Whether 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 for in advance is rental. of a car. You’re no doubt very excited about your trip, but some would-be travelers start to cringe when they start digging because so many people have posted their bad experiences with XYZ Company on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

First of all, it’s important to remember that people are much more likely to write a review about 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 the city. So that doesn’t happen to you, make sure you keep these tips for renting a car in Mexico in mind 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 office 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 car rental in Mexico online in advance

You’re 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 to know what is included and what is 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 rental cars in Mexico at rates as low as $8 USD per day, sounds great! Until you arrive at the rental location and find out that it does not 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 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 find that they operated very differently in Mexico. The lesson here is that you can’t blindly pick or rule out a car rental company because of where it’s based. You have to do your independent research.