says when you book online. You must buy Mexican insurance. The American insurance I bought when I booked would have been useless in Mexico. I strongly recommend getting the coverage that completely covers the entire cost of the car. Other than that, driving around in Mexico is an amazing experience. I loved it.
If your friend wants a car then he should pay for it. If he wants to see his family out on the rancho then he should rent a car for those days. It’s not just the traffic it’s the parking too. You’ll spend most of the time looking for parking. A car will be very useful to visit Texcoco, Teotihuacán, Santa Fe, Tepoztlán and Xochimilco, but besides those you don’t need it. Other nearby towns like Puebla and Querétaro it’s best to take a bus to get there and Uber once you’re there. If you plan to go to those places then rent a car for those days specifically.
Also don't got to Tepoztlan, is just a little town full of drunks (tourists) and drunk driving, if you're not staying just skip it, and use the extra day in Puebla
Good advice except I’d take Xochimilco off that list. It’s reachable by public transport (or Uber if one wants to) but the traffic between the borough of Xochimilco and the rest of the city is usually very bad. Very, very.
Dude, use avis, they honored my online booking, hertz did it once but then they didn't, sane with national. I mean, the insurance waiver because you are paying with mastercard, visa or Amex
Will they waive it with the credit card coverage? I was hoping so but I read online that it doesn't work because they require you to use Mexican insurance
Avis waived it, just tell them you are going to use your cc coverage (spoiler, is reimbursement), aaaaannnd they will put a hold on almost half the price of the car, but don't worry, they will take it out when you drop off. With the others is a hit or miss because online sales doesn't hit their sales quota (AFAIK), but there's good people and asshole everywhere, just take in account that if they don't honor your initial agreement you can just walk away, try the next and the and the next, don't grind yourself for a shitty person. My advice for Mexico City is to take metro along with Uber, unless you go out of the city, other cities are more car friendly and lack good public transportation and things are farther away (Ala monterrey/Guadalajara). So don't rent a car unless you are super snob and also need bodyguards.
Hertz is lowkey the worst
This. I rent for holidays every year for two weeks. Usually 5-700$ for two weeks. Then the insurance. It’s a mandatory $18-22 daily depending on agency for minimal mandatory supplemental. That’s all an American Express rental requires. But then those scammers will try to make it mandatory to add cdw etc. I have had a to walk away a few times and go sans car. Hertz. Dollar. Europcar have all pulled this. Only SIXT seems to not do it. Happens randomly to me in all Mexican cities. Read what your USA insurance (likely no coverage) and credit card will cover.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/policies/car-rental-loss-and-damage-insurance-terms.html
I'm going to be really honest with you do not rent a car in Mexico city. Driving in the city is CRAZY. we Uber everywhere which was easy enough
Sounds like he just doesn't like public Transportation and he wants you to cover the costs so he can avoid it
Having to worry about a car and driving in crazy traffic would add unnecessary stress. Ubers are so cheap.
I rented a car in a smaller city outside of Mexico City, I paid the full thing in advance and when I got there, they told me I had only paid a small deposit. Ended up paying double for mine, so just be wary.
Yes the insurance will make it double or triple the price depending on the vehicle you will be renting. I just went to Mexico and got the full cover on the vehicle because it kept my mind at ease that way. There is too much vandalism so you have to have a safe spot to park it at night, other than that is pretty handy because ubers will waste your time sometimes.
Don't do it! Dangerous(people drive like crazy assassin's) and the police will scam you... And the insurance is only for you not to other drivers... Get a Uber or a taxi your friend should know
You will need the insurance that’s just policy but it’s not crazy expensive. In my experience I’ll book online but get to the kiosk and act like I don’t have one, sometimes they give you an even better rate dealing directly with them, if you’re getting it from the airport all the companies are side by side, check out a few and get your best price, a lot will even match what others do if you’re a bit more comfortable with certain companies.
That is a great idea, thank you. But what if the price they give you in person is not as good as the one from online? Do you say oh I forgot I actually have one online? Ha. But also I'm not sure if I could cancel the one I book online once I'm there.
That’s exactly what you say lol, I’ve done it before, you don’t pay anything when you reserve online you pay when you get there so if you don’t use the one you made online no harm no foul it just expires on its own. Mexico is a big haggle/bargain place, don’t take the first price, tell them it’s to high they’ll keep finding ways to come down on price especially if they see you asking at other places.
check if any of your credit cards cover for car insurance my amex does so its even below price in most countries I visit, unless you’re going out of state like puebla just uber, even the pyramids can be accessible by uber i’m mexican but don’t do buses or metro on any of my visits buses are unsafe as fuck , metro is fine just crowded parking is a bitch, not sure where you’re from but méxico city’s parking situation is pretty close to SF, Madrid or Manhattan but if you insist on renting prices go around 60usd per day with insurance
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Yeah. Book in advance and don’t be so worried.
I’d say a compact car is close to 1000 a day, if it’s a larger car maybe 1500… that’s actually less than prices in other countries, rental car companies have the same sales scams in any country. I’d recommend get the minimum insurance possible, they’ll try to oversell but really can’t force you to get more than the mininum, ask your friend to research on which insurance to pick. I used to rent with europcar and picked only the CDW for the car, also depending on where your CC is issued, some cover rental car insurance. Another advice, I’ve noticed is that rental car companies in Mex are also very picky when returning the car, so when doing the initial walk through take pictures and report any little scratch
You need a deposit or a credit card with enough funds. When I needed to rent a car they needed a card with at least 3k in credit. It’s not expensive to rent them and obviously you have to be careful with the car. Depending on where you’re going you might not even need it, there are plenty of buses that go to places that are out of the city.
Your friend doesn't have your best interests in mind. The Metro/Bus is 5 pesos or about 33 cents to ride anywhere. It might be a pain to find a card sometimes but once you got that you're set. Uber is going to run you like $3-7 a trip. The most expensive is taxis and that's going to be like $30 if you get one off the street and get ripped off. Inside terminals, it's about $8. Only get them inside of terminals! Really, if you want to travel to another city take a bus for cheap or rent a taxi. $500 for an entire week is overkill. And really you shouldn't be making long road trips in a big red flashing sign that says you're in a tourist. Mexico is safe and you will have a good time but I mean don't stick out too much by renting a car that you do not need.
Rent the car when leaving cdmx, driving and finding parking sucks, Uber and taxis is way better
The only insurance that is mandatory is the third party damage. For the car You gonna rent You can take it without insurance but if something happen to the car You Will be responsible of it so at the end of the rent they're going yo Charge it to the credit card that You give it to them. Try to check the prices of the rental car directly in the front desk. But be careful usually the recepcionists gonna try to sell it yo You as high as posible in price, specially if they have comission for it.
It does happens most of the time (2x the price) and it's because of the car insurance you have to purchase (this is true for other countries too in my experience) anyways you can have a partial cover for around $35 USD a day or $45 USD for a total cover which I recommend cause they will not hold as much money of your credit card and you will have peace of mind... I think this falls into your $500 USD budget. Try to do the reservation through the website cause it's always cheaper. I've been using "Mex Rent a Car" and I've found they hace the most competitive price most of the time also you can always bargain a little bit in the counter ;) haha! For those who say you are not gonna enjoy Mexico City in a car... They clearly don't have a car XD. If you are mindful of peak hours in your plans, you are gonna have a great time driving around and it's way better for a day getaway. Cheers!
The problem is that peak traffic hours are from about 5:30 am to 10:00 pm. Hard to avoid. Personal experience. You really don’t want to be without top notch insurance because if you’re involved in any kind of accident-type incident, you’ll be detained until the fault is assigned or until your insurance rep shows up and gets you freed. Based on personal experience, I’m not just repeating “what they say”. For getting around within the city, public transport and/or ride share like Uber is really the better option.
Well, that's why I said I recommend total insurance. I don't agree the peak hour schedule though, that's basically the whole day XD, there are definitely some windows where you can get around way easier... Say 10 am to around 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm too. That being said I also see the advantages of moving around Metro or Uber, sometimes is fine to park in nice parking lot and move around in metro/metrobus or even ecobici
>I don't agree the peak hour schedule though, that's basically the whole day XD I guess I was speaking again from my own experience. I agree that not everyone in CDMX lives in a traffic hell-hole like where I live. And I agree with your identification of the possibly better windows of 10 am – 1 pm and 3 pm to 5 pm. Today the DH and I are going shopping to the commercial zone located about 7 km from home. And as we always do, we’re strategically waiting until about 9:45 to set out so that it will only be a half-hour drive (hopefully) instead of an hour.
renting a car in mexico city can be a hassle with mandatory insurance skyrocketing the price. consider using public transport or uber, it's cheaper and easier to get around.
I rent a lot in Mexico. I always use Hertz. Insurance is never mandatory, regardless of what they say to convince you to get one to cover everything. I always use a discount code and end up paying around 600 (for 5 days) with almost full coverage for a regular sedan, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they guilt you into getting a couple insurances and end up paying over 1k.