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Visitor
Information
Getting
Around
Tourist information is available at most of the resort
hotels. You'll also find the tourism office in Cancun
City on the east side of Avenida Tulum between Avenidas
Coba and Uxmal. It's open daily 9 am-9 pm.
 You
can explore the Hotel Zone on your own by taking a public
bus or taxi along Paseo Kukulkan, the main thoroughfare
(and almost the only street). The distances between resort
hotels can be long, however, so walking may not be practical.
You'll definitely need transportation to get from the
Hotel Zone to Cancun City.
Both the Hotel Zone and Cancun City are considered safe
to walk around,
While it isn't necessary to rent a car while in the Cancun
Downtown / Hotel Zone area, you may decide to venture
further south to the Mayan Riviera, Playa Del Carmen,
Chichén Itzá, etc. Rental cars, primarily
standard-shift sub compacts and four-wheel-drive vehicles,
are available at the airport and throughout Cancun. The
standard rate is about $50 USD per day for the car, tax,
and insurance. You can also rent an automatic car with
air-conditioning at a much higher price. You can also
hire a big, late-model car with air-conditioning and an
English- speaking chauffeur at many hotel travel desks.
You must have a license and be at least 21 years old.
Driving in the Yucatan is on the right. Streets and roads
outside Cancun are not always up to the standards you
may be used to. If you drive on the mainland, keep your
tank filled-gas stations are scarce.
- Rental Car and Driving Tips
- Look over the rental car and have the rental agent write
down anything that is wrong with it, no matter how small.
When you return the car you may be charged for even the
most minor scratches (even on the bumper) if they aren't
noted on the paperwork. Also, make sure the lights and
wipers work. You can't be too careful with this process
- they will get you for anything not written down.
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Buy the Mexican insurance. Yes, sometimes rental car insurance
comes with your credit card, but this doesn't work the
same way in Mexico. Although your own insurance says it
covers you in Mexico, they generally mean they will reimburse
you for damages. If there are problems and you do not
have the Mexican insurance you may be required to pay
the damages before you are allowed to leave the country,
and can be held in jail until the money arrives. Even
with Mexican insurance, there is often a $1000 deductible
you have to pay if the car is damaged.
- Pass with caution. Passing is a major cause of car accidents
around here. Other drivers are probably going much faster
than you realize - so don't pass unless you have more
than enough room. Oncoming traffic will sometimes pass
when they are heading straight at you - and they are expecting
YOU to move onto the shoulder to give them room to pass!
If you pass without enough room, the driver in your lane
and the one coming the other direction will not make it
easy for you to pull back in.
- Avoid driving at night whenever possible. Things appear
in the road without warning (cattle, people, etc.); some
highways are poorly lit; some drivers don't even turn
their lights on.
- Remember... Distance and speed limits are posted in
kilometers instead of miles. To convert kilometers to
miles, multiply kilometers by .62. (Something 100 kilometers
away is 62 miles away; 100 kilometers per hour is 62 miles
per hour, etc...)
Military Check Points. There are military check points
at all state borders and sometimes just South of the Cancun
airport and in Tulum, often looking for illegal drugs.
The soldiers working there are generally very polite.
They ask where you are coming from and going and what
you did there. Tell the truth. If you are at a state border,
they will also ask about agricultural products like fruit
or chickens.
- Speed Traps. Around Cancun there are several speed traps
where local police wait for rental cars to come speeding
by so they can stop them and try for a bribe. Here is
your best defense - do not speed in and around Cancun,
particularly in the hotel zone and between Cancun and
the airport.
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.
- Gasoline is sold in liters (3.78 liter=l gallon). Nova
(blue pump) is leaded; Magna Sin (green pump) is unleaded.
Only cash is accepted. Most stations close by 10 PM. There
is no self-service, and it is customary to tip your attendant
with a few coins.
Scooters and mopeds can be rented for about US$25-$30
a day anywhere in the Hotel Zone. But be aware that speeding
traffic,  particularly
along Avenida Kukulkan, makes this a dangerous way to
travel. Helmets are required by Mexican law.
Taxis are available at all of the resorts. Expect to pay
US$4-$6 for a ride along Paseo Kukulkan. Be prepared to
bargain, and settle on the fare before entering the vehicle.
Public buses run along Paseo Kukulkan in the Hotel Zone
and stop at paradas (bus stops), which are marked with
kilometer posts. Buses also connect to the commercial
area along Avenida Tulum in Cancun City. You can take
the bus anywhere along Kukulkan for less than US$1
Banks
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 3 pm, some
until 5 pm. A few open on Saturdays from 10 am to 1:30
pm, and there are banks and ATMs in the Riviera Maya.
Shopping
 Duty
free shops can be found at the forum by the Sea Plaza,
La Isla Plaza, Cancun International Airport and Puerta
Maya.
If you want bargains, head to the mainland to Cancun City's
outdoor markets lining the east side of Avenida Tulum-but
note that while prices may be lower there, the quality
can be, too. Market vendors may not accept credit cards;
even if they do, you can often get a better price if you
offer cash instead of credit cards. Almost all stores
take U.S. dollars as well as pesos-often you'll find prices
marked in both currencies-or even just U.S. dollars! Bargaining
is expected in the markets in Cancun City, but plan to
pay the marked price in shops in the Hotel Zone. Almost
all the shops in the Hotel Zone take major credit cards.
Shopping is a popular pastime in the Hotel Zone, but don't
expect many bargains in the shopping malls. In fact, you
can expect prices to be higher than in other parts of
Mexico. The shopping malls contain everything from souvenir
shops to internationally known boutiques-resort wear and
handicrafts are among the best buys. Handicrafts include
handwoven fabrics, blown glass and jewelry. The largest
shopping malls are Plaza Caracol, Plaza Kukulkan (midway
along Paseo Kukulkan) and Plaza Flamingo.
Nightlife
During the day Cancun is
pretty laid back. That changes at night when both the
Hotel Zone and downtown start rocking with music. It’s
all here: salsa, meringue, flamenco, reggae, jazz, classical,
disco, rock and roll, hip-hop and techno. Many restaurants
do double duty as party centers with “all you can
drink” specials and waiters who don’t hesitate
to get up on stage and dance in between serving drinks.
Cancun Discos and dance bars usually have taped music
accompanied to high tech laser light shows with the occasional
live band thrown in for good measure. The Cancun nightclubs,
especially the Latin Clubs, all have live music and import
some of the hottest bands from Latin America. Barhopping
during happy hour (4 PM – 7 PM) is a great way to
check out the different hotels and evening cruises have
a high-energy, party atmosphere. For a taste of how the
locals like to party head to one of the Salsa clubs or
check out the clubs in the downtown area. There is usually
a free evening concert in the downtown Parque de las Palapas
and close by are some excellent jazz clubs featuring local
musicians. Just choose your spot and you can dance until
the wee hours of the morning.
Electricity
110 volts, same as in the U.S.
Water
Most hotels and restaurants use purified water, but you
should be safe and drink bottled water whenever possible
- don't let yourself get dehydrated because you're afraid
to drink the water.
Dress
Dress in Cancun is very casual with the accent on comfort.
Remember to pack comfortable walking shoes. The activities
at the hotels and the area dictate sporting clothes. In
the evenings, you may want to dress up, but not too much.
Rubber soled shoes are recommended for tours to archeological
sites. Boots, long sleeve light cotton shirts and long
trousers are best for those interested in jungle treks.
A light jacket, shawl or sweater is advisable for the
evenings of November, December and January.
Tipping
Tips in Mexico are generally 15%, tipping cab drivers
is not expected, and tipping the maid in the hotel a couple
of dollars a day (per room) is greatly appreciated.
Time Zone
Equal to U.S. Central Time
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