Cancun is located off the northeast point of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, directly south of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Car rental links and driving advice.

Cancun Car Rental

Cancun is located off the northeast point of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, directly south of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Cancun consists of two distinct parts.

The first is an island referred to as the "Hotel Zone". It is separated from the mainland by two narrow canals at it's north and south ends and linked to the mainland via two bridges. The "Hotel Zone" is on this island where the majority of hotels are located. Shaped like the number 7, the outsideof the seven meets the Caribbean, inside the seven is the Nichupte lagoon.

The second part of Cancun is the bustling downtown area, known as "El Centro" to the locals, filled with shops and restaurants to fit any taste.

Driving Advice

Rental cars, primarily standard-shift sub-compacts and four-wheel-drive vehicles, are available at the airport and throughout Cancun. You can rent a car with automatic transmission and air-conditioning if you reserve it in advance. You can also hire a big, late-model car with air-conditioning and an English-speaking chauffeur at many hotel travel desks.

There are no rental cars available on Isla Mujeres, you can rent a Golf cart and drive it around the Island; you can also bring a car over on the Punta Sam ferry.

International road signs are used in Cancun-- although the words are in Spanish, you'll recognize the signs themselves. Keep your eyes open for bicycles, three-wheeled carts, mopeds and pedestrians, and be especially careful in the traffic circles. One final word of advice: Look out for yellow signs with small mountains on them--they indicate topes, or speed bumps, ahead- sometimes immediately ahead.

Speed Limits and Speed Bumps

In town, the limit is generally 40 km/hr (approx 25 mi/hr) and in the Hotel Zone 60 km/hr approx 37 mi/hr), with busy sections at 40 km/hr. Highways range between 90 km/hr (approx.. 55 mi/hr) and 100 km/hr (approx68 mi/hr). Speed bumps are a very popular way of keeping drivers within the speed limits, look for them when entering and leaving towns and villages. If they catch you off guard, they can knock you senseless!

If you run out of gas or break down, don't leave the vehicle; Mexico's "Green Angels," part of the Tourism Department, patrol the main roads and will lend you assistance.

Rental Links

Issey Rent A Car

Cancun Car Rental

All about Cancun

BarginTravel.com