Can you believe i'm going to cancun?

Question

i can't.

never been, so i thought i'd turn to the wisdom here.

i'm going to have a couple days to myself, with my traveling companion.

i was thinking about renting a car. is that a good idea?

i basically want to chillax on the beach, and i prefer backpacker type hostels to the giant resorts. so where should i go? playa del carmen? tullum? where are the smaller, cheaper towns that don't have those giant crazy resorts? i also want to see some mayan ruins, but probably only 1, so if you have any ideas about that, i would appreciate it.

thanks for your help, experts!

mr. x.

Answer 1

Oh, you will have to tell me how it goes!!  I'm thinking of going there for my spring break!

Answer 2

We're renting a van as we are going down to the Belize border for some beach time. Then doing a couple of ruins in the interior ending up at Campeche.  We will then work our way back to Cancun on our last evening.  

I can't tell from your listing if you're leaving within a couple of weeks or ?  Beware, spring break is just beginning.  Get a Lonely Planet guidebook on the Yucatan.  Chicki Mallan has a guide titled Yucatan Handbook which is good.  You might want to think about Isla Mujeres for some beach time and a good place to get away.  Anything around Cancun is crowded and can be expensive.

Chichen Itza and Tulum (its next to the water) are both destinations for tours from Cancun.  Think crowds and Tulum is rather pricey.  The bus is the way for you to go if you don't plan on going into the interior, etc.  The buses come in various types but are generally good.  Reasonable, too.

Many places to eat, your guide book can give you many choices.  Well, enjoy.  Mexico is a great country and even though this area can be crowded it should still be a great experience.

Answer 3

I have some relatives who go and stay in Playa Del Carmen, they take only a backpack and use taxi's to get around. My son just went to Tulum and brought back some amazing pictures! If you like to snorkel find a cenote' they are all around that area, they are fresh bodys of water, and some have caves that you can swim back into.

Answer 4

Save your money on a rental car.

Take guided tours.

Or, rent a taxi for a day.  I did once.

Answer 5

I would not rent a car for any number of reasons. First you are considering saving money by staying at a youth hostel? I would advise you to spend the money you would use for a rental car and stay at a nicer resort. Nicer resorts offer privacy and security that you do not get at your average run of the mill Youth Hostel. However, that being said, you can find several, cheaper priced Youth Hostels in Centro (Downtown) Cancun. Get yourself a good Cancun travel guide or visit this site to get the info from the accommodations page:

http://www.peopleschoiceguidecancun.com/

If you are interested in taking tours to the Mayan ruins, you can do it yourself by going by bus. It is easier to take buses from Cancun as opposed to Playa Del Carmen. This is because the bus terminal is considered to be a more central/major point, so they run more buses. If you decide to take a tour, for safety and convenience sake, check out the public tours offered here:

http://www.entertainment-plus.net/index....

Have fun planning your trip,

212eric