Cabo San Lucas Rental Car - Tips for Renting a Car in Los Cabos

Cabo San Lucas Rental Car - Must-Know Info for Renting a Car in Los Cabos

Cabo San Lucas Rental Car - Things You Need to Know Before Renting a Car in Los Cabos Every year, on our Cabo vacation, we rent a car for at least a portion of our trip. Pictured below is my husband and boys in the convertible we rented.

Since taxis are very expensive in Los Cabos, it makes sense to rent a car if you plan to drive around and look at real estate or take a side trip to Todos Santos, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz or any of the nearby Baja cities or town.

Driving a car in Mexico is much like driving around the U.S., so if you're not the most confident driver, you'll have no worries driving around Los Cabos. Although everything is in the metric systems (so you're dealing with kilometers instead of miles), speed limit, highway and street signs are clearly posted and it's easy to get around.

Cabo San Lucas Rental Car Facts:

You need to be at least 24 to get a Cabo San Lucas rental car

You must have a current driver's license and a major credit card

Mileage is usually included but be sure to check with the reservation agent

Find out whether it's okay to go off-road (not recommended unless you rent a 4-wheel drive.)

The cost of gas is approximately the same as it is in the United States. (Unlike in the U.S., you don't always get a full tank of gas. If not, you are simply required to return the vehicle with the same amount of gas you got when you rented it.)

Local insurance can be as much as $16-$18 per day. Make sure to purchase this insurance as your U.S.-based insurance company may not cover you. Don't take a chance with this. Buy the insurance.

Make sure to arrange your Cabo San Lucas car rental with a U.S.-based company, so that if you have car problems or lose your keys, there is likely to be a nearby office to help you resolve the problem.

You'll get better rates and avoid contractual misunderstandings due to the language barrier if you reserve your Cabo San Lucas rental car before you leave the U.S. We highly recommend this strategy and ALWAYS book our reservation via the web before we go.

Car Rentals Cabo San Lucas

Avis
Budget
Dollar - when making a reservation for a Cabo San Lucas rental car with Dollar, make sure to type in SJD004 in the box for the pickup city. This is the code for the area.
Hertz
National
Payless

Budget and Dollar are Cabo San Lucas rental car companies which have satellite offices in town, so you do not have to pick up your rental car at the airport. Since a mid-size car can cost about $120 per day (including insurance), we usually reserve a car for the final days of our trip. During those last days, we plan a side trip and discuss which real estate developments we want to check out on our way back to the airport. Then we drop off our bags, return our Cabo San Lucas rental car and then take the shuttle bus back to the airport.