What You Need To Know About Renting A Car In Cabo

One of the best ways to explore Los Cabos is by renting a car and seeing the sites at your leisure. Although there are plenty alternate transportation options from the public bus, taxis and Uber, as well as tours that offer transportation, you will likely save money by renting a car and driving yourself. If flexibility, spontinaety and privacy are important during your vacation, I highly recommend renting a car during your stay. We have driven all over the Los Cabos area, all the way up to La Paz and back. I can say with confidence that it is a very safe area for tourists and we’ve always felt comfortable driving while in Cabo.

Before You Go: What you need to know about renting a car in Los Cabos:

Do your research

Research car rental companies ahead of time. Read reviews on Trip Advisor forums and only make inquiries with companies who receive high ratings. Only after you’ve found a reputable vender should you shop around for prices. When comparing prices, it’s important to be aware that most places don’t include the mandatory Mexican Insurance in their pricing, so always find out the total with insurance so there won’t be any surprises at the beginning of your trip.

Mexican car insurance

By law You have to have Mexican liability insurance from a Mexican company. Typically you can get that all at once from a car rental agency. Purchase this insurance along with your rental before you arrive in Los Cabos. They should give a set price with liability included.

We use our credit card for collision. Your home insurance may cover collisions in a foreign country. Verify which route to go and provide proof at the agency so you won’t have to add it to your rental cost at the last minute.

Make your reservation before you leave

To insure the agency has the type of car you need, book a couple weeks to a month ahead of your trip, if not more. During popular times, availability may be limited, so line up your car as soon as possible. If you require a large passenger vehicle you might consider booking even farther in advance. You can make your reservation via phone, online form or email. We highly recommend the email route for communication because your email gives you a reservation document with a confirmation numbers and a price quote on your rental. Print out your paper trail and include price quotes so you can contest any price changes should they arise.

Car Rental Recommendations

 AMC Rent a Car is located just 5 minutes from the airport in San Jose del Cabo. We have worked with Antonio for several years, even back when he was working at Cactus Car Rental. Antonio is well liked and requested amongst seasoned travelers in Cabo tourist forums and groups. He has recently opened his own business, AMC Rent a Car and I am happy to recommend him to anyone in need of a car in Los Cabos. He is kind and helpful and will take good care of you. If for some reason he is unable to meet your needs, a second option would be Cactus. We have had wonderful experiences at both businesses.

{This is not a sponsored post, just a recommendation based on several great experiences with Antonio}

 

Once You Land: What you can expect at the airport:

After you get off the plane, wait in the baggage claim area to gather your luggage. Next you will go through immigration process upstairs. Sometimes this is a long line, but often the line goes pretty fast. Have your passport ready. Every once in a while you may be selected for a random luggage search, more often on your return flight.

Be Prepared

Once you have cleared immigration, you will go into the shark tank. Just kidding…sort of. If you have never flown into Cabo before, brace yourself for this next room (honestly it’s so, SO much better than it used to be). Once the automatic doors open you will be greeted, bombarded, accosted by a group of people who might at first glance seem like they are trying to help you find transportation. They are in fact timeshare sharks and are primarily there to set you up with a presentation before you arrive at your hotel/resort. All you have to do here is ignore them. Keep walking past until you get to the exit door. This is the main exit leading you outside.The first taste of your Mexican vacation starts as soon as you get through those doors. Don’t engage with the people in the shark tank. A simple “no gracias” if you must and keep on walking.

Getting to the Car Rental

Now you are outside. As soon as you walk out the door of the airport, you will notice a bar off to the left, and another to your right. You can stop here for a drink, or just keep walking straight ahead until you see a group of people slightly off to the right holding signs for taxi and car rental companies. Look for the AMC sign if this is the company you are using. This person will be your driver and should have your name on their reservation list. They will assist you with your bags both in and out of the shuttle. Tipping, while not required is very much appreciated. We generally tip $1-2 US per bag if the ride is short and add in a few dollars if they are extra helpful, offering suggestions or generally provide excellent service.

Once you arrive at the rental agency you will finalize any paperwork and will be assigned a car. You may or may not need to inspect the car for prior scratches (depending on the agency). This process doesn’t take long and soon you will be on your way!

On the left is the covered area outside the airport where you will find your shuttle to the car rental. Off to the right, with the wood panneling is one of the outdoor bars located at the airport. NOTE: this photo was taken across the street, so the view you see when exiting the airport will be actually be flipped. The bar with the wood siding will be on your left and the covered shuttle area will just slightly to your right.

Here are some things to be aware of when you have a rental.

Gas Station Scam

Read up on gas pump scams. Certain gas attendants will try to confuse you saying you didn’t give them a certain amount of cash and will try to short change you. Luckily we knew about this ahead of time and have only experienced it one time in all our trips to Cabo. Knowing about this will make it easier to call them out. It is helpful to get out of your car and pay close attention to the entire transaction. Count out your money out loud, so there is no question how much you paid. Better yet, if you are a Costco member, fill up at the Costco gas station. The times we filled up at Costco were seamless.

Returning your Car

When your trip is over, return the car with the amount of gas that was in the tank, the day you received it. If it was full when you arrived, fill it up before your turn it in. Typically, upon your return, you will get back into the car and an agent will drive you to the airport and drop you off at the door closest to your airline. In the rush of the final travel day, I always appreciate being dropped off at the airport.

I hope these suggestions will make your car rental experience in Los Cabos easier. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!