Taxis in Acapulco...

[cruzinchris]

DH and I will be on the Dawn Princess in January (11-night). We have never been to Acapulco and will take a ship's tour - city highlights and cliff divers early in the day. We've made dinner reservations at El Olvido for that evening (between 6-7:00). Ship sails at 11PM.

 

Will there be plenty of taxis near the dock? Do we pay the driver in pesos or US $$? How much will the taxi cost (restaurant is about 15-20 minutes from the ship)? Will it be easy to get a taxi when we're finished with dinner? TIA for your help.

 

Has anyone been to El Olvido? Have we made a good choice?

Chris

[cruiseryyc]

Having watched the taxi's around the pier all I can say is that I hope your life insurance is paid up!! There are hundreds of taxis at the pier (all old Volkswagons), can't give you any other information because I don't leave the ship in Acapulco.

[cruzinchris]

Having watched the taxi's around the pier all I can say is that I hope your life insurance is paid up!! There are hundreds of taxis at the pier (all old Volkswagons), can't give you any other information because I don't leave the ship in Acapulco.

 

Ouch! :eek:

 

Would you mind telling me why you don't disembark in Acapulco? Should we not go out for dinner at one of the highly-rated restaurants?

 

I had wanted at Beetle since high school (way back in the late '60s) and finally got one last January: The newly-designed 2006 Beetle, Salsa Red, loaded - what a fun ride! This is my new "personal luxury vehicle", and I'm lovin' it!

Chris

[gomexico]

Restaurant El Olvido in Acapulco is highly regarded, and within easy reach of the cruise ship passenger terminal, on the same coastal roadway (Costera Miguel Aleman), in what’s probably the most heavily-visited by tourists part of Acapulco. The ride to the restaurant in a taxi (from the terminal) will take about 15-minutes (or less).

 

The subject of which type of taxi to take elicits varied recommendations.

 

You can opt for one of the taxi services registered with the terminal; they’re known to terminal authorities, professional and the most expensive. I don’t know what the cost would be. The driver will return to get you at a set-time, if you ask.

 

Or, you can opt to simply walk the very short distance from the terminal passenger exit to the curb (a couple of minutes at the most) and hail a passing taxi (of which there will be many). These taxi’s (from the curb) can be VW beetles, or 4-door sedans; they vary in size/shape. Some of the drivers will speak English, or a little – but most probably will not (though you’ll be able to easily get to/from the restaurant because drivers will all know where it’s located). The cost of these taxi’s should be about MX$40 (less than US$4).

The scene in front of the passenger terminal sometimes resembles a feeding frenzy of hungry sharks; don't be put-off by that . . . ignore the people looking to convince you to choose them for services (unless, of course, you really want to hire or use them!). If you choose to hail a passing taxi, and aren't comfortable doing that at the curb in front of the terminal exit . . . simply walk 50 feet or so to your right (in the direction of the restaurant) and hail one from there (the sharks will have gone back for other prey!).

 

When you finish your dinner you can walk out of the shopping complex where the restaurant is located and either get into the pre-arranged terminal taxi, or simply hail one driving by – there will be many right there passing in front.

 

I think taxi’s of all types are safe to use in Acapulco, unlike the situation in Mexico City where some danger exists. Go with whatever you feel comfortable with.

 

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link to the restaurant’s website:

 

http://www.elolvido.com.mx/welcome.html

Enjoy the visit!

[gomexico]

I was thinking further about your original post. Rather than taking the ship-organized tour you might want to arrange directly with one of the many bilingual drivers with vans/cars who serve the tourist trade in Acapulco. These drivers could package a tour and transport to/from dinner for you, maybe for a very favorable price in comparison to what the ship-arranged trip is selling for. Just a thought. Here's a link to another discussion on this forum where I provide a list of some of the drivers who've been recommended by travelers who've used their services during the past year:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=412544

 

Why not send a few emails asking the question, including about the itinerary you'd like and prices.

[cruiseryyc]

Just my personal opinion of Acapulco, got off once and haven't since that time. Please don't let my opinion stop you from experiencing it yourself.

[cruzinchris]

GoMexico,

Thanks for your thoughtful and informative reply. I was hoping that we would be able to find a taxi driver who would take us to the restaurant and either wait for us or return to pick us up at a pre-arranged time. We are prepared to pay well for the service and convenience.

 

Our original restaurant choice was Baikal until we learned that it was a 35-40 minute cab ride from the dock and doesn't open until 7PM. Our second choice, El Olvido, gets outstanding reviews, and we have been receiving regular emails from them since we made reservations for the day we'll be in port. The menu sounds awesome, and we have been assured a prime table.

 

We don't mind taking a ship-sponsored shore excursion, especially on our first visit to Acapulco. If we meet other passengers who want to do something on their own, maybe we'll hook up for a private tour.

 

Cruiseryyc:

We know we're not going to disembark at Mazatlan (been there and thought it was seedy), and we probably won't get off the ship in Ixtapa/Zihuantanejo, either. We plan to do a cooking class in PV, go to Cabo Wabo in CSL, and want to give Acapulco a bit of a look-see. We usually cruise the Caribbean; this will only be our second visit to the Mexican Riviera.

 

Thanks, again, for your tips.

Chris

[IrishKathy]

Chris:

 

We will be in Acapulco in December and have made reservations at Baikal. We were told that the taxi ride would be approx 15 minutes.

 

GoMexico: is the ride to Baikal, in fact, 35-40 minutes:eek: ? Any info would be appreciated.

 

Kathy

[cruzinchris]

Chris:

 

We will be in Acapulco in December and have made reservations at Baikal. We were told that the taxi ride would be approx 15 minutes.

 

GoMexico: is the ride to Baikal, in fact, 35-40 minutes:eek: ? Any info would be appreciated.

 

Kathy

 

Kathy: Here is the email that we received from Baikal when we booked our original reservation for fine dining in Acapulco. When we found out that Baikal doesn't open until 7PM and that it is rather a long cab ride, we decided to book El Olvido instead. They open at 6:00, and it is a 15-minute taxi ride from the dock.

 

I am confirming your reservation for:

January 30, 2007

7:00 p.m.

2 people

Confirmation number: 3001

Baikal is on the scenic drive, and I think the taxi makes between 35 to 45 minutes from the pier to the Baikal.

When you get into Acapulco bay the ship turns to the left to dock, so you can look to you right side to the hills, there are a lot of buildings and between those buildings is Baikal, maybe you can see it, on the top is a Palapa and the restaurants goes down, hope you can see it.

Let me mention to you that our dress code is formal, no shorts and no bermudas.

Hope to have helped you and thank you very much for your preference.

 

Christine Schoepke Friedemann

Gerente de Ventas y Relaciones Públicas

Restaurante Baikal

(744) 446-6867 / 446-6845

www.baikal.com.mx

 

Our ship sails from Acapulco at 11PM, and we have to be back onboard by 10:30. Don't want to miss the boat :eek: .

Chris

[gomexico]

Though I think travel time to/from Baikal is about 25 minutes, you'll be in town during a busy time of year and, sometimes, there is bumper-to-bumper traffic along the length of Costera Miguel Aleman - the coastal highway that hugs the bay (and which connects the restaurant to the terminal). I think the restaurant is providing a conservative estimate, which is better than suggesting it's a hop, skip and a jump.

 

About taxi's: one of the taxi's arranged through the terminal itself, or ahead of time with one of the drivers I've provided the names of, will be able to provide the "standby" service you want (taking you to the restaurant, waiting for you and bringing you back).

[2pbears]

gomexico - OK. Now I'm getting a little nervous. We will arrive in Acapulco on the Dawn Princess on Nov. 3rd and have reservations for dinner at the Bellavista at Las Brisas. We have been told that it is about a 30 minute cab ride and we have a 7 PM reservation for dinner (they don't open until 7:00). If we ask our cab driver to pick us up at 9:00 do you think we will safely make it back to the ship by 10:30 (ship sails at 11:00)? We don't want to take any chances but at the same time this is an important dinner for us as we are celebrating our 30th anniversary and dined at the Bellavista every night while we honeymooned at Las Brisas.

[gomexico]

November is a quiet month for tourism in Acapulco, particularly the beginning of the month. Even though November 3rd is a Friday, and weekends can be busy in Acapulco . . . later Friday night will be busier, and Saturday night will be the busiest of the week. I don't think you should worry - 30 minutes should be time enough to get back to the ship.

[2pbears]

Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better. :)

[cruzinchris]

About taxi's: one of the taxi's arranged through the terminal itself, or ahead of time with one of the drivers I've provided the names of, will be able to provide the "standby" service you want (taking you to the restaurant, waiting for you and bringing you back).

 

Haven't checked back on this thread for a couple of days. Thanks, again, GoMexico for your suggestions. When we return from our morning shore excursion, we will make arrangements for a taxi to take us to El Olvido and pick us up at a pre-arranged time.

 

I'll also check out the link in your earlier post - haven't done that yet.

 

Thanks, again.

Chris