Keeping up with all the different car types can be difficult at times. After all, rental companies offer roughly 20 different types of cars to choose from! Find out what to expect when booking an estate rental car, also known as a station wagon.
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An estate car is essentially a sedan with an extended roof line and a hatchback trunk. Access to the rear space is possible through the rear doors, as opposed to the trunk lid. In addition, most station wagons feature rear seats that fold down. That way, you can decide whether you need more cargo space or room for additional passengers.
Believe it or not, it’s surprisingly easy to distinguish an estate car from other types of cars, all thanks to their unique design. An estate car features A, B, C and D pillars in its design.
Every single estate rental car will have the following:
space for four or five passengers
a spacious hatchback trunk
similar to a BMW 3 Series Touring
Estate Rental Cars-Sub Categories
Many rental companies break down their estate fleets further. Check out the following sub-categories of estate rental cars you can often come across.
Compact
As the name suggests, compact estate cars are slightly smaller in size. This can be a Toyota Auris STW, for example.
Full-Size
Full-size estate cars are going to be the biggest ones, providing more space for cargo and passengers. This can include cars such as the station wagon variant of an Audi A4.
Luxury
Luxury comes at a higher price, and luxury estate rental cars are no different. Expect to pay more for a station wagon Mercedes-Benz or an upscale Audi A6, as opposed to a more budget-friendly alternative.
Crossovers and MPVs
Some rental companies will also consider large crossover SUVs and MPVs in the estate category. If that’s the case, you can expect to receive a Toyota RAV4 or a Ford Galaxy.
Is An Estate Car The Same As A Station Wagon
Yes. An estate car is exactly the same as a station wagon. Most rental companies in the United States will refer to this type of vehicle as a (station) wagon. In the United Kingdom, they’re called a station wagon.
Examples Of Estate Cars
As mentioned above, estate cars can easily be identified by their unique body style. When booking an estate rental car, you can expect to pick up one of the following vehicles:
BMW 3 Series Touring
BMW 5 Series Touring
Volkswagen Passat Estate
Audi A6
Audi A4 Estate
Toyota RAV4
Skoda Octavia Estate
Ford Focus Estate
Citroen C4 Picasso
Toyota Auris STW
Seat Leon ST
Opel Insignia Touring
Kia Ceed Estate
Ford Galaxy
Volvo V70 EState
Vauxhall Zafira
When It’s Best To Book An Estate Car
A quick glance at one of these cars is enough to understand that they’re all about space. That’s why they’re ideal whenever you need to fit up to 5 occupants along with their luggage.
Travel comfortably with the entire family for hours on end in a luxury estate, or book a compact estate to take your friends around town.
You can also fold down the rear seats. Then, you’ll end up with a two-seater and plenty of cargo space. Perfect for transporting a large piece of furniture, for example.
Learn More About Your Rental Car Type
You may not be aware that you only book a vehicle type, and not a particular make and model. That’s why you’ll see the words “or similar” next to every vehicle offered by rental companies. What does that mean exactly?
As rental companies’ fleets are constantly changing, it’s difficult for suppliers to predict which exact vehicles will be available at each location.
That’s why rental companies use a four-character code- called ACRISS- to classify their entire fleets.
You can check out our guide to ACRISS codes to learn more about rental car types. That way, you’ll always be prepared beforehand.
Don’t forget to book your next rental car through Rentalmoose. Our platform offers thousands of rental cars from trusted suppliers all across the world. Browse from over 15 000 different locations and find your ideal car today.
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Cancun has become one of the hottest travel destinations within the last years. It’s the ideal spot for bachelors, party animals, as well as families with kids.
These are 14 of our favorite things to do in Cancun with kids. All of the activities listed above are kid-friendly and ideal for days of family fun!
Visiting Mayan Ruins should be on the itinerary of every traveler visiting Mexico, no matter how old they are. These ancient sites date back thousands of years and are a crucial part of the local culture.
There are two major Mayan archeological sites in Cancun: El Rey and El Meco. Both of them are worth visiting!
El Rey Ruins
While the sites in Tulum and Chichen-Itza are among the most famous in the entire country, the long drive may not be ideal for families with kids. Don’t worry, as the El Rey Mayan ruins are located within Cancun itself!
El Rey ruins are located within the southern part of the Hotel Zone, near the famous Playa Delfines. Admission costs just 50 pesos per person.
El Meco Ruins
El Meco Archeological site is just a few minutes out of Cancun. Like the El Rey Ruins, admission to El Meco costs just 50 pesos per person.
Note: El Meco Archeological Site is temporarily closed.
Beach Day At Playa Delfines
If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of Cancun’s busy Hotel Zone, Playa Delfines is the perfect place to go. This sandy beach is truly spectacular, and it lays just a few miles south of all the resorts. It’s much quieter and more laid-back as opposed to the beaches at the Hotel Zone itself.
This gorgeous public beach stretches for miles, making it the perfect spot to unwind for a few hours. Go for a dip in the crystal-clear waters, or sunbathe for hours on end. Oh, and the soft sand is ideal for building sandcastles, too!
Keep an eye on the horizon. If you’re lucky, you may just spot a dolphin or two.
Go On A Pirate Dinner Cruise
Did you know that your entire family can feel like pirates during a very special themed cruise? Captain Hook offers dinner cruises on an impressive pirate ship. Set sail right from the Hotel Zone, dine on a pirate ship, and enjoy the entertainment.
This unique experience is quite pricey, though. Expect to pay around $US100 per adult. Children tickets are available at discounted rates.
Pirate dinner cruises are available 7 days a week from different operators throughout Cancun.
Hang Out At A Theme Park- Ventura Park
Ventura Park is an adventure-packed theme park ideal for the entire family. From go-karts to waterslides and rollercoasters, this place really has it all.
You can make the most of the park’s waterslides, ziplines, or race go-karts right by the ocean. There’s an indoor state-of-the-art virtual reality arcade, too.
There are lots of attractions here, so it’s best to plan a trip to Ventura Park for the entire day. Tickets start at around US$30 and go up all the way to $70, depending on the attractions you pick.
Check Out The Interactive Aquarium
Not only is a visit to the Interactive Aquarium one of the best things to do in Cancun with kids, but it also doubles as one of the best indoor activities in town. As a result, it’s the perfect attraction to drop by on a rainy day!
The Interactive Aquarium Cancun is conveniently located within the La Isla Shopping Village, right in the middle of the Hotel Zone. Inside, you can admire exotic marine life and learn all about the fascinating underwater world.
The fact that the aquarium is super interactive makes it the perfect spot for families with kids.
Expect to spend at least half an hour to tour the Aquarium. Oh, be sure to drop by the gift shop afterward.
The Cancun Interactive Aquarium is open daily between 9AM and 8PM.
Cenotes are one of the most popular attractions among tourists who visit Mexico. A cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with water. They’re scattered all over the Yucatan Peninsula, and a couple breathtaking ones are within a short drive from Cancun.
Cenote Azul- The Best Cenote Near Cancun
This attraction is a little over an hour out of Cancun. However, it is most certainly well worth the drive!
Cenote Azul is perhaps the most impressive cenote in this part of the Yucatan Peninsula. Guests can swim in the crystal-clear, turquoise waters of two different swimming areas. Thrill-seekers can plunge into the cenote from the cliff diving site, too.
Expect to pay roughly 120 pesos per person for admission.
Extra tip: Consider driving down to Tulum to explore even more spectacular cenotes! And don’t forget to check out the best things to do in Tulum while you’re there.
Hop On A Ferry To Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres is a real oasis located a quick 15-minute ferry ride away from Cancun itself. This island is home to some truly spectacular sandy beaches and trendy eateries waiting to be explored. There are a couple of spots ideal for snorkeling, too.
Once you’re on Isla Mujeres, you can rent a golf cart to thoroughly explore all of what the island has got to offer.
You can catch a ferry from the Puerto Juarez pier, located just outside of the heart of Cancun.
Ferries depart every 30 minutes between 5AM and 9PM.
Relax At Parque de Las Palapas
Parque de Las Palapas serves as the booming heart of local life here in Cancun. It’s the perfect spot to grasp some of the local life, as opposed to the tourist-oriented Hotel Zone.
Parque de Las Palapas is more than just your average downtown park, though. There’s plenty of stalls to try out local specialties and purchase hand-made products. You can play a game of soccer, or simply unwind and enjoy the sunset.
There’s always something to do at Parque de Las Palapas, especially on sunny weekend afternoons. You can enjoy live performances and really dive into the local life here. Be sure to drop by!
Day Trip To Xcaret
Xcaret is an adventure park located roughly halfway between Cancun and Tulum, near Playa del Carmen. The drive there will take around an hour each way. At first, you may think that this is yet another Adventure Park. This could not be further from the truth, though.
Unlike most amusement parks in this part of Mexico, Xcaret is an archeological park that celebrates Mexican and Mayan cultures. Guests can choose from tens of different activities, including swimming with dolphins and other marine life, go on a speedboat tour, snorkel, or encounter stingrays.
In the meantime, the adults can unwind at the spa, or go for a romantic wine pairing session at the local wine cellar. The activities are curated for guests of all ages!
Adventure-Packed Day at Selvatica
This is yet another great adventure park located near Cancun. Selvatica is famous for their thrilling Polaris ATV tours through the Mexican wilderness. That’s far from the only activity here, though.
A wide array of attractions make Selvatica Adventure Park one of the best things to do in Cancun with kids by a long shot. Visitors can zipline head-first through the jungle, for example. Believe it or not, it’s not quite as scary as it sounds!
Let’s not forget bungee jumping, ziplining into a cenote, and the famous off-roading tours either. You can check out all of the activities at Selvatica’s official website.
Note that children need to be at least 8 years old to participate in one of the tours at Selvatica. Families with younger kids may want to skip this spot.
Pricing starts at $US99 all the way to $199, depending on the tour you select.
Go On A Road Trip
Road trips are one of the best ways to bond as a family. In addition, a road trip around Mexico is the perfect way to see just how diverse this beautiful country is.
Check out our curated travel guide and plan your perfect road trip around the Yucatan Peninsula. Expect to see ancient Mayan ruins, impressive cliffs, and cute towns along the way.
We already wrote about Ventura Park, as we consider it to be one of the best spots to visit in Cancun with kids overall. Their high-tech virtual-reality arcade, however, is another great attraction in its own right.
This part of Ventura Park is fully enclosed, making it the perfect destination for a rainy day in Cancun.
Visit Museo Maya de Cancun
The Mayan Museum of Cancun is the go-to spot to find out more about the fascinating Mayan culture. Unlike the nearby Mayan ruins of El Rey and El Meco, this attraction is fully indoors. That’s why it’s best to save it for a rainy day.
Guests of all ages can discover Mayan culture within Museo Maya de Cancun. There are loads of precious artefacts displayed within the museum, which is already an architectural gem by itself.
Admission will set you back 80 pesos per person.
Shopping Spree At Plaza Las Americas
A shopping mall may not be your first pick when looking for things to do in Cancun. A day at Plaza Las Americas is, however, quite a solid way to spend a rainy day.
Aside from around 200 retail stores, Plaza Las Americas also boasts a food court and a large cinema. Catching a movie followed by a not-so-healthy lunch is indeed a great plan B for a rainy day, just in case.
Plaza Las Americas is open 7 days a week from 10AM to 10PM (8PM on Saturdays).
Bonus- Rent A Car in Cancun
Unsure whether to book your rental car in Mexico? Be sure to check out Rentalmoose. We’re a global car rental broker that serves over 15 000 locations worldwide.
We only offer rental cars from trusted and verified suppliers.
