hiring a driver for the day

[show_me_girl]

Sorry folks one more question, I usually tend to overtip everywhere. Do you also tip the driver or is the set price the only rate you pay.

We tip as well. More if they do a great job. Average if they just do their job. We've never had a bad experience yet. We check out all the reviews before making our plans.

[jimiwc44]

Has anyone had Alfredo as a driver? We just found out he will be our driver in February.

 

How was your driver Alfredo? What was the highlights of Trip? We have him booked for April. This is our first time to Cozumel.

[loveablackcat]

Anyone ever have driver Javier?? Just found this thread and booked with them for our cruise next week. We are traveling with our 14 yr daughter planning on San Gervasio,Chocolate factory,if the turtles are still nesting we can hopefully see them..any other family friendly place you all might suggest would be appreciated!

 

How did you like Javier? We have him at the end of the month. I have a 12 and 15 year old boys - what was good to see?

[whp]

I read that some say $95 for 4 plus $25 per hour and some that read $195 plus $40 per hour. Is it the number of people. What is the largest size they can accommodate in one van. I see all kinds of numbers.

[Smurphy]

I read that some say $95 for 4 plus $25 per hour and some that read $195 plus $40 per hour. Is it the number of people. What is the largest size they can accommodate in one van. I see all kinds of numbers.

 

$95/$25 is for a regular car. $195/$40 is for a 12-passenger van. Don't hesitate to book. We had a great day with Alberto.

[show_me_girl]

I read that some say $95 for 4 plus $25 per hour and some that read $195 plus $40 per hour. Is it the number of people. What is the largest size they can accommodate in one van. I see all kinds of numbers.

 

When we went in January the price was $95 for 4 people/4 hours + $25 per additional hour.

 

On toursplaza website now it says...

 

"Prices

 

Cost of the tour on a Car for up to 4 persons is usd$107.00 for the first 3 hours tour + usd$25.00 for each additional hour.

 

Cost of the tour on a Van for up to 9 persons is usd$195.00 for the first 3 hours tour + usd$40.00 for each additional hour, these prices are per vehicle not per person."

 

So, it looks like base price for 4 persons went up to $107. Still a good deal.

[Pookeybear1966]

I just booked this for our trip to Cozumel in June. Do they tell you who your driver is beforehand?

[Pookeybear1966]

Just put down depost for June tour with Alfredo :)

 

Anyone use him? How was he and what did you go see?

[jimiwc44]

I would like to know about Alfredo also....we have him booked for April I will let you know how our tour went.

[show_me_girl]

I just booked this for our trip to Cozumel in June. Do they tell you who your driver is beforehand?

 

When we booked, we requested one of three drivers in our reservation request. When our reservation was confirmed, the driver's name was confirmed in the reply. We did get one of the driver's we requested.

 

If you have a preference, certainly request a specific driver. I think they try to accommodate requests when possible.

[Pookeybear1966]

Got confirmation with a different one then I requested but I'm sure they are all great!!! Can't wait :)

[jcalgal]

Just put down depost for June tour with Alfredo :)

 

Anyone use him? How was he and what did you go see?

 

We returned from Cozumel March 9. It was our favorite stop on the cruise. Very happy that we prebooked a driver guide...

CRESCENCIO LOPEZ TUN [creslopez41955@hotmail.com]

He answered all of my emails promptly, he arrived to pick us up as promised, he took us where we wanted to go and we were very happy that we chose him. We had him drive us around the whole island with picture stops, through the downtown and stopped for lunch. We were going to go to the tequila factory but when we found out it was over a 45 min. tour we decided against it. He would have taken us to a beach and waited for us if we had wanted to do that. He was kind and helpful. He brought water in a cooler for us. He didn't try to steer us to any particular place, I read that many do that because they get kickbacks. We chose to have lunch at Senor Iguana overlooking the water on a quiet beach. Food was good and inexpensive. He did not ask for an upfront deposit. If you decide to use him please do not stand him up. He deserves to be treated as nicely as he treats his customers. Let him know that Judy from California and Marsha from San Antonio ( and husbands) send our regards.

[carmenOH]

I contacted Eduardo today regarding hiring a driver for the day and he got back to me within minutes. Our driver for my family of 12 will be Manuel. We are going on a 5 hour tour and snorkeling will be on the agenda for sure. Any suggestions?

 

Also, I appreciate the info I was able to get from this board to make the plans for our day in Cozumel.

[RubyOnTheWater]

We returned from Cozumel March 9. It was our favorite stop on the cruise. Very happy that we prebooked a driver guide...

CRESCENCIO LOPEZ TUN [creslopez41955@hotmail.com]

He answered all of my emails promptly, he arrived to pick us up as promised, he took us where we wanted to go and we were very happy that we chose him. We had him drive us around the whole island with picture stops, through the downtown and stopped for lunch. We were going to go to the tequila factory but when we found out it was over a 45 min. tour we decided against it. He would have taken us to a beach and waited for us if we had wanted to do that. He was kind and helpful. He brought water in a cooler for us. He didn't try to steer us to any particular place, I read that many do that because they get kickbacks. We chose to have lunch at Senor Iguana overlooking the water on a quiet beach. Food was good and inexpensive. He did not ask for an upfront deposit. If you decide to use him please do not stand him up. He deserves to be treated as nicely as he treats his customers. Let him know that Judy from California and Marsha from San Antonio ( and husbands) send our regards.

 

We have used Crescencio twice now, the first time he was a substitute that was assigned to us when we had I think Alberto booked. When we had him last time he knew we had our little kids coming and they were seeing the ocean for the first time and a beach for playing was an important stop in all our sight seeing for the day. He brought the kids some sand toys to play with. He doesn't have a website or ask for a deposit but he does have a facebook page if people want to see pictures he has of people going on tours.

Black Hat Cozumel

[kwbound]

We have used Crescencio twice now, the first time he was a substitute that was assigned to us when we had I think Alberto booked. When we had him last time he knew we had our little kids coming and they were seeing the ocean for the first time and a beach for playing was an important stop in all our sight seeing for the day. He brought the kids some sand toys to play with. He doesn't have a website or ask for a deposit but he does have a facebook page if people want to see pictures he has of people going on tours.

Black Hat Cozumel

 

We had a wonderful day with Crescencio on March 1. If you look at the photos on his FB, we are the family standing next to the Coconuts sign. His van was clean and comfortable. He had a cooler full of cold waters for us. First we asked him if he would take us to the new McDonalds on the island so that we could get a decent breakfast (food on the Star was the worst of any of our cruises) Afterwards, he showed us around town some. We visited a cenote/nature area right in town where a nice young local man gave us a tour explaining native plants and animals (most of which we have in Texas too, but it was still nice). Then we drove to the San Gervasio ruins. The tour buses had not started arriving yet and it was so peaceful there. We wandered around the grounds and practically had the place to ourselves. When we left the parking lot was starting to fill up. We then headed to Coconuts for a drink and light lunch. We were able to get a table, but not right by the edge. By the time we left there people were waiting for tables. We invited Crescencio to join us for lunch and enjoyed talking with him and learning about his new granddaughter. My son wanted to get a Houston Texans poncho and Crescencio gave him pointers on how to barter with the vendors. DS got the poncho for half of what the vendor initially asked for it, so he was really happy. We then continued around the island stopping at El Mirador and seeing various sites while Crescencio told us things about Cozumel. We enjoyed our day very much and would not hesitate to recommend his services to anyone. Here are some photos from our day:

 

DS, Crescencio, DH

 

DH at El Mirador

 

A big iguana at the ruins

[loveablackcat]

We had Javier as our driver. Eduardo was very quick with returning emails and scheduling. We got off the boat sooner than expected and Javier came early for us. He talked a lot about the local culture, answered all our questions, took us everywhere we wanted and even took us to a place to get our passports stamped. I very much recommend Eduardo and his team.:o

[DUBluDvl]

We just returned last week--oh, how I wish I were still there!--from a trip on the Carnival Paradise and spent the day in Cozumel with Elder Portillo, cab #135, who we booked through Crescencio Lopez (creslopez41955@hotmail.com). I also had contacted a few of the more 'established' -i.e. they have a website, although now I learn that Crescencio has a FB page- groups, and even though I was a little concerned about booking through a hotmail address with a complete stranger, WE COULD *NOT* HAVE BEEN MORE PLEASED. We had a GREAT day with Elder!

 

We paid $160 (cash, no prepayment or deposit) for 6 hours and had a very relaxed, enjoyable and educational trip all around and throughout Cozumel (2 adults, 1 child). We visited an eco-park in the middle of downtown (the staff working there was SO friendly!), visited several of the historical sites and monuments in town--Elder's historical knowledge was amazing--visited the chocolate house (really, 'factory' is not accurate, it was an interesting presentation and TASTING and a room with some ladies making chocolates), stopped at a 'Mexican 7-11' as Elder called it for drinks, went on the tequila tour--that guy was a HOOT!--went to San Gervasio and went all around the east coast, El Mirador, and several other places, and finished up with some brief shopping. I would have liked to stop and eat somewhere, but we just didn't even take the time--and if we'd been there longer we might have shopped more, but again, we wanted to spend more time doing/seeing things we couldn't at all at home.

 

If you have any questions about our day I'll be glad to answer them, but the overall message is, 2 thumbs up for Crescencio and also for Elder, one of his drivers. :)

[lgsshedden]

We had Javier as our driver. Eduardo was very quick with returning emails and scheduling. We got off the boat sooner than expected and Javier came early for us. He talked a lot about the local culture, answered all our questions, took us everywhere we wanted and even took us to a place to get our passports stamped. I very much recommend Eduardo and his team.:o

 

Just confirmed our reservation for February 2014 when we are on the Magic: seems early but I like to get he planning sorted! We also have booked Javier:good to see the positive reviews.

[RubyOnTheWater]

DuBlu- glad to hear you like Crescencio's driver he has as a back up. We have only been to Cozumel twice and had Cres. as a sub for I think it was Alberto. We loved our day so much that we booked Crescencio the next time we returned. His FB page is new. I have friends going to Cozumel next year and I think they are considering booking him and as he gets more popular I was wondering about the people that he might have fill in for him when he is booked.

 

I can't get over how much of the island you can see and explore in a day when you have a good driver for the day! The chocolate tour sounds like lots of fun. We have spent a good portion of our time both times on the east side but I think if we ever get to go back I'd love to squeeze the chocolate place in!

[momtogo]

After having been to Cozumel numerous times and thinking we had seen it all we realized after our visit last week we were wrong. We contacted Eduardo at Tours Plaza and hired one of his drivers for the day. We were assigned Gerry and had a most fabulous day and saw the most amazing scenery on the East Side of the island.

 

The day went by far too quickly. We toured with Gerry for 5 1/2 hours and still didn't get to see all we wanted. We drove through the downtown area then to some side streets off the tourist path to see where the locals live. Went to the tequila tour which was very interesting, chocolate tasting, San Gervasio ruins, Coconuts for lunch, stop at sandy beach area on east side so kids could jump in the waves for a bit and then onto El Mirador and finally headed back to the ship. Although San Gervasio was interesting (and HOT), I wish we had bypassed this and spent more time on the east side of the island. One recommendation, bring more cash than you think you will need...we had to dip into the kids wallets at the end of the day:eek:. Gerry was extremely informative and very friendly and flexible. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and look forward to our next visit to Cozumel.

[HUGHMcGG]

This was our first stop on a Carnival cruise and we wanted to see all the main tourist sights in Cozumel in about 4 or 5 hours at our own pace and also take in a little shopping. It was a great way to see the island and our driver, Pino, was very knowledgeable and helpful, adapting the tour plan to meet our wishes. So much better than a group tour, which is all you get if you book a tour via Carnival, and for two of us not much more expensive.

[Aggie2011kuu]

I'd been reading up everything I could for excursions on our Honeymoon cruise. My wife and I took an eleven day cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, and Cozumel was to be the final stop on the cruise. I'd read wonderful things about the taxi tours, and before I left, I booked Cantaro and hoped it would all work out.

 

A bit of background on us: My wife is 21 and I am 23, both graduates from Texas A&M University, fairly adventurous, and we enjoy sightseeing, tours, and really getting to appreciate the local culture. We'd both been to Mexico many times before (being from Texas and all).

 

We were ready and waiting at the end of the dock by about 10 AM local time, figuring Honeymooners can at least sleep in a little, and hoping the six hours we booked would be plenty of time. Cantaro was at the head of the taxi line, finding us before we found him, and was the friendliest sort of person you can hope to meet when traveling abroad. But that's most Mexicans in general. A real friendly, warm people.

 

We walked a block or so to the taxi bus, which was very crisp and comfortable. Cantaro brought a cooler and filled it with our choice of local beers (for me) and "lady beers" or juices and waters (for my little wife). He also got us a few spicy snacks and asked if we wanted anything else.

 

We made plans to visit a few places, but he politely interjected with a few better places, ones he thought we'd enjoy more, and he was right. Cantaro took us to a chocolate factory, a place seemingly small and out of the way, but we ate the best chocolate from the whole time there. We asked if he could take us to a little market, and we found our best souvenirs there. A marble chess board and a Mayan mask made of local stones were bought for great prices. Everyone was friendly. It was not at all crowded--in fact, we weren't in a tourist-y part of town (well, the whole town really caters to tourists, but this area less so than most). I speak Portuguese and my wife Spanish, so we got on pretty well.

 

Cantaro wen't to get more snacks and drinks while we shopped. He met us back exactly at the time we asked. We drove to a nicer tequila factory (not the free one, and please don't do to that one if you in any way think you might bring back some real good ole tequila to the States). Cantaro was great to talk with. He shared local history,. culture, was funny, just a nice person. The nicest and most polite person we met the whole cruise, actually.

 

We randomly asked if he could help us locate a Molcajete, which is a lava stone bowl we use to make Guacamole with in Texas. He prowled the whole area for one with us, and finally found us a twenty-pound one (they're heavy, I tell you what) for under twenty bucks. Beats the heck out of a seedy shop owner pressuring you to buy a smaller one for fifty dollars (don't give in to that, folks).

 

The tequila factory was my favorite part. If you've done your homework on Cava Antiqua, you know it's one of the best places to visit. For ten bucks a person, you get a great margarita, a fantastic tour, maybe y'all will see some large iguanas on the rocks, and a real experience. I bought two bottle of tequila, which was the best I'd ever tasted. Even three months later I'm still impressed.

 

Cantaro took us to the beach and a nice restaurant, and we all ate together. Cantaro was shy at first, not wanting to intrude, but we wanted to eat with him and talk with him. Nicest guy, I'm telling you.

 

It rained, and since we were seated outside and boy was it crowded inside, we thought we'd have to leave. But Cantaro sprang into action and found us a nice table before they were snatched up. Very considerate and kind. Food was good, but it was really neat seeing that a few other Aggies (Texas A&M University students) ate at the same table, passed through over a decade before and signed their names on the wooden napkin holder. We added ours, (class of '12 for my wife and '11 for me) and it was something real special for us. Stuff like that makes some real fine memories.

 

We wished the taxi tour would never end. Cantaro explained so much and we went so many places, stopping towards the end at a pottery house outside. He explained all the art pieces and took pictures with us.

 

At the end, I realized I didn't have enough on hand to cover the taxi ride, having prepaid only for the first hour. Cantaro asked if we'd like him to cover it and we could send the money back to him when we got home. I couldn't believe such a trusting, kind man. Here is someone who probably meets hundreds of tourists each year, and good or bad, he chooses to see the best in people, to be a real stand up guy, to real express his faith and trust that God is taking care of him.

 

I rushed onto the cruise ship while my wife waited with him and they talked and joked while I made a mad dash to my room to get all the money I had left over. It was just enough. We thanked Cantaro profusely, and said our goodbyes. It was the very best part of our cruise, a perfect ending. If we ever go back, we'll be sure to take a taxi tour from him. We pray that God continues to bless him, and are thankful we were lucky enough to meet him.

 

If you're going to Cozumel, be sure to book with Cantaro. You won't forget it.

[Aggie2011kuu]

I'd been reading up everything I could for excursions on our Honeymoon cruise. My wife and I took an eleven day cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, and Cozumel was to be the final stop on the cruise. I'd read wonderful things about the taxi tours, and before I left, I booked Cantaro and hoped it would all work out.

 

A bit of background on us: My wife is 21 and I am 23, both graduates from Texas A&M University, fairly adventurous, and we enjoy sightseeing, tours, and really getting to appreciate the local culture. We'd both been to Mexico many times before (being from Texas and all).

 

We were ready and waiting at the end of the dock by about 10 AM local time, figuring Honeymooners can at least sleep in a little, and hoping the six hours we booked would be plenty of time. Cantaro was at the head of the taxi line, finding us before we found him, and was the friendliest sort of person you can hope to meet when traveling abroad. But that's most Mexicans in general. A real friendly, warm people.

 

We walked a block or so to the taxi bus, which was very crisp and comfortable. Cantaro brought a cooler and filled it with our choice of local beers (for me) and "lady beers" or juices and waters (for my little wife). He also got us a few spicy snacks and asked if we wanted anything else.

 

We made plans to visit a few places, but he politely interjected with a few better places, ones he thought we'd enjoy more, and he was right. Cantaro took us to a chocolate factory, a place seemingly small and out of the way, but we ate the best chocolate from the whole time there. We asked if he could take us to a little market, and we found our best souvenirs there. A marble chess board and a Mayan mask made of local stones were bought for great prices. Everyone was friendly. It was not at all crowded--in fact, we weren't in a tourist-y part of town (well, the whole town really caters to tourists, but this area less so than most). I speak Portuguese and my wife Spanish, so we got on pretty well.

 

Cantaro wen't to get more snacks and drinks while we shopped. He met us back exactly at the time we asked. We drove to a nicer tequila factory (not the free one, and please don't do to that one if you in any way think you might bring back some real good ole tequila to the States). Cantaro was great to talk with. He shared local history,. culture, was funny, just a nice person. The nicest and most polite person we met the whole cruise, actually.

 

We randomly asked if he could help us locate a Molcajete, which is a lava stone bowl we use to make Guacamole with in Texas. He prowled the whole area for one with us, and finally found us a twenty-pound one (they're heavy, I tell you what) for under twenty bucks. Beats the heck out of a seedy shop owner pressuring you to buy a smaller one for fifty dollars (don't give in to that, folks).

 

The tequila factory was my favorite part. If you've done your homework on Cava Antiqua, you know it's one of the best places to visit. For ten bucks a person, you get a great margarita, a fantastic tour, maybe y'all will see some large iguanas on the rocks, and a real experience. I bought two bottle of tequila, which was the best I'd ever tasted. Even three months later I'm still impressed.

 

Cantaro took us to the beach and a nice restaurant, and we all ate together. Cantaro was shy at first, not wanting to intrude, but we wanted to eat with him and talk with him. Nicest guy, I'm telling you.

 

It rained, and since we were seated outside and boy was it crowded inside, we thought we'd have to leave. But Cantaro sprang into action and found us a nice table before they were snatched up. Very considerate and kind. Food was good, but it was really neat seeing that a few other Aggies (Texas A&M University students) ate at the same table, passed through over a decade before and signed their names on the wooden napkin holder. We added ours, (class of '12 for my wife and '11 for me) and it was something real special for us. Stuff like that makes some real fine memories.

 

We wished the taxi tour would never end. Cantaro explained so much and we went so many places, stopping towards the end at a pottery house outside. He explained all the art pieces and took pictures with us.

 

At the end, I realized I didn't have enough on hand to cover the taxi ride, having prepaid only for the first hour. Cantaro asked if we'd like him to cover it and we could send the money back to him when we got home. I couldn't believe such a trusting, kind man. Here is someone who probably meets hundreds of tourists each year, and good or bad, he chooses to see the best in people, to be a real stand up guy, to real express his faith and trust that God is taking care of him.

 

I rushed onto the cruise ship while my wife waited with him and they talked and joked while I made a mad dash to my room to get all the money I had left over. It was just enough. We thanked Cantaro profusely, and said our goodbyes. It was the very best part of our cruise, a perfect ending. If we ever go back, we'll be sure to take a taxi tour from him. We pray that God continues to bless him, and are thankful we were lucky enough to meet him.

 

If you're going to Cozumel, be sure to book with Cantaro. You won't forget it.

 

[11dfr11]

I'd been reading up everything I could for excursions on our Honeymoon cruise. My wife and I took an eleven day cruise on the Celebrity Equinox, and Cozumel was to be the final stop on the cruise. I'd read wonderful things about the taxi tours, and before I left, I booked Cantaro and hoped it would all work out.

 

A bit of background on us: My wife is 21 and I am 23, both graduates from Texas A&M University, fairly adventurous, and we enjoy sightseeing, tours, and really getting to appreciate the local culture. We'd both been to Mexico many times before (being from Texas and all).

 

We were ready and waiting at the end of the dock by about 10 AM local time, figuring Honeymooners can at least sleep in a little, and hoping the six hours we booked would be plenty of time. Cantaro was at the head of the taxi line, finding us before we found him, and was the friendliest sort of person you can hope to meet when traveling abroad. But that's most Mexicans in general. A real friendly, warm people.

 

We walked a block or so to the taxi bus, which was very crisp and comfortable. Cantaro brought a cooler and filled it with our choice of local beers (for me) and "lady beers" or juices and waters (for my little wife). He also got us a few spicy snacks and asked if we wanted anything else.

 

We made plans to visit a few places, but he politely interjected with a few better places, ones he thought we'd enjoy more, and he was right. Cantaro took us to a chocolate factory, a place seemingly small and out of the way, but we ate the best chocolate from the whole time there. We asked if he could take us to a little market, and we found our best souvenirs there. A marble chess board and a Mayan mask made of local stones were bought for great prices. Everyone was friendly. It was not at all crowded--in fact, we weren't in a tourist-y part of town (well, the whole town really caters to tourists, but this area less so than most). I speak Portuguese and my wife Spanish, so we got on pretty well.

 

Cantaro wen't to get more snacks and drinks while we shopped. He met us back exactly at the time we asked. We drove to a nicer tequila factory (not the free one, and please don't do to that one if you in any way think you might bring back some real good ole tequila to the States). Cantaro was great to talk with. He shared local history,. culture, was funny, just a nice person. The nicest and most polite person we met the whole cruise, actually.

 

We randomly asked if he could help us locate a Molcajete, which is a lava stone bowl we use to make Guacamole with in Texas. He prowled the whole area for one with us, and finally found us a twenty-pound one (they're heavy, I tell you what) for under twenty bucks. Beats the heck out of a seedy shop owner pressuring you to buy a smaller one for fifty dollars (don't give in to that, folks).

 

The tequila factory was my favorite part. If you've done your homework on Cava Antiqua, you know it's one of the best places to visit. For ten bucks a person, you get a great margarita, a fantastic tour, maybe y'all will see some large iguanas on the rocks, and a real experience. I bought two bottle of tequila, which was the best I'd ever tasted. Even three months later I'm still impressed.

 

Cantaro took us to the beach and a nice restaurant, and we all ate together. Cantaro was shy at first, not wanting to intrude, but we wanted to eat with him and talk with him. Nicest guy, I'm telling you.

 

It rained, and since we were seated outside and boy was it crowded inside, we thought we'd have to leave. But Cantaro sprang into action and found us a nice table before they were snatched up. Very considerate and kind. Food was good, but it was really neat seeing that a few other Aggies (Texas A&M University students) ate at the same table, passed through over a decade before and signed their names on the wooden napkin holder. We added ours, (class of '12 for my wife and '11 for me) and it was something real special for us. Stuff like that makes some real fine memories.

 

We wished the taxi tour would never end. Cantaro explained so much and we went so many places, stopping towards the end at a pottery house outside. He explained all the art pieces and took pictures with us.

 

At the end, I realized I didn't have enough on hand to cover the taxi ride, having prepaid only for the first hour. Cantaro asked if we'd like him to cover it and we could send the money back to him when we got home. I couldn't believe such a trusting, kind man. Here is someone who probably meets hundreds of tourists each year, and good or bad, he chooses to see the best in people, to be a real stand up guy, to real express his faith and trust that God is taking care of him.

 

I rushed onto the cruise ship while my wife waited with him and they talked and joked while I made a mad dash to my room to get all the money I had left over. It was just enough. We thanked Cantaro profusely, and said our goodbyes. It was the very best part of our cruise, a perfect ending. If we ever go back, we'll be sure to take a taxi tour from him. We pray that God continues to bless him, and are thankful we were lucky enough to meet him.

 

If you're going to Cozumel, be sure to book with Cantaro. You won't forget it.

 

 

Thanks for sharing and Mazel Tov to you both.

Dale

[Madison3]

In February we visited Cozumel on the Crown Princess. We contacted Eduardo from Hire a Driver for a Day and Leo was our driver. Leo gave us an excellent private tour of the island. I highly recommend.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Madison3