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What's up fellas.
I'm planning our first trip to Medellin in September with two of my friends who have been to DR with me the past four years.
We always rented a car in DR, is it safe and sensible to rent a car in Medellin?
I like to consider myself somewhat sensible, so I know better than to go driving about late at night, or into neighborhoods that are unknown or look shady.
Would try to link up with one of the guides on these threads too.
Does anyone have a good, current number for Geraldine? The number I have doesn't seem to be working. Please feel free to PM.
Thanks,
Rodeo.
There's a lot more guys with more experience than me that can help but my 2 cents. The 3 of you just share a cab to and from airport, it's cheap. Are you planning on traveling outside of Medellin? In my visits I have never once thought, I wish I had a car. Cabs throughout the city will run you about 3 bucks total and traffic in Medellin is awful! It's not worth the headache in my opinion.
[QUOTE=Kaldres;2062923]What's up fellas.
I'm planning our first trip to Medellin in September with two of my friends who have been to DR with me the past four years.
We always rented a car in DR, is it safe and sensible to rent a car in Medellin?
I like to consider myself somewhat sensible, so I know better than to go driving about late at night, or into neighborhoods that are unknown or look shady.
Would try to link up with one of the guides on these threads too.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Kaldres;2062923]What's up fellas.
I'm planning our first trip to Medellin in September with two of my friends who have been to DR with me the past four years.
We always rented a car in DR, is it safe and sensible to rent a car in Medellin?
I like to consider myself somewhat sensible, so I know better than to go driving about late at night, or into neighborhoods that are unknown or look shady.
Would try to link up with one of the guides on these threads too.[/QUOTE]For the cost of a car, plus insurance you can hire a driver who knows his way around.
Traffic in Medellin is bad and drivers are aggressive. Motorcycles, cars and buses will squeeze by with inches to spare. The streets are a pain. You can rarely turn left. You have to find the right street with a you-turn, or where you can make a series of turns to get headed in the right direction. Then there's the problems with parking.
No matter where you stay you are probably only a short walk away from a bus stop (2000 cop) or metro station (2300 cop). If you prefer, a taxi will cost between 5000 and 15000 cop to just about anywhere you want to go. Uber is usually about the same price.
To put that in perspective, you can get almost anywhere for $5 or less. If you plan on hitting the Centro Clubs and casas, you'll be taking a taxi anyway. My friends here with cars spend more time in Uber or a taxi than in their own cars.
BoredInN and JjBee62 Thank you.
Settles it, no car. LOL, That's funny that your friends spend more time in Uber and Taxi's than their own cars.
But yeah, that makes my life easier too, because I'm usually the driver. Now I can actually just drink and enjoy!
Much appreciated again fellas, I'll probably have some more questions later, but I just expect to be posting a great trip report come September.
[QUOTE=JjBee62;2063058]For the cost of a car, plus insurance you can hire a driver who knows his way around.
Traffic in Medellin is bad and drivers are aggressive. Motorcycles, cars and buses will squeeze by with inches to spare. The streets are a pain. You can rarely turn left. You have to find the right street with a you-turn, or where you can make a series of turns to get headed in the right direction. Then there's the problems with parking.
No matter where you stay you are probably only a short walk away from a bus stop (2000 cop) or metro station (2300 cop). If you prefer, a taxi will cost between 5000 and 15000 cop to just about anywhere you want to go. Uber is usually about the same price.
To put that in perspective, you can get almost anywhere for $5 or less. If you plan on hitting the Centro Clubs and casas, you'll be taking a taxi anyway. My friends here with cars spend more time in Uber or a taxi than in their own cars.[/QUOTE]
OK, good advice in general but "aggressive drivers" is a major overstatement compared to the Dominican Republic. Anyone with successful driving experience in Santo Domingo will find Medellin driving very easy by comparison. The cost of car rentals however is much more expensive, so JBee is spot on that you can get a private driver for similar cost. You can use taxis and uber for much less than the cost of renting a car. Parking is tight in Centro right now because of the now years old sewer reconstruction project. That project isn't doing much for traffic flow in Centro either. Walking is by far the fastest way to make your way around Centro. A car can be convenient for trips between Poblado and Centro but so are buses, uber, and taxis. Have a great time!
[QUOTE=JjBee62;2063058]For the cost of a car, plus insurance you can hire a driver who knows his way around.
Traffic in Medellin is bad and drivers are aggressive. Motorcycles, cars and buses will squeeze by with inches to spare. The streets are a pain. You can rarely turn left. You have to find the right street with a you-turn, or where you can make a series of turns to get headed in the right direction. Then there's the problems with parking.
No matter where you stay you are probably only a short walk away from a bus stop (2000 cop) or metro station (2300 cop). If you prefer, a taxi will cost between 5000 and 15000 cop to just about anywhere you want to go. Uber is usually about the same price.
To put that in perspective, you can get almost anywhere for $5 or less. If you plan on hitting the Centro Clubs and casas, you'll be taking a taxi anyway. My friends here with cars spend more time in Uber or a taxi than in their own cars.[/QUOTE]
You are correct.
[QUOTE=BoredInIN;2063046]There's a lot more guys with more experience than me that can help but my 2 cents. The 3 of you just share a cab to and from airport, it's cheap. Are you planning on traveling outside of Medellin? In my visits I have never once thought, I wish I had a car. Cabs throughout the city will run you about 3 bucks total and traffic in Medellin is awful! It's not worth the headache in my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Yes, renting a car in MDE is pointless and probably more stress and aggrevation that its worth.
The most that I have ever paid for a taxi was $9-10 I think. And that was because we took a parked taxi from centro strip club.
[QUOTE=Queens35;2063183]Yes, renting a car in MDE is pointless.[/QUOTE]Cost of living, hotels, restaurants and most goods in Medellin is surprisingly inexpensive, but with just one exception: car rental fees match the high side of fees in Europe.
In addition, there is NO reason to wish to have a personal car in Medellin, unless maybe in just two cases:
1) you wish to fuck a street girl in your car (it's an experience which has its own merit and appeal, I understand);.
2) you wish to go out Medellin and be free to go where you want and with the times you want (a day spent going around Antioquia, for example in Santa Fe, Guatape, etc. Should not be missed by any tourist coming here), without the constraints of public transportation.
However, at least for me, both cases have never been really compelling enough to move me to rent a car. Indeed:
1) I had some BJs on a taxi (but the driver was already kind of my friend, after a while we knew each other, and therefore part of the fun was roaming the worst areas to hunt with him well after midnight).
2) if you don't have any local friend who can take you around on a Sunday, you can arrange a car with driver for the same price of a car rental.
[QUOTE=Rodeo9112;2062989]Does anyone have a good, current number for Geraldine? The number I have doesn't seem to be working. Please feel free to PM.
Thanks,
Rodeo.[/QUOTE]Your inbox is full.
[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2063388]Your inbox is full.[/QUOTE]Can I have the info too?
[QUOTE=FunLuvr;2063388]Your inbox is full.[/QUOTE]If she's that good I'd like her number. LOL.
The best I, or a couple of my friends ever had was a girl that worked in Energy called Paulina. But I don't think she has been working there for about a year now. Seems like her old number doesn't work either.
If anyone has a new contact info for her, that would be special.
[QUOTE=Gagoo;2063574]If she's that good I'd like her number. LOL.[/QUOTE]+1. Hurry up!
She must be that fresh type of girl, nearly inexperienced.... I wonder how she looks dressed up as colegiala.
[QUOTE=BlackPage;2063321]
1) I had some BJs on a taxi (but the driver was already kind of my friend, after a while we knew each other, and therefore part of the fun was roaming the worst areas to hunt with him well after midnight).
[/QUOTE]BP, always great solid advice you provide.
So true with this comment of your, I can never understand what it is in our perverted mind but takintg some of these calculated risks like getting a BJ in the back seat of a taxi at 2 AM in downtown bad part of medellin is fun. Jajajaja.
TTM.
[QUOTE=Thebloke1;2060778]"There are plenty of ATMs in the newer front part and almost all of the local banks are represented. "
So, it's not a good idea to bring cash from the US hoping to make a simple exchange at a kiosk someplace? They don't exist here like in some places? Just work with the ATM's? Sometimes that can be a pain, what with international transaction charges, commissions, scratch-my-ass add-on fees and on and on; and adds up when you're having to visit these place everyday or two. Is there a certain ATM or Logo to look for that partners up with say Bank of America and is maybe a better deal than some of the others, or are they all about the same?[/QUOTE]Aside from the Charles Schwab account there is capital one 360 checking. This is the one I use mostly. This is the card I use for ATMs in Colombia. The only bank there that was going to hit me with a fee if I used their ATM was Citibank.
[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2060977]Not correct. In Thailand and Philippines for two, it is better to exchange money than to use the ATM. Money exchange places are 3 on every corner. The Thai bank charges you $6 on their end alone, while most money exchange places give you about the same as the interbank exchange. In Philippines sometimes using the exchange will give you even more than the interbank exchange. In Peru as well it is better to use the money changers on the street.[/QUOTE]Correct. I used my cap one in Thailand and Vietnam and was hit by a fee (from their end) each and every time.