Oaxaca de Juárez Travel Forum

My wife and I plan to visit Oaxaca the last 10 days of May and are debating whether to rent a car for 5-7 days to visit Monte Alban, Tule, Mitla, and other outlying areas. Money is not the biggest issue. We were wondering whats the overall best, most convienent, most fun way to get around in the Oaxaca area.

Thanks,

Arne

I suggest that you avail yourselves of the excellent (and inexpensive) local public transportation system in the city and state of Oaxaca - it's far less expensive and far less intimidating.

The cost of renting an auto skyrockets when you add-in all of the insurance coverages you'll be taking (not to take the add-ons in Mexico is a very foolish thing to do). Gasoline is expensive. You won't know the road system or your way around. Driving in the center of the city of Oaxaca is difficult/impossible to do because of some streets closed to vehicles, one way streets and a shortage of parking, not to mention congestion.

Going places by bus will afford you the opportunity to travel with locals as they go about their daily lives - and many of those experiences stay with us for a lifetime. Member pages here at VT and good guidebooks (Moon or Lonely Planet) will help you to navigate the area.

Enjoy the adventure!

Even with money no consideration, I would recommend you take taxi or cars which make these trips. Many leave from in front of the large market. Monte Alban is just a short tourist bus trip from the city with frequent returns. Mitla via Tule is much longer. You could also just hire a car with driver (taxi) for the half day so you can make as many stops as you want. If you have a sense of adventure and comfort is not a major issue, the local short distance buses are a great experience. There are alot of off of the highway towns with special craft reputations -- black pottery,green pottery, weaving, fantasmagoric wooden animal figures, or ice cream and lesser known churches and ruins. So there are lots of places to visit. A car is not a bad idea, but better a car and a driver.

Gomexico, Melosh,

Thanks very much for your very prompt responses to my question. I appreciate the insight.

So what do you figure it should cost to hire a taxi for half a day?

Thanks,

Arne

The cost of renting a car and driver may vary widely, depending upon who you ask and when you're there. My suggestion is that you speak with the manager or front desk clerk in the hotel and maybe they have a relative or friend who has a taxi or who does side jobs like driving - it's common to find such connections in Oaxaca. My sense is that a fair price for a half-day is in the range of MX$300 (less than US$30). Oaxaca is overrun with foreign tourists, so you'll have to bargain a bit because locals seem to think that all foreigners are rich (relative to their economic status, and they're mostly correct in their assumptions).

I've visited Oaxaca a half-dozen or so times and I've never rented a car - I use the excellent bus system to get from point to point. "Autobuses Turisticos" which has a travel desk inside the Hotel Rivera del Angel at Mina 518 operates frequent busses and/or guided tours to Monte Alban, Mitla, Tule and some central valley towns and the cost is very economical. You might want to check with them before hiring a car. Going solo to sites in a car may save you time, but you'll miss the interaction with other travelers and someone who can explain everything in a language you better understand.