Renting a Car at Mexico City Airport
Last updated: 30 July 2026
Mexico City International Airport Benito Juárez (MEX) is Latin America's busiest airport, located within the city limits in the Venustiano Carranza borough. Rental desks are in the arrivals halls of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 — Hertz, Avis, Europcar, and Mexican operators City Car and Americas Rent a Car operate from both terminals. Note: driving in Mexico City itself is extremely challenging — the car is best for escaping to destinations like Puebla, Oaxaca, or the Silver Towns.
🎯 Quick Tip
Mexico City operates 'Hoy No Circula' — a program that restricts vehicles from driving on specific days based on the last digit of the licence plate. Rental cars are subject to the rule like any other local-plated vehicle; the exemption depends on the car's emissions hologram (newer cars with a 00/0 hologram circulate daily except during pollution contingencies). Ask the desk which hologram your car carries before driving off — fines are steep.
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Localrent.comLists local Mexico operators, but the fleet here is small compared with its core markets — worth comparing against the brokers at MEX
Check MEX PricesAirport Pickup Tips
In Terminal 1, rental counters are near exit doors 4 and 5 on the arrivals level. Terminal 2 desks are in the main arrivals hall. Present your passport, license, and credit card. Mexican liability insurance is mandatory — ensure it's included. Cash deposits (USD 200-300) are accepted by some Mexican operators. Pickup: 15-25 minutes depending on queues.
Mexico City's traffic is legendary — bumper-to-bumper driving leaves cars with contact marks. Check all bumpers, mirrors, and doors. Pay attention to the undercarriage and exhaust — Mexico City's speed bumps (topes) are severe and scrape low-slung cars. Verify the spare tire, jack, and tools — roadside assistance outside the city is limited.
Explore Mexico City by Car
Mexico City is vast and its outskirts hide some of the country's greatest treasures. Drive to the pyramids of Teotihuacán, the silver mining town of Taxco, and the magical town of Puebla.
Top drive from Mexico City: Teotihuacán Pyramids — 45 minutes northeast
Full Mexico City Car Hire Guide →
Hotels near Mexico City Airport
Landing late or returning the car before an early flight? The map below compares live hotel prices around Mexico City Airport and nearby areas — handy for the night before pickup or drop-off:
Getting from Mexico City Airport to the City
MEX is in eastern Mexico City — there's no 'drive to the city' as the airport is already in it. For Puebla, take the Autopista México-Puebla east (2 hours). For Taxco, Cuernavaca, and the Silver Towns, take the Autopista del Sol south (90 min to Cuernavaca). For Oaxaca, take the Autopista via Puebla (5 hours). For Teotihuacán pyramids, take the Autopista Ecatepec-Pirámides (45 min).
City Car operates from Boulevard Puerto Aéreo, 1 km from MEX Terminal 1. They offer free shuttle and specialize in budget rentals with full Mexican insurance coverage. Their fleet includes the popular VW Jetta and Nissan Versa — reliable workhorses for Mexican highway driving.
What to Know Before Driving from MEX
Mexico drives on the right. Highway speed limit is 110 km/h on autopistas, 80 km/h on libre roads, 40 km/h in towns. Toll autopistas are the only viable option for intercity travel — libre (free) alternatives pass through dozens of towns with constant topes. Carry small bills (MXN 50-200) for toll booths. Military and police checkpoints are routine — stop, be polite, show documents.
Mexico City sits at 2,240m elevation — some drivers experience mild altitude effects. The Periférico ring road and Viaducto are perpetually gridlocked. If heading to Puebla or Oaxaca, take the Autopista del Sol (toll motorway) east. Download offline maps — cell coverage drops on the mountainous Autopista Oaxaca. Keep all doors locked and windows up in city traffic.
Fuel Stations Near MEX
Pemex stations are throughout Mexico City and on all autopistas. Fuel: Magna (regular) approximately MXN 23/L, Premium MXN 25/L. Always watch the pump reset to zero before fueling. The closest Pemex to MEX is on Boulevard Puerto Aéreo, 500m from Terminal 1. Fill up before long autopista drives — the autopista México-Oaxaca has infrequent stations.
Local Driving Tip
Under Hoy No Circula, whether your rental can drive every day depends on its emissions hologram, not on it being a rental — cars without a 00/0 hologram sit out one weekday based on the plate's last digit, and fines start around 2,000 MXN. Confirm the hologram at pickup. For the centro itself, Uber is usually more practical than driving anyway.
Terminal 1 vs Terminal 2: Where to Pick Up Your Car at MEX
The single most important thing to know: T1 and T2 sit on opposite sides of the runway and are not connected by any walkable route. The Aerotrén link between them is airside-only, for connecting passengers with a valid boarding pass — once you've cleared arrivals, moving terminals means a bus transfer. Book your rental for the terminal your flight actually lands at.
In Terminal 1, the rental desks cluster on the arrivals level along the walkway connecting the international and domestic arrival areas — follow the overhead "Arrendadoras de Autos" signs. In Terminal 2, counters sit near the arrivals area, with some fleets in the adjacent parking lot a short walk or courtesy-bus ride away.
Getting a car to MEX Terminal 1 is straightforward: most rental desks — Avis, Europcar, Sixt, Budget and local operator Mex Rent a Car — line the arrivals corridor of Terminal 1, with pickup lots directly outside. Hertz Mexico City airport desks operate in both terminals, so if you land at Terminal 2 (mainly Aeromexico flights), you can arrange Mexico City airport car hire pickup at terminal 2 without transferring. The free Aerotrén connects the terminals in about 10 minutes if your desk is in the other building — check your voucher before queuing.Whether you compare rental cars in Mexico City airport lots or book Mexico City airport car rental online in advance, arranging car hire in Mexico City airport pickup ahead of time is cheaper and faster than the counter queue.
Rental Car Insurance in Mexico: What's Mandatory
Rental car insurance in Mexico works differently from the US and Europe: third-party liability (Responsabilidad Civil) is legally required and is NOT covered by most US credit cards or home policies — suppliers must sell it to you locally if your booking doesn't include it, which is where "too good to be true" base rates double at the counter. When renting a car in Mexico, insurance quotes should always be checked for included liability: brokers that bundle Mexico rental car insurance into the prepaid price (full-to-full, liability included) end up cheaper than a bare rate plus counter add-ons. Budget roughly $15-25/day extra if liability isn't bundled.