Tourists urged to be cautious when renting a car in Mexico

Tourists considering renting a car in

Mexico are encouraged to exercise caution and follow a few important tips, provided by the editors of SmarterTravel.com. It is highly advisable to use the services of major international car hire companies while in

Mexico, rather than small local firms. Although local companies may offer seemingly competitive prices, most of the cars in their fleet are very basic and often do not include the services and facilities one would normally expect in a vehicle. For example, many of these cars are manual, rather than automatic. As such, those drivers who cannot drive such a car would have to request an automatic, which will significantly increase the advertised price of the rental. All gadgets, like central locking, may also have to be purchased separately. Alamo, for example, has a strong presence throughout Mexico, both at major airports and at resorts, and the level of service that these outlets offer is equivalent to what one would expect in Europe or the

United States.

Another factor to consider is that the vast majority of credit card insurance policies will not offer coverage for any damage that occurs to the vehicle, due to an accident in

Mexico. As such, purchasing a full insurance policy and a collision damage waiver when renting in

Mexico is absolutely essential.

Car rentals customers should also realize that they may be more vulnerable to theft than other tourists. Petty theft and crime remain problematic in

Mexico and since all rental cars have a visible sticker that denotes the automobile’s status as a car hire, it will be clear to all that the occupants are foreigners. It is, therefore, imperative that renters keep this in mind and exercise extra precaution.