I was at the St. Regis last week and we took a hotel vehicle from the airport. It was very expensive and the prices are set. The vehicle is an air-conditioned SUV with bottled water and a driver who speaks English and who will take you to the MEGA (Mexico's Walmart) and wait for you there. There's also peace of mind involved because you know where you will end up.

Later in the week, my son and I went to Puerto Vallarta for a day trip and took a taxi back to the St. Regis. We haggled the price (800 pesos + generous tip). It was really dark. The cab was an old Nissan Sentra or something like that and only had lap belts in the back seat. No AC. Hand-crank windows. The driver spoke no English. My son, 11, thought it was one of the coolest things we did on the trip.

Haggle on the cab ride price first in Spanish. That and safety and peace of mind and price are the differences.