If you are planning a trip to one of Mexico’s many tourist destinations, somewhere off the beaten track, or even dreaming of a road trip through Mexico, one of the things you’ll want to research and prepare ahead of time is renting a car. A car. You’re certainly very excited about your trip, but some potential travelers get cold feet when they start researching because so many people have posted their bad experiences with XYZ Company on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

First, 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 guess at your decision to leave. holidays. in Mexico. Second, many tourists from the US, UK and Canada have bad experiences because they did not do enough research before leaving the city. To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, be sure to consider these tips for renting a car in Mexico before you travel.

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 and discover 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 its original is written in other types 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 rental company)

2: Reserve your Mexican rental car online in advance

You are more likely to get a better deal on your car rental if you have a set rate before you hit the counter. This also gives you plenty of time to comfortably read the fine print and terms of the rental agreement so you know what is included and what is not. Which brings us to tip n. 3 …

3: read the fine print on the car rental agreement

It is important to know what is included in the quoted price. You might find a major discount travel website offering Mexico rental cars at rates of $ 8 USD a day, that sounds great! Until you get to the rental location and know that it does not include any required insurance, tax or fee coverage. 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 come from American and European tourists who booked their car rental with a company they were familiar with at their local company, only to find that they operated very differently in Mexico. The lesson here is that you can’t blindly choose or rule out a car rental company based on its headquarters. You have to do your independent research.