Can I rely on my credit or debit card to cover my rental car insurance at Santa Maria Airport?

It wouldn’t be the best idea to rely on your credit card company to cater for your rental damages unless they provide you a policy that can guarantee their commitment to settling the fees with your rental agency (preferably in Spanish). Typically, your card provider won’t cover damage costs, and even if they do, they’ll reimburse the funds after a while. That means that you'll have to cater for the charges from your personal account unless they issue a confirmation that they’ll settle the matter with your car rental at Santa Maria Airport. Search rental cars on KAYAK

Is it better to rent a car in person after arriving at Santa Maria Airport?

Understandably, you want to book your preferred car in advance online so that you find it waiting for you at the airport. Here’re some benefits of booking the vehicle online. Even after booking online with KAYAK, you have a one-on-one conversation with the rental agent at the counter, so you can take care of any uncertainties and rent with confidence. Search rental cars on KAYAK

What requirements must I satisfy to rent a car at Santa Maria Airport?

Any passengers wanting to obtain a vehicle from a car rental at Santa Maria Airport must be 21 years and over. However, renters below 25 years may be subjected to an underage surcharge. Travelers wishing to use rentals must also produce a valid driver’s license held for at least two years, but that may vary, depending on your chosen rental agent. Additionally, you must have a credit card bearing your name, with sufficient funds to cover the rental contract. Those from outside the country will have to show proof of identity, such as a passport. Search rental cars on KAYAK

Which car rental companies will pick you up at Santa Maria Huatulco airport?

Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Santa Maria Huatulco airport to off-airport locations include Alamo, Avis, Europcar, and Hertz. Search rental cars on KAYAK

Car Rentals at Santa Maria Huatulco airport

Driver's age: 26-65

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SUV

Commercial

Pickup truck

Although there are public buses that arriving passengers can use to commute from Santa Maria Airport (HUX) to the city center, getting a car rental at Santa Maria Airport offers a safe, convenient, and comfortable way of exploring Huatulco. With taxis and buses, you might have to wait at the airport terminal, as they pick up travelers at intervals. With a rental, you have the freedom to choose where, when, how frequently, and who to bring along since you’re in control of your schedule and places to visit. For this reason, driving around in a rental car is easier and most convenient, allowing you to explore the town like a local.
While a car rental at Santa Maria Airport offers you the convenience of hiring a vehicle right at the airport, you’ll still need to be aware of the speed limits, among other traffic rules. For example, you are not supposed to exceed 6 mph in crowded streets, school zones, parking lots, and residential areas. Unless posted otherwise, the maximum speed limit of major highways within the city is 62 mph, which increases to 68 mph upon leaving the city.
Your Santa Maria Airport car rental will usually charge a premium location surcharge (PLS) because you’re booking the car at the airport. One surefire strategy of avoiding extra rental fees is to purchase extra auto-insurance coverage from your preferred rental operator. That way, you won’t be bombarded with steep PLS, and you reduce your insurance deductible in case you cause an accident or damage the car.
Are you planning on visiting Oaxaca using your rental car? It’s worth noting that some of the road winds and curves, while others may have sharp corners. If you are traveling alone or with not more than four passengers, a compact or minivan will be a better option since they are good for maneuvering curves and sharp corners—especially if you plan to take long trips.
Book your rental car at Santa Maria Huatulco airport at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price

Can I rely on my credit or debit card to cover my rental car insurance at Santa Maria Airport?
It wouldn’t be the best idea to rely on your credit card company to cater for your rental damages unless they provide you a policy that can guarantee their commitment to settling the fees with your rental agency (preferably in Spanish). Typically, your card provider won’t cover damage costs, and even if they do, they’ll reimburse the funds after a while. That means that you'll have to cater for the charges from your personal account unless they issue a confirmation that they’ll settle the matter with your car rental at Santa Maria Airport.
Is it better to rent a car in person after arriving at Santa Maria Airport?
Understandably, you want to book your preferred car in advance online so that you find it waiting for you at the airport. Here’re some benefits of booking the vehicle online. Even after booking online with KAYAK, you have a one-on-one conversation with the rental agent at the counter, so you can take care of any uncertainties and rent with confidence.
What requirements must I satisfy to rent a car at Santa Maria Airport?
Any passengers wanting to obtain a vehicle from a car rental at Santa Maria Airport must be 21 years and over. However, renters below 25 years may be subjected to an underage surcharge. Travelers wishing to use rentals must also produce a valid driver’s license held for at least two years, but that may vary, depending on your chosen rental agent. Additionally, you must have a credit card bearing your name, with sufficient funds to cover the rental contract. Those from outside the country will have to show proof of identity, such as a passport.
Which car rental companies will pick you up at Santa Maria Huatulco airport?
Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Santa Maria Huatulco airport to off-airport locations include Alamo, Avis, Europcar, and Hertz.

Avis

5.5

Fair

3 reviews

Best rated

Cleanliness

5.5

Comfort

5.5

Pick-up/Drop-off

5.5

Value for money

5.5

One location in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

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Locations in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

Carr.#200 Pinotepa Salina Cruz

+52 958 581 9233

Monday	08:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 18:00
Thursday	08:00 - 18:00
Friday	08:00 - 18:00
Saturday	08:00 - 18:00
Sunday	08:00 - 18:00

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Apr 2023

We had to change our reservation at the last minute because they didn't have the size car we needed and reserved online so we had to switch to their sister agency who did have an SUV big enough, but we were only refunded $35 of our $150 deposit and the remainder wasn't applied to our new reservation. That's not right, they didn't have the car we reserved, we couldn't fit 6 people and surfboards into the car they had, we should be refunded the total we paid.

Alamo

4.7

Mediocre

5 reviews

Cleanliness

5.5

Comfort

5.5

Pick-up/Drop-off

4.7

Value for money

4.7

One location in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

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Locations in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

Huatulco Aeropuerto, Carretera

+52 958 581 9134

Monday	08:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	08:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 18:00
Thursday	08:00 - 18:00
Friday	08:00 - 18:00
Saturday	08:00 - 18:00
Sunday	08:00 - 18:00

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2.0 Poor

Apr 2024

The sales guys could have not tried to rip us off, and when we told them we didn’t need insurance they could have just treated the car. Instead told us they could do a deal if we paid some in cash.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2022

My flight was 35 minutes late. They had given away my car. I even called that morning to confirm and told them which flight I was on.

1.9 Poor

Aug 2021

They didn’t have a car for me when I arrived. So I was unable to rent the car I reserved through Kayak.

Hertz

3.9

Poor

6 reviews

Cleanliness

3.6

Comfort

4.2

Pick-up/Drop-off

3.9

Value for money

3.9

One location in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

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Locations in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

Carr. Costera Salina Km237

+52 800 709 5000

Monday	00:00 - 23:59
Tuesday	00:00 - 23:59
Wednesday	00:00 - 23:59
Thursday	00:00 - 23:59
Friday	00:00 - 23:59
Saturday	00:00 - 23:59
Sunday	00:00 - 23:59

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Reviews

8.0 Very good

Dec 2021

It was fast and easy to rent the car.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2021

Cons:

I’ve rented vehicles in Mexico many times however Huatulco Airport has a racket going. It is a fairly isolated airport so it is fairly difficult that obtain other options besides car rental or taxi. We had a reservation with hertz for 5 days for approximately $230. I realize they always try to add insurance on and expect a little more expensive however they tried to charge me $761. He told me it was bc I was 1 hour early and the other rental agency’s didn’t have cars right them either. We went to the other ones as well but the charges were nearly the same. There were several angry customers walking around as well and two would say out load to not use them as they were trying to scam them too. Needless to say we got a taxi instead.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2023

There was no car available when I arrived.

2.0 Poor

Dec 2021

Got there and was told the vehicle I rented was not available, they downsized me and charged me more as if they were doing me a favor. Also the car insurance is a scan, because I had to get a different coverage because the one I reserved was NOT valid.

2.0 Poor

Nov 2021

There were no cars upon my arrival to the rental car location despite confirming the evening before. They said there would be no cars for a few more hours. They gave no explanation and were extremely unhelpful. Will never rent again with hertz

10.0 Wonderful

Sep 2021

Esmeralda, counter rep, and both assistants were very friendly. Checking in was very straightforward. Checking out it’s kind of slow. If this can be simplify it’ll be awesome!

Europcar

2.2

Poor

8 reviews

Cleanliness

3.5

Comfort

2.8

Pick-up/Drop-off

3.1

Value for money

1.9

One location in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

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Locations in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

Ctra. Costera Pinotepa - Salina Cruz Km. 237, Col. El Zapote, Santa María Huatulco, Oaxaca.

+52 958 100 4097

Opening times not available

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Reviews

2.0 Poor

Apr 2024

Price was quoted in CAD, when I picked up the car the price was in USD. There's a big difference between 500cad and 500usd.

4.0 Mediocre

Feb 2022

Regardless of your flight schedule, and the fact that you reserved with your money, if you do not arrive at noon they release the vehicle and once you got to airport you find out your rental was "cancelled". Then they "offer" you another contract at double or triple the price you booked yours originally.

2.0 Poor

Feb 2022

BEWARE…. Avoid at all costs! My wife is 5 months pregnant with our first child, so we decided to take one last trip before the baby is born. We arrived in Huatulco Saturday afternoon and went to pick up our car which we had rented from Europcar through Kayak.com. We have used Kayak.com in many countries around the world and never had any issues. We also purchased their third-party car insurance to go along with the insurance we already have with our credit card just to be safe. When we arrived at the Europcar rental booth, the associate there told us the third-party insurance we purchased was not valid in Mexico, and that we would need to purchase “minimum” insurance from Europcar at a rate of $80 USD/Day for two weeks, which would end up being more than twice the price of the rental car itself when converted to CAD. I pointed out that the Europcar website mentioned $15/day for minimum insurance, $25/day for full insurance, but he told me these rates did not apply to us because we did not book directly with Europcar, but instead used a third party (Kayak). He then mentioned the only way around this was to get a confirmation letter from our credit card provider that stated they would cover any additional third-party liability. As we started to contact our bank to produce the letter he requested, he began to speak to the other agents representing the other various rental car agencies to ensure that they would not provide us with a better deal so we didn’t cancel our car with Europcar. Because it was Saturday, he thought we would not be able to produce such a letter, but after 30 minutes, the bank sent us a standard form that they use around the world, including Mexico, stating that they would indeed cover us for the rental. To his surprise, we presented this letter, but he said he would have to “check with head office” to see if it was valid – he came back five minutes later to confirm it was not. We were then told to contact Europcar Mexico to see if they would accept the letter from our Credit Card company. We waited on hold for over an hour only to be disconnected…. twice. It was now 6pm and the airport was going to close in an hour. It was getting dark outside and my wife needed to get off her feet after a long day of travel. So, I pleaded with him to allow us to pay $25 a day for basic insurance (the cost of full insurance) to which he replied he would have to ask his manager. He came back and said he would agree, but only if he was able to apply a 30% tax on top. I had no other options at this point, and I needed to get my wife out of this place, so we paid for the insurance - which was more than the rental car and the insurance we already had combined…..great way to start the trip! This place is predatory at best, and illegal at worst. I hope this helps other travelers in the future.

2.0 Poor

Feb 2022

I provided the letter regarding the CDW from my TD bank credit card up to 65000 Canadian dollars and Europcar would not accept it. Their contract states when provided CDW insurance is not necessary. They handed back my passport and consequently I rented from the competition using the letter. I have yet to receive my 615 dollar refund from Qeeq and Europcar. I am a well seasoned traveller. I do not recommend Qeeq as a middle provider given it coming on three weeks now and still no refund as they challenge Europcar’s policy.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2022

To arrive at the airport, preparing to take a car, and using the Collision Damage Waiver protection inherent to my credit card, only to be refused the car unless I purchase their in-house insurance, was a huge irritant. Their price on the insurance per day was greater than the price of the rental car per day. We went next door to a competitor and got a car right away for slightly more than the Europcar, all inclusive. We have subsequently extend our rental period from one week to seven weeks. Also, Kayak directed the prepayment to Queeq. Queeq has our money, and Europcar does not. The only company that can refund our money is Queeq, and they seem to be very reluctant to do so.

2.0 Poor

Jan 2022

If you have your own insurance and want to deny their coverage they will not let you unless you have a letter from your bank and proof that the bank (not CC company) is on their list of certified companies. So, to the price you will be quoted by kayak you can add at least over $50 per day to pay for their obligatory basic coverage insurance. They also try to scam you by inventing the slightest dings and nicks on the windshield and tire wear hoping that you didn’t document any damage before the rental.

Fox

2.0

Poor

2 reviews

Cleanliness

5.0

Comfort

5.0

Pick-up/Drop-off

2.0

Value for money

3.0

One location in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

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Locations in Santa Maria Huatulco Airport

Huatulco airport

+52 958 581 9094

Opening times not available

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2.0 Poor

Mar 2024

Terrible customer service. Long wait. They charged me the entire price of the rental just for 5 liters of gas when the tank was already full. They are running a scam here. Also tried to charge me for a broken trunk lock when there was photo evidence it was broken before renting.

2.0 Poor

Feb 2024

It’s a scam, they rent for triple the price and they ask you to buy insurance that doesn’t even cover you in Mexico

keddy by Europcar

2.0

Poor

No reviews available

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

10.0

Pick-up/Drop-off