New to Tulum

[BeachLover]

Hi all,:wave:
Looking forward to our first trip to Tulum in November -- staying at Le Zebra for a week.
Back in the early 80s I went to Cancun and took a bus trip to the ruins in Tulum. That's the closest I've been to Tulum, although I don't think there was much of anything there at the time. My husband has never been to Mexico at all, so this will be an adventure for both of us.
I'm sure I'll have many questions, but for now, who does everyone use for a rental car. Will be renting in Cancun for the week.
Thanks for all the info here.
Cheryl & Pete

[TrishandIan]

Welcome!
We have always used Easyway (3 times) but are thinking about America/Caribbean car rental. There are lots and lots of informative threads about car rentals on the www.locogringo.com board. It seems that people experiences are all over the place. We've never had a problem with Easyway but some had. Goodluck!

[beachreader]

I've used Continental-rentacar twice now, but will be open to other suggestions on my next trip in the fall. Just go and check out a few different companies and see what they offer for rates that include all the insurances (most of the local companies offer inclusive rates). Plenty of threads on the subject here as well as at other sites using the search function.

Continental is really the same company as Caribbean and America (and maybe something else, who knows). You might check all three sites because I think they offer different rates on different sites.

Easyway and Buster also have their fans.

[minniemex]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k83/Minniemex/Avitars/ALLWELKOM.gif to the board!! I am so envious you saw Cancun and Tulum so many years ago!! You will be shocked at the changes for sure!!

As far as car rental, I have to agree that the experience you have with any company will be your own. It seems to depend on who is working and what car you get. The only thing I would not skip is the all inclusive insurance that covers everything. You seem to get that more from the local companies than the big box names.

[AdGuy]

Welcome to the board, Cheryl and Pete. Tulum is a magical place and you're going to have an amazing time. Make sure to use the Search function on this website (above in the blue banner) as many of the questions you'll have (including rental cars) have most likely been covered extensively. If you still have questions, feel free to ask away! :)

By the way beachreader, is Cheryl and Pete (beachlover) of any relation to you...via the beach family? http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_2_16.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxmk762YYUS)

[kcaraco]

Typically, we rent from Hertz because they had the best rates on minivans. This time, though, DH went with Europcar. We rented from them in Spain last year, and had a very good experience. Hopefully, it'll be a repeat good experience in Mexico. They had the best rate for a compact car for 10 days, $258.

Cheers,
Kathy

[mayaflya]

You guys reminded me that I didn't include anything about our rental car in my trip report...and I did want to follow up on my experience...full of bravado and encouraged by positive reviews of dealing with the local car rental agencies, I had reserved a car with Cancun/Carribbean/American for our March trip.

We made the reservation in November...and then there was a string of some less than happy experiences reported...mostly regarding the availability of cars..As our trip was during spring break, and we had a late day arrival, I thought I'd better reconfirm our reservation. I emailed the agency about a week prior, but had not heard any response...I got nervous and cancelled...making a new reservation with Avis. I learned later that people usually get a reconfirmation just before the trip (or after they've left)...I blinked...

So I paid about a $120 more for the week...including the zero deductible insurance and prepaid gas..and got a quick turnaround at the airport/shuttle/office (about 30 minutes from terminal door to 307 southbound), the exact car I reserved (although with a few more km than the nearly new one we rented with Avis last year), full tank of gas (which lasted all week, even with a trip to Coba and commuting from Soliman Bay to Tulum, we returned the car with about 1/4 tank left), quick return...and no hassles.

If you decide to stick with the majors...I'd recommend Avis..they seem to be one of the better values for name brands..and no surprises.

[beachreader]

Thanks, Maya, definitely something to consider. The in and out and the no-gas worries could well be worth the extra bucks.

Once I rented with Thrifty and was in and out in a heartbeat, the second time I was in the office for an hour waiting for a group of Europeans ahead of me. Holy moses, that was a seriously annoying hour, and I still have no freaking idea what they were doing up there.

[Lynnette]

We've had our best luck with Easyway as far as newer, reliable cars, and communications. We did have a minor issue with them honoring an advertised discount a few years ago, switched to another local company, had a very bad experience, and have used Easyway ever since.