Yucatan organised bus travel vs rented car
Gert Bukacek
am reconsidering this intention.
I'd be pleased to receive your oppinion on that. (perhaps new
advantages/disadvantages and conclusion!!)
Some thoughts of mine concerning advantages and disadvantages:
car:
+ independent (choose the exact tour, stop at any place, return as i
please)
+ maybe cheaper
- risk of getting robbed on remote streets (I've heard of people carrying
guns robbing you)
- problem with accidents (as much as I figured out tourists are always
responsible, the police is corrupt and should be avoided)
- risk of car getting robbed, stolen or damaged while visiting sights
thank you in advance
Buki
news.verizon.net
interesting, so leaving the driving to a pro is a good idea. But do not take
organized bus tours. They typically arrive too late in the day and leave too
early to really enjoy your visit. The country is criss=crossed by a very
efficient and comfortable bus service and that, to me, is the best way to
travel. Even the chicken busses to out-of-the-way villages are not bad at
all for a short ride.
Driving your own car is not a problem either if you carry the right
insurance with local representation. But it is a tiresome responsibility and
a worry I don't need. As for the cops, they are generally your friend, at
least as good or better than your average U.S. State trooper. And
corruption, is not at all the monster we hear about. Different customs apply
in different countries (and Cities). Just remember the true meaning of the
word Tip: to insure prompt service :-) If you have done something very dumb
and dangerous do you prefer showing up in court the next week or leaving
$10. on the spot in appreciation for a quick sermon and leniency? BTW, I
have not had to do that in the past twenty years and that was in my own
country.
"Gert Bukacek" <h015...@wu-wien.ac.at> wrote in message
news:%P8nb.29749$vL1.3...@news.chello.at...
Caveat
Personally, I hate those bus tours. You are herded around like cattle
on some pre-set schedule. It's always crowded because you take the
crowd with you. And you can only see what they want you to see. Part
of the excitement of Chichen Itza and Uxmal is being able to wander
around these places alone, and feel the history. I doubt that, for
instance, bus tour operators let members crawl up the narrow
passageway inside the Caracol observatory at Chichen Itza.
The Yucatan isn't known to be a very dangerous place in terms of
personal crime against tourists. Cities where you are from are likely
more dangerous. And flying anywhere to a vacation site is probably far
more dangerous than wandering the streets of Merida or Cancun.
Car rentals are a bargain in Mexico, and all the big international
companies operate there. The usual precautions apply: don't drive at
night, watch out for animals on the road, beware of potholes and
repair zones, beware of light-fingered kids in gas stations, do not
leave valuable visible inside a parked car. And learn what the signs
that say "topes" mean.
The mandatory Mexican liability insurance costs about $US5 per day. We
use our American Express Card insurance package to cover the rest.
(Watch out for overcharges.) Obviously don't get into accidents -- the
Policia are not all corrupt, but the laws may require that all parties
be arrested until fault can be determined. And most importantly: do
not drive when you have been drinking alcohol (your insurance is
ineffective if they decide that you are impaired).
Regards,
Caveat
Keith G. Murphy
> Policia are not all corrupt,
I dispute that a bit. We rented a car out of Merida to go south, and
were pulled over in Uman. They claimed I ran a red light, which was
bullshit. Ended up paying their damn mordida.
Otherwise, we had no problems at all, and I would still recommend
renting in the Yucatan. Just be careful going through Uman. :-)
jamie usher
Poppin In WA
a car nor went on a tour. We took local buses from place to place,
and used taxis in town. Taxis generally cost 30 or 40 pesos. We
started in Cancun. We'd planned to take a bus to Playa del Carmen,
but when we got into the taxi to go to the station the driver offered
to take us to Playa for only 200 pesos. A bargain, so we accepted.
In Playa we rode in the car of a fellow tourist to go to the
supermarket-very handy. We took a first class bus (ADO) to Merida
(stayed at Dolores Alba). Took another first class (ADO) bus to
Chichen Itza where we grabbed a cab to our nearby hotel. Finally, we
took a second class bus to Cancun. We could have just gone to
Valladolid and transferred to a first class bus, but it turned out to
be far more interesting to travel through all the small villages on
the second class bus. At one point the driver stopped to buy some
fresh fruit for his lunch, and on the outskirts of Cancun he stopped
and hurried into a shop to buy something else. It was really funny.
In each case he left the engine running so the a/c kept running. The
trip took a little longer, but it was worth the sightseeing
opportunity!
We encountered several people driving rental cars but only heard one
story. In Playa del Carmen, on a Friday night, the driver was pulled
over for a minor infraction. He was given the choice of showing up
for a hearing on Monday, or paying half the amount (in U.S. dollars)
on the spot, which he did. No fuss, no muss.
Que Onda
a kind of paradise and there is a lot less crime compared with other
cities, inside and outside of Mexico.
However, I would rather go by bus instead of the hassle with street
bumpers, police and finding myself all of a sudden in an area, I would
rather see in a movie then in real life. I found some information
about the Cancun area at a page called queondamex but it seems as if
the street description there is basicaly restricted to Cancun.
Going further south or west by car, I would not leave the highway. The
highway is in good condition, the other streets are not.
One good thing is that it is hard to get lost. There are traffic signs
all over and just going straight ahead leads inevitably to the next
information.
But as I wrote before, I would prefer the bus. These ADO-Busses are
with tv and air-conditioning and I travel relaxed.