Car rental or Moped?

[lrk]

Would you recommend renting a car or a moped to explore the West side?  I was planning on a car but read there is not parking for a car at some places one might want to stop and check out the beach as well as it being easier to maneuver through traffic.  We will be traveling from the Puerto Maya pier area.    Any advice?  from what I have seen on past visits those Mopeds look kind of dangerous in the traffic.  

 

[c-leg5]

11 minutes ago, lrk said:

Would you recommend renting a car or a moped to explore the West side?  I was planning on a car but read there is not parking for a car at some places one might want to stop and check out the beach as well as it being easier to maneuver through traffic.  We will be traveling from the Puerto Maya pier area.    Any advice?  from what I have seen on past visits those Mopeds look kind of dangerous in the traffic.  

 

Not sure if you really mean west side, or east side?

 

Personally would arrange for private driver (especially on a cruise ship day), which we have done many times because we like to stop for a drink.
 

If you don’t intend to drink and insist on driving definitely a car and do your homework regarding car rentals, insurance and rental precautions.

 

Some will tell you they always rent and have never had a problem. That’s fine just make sure you are prepared. Be careful you understand one-way system in town.

 

If you really mean west side I would stick to taxis.

Edited January 25, 2023 by c-leg5

[lrk]

Yes.  I meant the East side.  Duh!  I have rented a car there before, just never a moped.  

[crewsweeper]

I personally would not rent a moped on Cozumel.  Too many tourists trying to drive.😁

 While the road around the island is straight forward, getting through San Miguel can be tricky if you're searching for someplace. And if you plan on drinking anything, even a beer with a meal, hiring a driver is a better way to go. These folks know the island like you do your driveway.

[s2kskibum]

One of the nurses and administrators at one of the local hospitals (CMC) put out an impassioned plea that tourists NOT rent scooters. The injuries and deaths she has witnessed and having to facilitate flights for life for mangled tourists that thought riding a scooter was a good idea made her make a public plea. 

 

I have only seen lots of blood, compound fractures and missing chunks of skin. I owned motorcycles my whole life. I bought one on Cozumel, and sold it two days later.

 

Andrea Sekula

January 1 at 7:11 PM  · 

For all that make these requests to rent scooters: mopeds.

Share my message:

As the international liaison ICU level nurse and air ambulance coordinator for Costamed.

Daily we have scooter accidents. It is seriously the worst decision a tourist could ever make!

Just air ambulanced my last one: rolling into another one tomorrow.

It is daily!! My last one yesterday the taxi hit her. The wound was so deep, plastic surgeon called in. She made it back to the ship.

THIS an FYI. I cannot even tell you how many lives with my own eyes lives completely ruined.

[MaggieNY]

I have to echo the no scooter rental plea. My husband has his motorcycle license. We've rented scooters on Block Island & Martha's Vineyard with me riding on the back and had no issues. So we didn't hesitate to rent a scooter in Aruba when we were there over a year ago on a cruise. It had rained the night before. Coming out of the parking lot of the rental place, we went through a puddle that turned out to be really oily. With the combination of oil on the slick tires on the scooter and being at an angle from the turn, we had a low-speed crash. My husband ended up with a bit of road rash. I ended up with road rash and my right ankle was broken on one side AND sprained on the other. Fortunately, that was the extent of our injuries. I didn't need surgery and I got a cast at the HOH for only $675 (a bargain!), which my insurance reimbursed me for. I spent the rest of the cruise in a wheelchair. All in all we were lucky.

 

I won't do scooters anymore. My husband suggested renting a scooter on our last cruise but I flat-out said no. He wasn't the one with a broken ankle, dealing with a wheelchair and then crutches. The sprained side took a year to heal. It just wasn't worth it. This December we paid $20 for Arubus day passes. It was a lot cheaper than a scooter rental and hospital bill.

[blue_water]

C-Leg5’s advice is spot on, as is crewsweeper’s…

Enjoy your visit safely (no scooter), and if drinking definitely hire a driver. When driving we’ve never had a problem stopping at our favorite spots on the east side. Parking in San Miguel can be more of a challenge, but I cannot imagine being on a moped, especially with thousands of other day visitors, some driving here for the first time…

 

[mitsugirly]

We've stayed on the island and rented a car and drove everywhere. I have to say after seeing the driving of others on the island (and especially the scooters) I would never rent a scooter there. Just saying... 🙂