Re: Yucatan organised bus travel vs rented car

On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 13:11:23 GMT, "Gert Bukacek"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>Initially I wanted to rent a car. But after some good advice of friends  I
>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


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