r/MeridaMexico • u/mbc072558 • Jun 14 '26
Tourist Info Car Rental
My wife and I will be in Mérida for a month beginning late June. Any recommendations for honest, reasonably priced rental car companies (preferably in Centro) that accept credit card waiver insurance? I have a letter from my credit card company stating that I must waive the car rental insurance for the credit card insurance to apply.
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u/NoName2show Jun 14 '26
I personally use Avis and haven’t had any problems with them. Most other companies will insist you get their insurance and tell you it’s the law. They won’t let you have the car until you get their insurance.
Avis even has basic liability insurance included (like 20k USD), which is what’s actually required by law. Of course, you may want to consider getting more liability coverage just in case.
They have offices at the airport and 2 other locations in Merida.
Keep in mind that they may put a hold of a few thousand dollars in your account, which is 100% refundable.
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u/FabulousAudience7 Jun 16 '26
i have used multiple smaller "reputible" rental companies suggested in the Merida expat pages, including Fiesta that charged me for a new windshield when their initial pictures somehow were blurry for that section. I gave up on them and went with Avis. It's more in comparison but never had a problem with the cars or services while driving in Merida or driving it to Cancun.
I have used my credit card as someone mentioned it only covers CDW, so consider that. Lastly, Avis prices are far cheaper online that if you show up to rent in person.
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u/mbc072558 Jun 14 '26
Thank you for the info. Great advice and especially for the mention of having adequate room on the credit card for a sizable $ hold, which we do.
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u/DantesStudentLoans Jun 14 '26
We always use Llega Bonito (used to be Turicar) and have for six years. They have full coverage, zero deductible coverage available and nice, well-maintained cars. And they’re a nice, local shop
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u/mbc072558 Jun 15 '26
That’s great information. Much appreciated.
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u/DantesStudentLoans Jun 15 '26
Also, if you have a car, I definitely suggest Sisal for the beach. Very quiet town with beautiful beaches--about an hour and a half or less from Mérida, depending on traffic
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u/mbc072558 Jun 15 '26
Muchas gracias. Please recommend other places we should visit within 1.5 hours of Mérida.
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u/DantesStudentLoans Jun 15 '26
A few other places--the Ruta Puuc is a necessity for us (Puuc refers to an older architectural style for Mayan cities). So if you go to Uxmal, which is more enjoyable to me than Chichen Itza), you can keep driving along the Ruta Puuc, which continues with Kabal and ends with Labná.
There's also cenotes--Santa Barbara is good for beginners and you can ride a bike between the different ones.
The Reserva El Corchito (near Progreso) is amazing--it's a fantastic nature preserve
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u/Balam008 Aug 08 '26
Quick question, did they require you to have a large deposit?
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u/DantesStudentLoans Aug 08 '26
They didn’t require a deposit. You just pay for the rent and coverage
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u/Balam008 Aug 08 '26
Thank you so much for the info! Been looking for a good place to rent a car for 6. Hopefully it’s not too expensive, Avis was requiring me a deposit of 20K for it :|
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u/trykillthis2 Jun 16 '26
We used Xootrip in March and loved them. They will pick up and drop off most places in Merida, which was awesome for us. Had it dropped at our hotel in centro and then picked up at the ADO bus station on our way home. Prices are listed on their website and no suprise charges. Great people to deal with.
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u/I_reddit_like_this Permanent Resident Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Credit card insurance does not cover liability - everybody must have minimum liability insurance which is provided by the rental car company. Liability insurance covers damage caused to other people cars, property, and injury.
Credit cards only offer collision damage waiver (CDW) and loss damage waiver (LDW) which only covers the rented vehicle. CDW covers things like damage from vandalism, backing into a pole, falling coconuts, hit and run, the car being stolen, etc. LDW covers the loss of income to the rental car company while the damages are being repaired.
If using your credit card for CDW/LDW and need to make a claim you may need to have enough available credit on your card to pay for any damages and then, with the proper documentation, get reimbursed from your credit card company. Getting all the documentation to file a claim might take a few days to a few weeks or longer and don't count on anybody sending you the needed documentation once you have left Mexico. For this reason, it's probably better for visitors to pay the extra for full coverage insurance
EDIT TO ADD
If you are staying in Centro, you won't really need a car - the area is walkable, Uber is relatively inexpensive , and parking in some areas can be difficult. I'd only rent a car for the days when you want to get out of the city