Is it ';safe'; to drive a rental car in the Yucatan?

Do you need to buy extra rental insurance?





Will Gringos get arrested by the police just for bribes?Is it ';safe'; to drive a rental car in the Yucatan?
Click the link below to see all the roads in the Yucatan peninsula. I've driven most all those roads and never had a problem. The road that goes between Merida and Cancun is actually two roads Mex-180 Cuota (fast toll road) and Mex-180 Libre (slower free road). All the other roads are free roads (no toll).


I usually get all the insurance the rental company offers, because you the company to get there fast with a new car if someone hits you and your car is dead. Plus they'll help you with the police sorting through who's responsible.


I've driven through 18 of the 31 states in Mexico and I've never been stopped by police for a bribe. But I know pretty much what all the roads signs mean--try to find a website that explains the road signs. One important sign is ';TOPES'; (speed bumps), they can take off a muffler or worse if you hit them too hard.


If you see a sign of the letter ';E'; with a line through it, that means No Estacionamiento (No Parking).


One way streets in cities may be hard to discern, because the sign may only be an arrow on the side of the building on the corner. A better indicator may be if you look down the street and all the parked cars are on one side of the street facing the same way.


Remember to get pesos because the toll booths and gas stations do not take dollars. There is only one variety of gas station in Mexico--PEMEX, and none are self-serv. Make sure the attendant resets the pump to zero before he starts pumping or you could pay for more gas than you got.


For the most part, driving in the Yucatan is as easy as a drive in the country--just that the country is Mexico.Is it ';safe'; to drive a rental car in the Yucatan?
rent a ';sleeper';, the cheapest cars available, like a tsuru, chevy, or platina. that way you wont attract attention and have third world suspension as to be able to deal with the evi, stealth speed bumps. visa and mastercard will cover you fro insurance under 15 days in mexico but you must still buy the suplemental liability and your card has to have a high enough limit that the value of the car can be placed on it as a hold. If that is not an option, get the loss waiver.





Do not be tempted to bribe or offer bribes to anyone. mexico has changed dramatically when it comes to corruption and an offer of a bribe could be an invitation to jail time now.





The best way to take your funds is to have a free world wide atm debit card, that way you can get money from any bank atm as needed. usually, atm fees are about $5US so a free atm is worth while. if you must take cash, change about $200US at the airport and keep the rest in dollars. check with your hotel for safe deposit boxes.
We rented a car when were there a few weeks ago. Our concierge was very informative. She recommended we call our insurance company first and find out how much they cover while in Mexico. It turned out we had full coverage which saved us about $20 a day on the rental.





She also gave told us if we were to be stopped by the police, show them the tourist card she provided which would give us 3 chances before the card would be revoked. If you are given a ticket, with the tourist card, the ticket would be sent to the rental agency and you would pay when returning the car. This eliminates bribery or any money exchanges. I don't know if it is Alamo's policy or with all car rentals





It's quite safe in Yucatan. Learn the signs, watch out for one-ways and the crazy speed bumps they have. Careful with all the pedestrians.
its super safe... the roads are in excellent condition, its easy to get around and if stopped by police looking for a bribe just act stupid. even if you can speak spanish, play dumb...they will get tired and eventually let you be. but the cops in cancun arent that bad...just be respectful and friendly and they will be cool, even helpful.





its slightly cheaper to pay by peso... haggle in dollars but when paying up, say you have pesos! exchange money before you leave if you can, banks have the best rates in mexico...avoid the airport or kiosks on the street. and remember, nothing is free in cancun