Tulum (question for Solita and Carey and others)

We will be in Cozumel on July 7th (Inspiration) and have a group of 12 traveling. We want to visit Tulum but are not sure what we should do. Should we take whatever Carnival offers, or get our own tour (like with Cozumel Insider if the timing is right) or should we just rent a van /cars and go on our own.

What would you recommend? If rental is the answer, with whom? I heard Avis and Alamo are a possibility. What would you recommend? Don't know where to start.:confused:

You can't drive there from Cozumel, which is an island. Tulum is on the mainland, about 30 miles south of Playa del Carmen, to/from which the Cozumel ferry runs.

It's a long day traveling to and fro -- perhaps even longer than you'd have to tour. If you go, take a Carnival tour, so you're covered if your returned is delayed. The cruise line guarantees its departures for its contracted services.

If you go on your own and are delayed -- well, you miss the boat and are REALLY on your own.

We just recently went with Carnival and booked our excursion to Tulum. Here is a break down of the day.

1. 8:00- met in lounge and left Miracle

8:15- boarded a ferry off the dock(right next to the Miracle)

approx. 40 minute boat ride, nice boat, restrooms

9:00- arrived in Playa de Carman, boarded a bus, juice and danish offered

9:45- bus stopped at souvenir place, mexican artifacts, barter system

10:30- arrived at Tulum, walked 15 minutes to front gate

10:45- very hot, a lot of people, guide on bus toured us around, told us

about Mayan history

11:30- gave us an hour to look around, buy souvenirs etc., buy lunch

12:45- bus left to go back, chips and a drink offered

1:45- arrived to wait for ferry, ferry was not there, long wait

2:15- ferry arrived, brought us back to the ship by 3:00

It was a long day but worth it. I am not sure you would have enough time to try it on your own. The ferry system might not be on time and it is the only way back to the ship. Or if you missed the ferry, there might not be another one. The ferry is used at many ports not only the one you will be on.

I would recommend the ship tour just for the fact of the return time safety factor. Besides, you get a comfortable, guided tour.

Renting a car in Playa just to do Tulum is overkill. Too expensive. Too much of a hassle. The streets in Tulum are narrow and one way...very hard to navigate.

taking a tour with Fantasy Travel? Has anyone used it?

We were in Cozumel aboard Splendour of the Seas, we went to Tulum on our own. Got off the ship around 7:45 took a taxi to the the ferry, enjoyed a very nice air conditioned ferry ride to Playa Del Carmen. A taxi driver offered to drive us around for the day for $80. He took us to Tulum, waited on us outside the entrance, he then took us to a resturant that I read about, La Buena Vida - nice place in Akumal. He waited on us while we had a nice long lunch, then he took us back to Playa Del Carmen, we were back on the boat by 2:30. We had a great time. Hope this helps!

Rosey in GA: Where did you catch the ferry to Playa del Carmen and what time did you catch the ferry back? And what did the ferry cost? What was the cost of entrance to the ruins? Trying to compare cost of this to the ship's tour. Thanks

The taxi's were waiting outside the port, and they drove us to the downtown Cozumel pier (10 min cab ride for $6) to catch the ferry. The ferry charge was $18 per person roundtrip. My husband paid for the entrance to Tulum, he said it was around $4 per person. We caught the ferry back to Cozumel at 1:00, they said they ran every 30 min, but when we got there at 1:00, for some reason the next ferry didn't go until 3:00, which would still have given us plenty of time to get back to the ship, but we went on the 1:00 anyway. Check out these boards under the port Calica, someone wrote a great review about their experience at Tulum, they got a great deal. Good luck and have fun, Tulum was beautiful.

I would book through the ship. For most of the reasons listed here. Including the ferry schedule...when you book through the ship you are taken by tender from your pier. And depending on your cruise line, you are taken back to your pier. You don't have to worry about catching the "regular" ferry back and their weird schedules. They do not run every hour and have never run on the half hour unless it is one of the tenders to the pier.