# Upcoming Cabo Trip



## Dean (Jan 2, 2010)

We have our first trip coming up to the Cabo area.  We are staying at the Grand Mayan and possible at Hacienda Del Mar over a 2 week period.  I have spent quite a bit of time looking at reviews, restaurant recommendations, etc.  My main questions at this point are hopefully simple.


Where is the best place to change money in San Jose del Cabo?  Good ATM locations?
Any suggestions where to buy a SIM card for an unlocked phone (actually 2 phones) in SJDC either Telcel or Movistar?
Any thoughts on the meal plans at the GM?
Suggestions on getting from the GM to HCM since we've decided not to rent a car?  Is the bus workable?
Any info would be appreciated.


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## Karen G (Jan 2, 2010)

Dean said:


> We have our first trip coming up to the Cabo area.  We are staying at the Grand Mayan and possible at Hacienda Del Mar over a 2 week period. ....
> Suggestions on getting from the GM to HCM since we've decided not to rent a car?  Is the bus workable?
> 
> Any info would be appreciated.


I'm not too familiar with the ATM locations in San Jose del Cabo, but on the transportation issue I don't believe the bus is a good option. You'd have to catch the bus up at the main highway and it would be a hassle with luggage. Just take a cab.


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## Dean (Jan 2, 2010)

Karen G said:


> I'm not too familiar with the ATM locations in San Jose del Cabo, but on the transportation issue I don't believe the bus is a good option. You'd have to catch the bus up at the main highway and it would be a hassle with luggage. Just take a cab.


Thanks Karen, I wasn't really thinking of using the bus for luggage but for other trips and possibly to go check out the resort before and unit view before we make a final decision to move from one resort to another.  Is it possible to get a stop on the main road for HDM and how far of a walk is it to the resort itself?

Still my 2 top issues at this point are the money exchange and SIM cards, hopefully someone has info that will help us plan better.


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## DebBrown (Jan 2, 2010)

We'll be in Cabo in a couple of weeks too.  I'm interested in whatever responses you get.

Normally, I withdraw cash at the ATMs at the airport and am done with it.  I also have never had to do anything for my phone to work in Mexico.  Perhaps you should check with your provider.

Deb


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## easyrider (Jan 2, 2010)

You can change money at the resorts. We have used our cell phones in Cabo but use our laptop and skype for most calls.

Hacienda del Mar and Grand Mayan are to far away to walk to town. You should get a car. Driving around here is easy.


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## DonnaD (Jan 2, 2010)

*ATM location in San Jose del Cabo*

I know there is a bank along the main road near the Tropicana restaurant and little shops. We carry cash and then exchange some of it at the bank and then eat at the Tropicana. It is the street that leads to the main square in town. I don't know the name of it. They also had ATMs in the bank.

We will arrive 1/05 and stay until 2/04. when will you be there?
Can't wait to get out of freezing OHIO!  
DonnaD


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## Dean (Jan 2, 2010)

DebBrown said:


> We'll be in Cabo in a couple of weeks too.  I'm interested in whatever responses you get.
> 
> Normally, I withdraw cash at the ATMs at the airport and am done with it.  I also have never had to do anything for my phone to work in Mexico.  Perhaps you should check with your provider.
> 
> Deb


My regular phone will work (sprint) but has to be enabled which I did online 2 days ago.  The rate is $1.69 a minutes.  I have 2 unlocked phones that I bought purposefully for this reason.  For Telcel it appears the rate for outgoing to the US is about a third of that and even cheaper within MX plus free incoming for phones from the same area.  



DonnaD said:


> I know there is a bank along the main road near the Tropicana restaurant and little shops. We carry cash and then exchange some of it at the bank and then eat at the Tropicana. It is the street that leads to the main square in town. I don't know the name of it. They also had ATMs in the bank.
> 
> We will arrive 1/05 and stay until 2/04. when will you be there?
> Can't wait to get out of freezing OHIO!
> DonnaD


Thanks, I did see a number of different banks on one of the maps I found for SJDC, I was hoping most had ATM's.  I did know you could exchange at the resort but my experience in other parts of MX is that the rates are not as good.  I will likely exchange some portion at the airport to get us started but hadn't thought of using an ATM at the airport.  We plan to take some cash, use a dedicated debit card for ATM's and basically as a CC and only use the CC as a backup.  We are there 1/22 to 2/05 and will definitely be at the GM the second portion.  I'll add the Tropicana to my list or recommended choices.

For the benefit of others that might be looking at $$$ options for such a trip I'll share my experiences of late.  My original plan was to take some cash, get some travelers Checks and use to supplement the cash then use our main CC at places I had some trust in like the resort and possibly some restaurants and if we rented a car.  However, when I checked with AAA, they no longer carry Travelers checks and the VISA travel card they carry as a replacement has HORRIBLE fees both to use out of the country and to reload.  Our CU has travelers checks AND VISA prepaid gift cards large as $100 per check and cards up to $750, the charge was about $1 per $100 but the cards are not reload-able.  I looked online at various prepaid CC and debit cards and did not find one that I liked overall.  What I ended up doing was creating a NEW and separate checking account at my CU which does not have overdraft protection.  I'll set the pin before I go and change it when I'm home or even while I'm traveling back to home plus notify both my CC company and CU of the exact dates and location of my travel.  I can reload online for no fee from my regular but separate account since they are linked by SSN and the fees are limited to those that Mastercard charges for currency conversion, somewhere around 1%, and any fees that might be charged on the other end such as ATM fees.    



easyrider said:


> Hacienda del Mar and Grand Mayan are to far away to walk to town. You should get a car. Driving around here is easy.


I was aware that HDM was quite a way from Cabo, some 7 miles or so  if I recall and I have no intention of walking anywhere near that far.  I also seem to recall it was just under a mile off the main road and if that's the case, that is not a good option either.  However, I was under the impression that the GM was close enough to walk to many options in town.  I have gone back and forth on the car and it appears that the overwhelming majority have said DON'T rent a car if you can help it due to the risks involved IF something happens and the confusing driving rules for the newcomer.  That combined with the higher costs due to the insurance are preventing me from being comfortable with a rental car.


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## easyrider (Jan 2, 2010)

Avis includes the liability insurance and your spouse as a second driver in the price quote. Many Visa cards will cover the damage to the car. Driving in San Jose is really, really, really easy. Driving in Cabo is easy once you know how to turn left in town off the main road. 

It seems that people that dont read TUG forums rent cars all the time in Mexico because they haven't heard these horror storries that some of the tuggers have posted. If a person can drive rush hour near any big American city they certainly can drive in a less populated area like Cabo.


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## LisaH (Jan 2, 2010)

We have been to Cabo three times staying at Westin Regina and HDM. I can't imagine not to have a car. HDM is not too far away from Cabo downtown by car. The bus stop, however, is at least a mile away from the resort.

For money, we always use the ATM at the airport. The rate seemed to be not too different from in town.

For cellphone, I have ATT and we just used the international plan for both data and emergency calls. As I recall, it's not that expensive. I would recommend going to town and check out the rate yourselves if you would like to get a SIM card. Please let us know how you end up doing as we should try that for our next trip to Mexico.

Sorry I could not be more helpful. Cabo will be lovely in Jan. Whales will be around...If you have a car, make sure to visit Villa Serena which is not too far from HMD. we ate there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and enjoyed every meal we had!


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## DonnaD (Jan 2, 2010)

*Take Binoculars To Watch Whales*

We are packing to leave Tuesday and we take our binoculars to watch the whales from our balcony at Club Regina. It is awesome. one time a whale came within 20 yds. of shore. I could not believe my eyes. Water is deep there.
Be sure to enjoy the stars away from town....like diamonds on black velvet...I have never seen so many stars! :whoopie: :whoopie:


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## Dean (Jan 2, 2010)

DonnaD said:


> We are packing to leave Tuesday and we take our binoculars to watch the whales from our balcony at Club Regina. It is awesome. one time a whale came within 20 yds. of shore. I could not believe my eyes. Water is deep there.
> Be sure to enjoy the stars away from town....like diamonds on black velvet...I have never seen so many stars! :whoopie: :whoopie:


I bought a pair of moderate qualify binoculars a few months ago when a sports warehouse type place went out of business.  They are waterproof and fog proof and weigh around 20 oz.  We are planning an Alaska cruise in 2011 so that was our focus.    I am hopeful we get such a view, that's one of the reasons I've left which resort up in the air since we have duplicate reservations for 7 of the 14 nights.


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## pittle (Jan 2, 2010)

Dean said:


> We have our first trip coming up to the Cabo area.  We are staying at the Grand Mayan and possible at Hacienda Del Mar over a 2 week period.  I have spent quite a bit of time looking at reviews, restaurant recommendations, etc.  My main questions at this point are hopefully simple.
> 
> 
> Where is the best place to change money in San Jose del Cabo?  Good ATM locations?
> ...



We were there for two weeks in November.  There are 2 banks with ATM's just before you get to the Mega if you are walking (HSCB & Banamex) and another HSCB along the main road to the San Jose square area - just before you get to Habenero's.  The last time my brother took travelers cheques on vacation in Mexico, they were a hassle.  He finally had to go to a bank and cash them - needed his passport for ID too.  It is good that you are choosing the ATM route.

The meal plans were $99 for 7 breakfasts and about $200 for 7 dinners.  There are "ads" on the GM TV.

A taxi from San Jose to Cabo San Lucas is $35.  The bus is much cheaper, but I would not want to take luggage on it.  

We also use Skye.  We paid $2.95 per month to be able to call any number from our computer using Skype from Mexico.  The WIFI is 650 pesos for a week ($50). My AT&T cell charges $1 per minute, so we use Skype & email to check on family.

The GM Cabo is a great resort.  I look forward to going back.


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## Dean (Jan 3, 2010)

Thanks to all, we are looking forward to our trip.  I will report back as to what we find on these and other issues I feel might be helpful.


pittle said:


> The meal plans were $99 for 7 breakfasts and about $200 for 7 dinners.  There are "ads" on the GM TV.
> 
> A taxi from San Jose to Cabo San Lucas is $35.  The bus is much cheaper, but I would not want to take luggage on it.
> 
> We also use Skye.  We paid $2.95 per month to be able to call any number from our computer using Skype from Mexico.  The WIFI is 650 pesos for a week ($50). My AT&T cell charges $1 per minute, so we use Skype & email to check on family.


We are reconsidering the car based on some info provided by easyrider.  The info I had on meal plans was 6 breakfast for $99 or 6 lunch/dinner for $210 have the specifics changed?  We will mostly use email and want to be able to communicate back and forth if we are separated so will go with the cell phones and not sign up for an internet phone service now though we may in the future.  This is due partly to the fact I travel with a company computer that I cannot add any software to at all.


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## Karen G (Jan 3, 2010)

Dean said:


> We are reconsidering the car based on some info provided by easyrider.


I think you'll enjoy your stay so much more if you have a car, especially since you'll be there for two weeks. We've been going to Cabo every year for the past 12 years and usually get a car.


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## Dean (Jan 3, 2010)

Karen G said:


> I think you'll enjoy your stay so much more if you have a car, especially since you'll be there for two weeks. We've been going to Cabo every year for the past 12 years and usually get a car.


Thanks, I'll let you know how it all goes.  One of the issues I had is that the Thrifty info I had states that CC coverage is not applicable in MX but VISA assures me this is incorrect and apparently at least some of the major companies assume the MX required liability as part of the rental.  Based on this new info and the lower prices I'm getting now with help from various places, including the nice TUGGERS, I may reverse my thinking and get a car for both weeks.  I've been so back and forth on this issue my wife may not even talk to me about it going forward, LOL.  I would prefer to have a car all other things being OK.


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## pittle (Jan 3, 2010)

Dean said:


> Thanks to all, we are looking forward to our trip.  I will report back as to what we find on these and other issues I feel might be helpful.
> We are reconsidering the car based on some info provided by easyrider.  The info I had on meal plans was 6 breakfast for $99 or 6 lunch/dinner for $210 have the specifics changed?  We will mostly use email and want to be able to communicate back and forth if we are separated so will go with the cell phones and not sign up for an internet phone service now though we may in the future.  This is due partly to the fact I travel with a company computer that I cannot add any software to at all.



I thought it was 7, but could have been 6.  We did not buy them.  

We bought walkie-talkies when on vacation.  We a have a set of 3 that has a 25 mile range.  I keep one in my tote bag that I take to the beach (and pretty much everywhere else).  My husband clips one on his shorts, and then we have a spare for whenever someone else goes with us.  We used them when our group went to Puerto Penasco for Thanksgiving and could contact folks who had gone into town.


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## pittle (Jan 3, 2010)

Dean said:


> Thanks, I'll let you know how it all goes.  One of the issues I had is that the Thrifty info I had states that CC coverage is not applicable in MX but VISA assures me this is incorrect and apparently at least some of the major companies assume the MX required liability as part of the rental.  Based on this new info and the lower prices I'm getting now with help from various places, including the nice TUGGERS, I may reverse my thinking and get a car for both weeks.  I've been so back and forth on this issue my wife may not even talk to me about it going forward, LOL.  I would prefer to have a car all other things being OK.



My husband commented that he would feel safe driving in the Cabo area.  We generally do not rent cars in Mexico.  We did drive to Mazatlan in our SUV last year when we were going for a month.  We plan to do that again this year in June.  We parked at the Mega and took pulmonias to downtown and some restaurants because parking is always a hassle.


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## nazclk (Jan 5, 2010)

*Cabo Trip*

First of all I just exchange money at the resort, you may get 5 cents more per dollar somewhere else but you don't have to worry about where to look. 
As far as a car, I would get one if you are staying at the two places you mentioned.  If you want a deal on a car go to www.tripadvisor.com and look up Dominic Car Rentals.  Not the prettiest cars in the world but his price is all inclusive with insurance included.  Very nice gentleman.  I wouldn't buy a meal plan because I consider that part of the fun of traveling. While on trip advisor look up "Trapper's List"  great list of places in Cabo.  If you stay at the Grand Mayan, two places I would recommend. The Tropicana and Apostolis restaurants which are located in San Jose.   Don't stress out planning your vacation, Cabo is a wonderful place, enjoy and relax. :whoopie:


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## Karen G (Jan 5, 2010)

nazclk said:


> First of all I just exchange money at the resort, you may get 5 cents more per dollar somewhere else but you don't have to worry about where to look.
> As far as a car, I would get one if you are staying at the two places you mentioned.  If you want a deal on a car go to www.tripadvisor.com and look up Dominic Car Rentals.


We used Dominic in August and it worked out great. His email address is this:  domosanlucas@prodigy.net.mx

His helper met us at the airport, we paid him the agreed upon fee, and he gave us the keys to the car.  At the end of our trip, we parked the car in the airport parking lot, left the keys under the floormat, locked the car and flew home. Dominic is very easy to work with, and the car was fine. I realize if this is your first trip to Mexico that you might be a little uneasy doing it this way, but it worked out great for us and other Tuggers have reported good experiences with him, too.  

This year we also just exchanged money at our resort and the exchange rate was pretty close to the bank's.  Plus, we avoided the 3% foreign transaction fee that our bank would charge and the ATM fees.

I second that recommendation for the Tropicana in San Jose.

For groceries in San Jose, the Mega is probably your best bet. It's at the intersection of the toll road from the airport and the main highway.  For the second week at Hacienda Del Mar, I think Walmart is the best choice.  Costco & Sam's Club are good options if you're going to buy a case of soft drinks or some other items in bulk if you know you'll be able to use them up during your stay. 

If you do end up getting a car at the airport, take the toll road. It will save time and it's about $2 I think. If you have no pesos when you arrive at the airport, I think the money exchange booth there has a 100 peso minimum (about $10) and you'll need some for the toll. But save your big money exchange for the resort or bank, if that's what you choose to do. 

Check out post #4 in this thread from the sticky post on Mexico information at the top of the Mexico forum, if you haven't already found it.


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## geekette (Jan 5, 2010)

I would definitely rent a car.  Convenience of exploration, for one thing.  Yeah, it's a bit more work and dollars for insurance, but it's not that big of a deal.  At the Avis counter, we signed up for a timeshare presentation that chopped $400 off the price, so, it was worth it.  (yeah yeah, I know, but, touring Sunset BEach was sooooooo worth our time [drool])


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## Dean (Jan 5, 2010)

nazclk said:


> First of all I just exchange money at the resort, you may get 5 cents more per dollar somewhere else but you don't have to worry about where to look.
> As far as a car, I would get one if you are staying at the two places you mentioned.  If you want a deal on a car go to www.tripadvisor.com and look up Dominic Car Rentals.  Not the prettiest cars in the world but his price is all inclusive with insurance included.  Very nice gentleman.  I wouldn't buy a meal plan because I consider that part of the fun of traveling. While on trip advisor look up "Trapper's List"  great list of places in Cabo.  If you stay at the Grand Mayan, two places I would recommend. The Tropicana and Apostolis restaurants which are located in San Jose.   Don't stress out planning your vacation, Cabo is a wonderful place, enjoy and relax. :whoopie:


Thanks, I will see what the exchange rates are when we arrive as I'll have to go out to get groceries that first afternoon anyway.  I would have to say that our usual approach is to explore through restaurants and that we would never do an AI in an area where there are good, safe and reasonable restaurants.  However, we often do limited meal plans when they are convenient, flexible and a fair to good deal.  For example, the meal plan at the GM is for 6 coupons, can be shared between 2 people for 3 meals  and is good for longer than the one week or in our case, can be stretched over the 2 weeks.  It appears to offer about a 25% discount (roughly).    I likely won't decide whether to get it until we arrive as it depends in part on what we decide to do about the resort choices and our feel for the menus and the restaurant appearance.

I did see the rec for Dominic and have emailed back and forth a couple of times.  The prices quoted ($350 to 420 depending on the car) are simply too high for my needs and I am not comfortable doing cash only in that situation.  I could get a car with all the insurances through a regular brand name company for that price.

This is actually our 3rd trip to MX but our first to Cabo and I sometimes get a little involved in the planning.  I'd rather put the time and stress in now getting all the details than to have an issue and stress on vacation.  Hopefully I won't drive the group crazy in the interim.  Besides, I actually enjoy the planning, keeps me out of trouble.  We'll actually start planning our next trip before we even make this one, dramatically lessens the post trip depression that we used to get.

We hadn't planned to tour any timeshares on this trip but you never know.  I usually promise my wife no more than 1 per week but the ones we've been to in MX were a bit more high pressure than most of the rest, so we'll see.

I have checked out the stickies and references above, I found them very helpful.


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## Karen G (Jan 5, 2010)

Dean said:


> I sometimes get a little involved in the planning.


I know what you mean. Before we went on our first (and only, so far) cruise, I spent so much time on cruise forums investigating the cruise we were taking that when we actually took our cruise it seemed like deja vu to me.  I had experienced everything beforehand by reading trip reports of other people. It was weird.


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## hsintang (Jan 6, 2010)

Your Bank should list ATM locations in Cabo that you can use without fees.  I use Bank of America and CitiBank and both have associated Bank ATMs in Mega or Costco.  I was in Cabo last week, the exchange rate in local stores ranged from 1 US dollar to 12 to 13.50 Peso.  I regretted that I did not bring enough US dollars.  We got some Peso through citibank (next day delivery to your local branch) before our trip, and used ATMs in Cabo.    We found that the exchange rate is better with ATMs, however, sometime is best just use US dollars.  I have not checked my credit card bill, but I know there will be 3% surcharges...
Have fun, the weather should be perfect (~75F).

Yvette


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## Rene McDaniel (Jan 6, 2010)

Dean said:


> We are reconsidering the car based on some info provided by easyrider.



We have always rented a car in Cabo, as well, and I can't believe how much the rental car prices have gone up over the past couple of years.  We're going at the end of March and everything's close to $300/week, and that's without insurance or any extras.

Dean,  I don't know just how bad the rates look for the 2 weeks that you are there, but maybe you could look at shorter periods of time.  Possibly you don't need a car for 14 days, every single day -- but just here & there.  Once on a 10-day trip, we rented a car for just the first 5 days and it worked out just fine.  Another option is that you can always have a reservation made for the 2nd week (or a few days) as a separate reservation, then just use it if you need it.  If you don't need it, you don't have to use it.  

I wonder if the resorts & car rental companies aren't in cahoots that by upping the prices it will get MORE people to say "yes" to taking a timeshare tour.  Who wants to pay $350 to rent a car for a week out of your own money??

Also, I noticed on Expedia.com when I looked up car rentals, they have "mini's" which are stick-shifts for $159/week.  Does anyone know --- are these mini-Coopers, or some very small Mexican knock-off of a mini-Cooper?  Wonder how many people they seat?  The price sounds good, so I am curious if anyone has any info.  We don't usually do that much driving in Cabo, and it is AWFULLY convenient to have a car....


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## Dean (Jan 6, 2010)

Rene McDaniel said:


> We have always rented a car in Cabo, as well, and I can't believe how much the rental car prices have gone up over the past couple of years.  We're going at the end of March and everything's close to $300/week, and that's without insurance or any extras.
> 
> Dean,  I don't know just how bad the rates look for the 2 weeks that you are there, but maybe you could look at shorter periods of time.  Possibly you don't need a car for 14 days, every single day -- but just here & there.  Once on a 10-day trip, we rented a car for just the first 5 days and it worked out just fine.  Another option is that you can always have a reservation made for the 2nd week (or a few days) as a separate reservation, then just use it if you need it.  If you don't need it, you don't have to use it.
> 
> ...


It's just the 2 of us so size doesn't matter much in this situation, just clean and reliable.  I was initially looking at a week that covers the time we're at HDM as it looks like the time at the GM is more workable without a car but I was not finding good prices for rental cars without going back to the airport other than thrifty and they specifically stated that the CC insurance wasn't accepted in MX which I now know to be wrong but now I don't think I can trust them.

National is my preferred company but they were more in this instance even though they had a pick up at a hotel a few blocks down from the GM.


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## pittle (Jan 6, 2010)

Dean said:


> It's just the 2 of us so size doesn't matter much in this situation, just clean and reliable.  I was initially looking at a week that covers the time we're at HDM as it looks like the time at the GM is more workable without a car but I was not finding good prices for rental cars without going back to the airport other than thrifty and they specifically stated that the CC insurance wasn't accepted in MX which I now know to be wrong but now I don't think I can trust them.
> 
> National is my preferred company but they were more in this instance even though they had a pick up at a hotel a few blocks down from the GM.



Both of my CC companies specifically exclude rental car coverage in Mexico for insurance - it is in the fine print of the information about your card.  We would NEVER rent a car in Mexico without full coverage. If you happen to be involved in an accident without Mexico insurance, whether it it your fault or not, you better have it or have access to a lot of money or you might just be taken to jail.


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## Dean (Jan 6, 2010)

pittle said:


> Both of my CC companies specifically exclude rental car coverage in Mexico for insurance - it is in the fine print of the information about your card.  We would NEVER rent a car in Mexico without full coverage. If you happen to be involved in an accident without Mexico insurance, whether it it your fault or not, you better have it or have access to a lot of money or you might just be taken to jail.


VISA premier covers MX, there are about 5 or 6 counties they do not though.  My car insurance excludes out of the country in general though in all but a few instances from what I've been able to gather.


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## Rene McDaniel (Jan 6, 2010)

Dean said:


> It's just the 2 of us so size doesn't matter much in this situation, just clean and reliable.  I was initially looking at a week that covers the time we're at HDM as it looks like the time at the GM is more workable without a car but I was not finding good prices for rental cars without going back to the airport other than thrifty and they specifically stated that the CC insurance wasn't accepted in MX which I now know to be wrong but now I don't think I can trust them..



We're in a delimma about what to book & who to book with, as well.  I found a little more info on the "mini" offered by both Payless and Thrifty car rentals. It is a Dodge Aptos or similar, and seats 4 with room for 2 small bags in back. Today it is showing as $115 for the week which less than half the price of all the others. We really don't do much driving there.  I booked it since it was a great rate, but I am still going to keep looking for better deals.  I prefer Avis over Thrifty but not at $300/week vs. $115.  (I guess the rates are especially bad when we are there because it's Easter week/Spring Break)

Here's the link to the info on the mini car:
http://travel.travelocity.com/car/CarTypeLegend.do?carType=MINI

What ever you do don't take a timeshare tour with the Grand Mayan or Mayan Palace to get free car rental.  They trap you for hours & hours, and usually get downright rude and nasty at the end, unless of course you buy.  It ranks up there as one of the most unpleasant experiences I've had in the last 10 years.


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## Dean (Jan 6, 2010)

Rene McDaniel said:


> We're in a delimma about what to book & who to book with, as well.  I found a little more info on the "mini" offered by both Payless and Thrifty car rentals. It is a Dodge Aptos or similar, and seats 4 with room for 2 small bags in back. Today it is showing as $115 for the week which less than half the price of all the others. We really don't do much driving there.  I booked it since it was a great rate, but I am still going to keep looking for better deals.  I prefer Avis over Thrifty but not at $300/week vs. $115.  (I guess the rates are especially bad when we are there because it's Easter week/Spring Break)
> 
> Here's the link to the info on the mini car:
> http://travel.travelocity.com/car/CarTypeLegend.do?carType=MINI
> ...


Thanks, I really don't want to tour in MX due to this type of experience in general and that goes double for where we're staying as they have potential control over you and your money.  The price for our dates for what you reserved are minimally higher and actually higher than the direct price I found with Thrifty picking up in town at SJDC for a larger car.  The price for an economy standard through Avis was not much more.  I assume these mini cars are standard and not automatic as well.  You guys are making me reconsider my choices again, I'm going to need xanax or something before this is over, LOL.


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## Jaybee (Jan 6, 2010)

Do you have an AMEX CC?  If so, you can go to the Amer. Ex. office and get $200 in pesos on your CC.  Never cost us anything to do that, but it's been a few years since we were there.  



Dean said:


> Still my 2 top issues at this point are the money exchange and SIM cards, hopefully someone has info that will help us plan better.


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## Rene McDaniel (Jan 7, 2010)

Dean said:


> The price for our dates for what you reserved are minimally higher and actually higher than the direct price I found with Thrifty picking up in town at SJDC for a larger car.



Dean,
I never thought of checking the off-airport locations.  That was an awesome tip!  I ended up cancelling the mini-car ($115/week @ airport) and booking a compact (Nissan Tsuro) for pick-up in the town of San Jose del Cabo for $120/week, plus $15 drop fee to returning it to the airport.  Even though we will have to take a cab from the airport to San Jose, we'll still come out WAY ahead of the $300+ per week the are charging for SJD rental cars for Easter week (March 27-April 3).  Easter week is always super busy for car rentals, and if you don't arrive early, they often run out of cars.  

Thanks for that GREAT idea, you clever lad!
---- Rene McDaniel


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## Dean (Jan 7, 2010)

Rene McDaniel said:


> Dean,
> I never thought of checking the off-airport locations.  That was an awesome tip!  I ended up cancelling the mini-car ($115/week @ airport) and booking a compact (Nissan Tsuro) for pick-up in the town of San Jose del Cabo for $120/week, plus $15 drop fee to returning it to the airport.  Even though we will have to take a cab from the airport to San Jose, we'll still come out WAY ahead of the $300+ per week the are charging for SJD rental cars for Easter week (March 27-April 3).  Easter week is always super busy for car rentals, and if you don't arrive early, they often run out of cars.
> 
> Thanks for that GREAT idea, you clever lad!
> ---- Rene McDaniel


Hey, it's a bonus that I'm looking for help/suggestions and I end up helping the helpers.  To me that's a large part of what timesharing is about, a community approach.  Next they'll be accusing us of being a pagan religion ala the Masons, LOL.  Seriously, I'm glad that helped you.  After all the comments back and forth, I think my daily take on this is to get the extra liability but not the damage or personal injury.  That makes the car just over $510 for 2 weeks plus I assume they'll charge me some taxes on the liability amount as well.  Still, that's barely more for 2 weeks than I was looking at for one week with National initially.


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## Dean (Jan 23, 2010)

Her in Cabo at the Grand Mayan.  Decided to stay here both weeks since we got such an amazing view in this unit and did end up with the car.  The ATM card through the CU is working out exactly as I intended and hoped.  The one debit I've done so far gave me a return of 12.77 even including any fees that may have been charged.  I'm not sure what fees since they are not listed on either my receipt or the CU site, only the total price.  I plan to empty the account likely before I leave MX just in case.  The other thing that both the CU and the CC companies I use do in this situaiton is they unlock the cards for the area ONLY for the time you notify them you are traveling.  I'll do a review when I return but I'm not much into formal trips reports, I'll do my best.


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## rentayenta (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi Dean. Tell me about the Grand Mayan.......It's available for our trip in March. It's in San Jose del Cabo, correct?


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## Dean (Jan 24, 2010)

rentayenta said:


> Hi Dean. Tell me about the Grand Mayan.......It's available for our trip in March. It's in San Jose del Cabo, correct?


I'm sure there are others than can tell you a lot more than I can.  It's a very nice resort, one of the nicest we've stayed at.  The room is typical high end MX with granite floors and counter tops, uncomfortable furniture, and a functional minikitchen.  Our unit has a smaller fridge, I'd estimate about 7 cu ft.  Think upper end dorm room size and add about 50%.  It has a 4 eye cooktop, smaller microwave, coffee maker, blender, toaster and blender.  NO oven and no convection microwave like some we've seen in MX and the caribbean.  Also no BBQ options.  Our view is great, one of the best on property, but most rooms should give you a decent to good view.  There is mandatory valet parking, it's about $35 plus tips per week.  Prices are fairly high.  Frozen drinks were around $9, but 2 for 1 happy hour 6-8.  We did the sales tour yesterday with breakfast, a few discounts, discounted massage and 1000 peso as the bait.  Hadn't intended to but my wife couldn't resist the massase options.

The location is great, it's on the beach in the hotel zone at the far end from Cabo San Lucas.  Downtown and the Mega would be quite a walk, around a mile or a little less.  This was slightly more than my impression pre trip so I'm glad we got the car.  So far I'd highely recommend it.  We like to get off property to explore, eat, etc so this will be better for us than a corridor property would have been though either would have been fine with the car.

To add, I think the studio is not sufficient for most people for a week.  I don't think there's any kitchen to speak of from what I saw yesterday, something like or even less than the Royals studios.

BTW, you'll likely see this again in my review.


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## toby9116 (Jan 24, 2010)

*GM Cabo*

Just got back From GM Cabo Sunday. Only ate once at resort. The night we got there we ate at the resort because or previous experiences at other Grupo resorts. $60 for 2 and we could not finish it even after traveling all day. We walked to town for every meal after that. About a 1/3 of the way to town is a small trip building with 4 restaurants and a couple of other shops. Mi Ensalada a sidewalk style, Habeneros and Local 8 are all great. In town Tropicana is good. For lunch we would grab a sandwich at French Riviera to take back to resort ($5 including can of coke). It was the best week of dining I can remember. We did not even get to LaDuce, which we wanted to try because we had ate at their location in Cabo san Lucas last year. We are going back next year but will never eat or drink at GM again. I tried a couple of drinks but they were terible for 90 pecos per. Cofee 90 pesos. Mi Ensalada has best coffee in town.


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