The Routes Worth Knowing, and How to Base Yourself
The corridor most visitors will drive is Mexico City to Cuernavaca and on to Acapulco via the Autopista del Sol, with a decision point at Cuernavaca about whether to push on or stop. Cuernavaca itself, in the Colonia Centro near the Palacio de Cortés and the Cathedral, is a good overnight: 90 minutes from the capital, warm year-round, and a sensible break before the Acapulco descent. Acapulco's Diamante district, near the airport end of the bay, is where most of the larger hotels sit and where parking is straightforward; the older Traditional zone around Caleta is more atmospheric but tighter for cars and busier at night.
In the Bajío, the Mexico City–Querétaro–San Miguel de Allende axis is the most rewarding drive in central Mexico. Querétaro's Centro Histórico, a UNESCO site, has underground parking near the Jardín Zenea, and San Miguel's narrow cobbled streets make a small car or a hotel with its own garage the sensible choice — do not book a place on Calle Aldama or Correo if you are arriving with a full-size SUV. Guanajuato is a further 45 minutes, and its tunnels and one-way system are best left to local drivers; park at the edge and walk.
On the Yucatán peninsula, the Cancún–Tulum corridor is fast and expensive by Mexican standards, and the Valladolid–Chichén Itzá road is short and easy. Mérida, three and a half hours from Cancún on the cuota, is a far better base for western Yucatán than the coast: the Centro around the Plaza Grande has colonial hotels with courtyards and secure parking, and day trips to Uxmal and the Puuc route are straightforward from there. I would book Mérida over Tulum for a driving trip in the shoulder months and use the coast for a shorter beach stay.
Near Oaxaca City, the cuota to the coast is the dramatic one: Highway 175 through the Sierra Madre del Sur to Puerto Escondido is spectacular but slow, with hairpins and mist, and takes about six and a half hours without stops. The cuota alternative via Salina Cruz is longer but far easier. Skip 175 at night. For Oaxaca itself, base in the Centro near the Zócalo and Santo Domingo, where hotel parking is scarce — confirm a garage before booking. Best months for all of these drives are November to March, before the rains and the worst of the heat; April and May are hot and dry, and September is the wettest.
Where to Stay When the Car Comes With You
Given the routes above, the booking logic is simple: choose hotels with confirmed parking in Querétaro, San Miguel de Allende, Mérida and Oaxaca, and choose walkable locations in Cuernavaca and Guanajuato where you will leave the car for the duration of the stay. In Querétaro, staying in the Centro Histórico puts you within walking distance of the aqueduct, the Jardín Zenea and the churches, with garages on the edges of the centre. In Mérida, the Centro and the Paseo de Montejo area both work; the latter is quieter at night and has easier parking.
For a driving trip, two or three nights per base beats one-night hops. Tolls, fuel and fatigue all fall when you stop moving, and a hotel with a pool and a garage after a six-hour drive is worth more than saving a few hundred pesos on a room. Book the Mexico City and Cancún properties first, since those fill earliest in high season, then fill in the smaller towns. If you are travelling November to March, reserve well ahead; if you are going in September, check the weather before you commit to the Sierra routes.