Are you thinking about hitting up the beautiful Cabo region on the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula? With sun, sea, sand, and good times around every corner, it’s the perfect road trip destination.
So whether you’re chasing the swell, sightseeing, or checking out the amazing local wildlife, here is our guide to renting a car in Cabo to help you fulfill your road-tripping dreams!
Let’s dive in and find out more.
How Much Does Renting A Car In Cabo Cost?
One of the first questions you often ask when you’re renting a car is how much is it going to cost. Essentially is it going to be worth it versus taxis, guided excursions, or public transport options?
The average cost of renting an economy car in the Cabo area is around $40 a day. This kind of price tends to include insurance, however, there are plenty of budget rates that advertise cars for $10-15 per day, but they’ll have a ton of add-ons and you’ll have to factor in insurance as a separate payment. This often means that you end up paying more overall so be careful when opting for the cheaper companies and rates!
Deposits
When you’re renting a car in Cabo, it’s likely that you’re going to have your credit or debit card swiped before you’re given the keys. This is to preapprove a charge if you bring the car back damaged or if you don’t bring it back at all.
We have to warn you in advance that this is no small fee. Depending on the rental company, it can be anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000. Normally they’ll pre-authorize the payment for a later date with a hold amount. You need to keep an eye on this, especially if you have a spending limit on your credit card because it might look like a charge even if the money doesn’t actually get taken!
Unlimited Mileage Allowances
If you can, make sure that you get the unlimited mileage allowance on your car rental agreement. This is going to save you so much in fees and stress when you’re trying to plan out your road trip.
Limited mileage charges you after a certain amount of miles and gets higher and higher the more you go over the limit. Given that you might not be able to find a gas station where you want to or parking or you might want to go on an extra day trip. If you don’t have unlimited mileage, any of these things can land you with a huge fine once you return the car.
Also if you do have limited mileage, make a note of the mileage when you pick up the car and note down the number you can’t go over as well as a limit around 10% under to top limit, so you don’t accidentally go over!
How Old Do You Need To Be To Rent A Car In Cabo?
Although in some countries you can rent a car as standard if you’re 21, especially in Europe, you have to be 25 to hire a car in Mexico without a surcharge at most rental places. That’s not to say it’s impossible to hire a car in Mexico if you’re under 25.
Many places will allow you to hire a car in Cabo if you’re 21-24, but you will probably have to pay a surcharge. A lot of the big companies will charge around an extra $10 per day for a younger driver to rent a car in Cabo.
Of course, you need to make sure that you have a valid driver’s license from your country, and make sure that you have Mexican car insurance of some kind. Whether that’s from the rental company directly, which is normally the easiest way, or if you have overseas cover on your regular car insurance, it doesn’t really matter, but you have to have insurance. It’s illegal in Mexico to drive without valid insurance, so make sure you’re covered!
What Are The Roads Like In Cabo?
While there are plenty of decent highways and main roads around the Baja Peninsula, and around the main areas of Cabo, there are also a whole host of dirt tracks and gravel roads to contend with as well.
Regular 2WD cars are usually fine around here, but if you want extra comfort and peace of mind, plenty of people opt for jeeps, 4WD cars, and larger vehicles to deal with unpredictable road conditions.
The closer you get to the major towns, the better the roads get, and the further into the wilds of the Mexican desert you get, the rougher the driving conditions are going to be. It’s common sense, but it bears repeating!
Rogue cows
Now, cows might not be the first animal that springs to mind when you think about Cabo, but they are all over the place. You need to be careful not to hit any cows as not only is it horrible, it’ll massively damage your rental car. Between a car and a cow, a cow will win that fight nine out of ten.
They are especially prevalent as you leave Cabo Airport on the toll road, so make sure you keep an eye out on this road specifically. It’s also worth keeping this in mind if you’re planning on driving at night, as you might not be able to see a cow until it’s too late or you might have to make a dangerous swerve. Be alert when it comes to Mexican cows!
Speed bumps
Another thing that you need to look out for on the roads in or around Cabo are Topes or speed bumps. They are everywhere. Of course, they’re there for safety reasons and to prevent people speeding through popular areas.
A lot of the time, these speed bumps will be precursored by giant yellow signs with Topes written in big letters, but this isn’t always the case. You need to keep an eye on your speed and you need to keep out for these speed bumps because if you hit them too fast, you can really damage your rental car, especially it’s suspension, and that can be costly!
How Easy Is It To Drive In Cabo?
If you’re used to driving in most of Europe, Canada, or in the US, you’re probably going to find driving in Cabo pretty straightforward.
As with the rest of Mexico, you drive on the right-hand side of the road in Cabo, so you don’t have to deal with getting to grips with the “wrong” side of the road.
Also, the majority of rental cars in the Cabo area are automatic transmissions, so it’s unlikely that you’re going to have to deal with a driving stick if you’re not used to it. Of course, make sure when you’re booking your rental car that you specify if you prefer automatic or stick to ensure you feel as comfortable as possible while you’re driving in Cabo.
Toll Roads
It’s worth mentioning that there are toll roads in popular locations throughout Cabo. Also referred to as Cuota Roads, the most popular one runs out to Cabo Airport. Honestly, even though you have to pay for them, they’re much better quality roads than the free or LIbera roads.
The toll costs 65 pesos which equates to between $3.50 to $4 depending on the rate of the day. To have a better quality road surface, less traffic, and overall a faster road, it’s well worth paying $4 to take the Cuota.
Make sure you have at least $5 in cash for this road as the toll booths will not accept cards at all. Especially considering this is going to be a toll that you’ll need to pay at the end of your trip when you’re heading back to the airport, we’d recommend hiding $5 with your passport for the journey back!
Speed
The speed limits in Mexico are in kilometers per hour, not in miles per hour and there are always plenty of traffic cops around to catch you if you speed!
By and large, the speed limit on the highways around Cabo will be 90km/h and it’ll lower down to 60km/h in town and on any other kind of road. Speeding fines have to be paid in person at the local police station and they’re not cheap, so keep to the speed limits.
Most of the time, the speed signs will be there to indicate the correct speed, but sometimes they might be few and far between, so keep those normal top-end speed limits in mind.
Maps
Although WiFi and internet access in both Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo is pretty decent, the road in between and the surrounding coastal and desert areas can offer spotty coverage at best.
Make sure that you download a full map of the southern Baja Peninsula before you leave to go on a road trip. That way if you lose signal, you won’t be left to your own devices out in the Mexican wilderness! Google Maps is pretty reliable and offers an offline download method, so it’s best to stick with them.
The only downside is that you don’t have live updates about traffic and road closures, so make sure you check the road conditions just before you set off on your road trip adventure!
Getting Gas In Cabo
One of the most important things to factor into any Cabo road trip is the location of the gas stations. While there are quite a few all around the Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo area, as well as the roads that connect the two, if you’re driving more off-piste, you might not find a ton of gas stations.
Tipping your gas station attendants
It’s really important to know that gas stations in and around Cabo are not self-serve. They all have attendants that will pump your gas for you and there is also normally someone who will clean your windshield at the same time.
Do not try and fill your own gas as this is not allowed and you will most likely get in trouble. Honestly, the customary tipping amount for gas station attendants is next to nothing – around 10-20 pesos which works out at under $1.
Make sure before the attendant starts pumping gas that they reset the counter back to zero. It’s not super common that attendants try to scam you like this, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for – you don’t want to end up having to massively overpay for a tank of gas!
Cash for gas
Another thing that you need to remember is that you’ll likely need to pay in cash at the gas station. Some places will accept cards, but not that many and it’s also a lot safer to pay in cash when someone else is putting the transaction through for you.
At the moment gas prices in Cabo are around $1.43, so it works out at around $70 for a full tank of gas, but your tip for the attendant. Make sure you have enough on you to pay, just in case paying by card isn’t an option.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – our guide to renting a car in Cabo. Whether you’re looking to hire a car for a day trip or you’re looking or a longer road trip adventure, these guidelines are sure to help you have a smooth car renting experience.
To recap:
- Make sure you have enough money for the car rental deposit.
- Keep an eye out for rogue cows and speed bumps.
- Make sure you’re covered by valid Mexican insurance.
- Don’t try and pump your own gas at gas stations.
- Download offline maps before you get in the car.
- Always bring cash just in case – especially for tolls!
Road-tripping across Cabo is sure to be an amazing experience full of awesome memories and opportunities that last a lifetime! If you have any questions or queries about renting a car in Cabo, drop them in the comments section below and we’ll get back with an answer as soon as possible!
