Renting Mopeds in Cozumel

[cruisnfamily]

Hi All

I asked a Sally if she thought it was wise or not to rent mopeds in Cozumel. I am going to cut and paste her response here as I thought it deserved it's own thread so more people could read it.

Here goes:

I cannot recommend mopeds at all. EVERY day people are "scraped up" of the roads of Cozumel as a result of a moped accident. Some only suffer some road rash, which is bad enough to ruin a vacation. Others go home in a box.

Here are the top ten reasons to spend a little extra, surround yourself with metal, and rent a car:

10. Taxi drivers trying to get as many people to as many destinations per hour as possible.
9. Mopeds do not have the power to accelerate out of a potentially dangerous situation.
8. Roads have occasional patches of gravel for no reason.
7. There are other tourists on scooters who don't know how to drive them.
6. Scooters have a short wheel base which makes them difficult to maneuver.
5. There are other tourists in rental cars who have just been to Carlos 'n' Charlie's.
4. Beautiful vistas take your breath away, as well as your attention off the road.
3. Most roads are one way, except when they're not.
2. Moped brakes are not always reliable.
1. Most north-south roads have the right-of-way, ...with some exceptions.

Get the picture?

Every friend I have on the island who owns a moped has had a very serious accident. Don't let this be you! Please rent a car.

 

[sistert]

Same thing I've heard from friends who've gone to Cozumel. One of my co-workers said she was in a taxi that took a moped out!

I'll stay in the large metal vehicles thank you.

 

[GenieDana]

You can rent a car for close to the same price as a moped ($30 including insurance). Cars this cheap will be the VW bug or Safari (VW "Thing" in the US). The Bug's usually have the roof removed (usually by hacksaw - a low budget convertible). The Safaris are convertible by design.

Note these vehicles are not new, and have plenty of "character." I advise you to take some digital photo's of the vehicle BEFORE you leave the rental place - making certain the proprietor sees you taking the photo's. The photo's are a hoot anyway for your trip album!

Regardless, you would not want to be responsible for damage you did not cause, even if you opt to buy the insurance (which I also recommend). Rememeber- You must settle debts before you can reboard the ship, and I wouldn't want to spend a night in a Mexican jail because of a banged-up vehicle that isn't worth $200 (but the "cost" to repair will be $$$, Si Gringo?).

You can seat 4 or 5 in these cars, and they are "open" so you feel the wind, and you get some margin of safety. You can also carry gear (not so with the moped). A round trip of the island will be about $3 - $5 US in gas.

I've rented twice (on two different trips to Cozumel) with no problems whatsoever. The last time was June 7 from LessPay located at the Hotel Barracuda, just off the pier and south (water on your right) past the Police/Navy station. It's a 5 minute walk from the pier. There are other outlets within walking distance, including the National chains like Hertz.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[cruisnfamily]

I've rented twice (on two different trips to Cozumel) with no problems whatsoever. The last time was June 7 from LessPay located at the Hotel Barracuda, just off the pier and south (water on your right) past the Police/Navy station. It's a 5 minute walk from the pier. There are other outlets within walking distance, including the National chains like Hertz.

Details about the rental transaction, please! Did you book ahead of time or just show up? How did you know which chains were close to the pier?? I've been searching the internet and it's very hard to tell. I did find "LessPay" which looked to be the best so far. How was your experience with them?

 

[GenieDana]

Emailed Less Pay with a request for rates (including insurance). Received a reply from John Devries (I believe that was the name) with the quote, which stated I had a reservation. No deposit or credit card was required in advance.

We wanted the car from arrival (about 10:30 A.M.) until 5:30 P.M.

After disembarking, walked to their outlet at the Hotel Barracuda. They had about a dozen, or so cars parked on the street. Filled out some paperwork and they made an impression of my credit card. They said when I returned the car, and paid they would destroy the impression.

Another Important Hint: Before my trip, I called my credit card company to give them estimates of my spending, and who the spending would be with.

We went outside, and the desk clerk started the car and checked fuel. We took pictures at this time while he was present. The car had 1/2 tank, and we were told to return it with 1/2 tank.

Away we went! We made several stops - two for snorkeling on the Western side (Dzul Ha & another place). Then drove around to the Eastern side (Chen Rio, etc.) Did some obligatory bar stops too. Lastly, near San Gervaso on the way back to town stopped by a locals stand to buy Aztec blankets / souvenirs ( $2 afghans - I felt sorry for the guy and doubled what he was asking for and still got a deal - the kids love them!).

On this E/W road, there is a gas station on the right (north) side of the road on the outskirts of town. I put $3 US in the tank. The gas gauge never moved (stayed on 1/2 tank the entire time!). Keep an eye on the attendant, they pump your gas. Make sure he zero's the bump before he begins pumping your gas or you might pay for the person before you. He asked how much I wanted, and I told him $3 and he obliged.

Then, as we got back into the city, we drove around a bit. It is nice to sight-see in an open vehicle. You cannot get lost, and the city is safe (they want to keep a good reputation = tourist $$$). We then cruised up and down the main drag at the water, parked a couple times and went into some stores. At 5:30 PM, we went back to the Hotel Barracuda, retuned the car. I paid $30 CASH, and the attendant gave me back all my paperwork and my credit card impressions (all of them, intact). Walked back to the ship to get ready for dinner from there.