Tips for Renting a Car in Mexico

If you’re planning a trip to one of Mexico’s many tourist destinations, somewhere off the beaten path, or even dreaming of a road trip through Mexico, one of the things you’ll want to research and prepare ahead of time is rental of a car. No doubt you are very excited about your trip, but some would-be travelers start to get scared when they start to do their research because so many people have posted their bad experiences with XYZ company on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

First, it’s important to remember that people are much more likely to review a bad experience than a good one (no news is good news), so you definitely shouldn’t let that make you second-guess your decision. to go on vacation. in Mexico. Second, many tourists from the US, UK, and Canada have bad experiences because they didn’t do enough research before leaving town. So that doesn’t happen to you, be sure to consider these tips for renting a car in Mexico before you go.

1: Know what you need to rent a car in Mexico

The last thing you want is to show up at the car rental location to pick up your vehicle only to find out that you don’t have the required documentation. This is what you will need:

• Driver 25 years or older

• Valid driver’s license written in Latin characters (not Chinese, Arabic, Russian, etc.)

• An international driver’s license if your original is written in another type of characters

• Credit card

• A second form of photo identification if your driver’s license does not have a photo

• Proof of CDW insurance (can be purchased at the rental location, can be included as a benefit on your credit card or travel insurance policy)

• Proof of PLI insurance (PLI MUST be purchased from the rental company)

2: Reserve your Mexico car rental online in advance

You are more likely to get a better deal on your car rental if you have a rate locked in before you get to the counter. This also gives you plenty of time to comfortably read the fine print and terms of the rental agreement so you know what’s included and what’s not. Which brings us to Tip #3…

3: Read the fine print in the car rental agreement

It is important to know what is included in the quoted price. You may find a major discount travel website offering Mexico car rentals at rates of $8 USD per day, sounds great! Until you get to the rental location and find out that it doesn’t include any of the required insurance coverage, taxes or fees. Insurance can double or triple the cost of a rental car, and Mexico has a fairly high sales tax called “IVA” (Value Added Tax in Spanish).

4: Don’t assume that a US-based car rental company is better than a Mexican one

Many of the worst reviews online are from American and European tourists who booked their rental car with a company they knew from their home company, only to discover that they operated very differently in Mexico. The lesson here is that you can’t blindly pick or dismiss a car rental company because of where it’s based. You have to do your independent research.