Transportation options in Tulum - No Uber? (1 Viewer)

[Ridgeback]

We're heading there for a week at the beginning of June and I'm figuring out the logistics. I'm reading contradictory statements if Uber is available in the area, but it's definitely not from CUN so we're probably going to get a private or group shuttle.

Has anyone ridden Uber down in the Tulum/Cancun area in the last year? If we can't use Uber, then I guess I'll pay the exorbitant rate for a rental and insurance.

 

[Major]

There's a thing called taxis down there. Pretty useful imo.

 

[butcher boy]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

 

[culdeus]

We're heading there for a week at the beginning of June and I'm figuring out the logistics. I'm reading contradictory statements if Uber is available in the area, but it's definitely not from CUN so we're probably going to get a private or group shuttle.

Has anyone ridden Uber down in the Tulum/Cancun area in the last year? If we can't use Uber, then I guess I'll pay the exorbitant rate for a rental and insurance.

Hire a car. There is a service called Canada transfers that is decent. Tulum is a long way from the airport.

 

[Ridgeback]

We're heading there for a week at the beginning of June and I'm figuring out the logistics. I'm reading contradictory statements if Uber is available in the area, but it's definitely not from CUN so we're probably going to get a private or group shuttle.

Has anyone ridden Uber down in the Tulum/Cancun area in the last year? If we can't use Uber, then I guess I'll pay the exorbitant rate for a rental and insurance.

Hire a car. There is a service called Canada transfers that is decent. Tulum is a long way from the airport.

Yeah, I'm looking at shuttles being $280 for a roundtrip between Tulum and CUN, I could rent a car for about $350 for the week, but would rather not have a rental to deal with.

 

[Ridgeback]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

Street smarts are needed anywhere, for sure.

 

[urbanhack]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

Tulum is pretty much full of just white people so....

 

[urbanhack]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

All of Mexico? I'd love your opinion of what I can expect in Mexico City?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

We're heading there for a week at the beginning of June and I'm figuring out the logistics. I'm reading contradictory statements if Uber is available in the area, but it's definitely not from CUN so we're probably going to get a private or group shuttle.

Has anyone ridden Uber down in the Tulum/Cancun area in the last year? If we can't use Uber, then I guess I'll pay the exorbitant rate for a rental and insurance.

Hire a car. There is a service called Canada transfers that is decent. Tulum is a long way from the airport.

Yeah, I'm looking at shuttles being $280 for a roundtrip between Tulum and CUN, I could rent a car for about $350 for the week, but would rather not have a rental to deal with.

Not sure where you're looking, but they should be about half of that. Canada Transfers, USA Transfers, AGI Tours, VIP Riviera Maya, and Lomas are all companies I've used - all are trustworthy. The traditional taxi companies can be a ripoff.

Are you staying at a resort? Do you plan on leaving wherever you're staying while you're there?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

Not on the Riviera Maya. The big cartel issues in the tourist areas are in the NW of the country.

I mean, yeah - you get hammered and wander around parts of Cancun or Playa, you stand a chance of something bad happening. I wouldn't recommend doing that, but I wouldn't recommend it in any major American city either.

 

[Brony]

There's been some recent friction between taxi drivers and uber in the Cancun area. My read on things is that I wouldn't consider Uber at all this year. Taxis or the transfer companies mentioned above are the way to go. If that is too pricey, then use the bus service that goes up/down that highway. If you rent a car, take plenty of pictures when you pick up the car.

 

[massraider]

All of Mexico? I'd love your opinion of what I can expect in Mexico City?

Didn't ya ever see the movie Taken?!?


(Direct quote from my townie sister in law when we were in the Dominican Republic, discussing leaving the resort. It's not really nice that my brothers and I were all thinking, oh honey, ain't no Albanian interested in selling you to any Arabs, but if you think about it, it was her fault for putting that thought in our heads)

 

[butcher boy]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

Tulum is pretty much full of just white people so....

Which probably makes it more of a target. Plenty of examples of violence in riviera maya.

Don't drive yourself. The cops are corrupt and will pull you over, plant drugs in your car and demand money to not get arrested.

Taxis will also try to rip you off unless you know exactly what the fare should be.

Oh and then there's montezuma revenge if you eat the food.

 

[Ridgeback]

We're heading there for a week at the beginning of June and I'm figuring out the logistics. I'm reading contradictory statements if Uber is available in the area, but it's definitely not from CUN so we're probably going to get a private or group shuttle.

Has anyone ridden Uber down in the Tulum/Cancun area in the last year? If we can't use Uber, then I guess I'll pay the exorbitant rate for a rental and insurance.

Hire a car. There is a service called Canada transfers that is decent. Tulum is a long way from the airport.

Yeah, I'm looking at shuttles being $280 for a roundtrip between Tulum and CUN, I could rent a car for about $350 for the week, but would rather not have a rental to deal with.

Not sure where you're looking, but they should be about half of that. Canada Transfers, USA Transfers, AGI Tours, VIP Riviera Maya, and Lomas are all companies I've used - all are trustworthy. The traditional taxi companies can be a ripoff.

Are you staying at a resort? Do you plan on leaving wherever you're staying while you're there?

We're staying here, so not really. Yeah, we'll only be there before setting off for the day to Cenotes, Akumal, and day excursions.
I'm leaning towards getting a roundtrip shuttle and will book soon. Most day excursions will pick you up, or meet at a general area in Tulum. Akumul will probably be ventured to by bus unless we are referred to a trustworthy taxi.

So strange all of the conflicting information about Uber down there. We used it in Cabo last year w/out issue. Clearly, it's a state policy issue, and not federal.

 

[massraider]

@Ridgeback it's not too late to back out, don't really need to be getting robbed while you have explosive diarrhea.

 

[the moops]

but I wouldn't recommend it in any major American city either.

GTFO. I will get hammered and wander around any city in this country and feel totally safe doing so. Live man. Live

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I'm leaning towards getting a roundtrip shuttle and will book soon.

I would definitely do that. I don't know if you've been through that airport, but right before you exit to the outdoors there are people offering you rides - do not talk to those people, they are timeshare sharks. Once outside the doors, there's an area in front of you where the tour companies have reps and signs with customers' names on them. If you book one of the good ones, they will be there. Don't let anyone try to talk you into a taxi or tell you you missed your ride. I have a pretty effective Ugly American face (or maybe just ugly), apparently, because they mostly leave me alone.

Most of those transport companies mentioned also provide tour/ride services if you don't already have someone booked for those.

 

[Ridgeback]

but I wouldn't recommend it in any major American city either.

GTFO. I will get hammered and wander around any city in this country and feel totally safe doing so. Live man. Live

To each their own. I've felt MUCH safer wandering the streets while loaded in many cities in Thailand and Vietnam than in the US. But in Mexico? No, I'll not be so free-spirited, except in very populated areas.

 

[Ridgeback]

I'm leaning towards getting a roundtrip shuttle and will book soon.

I would definitely do that. I don't know if you've been through that airport, but right before you exit to the outdoors there are people offering you rides - do not talk to those people, they are timeshare sharks. Once outside the doors, there's an area in front of you where the tour companies have reps and signs with customers' names on them. If you book one of the good ones, they will be there. Don't let anyone try to talk you into a taxi or tell you you missed your ride. I have a pretty effective Ugly American face (or maybe just ugly), apparently, because they mostly leave me alone.

Most of those transport companies mentioned also provide tour/ride services if you don't already have someone booked for those.

Yeah, I haven't been to Cancun before, but typically ignore the 'zoo' while exiting airports in much of Mexico, and never make eye contact.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I'm leaning towards getting a roundtrip shuttle and will book soon.

I would definitely do that. I don't know if you've been through that airport, but right before you exit to the outdoors there are people offering you rides - do not talk to those people, they are timeshare sharks. Once outside the doors, there's an area in front of you where the tour companies have reps and signs with customers' names on them. If you book one of the good ones, they will be there. Don't let anyone try to talk you into a taxi or tell you you missed your ride. I have a pretty effective Ugly American face (or maybe just ugly), apparently, because they mostly leave me alone.

Most of those transport companies mentioned also provide tour/ride services if you don't already have someone booked for those.

Yeah, I haven't been to Cancun before, but typically ignore the 'zoo' while exiting airports in much of Mexico, and never make eye contact.

Once you get through Immigration (they just stamp your passport now; no more filling out Immigration or Declaration forms in that state), you'll come to the area where baggage claim and the duty free is. Just past that is Customs (beware as they have been pulling folks in for random baggage searches much more the last couple of years than they used to). After that is the Timeshare Shark Gauntlet. From Immigration to Out is probably only 100 feet.

Also, be careful with what you buy at the duty free because they count whatever you buy there as you "importing" it and if you go over whatever the legal limit is that day, you will get taxed all to hell. Maybe all Mexican airports are like that, but I know Cancun is.

 

[massraider]

Also, be careful with what you buy at the duty free because they count whatever you buy there as you "importing" it and if you go over whatever the legal limit is that day, you will get taxed all to hell. Maybe all Mexican airports are like that, but I know Cancun is.

I'm very George Costanza when it comes to duty free. I have no clue, but I look at the shop when I walk by, and if I don't need a 3 liter of Kahlua in my regular life, I sure don't need it at the airport.

 

[The Z Machine]

I would use a shuttle company or prearranged taxi service.

I lived in the Yucatan peninsula for 2 months in 2021 and we had a rental car during that time. We didn't feel unsafe on the highways driving to cenotes, ruins, beaches, etc.

 

[The General]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

All of Mexico? I'd love your opinion of what I can expect in Mexico City?

@AAABatteries is your guy

 

[AAABatteries]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

All of Mexico? I'd love your opinion of what I can expect in Mexico City?

@AAABatteries is your guy

lol - the only thing I remember is us drinking 3 bottles of Mezcal and electrocuting each other with a group of locals.

The downtown square area was cool

 

[El Floppo]

We're heading there for a week at the beginning of June and I'm figuring out the logistics. I'm reading contradictory statements if Uber is available in the area, but it's definitely not from CUN so we're probably going to get a private or group shuttle.

Has anyone ridden Uber down in the Tulum/Cancun area in the last year? If we can't use Uber, then I guess I'll pay the exorbitant rate for a rental and insurance.

I don't have an answer about Ubers, sorry.

We go down to the area about 1x year ... For the last 25 years. Mostly Cozumel, but we've done up and down the coast as well ranging from AI a couple times to mostly smaller spots or VRB.

Where exactly are you going?

If you're going to a Maya Riviera AI, chances are you can get a shuttle to/from airport through them along with any incidental travel.

Other spots might also have shuttles. Or you prebook a ride and not worry about it.

For daily travel, your hotel should be able to hook you up with a taxi and you negotiate the price in advance so no stress. We usually rent a car for part of our time to allow more exploration... Prices are cheap, although you have to be wary about gas (some spots try to scam).

I have to Lol at any concern about safety in that area. Its like visiting Boston and people scared because of crime in Detroit. Yeah. We all got murdered one of the last couple times we visited the area.

 

[urbanhack]

Mexican resorts are getting dangerous now with the cartel activity. I'd be weary of a trip to Mexico anytime soon.

All of Mexico? I'd love your opinion of what I can expect in Mexico City?

@AAABatteries is your guy

I've actually been there a few times with my ex. Got to experience some nice local culture. Went to her brother's wedding once and also visited some of her relatives...definitely not in the touristy areas.