Quick answer
Renting a car in Mexico City is best used for getaways rather than daily traffic: inside the city, the Metro —176.86 million passengers in 2024, according to INEGI— moves you better, but with a rented car you open up Teotihuacán, Tepoztlán, and Valle de Bravo at your own pace. If you come from out of state, get the free Tourist Pass for the Hoy No Circula rule before entering. KORU RENT is preparing its arrival in Mexico City.
Is it worth renting a car in Mexico City?
Let's be honest from the start: inside Mexico City, for day-to-day life, public transport almost always beats the car. The capital's Metro moved 176.86 million passengers in 2024 and carries more than four million people every day, according to INEGI figures; with 12 lines and 195 stations it is one of the most extensive and most used networks in Latin America. Add the Metrobús, ride-hailing taxis, and heavy traffic, and driving into downtown is rarely the best idea. Where a rented car shines is on the getaways: the magic towns, the pyramids, and the forests that surround the capital.
How do you get around the city without depending on a car?
For the tourist areas —Centro Histórico, Reforma, Condesa, Roma, Coyoacán, Xochimilco— the Metro and Metrobús take you directly and cheaply, with no hunt for parking or fights with traffic. The honest recommendation is simple: keep the car for getaway days and use public transport for the city. That also spares you the Hoy No Circula restrictions, which hit mostly within urban hours and zones, and saves you the cost of parking and tolls inside the urban sprawl.
What is Hoy No Circula and how does it affect you if you come from out of state?
Hoy No Circula is an environmental program in Mexico City and the State of Mexico that restricts certain cars from driving to cut pollution. According to SEDEMA (Mexico City's environment ministry), out-of-state vehicles with plates from another state and without a 0 or 00 hologram are restricted Monday to Friday from 5:00 to 11:00, one day a week based on the plate's last digit, plus some Saturdays. For a traveler arriving in their own car or renting one, it's worth knowing these rules before planning trips, because driving on a restricted day can lead to a fine.
Tip
If you rent a car with Mexico City or State of Mexico plates carrying a 0 or 00 hologram, you don't need the Tourist Pass. which plates and hologram the fleet available in the city will have.
Why fly in and rent a car?
Mexico City has two major air gateways. Mexico City International Airport (AICM, Benito Juárez) closed 2025 with more than 44.6 million passengers, according to the terminal's own figures reported by the specialized outlet A21, and remains the busiest in the country. About 44 kilometers to the north, Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) surpassed 7 million passengers in 2025, 11.5% more than the year before, according to La Jornada Estado de México; since March 2025 it connects with Buenavista station via the Suburban Train in about 39 minutes. Whichever one you arrive through, a rented car saves you the transfer logistics and leaves you ready for the getaways.
Which getaways open up with a car from Mexico City?
“In Mexico City the car isn't for the traffic: it's for the getaways. With the keys in hand, Teotihuacán at dawn and Valle de Bravo on the weekend stop being scheduled tours and become yours.”
— KORU RENT
KORU RENT in Mexico City: honesty first
Let's be clear: KORU RENT doesn't operate in Mexico City yet. We were born in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, with a formal vehicle-rental model —contract, invoice, WhatsApp support, and delivery of the vehicle to where you're staying— and we're preparing our arrival in the center of the country. Mexico City is one of the next destinations. If you'd like us to notify you as soon as we launch, you can join the waitlist; and if you have a vehicle in the city, now is a good time to join as a host.
See the KORU RENT fleet
Cars, pickups, scooters, and jeeps for your trip
KORU in Mexico City: destination and waitlist
Follow the launch in the city
Rental with airport delivery in Mexico City
AICM or AIFA: how to pick up your car on landing
From Mexico City to Teotihuacán and the Magic Towns by car
The road trip that's much better with your own car
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Mexico City, at your own pace
Mexico City is best enjoyed on foot and by Metro, and it expands when you have a car for the getaways. When KORU RENT arrives in the city, the idea is simple: a reliable vehicle, delivered where you're staying, with contract and invoice, so you spend your time on the trip and not on logistics. Join the waitlist and we'll notify you as soon as we launch.
KORU Team · Car rental guide for Mexico City · 2026