3 Major Things I Wish I Knew Before Traveling to Cancun
10.09.2023
By: Ray SaVonne
I celebrated my 30th birthday in Cancun, Mexico, this year and it was definitely a trip to remember! I read all these articles about Mexico’s rich cultural heritage, how great the weather is, how wonderful the beaches are, and how Mexico’s sunny days are like no other!
While there, I did fun-filled excursions all of which gave what they needed to give! The beaches were just like the photos and videos you see online, and the sun was nothing short of scorching!
Overall, I had a great weekend trip filled with memories I’ll cherish forever! But, I did take note of things I wished I knew before traveling to Cancun:
1. Book a car service or renting a car may be better than taking taxis.
When I travel, I usually rent a car or use Uber (or whatever version of Uber that particular place offers). I read that taxis and Uber were both available forms of transportation in Cancun, and I was perfectly fine with that! I really don’t like driving in general, especially abroad, and I wanted everyone to enjoy themselves by not having to worry about who would be the DD each day.
In Cancun specifically, Uber is offered, but you can’t book an Uber ride from the airport to your Airbnb or hotel. We ended up getting a taxi to take us from the airport to our Airbnb since Uber wouldn’t work. The taxis had set prices; $85 per car for up to 5 people. If traveling alone, it was the full $85, unfortunately. Renting a car was around $180 for a weekend and a couple of my friends who came later in the day decided to go that route instead of taking a taxi.
It seemed as though Uber was only allowed in certain places and only during certain hours of the day.
Be aware that if you don’t rent a car, the ONLY form of transportation at night is taxis and the rates are ridiculously high.
2. There are specific scams targeted towards tourists.
Try to get all your driving/running around and excursions done in the daytime (if you rent a car).
Our first night in Cancun we had dinner reservations about 10 minutes away from our Airbnb. Before we could even get down the street, we were pulled over by the police. They asked us if we spoke Spanish or English and once we said English, they made us pull aside and said that the GPS we were using was illegal to use while driving in Mexico. Of course, we were all confused because ALL of our taxi and Uber drivers used GPS, but the officer insisted that it was illegal. The officer told my friend (who was driving) that they would take his driver's license, he’d have to pick it up at the police station, and he’d have to pay a $300 USD fine to get his driver's license back. Now, we were all really heated because that made no sense. My friend was NOT having it and told the officer he was going to call the Embassy in the morning about this incident and the officer quickly gave him back his ID and let us go. If someone is telling you something that doesn’t add up, threaten to CALL THE U.S. EMBASSY, they know what they’re doing is wrong!When we used taxis, everything was fine, but at night if we drove the rental car, we got pulled over EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Be cautious when using credit or debit cards when paying for things. I was charged $120 for a club entry fee that I was told was only $10, so I ended up having to dispute the charge with my bank.
3. An all-inclusive resort is probably the best way to go!
If you’re wanting a heckler-free trip in Cancun, please, please, please stay at an all-inclusive resort. I especially advise this for solo travelers and girls’ trips. The all-inclusive resorts make SURE your stay is nothing short of perfect and will do everything in their power to ensure you have a great time. If you want to leave the resort grounds for any reason, I encourage you to do it during the day, or hire a car service to make sure you get to all your destinations safely and hassle-free, regardless of the time of day you go.
All in all, my trip to Cancun was good but could have been better had I known the things above. I hope my experiences and takeaways help!
XO,
The Kléi
