To immediately answer that one burning question, "Is renting a car in Mexico safe? Based on my experiences (April/May 2022), I wholeheartedly say YES! In this article you will read why and find tips to make your trip in Mexico an unforgettable one! By the way, be careful when parking your car and avoid being towed away. More on that at the end of this article!
Roadtrip vibes at its best!
Roll down the window, crank up the music and experience the real road trip vibes as you drive among the palm trees in southern Mexico. The Yucatán peninsula is a real paradise with its blue sea, white beaches (unfortunately not always free of seaweed), beautiful cenotes and historic maya temples.
Safety
Driving in southern Mexico is absolutely safe. The highways - for some you pay toll, this is indicated on Google Maps - are well paved and comfortable to drive. In the Netherlands we are used to many exits and populated areas along the highway, you will not easily encounter these in Southern Mexico. Along the highways, but also along national roads, there are mostly trees. Gas stations are scarce on these long roads, so keep this in mind.
If you travel on national roads, be prepared for bumpy roads with holes in them. Once you arrive in a village you will encounter significant speed bumps, which you can only pass at a maximum speed of 10km/h. In villages there are often salesmen standing next to these speed bumps, since you have to brake considerably you are an ideal target for them. You can simply ignore them and continue on your way, unless of course you are interested in their offer.
However, it is not recommended to go on the road in the evening (after sunset), most highways are often not lit well enough. As a result, you will not see obstacles such as crossing wildlife, people or holes in the roads as well.
Cancún
If you begin your journey in Southern Mexico, chances are your starting point will be Cancun Airport. Cancún is a bit more chaotic and crowded compared to the rest of Southern Mexico.
The reason for this? A big city with lots of traffic and not the best asphalt. Especially watch out for colectivos, the small vans stop in many places (including on a busy road) and often drive onto the road without too much pardon.
Police control
Southern Mexico consists of a number of states, including Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche and Chiapas. Chances are you will visit several of them during your trip. On the border between these states there are police posts that "guard the border. It is possible that the police will stop you (in fact, rental cars are quickly spotted by them) and want to check your vehicle.
On my trip, it only happened 2 times: at the Chiapas border and the Campeche border. Both times I had a chat (in Spanish) with the local agent and after checking a few things the trip could continue. So no big deal!
Practical tips & information
Traffic rules, refuelling, navigating through Southern Mexico and more.
Traffic rules
As in the Netherlands, in Mexico you drive on the right and overtake on the left. Depending on the road or highway, you may drive a maximum of 80 or 100 km/h outside built-up areas. Inside, the speed limit is 50 km/h. Inside built-up areas there are (not always visible) considerable speed bumps. There is often a warning sign, but not in every place; caution is advised!
Refueling
Refueling in Mexico is different than in the Netherlands. The refueling is done for you and the employee immediately washes your front window. A small tip is customary. The rental company will most likely advise you to fill up with "gasolina regular" for gasoline cars. Gas stations, as mentioned, are not that much located along highways. Are you embarking on a long drive? Then make sure you still have more than enough gasolina in the tank.
Bonus tip: Download Google Maps
You will by no means have good coverage everywhere while traveling. Download an offline map of the region via Google Maps in advance and mark places like your hotel or highlights you want to visit as favorites. Again, saves you from buying a navigation system with your rental car.
For example, drive your car past the beautiful colored lakes of Las Coloradas!
Credit card
Having a credit card (which is in the name of the main driver/renter) is mandatory when renting a car. The credit card is for the deposit (so make sure you have enough spending money).
Insurance
I myself had opted for the full insurance, simply because I did not know what to expect and had already read that the roads are not equally good everywhere. When picking up the rental car, we saw more than enough scratches from, for example, splashing stones. Take pictures of these in advance, so you always have evidence.
International driving license
It is not mandatory to have an international driver's license in Mexico. However, the ANWB will recommend it in case the police want to check it, but I never had any problems with my Dutch license.
The famous route across the 199
Online you will read many stories of people who have driven in the mountains of Chiapas (the 199 between Palenque - San Cristobal) with a rental car. This route includes the waterfalls Misol Ha and the Cascadas de Agua Azul. You'll also be close to the Roberto Barrios waterfalls when you're in Palenque. The 199 route guides you through the mountains past several small mountain villages where the Maya's still live according to the locals.
At obscure points you may be stopped by locals who stretch a rope across the road. They will ask you to buy one of their products (e.g. fruit) before you can continue. This happened to me once on both the way there and back from the drive to the falls.
Driving across the 199 does make you feel like you're in Hawaii!
Avoid a fine and a towed car
If you are going to park in front of your place of stay, check carefully that your car is in the correct spot. This is because if the traffic police (Policía Tránsito) see that it is a rental car, you are more likely to see your car towed away. The lines are thin when it comes to interpreting traffic rules, so better safe than sorry.
In my case, the car was within 10 meters of an intersection, while in every other street a lot of cars were like that. After visiting the traffic police, showing the rental agreement and confirming the car's localization, we were able to pick it up again (somewhere in a yard outside the city).
Cost: €225.00.
Use my experience to avoid this situation yourself :)
Wanna spend a few days without the car?
Then you should go to Isla Holbox! You park your car in the village of Chiquila (for about 5 euros per 24 hours) and then take the boat to make the crossing of +/- 20 minutes.
The island consists of dirt roads and so there are no cars, only golf carts. Because of this, there is a wonderful island vibe!
Minimum age to rent a car
With most rental companies, 21 is the minimum age to rent a car. However, you may have to pay an additional surcharge if you are under 25. Be aware of this when doing the search for a suitable rental car.
Choose driving comfort
Driving in Mexico can be a bit uncomfortable, especially at first. Therefore, opt for driving comfort in the form of an automatic. This allows you to pay better attention to the traffic. Pay attention to whether you also have enough room for 2 (large) suitcases, otherwise you would have to remove the rear shelf. However, this hat shelf is recommended if you park the car somewhere. Your stuff will be out of sight and this will reduce the chance of a car break-in.
Note: At the airport (after arrival), people may come up to you and offer you a much cheaper option. Do not accept this, as you have already signed a contract and sometimes paid an amount in advance. Besides, it is a deal that is too good to be true, because you do not know what kind of car you will get and what about insurance.
Have fun driving through Mexico!
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