Discussions

We are heading to Mexico this winter and staying at a private condo. We've been before but always done all-inclusive. Has anyone rented a car in Mexico, and how was the experience?

I've heard that the police target foreigners on their driving, and ticket them on the spot and you are required to pay the fine to the police on the spot. Also depending where you go, there is a language barrier. It has happened to a friend of mine, but he paid a less fine on the spot and the cop let him go.

lots of people rent vehicles in Mexico and yes, there are some horror stories. Make sure you get the liability insurance - don't try to go cheap on this. Make sure you can easily contact the rental agency if there is a problem - like an accident. Learn the Spanish traffic signs now. Have eyes on all sides of your head because down there, vehicles, including motorcycles and scooters, appear on all sides of you. Driving at night can be dangerous - especially out in the country. Rental vehicles have rental plates so that makes them easy to identify by the police and yes, you can be a cash cow for them. Do some research up front to determine which car agencies have the best rep in the location you are going to - sometimes on-line booking will give you a better price than what you can get in person.

We will be renting in Cancun and driving down the Mayan coast. We will definitely book ahead and get insurance.

my driving experience in Mexico is in that area. There are so many tourists there, foreign drivers are given. There can be a lot of police checkpoint around Cancun as there are actually a lot of different police forces around. Only speeding ticket I have ever had was driving in the Hotel Zone in cancun. The old story, ' $100US and you have to hand over your license and pay your fine at the police station tomorrow but if you pay it here now, its only $50.' I paid. Later figured out I had been speeding, well over the speed limit and the fine should have been $200. The drive south is good, 4 lane to Tulum, pretty well. South of Tulum, great pavement to Chetumal. Felipe Carillo Puerto - even the locals get nailed by the cops there. And its a tricky jog in the highway. Road to Majahual sees an army checkpoint. Traffic lights - not like here sometimes, the greens aren't on across from each other. They go around the circle.

We have rented the last few years in the Tulum aria and have drove the highway up and down the coast lots.  
#1 tip keep alert at all times on the highway the taxis and local bus's will pass you going 120 to 140 so they come up fast. Local rich people driving SUV's come up even faster.  
#2 Watch out for the speed bumps that are everywhere they can be small to huge.  
# 3 Drive like you do here at home respect the rules of the road and we have never been stopped by the local police. All the check stops wave tourists right through.  

Getty said "I've heard that the police target foreigners on their driving, and ticket them on the spot and you are required to pay the fine to the police on the spot. Also depending where you go, there is a language barrier. It has happened to a friend of mine, but he paid a less fine on the spot and the cop let him go. "

The mexican police will find any excuse to issue a ticket to foreigners with money. For instance, hanging out the back of a convertible with a cooler full of open cerveza's. That happened. The fines that you friend had to pay is called extortion. They took your buddy for a ride.

LoadedGun said "    Getty said "I've heard that the police target foreigners on their driving, and ticket them on the spot and you are required to pay the fine to the police on the spot. Also depending where you go, there is a language barrier. It has happened to a friend of mine, but he paid a less fine on the spot and the cop let him go. " The mexican police will find any excuse to issue a ticket to foreigners with money. For instance, hanging out the back of a convertible with a cooler full of open cerveza's. That happened. The fines that you friend had to pay is called extortion. They took your buddy for a ride. "

So what course of action do you suggest?  
 
Start ranting to the cop about how it's extortion and it's wrong to put the squeeze on tourists, bla bla bla?  
 
It's part of life when you're traveling in those parts. Just don't keep all your cash in one pocket - then it's hard to dicker.