Acapulco is a major Pacific coast resort city in the Mexican state of Guerrero, and a rental car opens up both the bay-front hotel zone and the longer coastal and mountain routes beyond it. Most visitors arrive at Acapulco International Airport (ACA), a busy facility a short distance southeast of the main hotel strip, with rental counters staffed by international and local companies rather than a single dominant brand. Picking up a car at the airport puts you within twenty to thirty minutes of most beachfront hotels along the Costera, the main coastal boulevard that threads through the city.
Beyond the city itself, the standout route north is the Autopista del Sol, a tolled (cuota) four-lane highway that climbs through the Sierra Madre del Sur toward Mexico City, a drive of roughly four to five hours depending on traffic and stops. The tolls add up over that distance but the road itself is well maintained and considerably faster and safer than the older free (libre) mountain road it parallels. Closer to home, the coastal road southeast toward Puerto Marques and Barra Vieja makes for an easy half-hour to forty-minute drive past quieter beaches away from the main tourist strip.
Driving is on the right throughout Mexico, and city traffic around the Costera and the older downtown area can be dense, with aggressive local driving habits that reward patience over assertiveness. Topes (speed bumps) are frequent on secondary roads and often unmarked, so moderate speeds are worth keeping even where a road looks clear. Fuel stations are plentiful in the city and along the toll highway but thin out on smaller rural roads inland, so it is sensible to top up before venturing away from the main routes. For anyone splitting time between Acapulco's beaches and a highland side trip, a well-serviced sedan handles the toll highway comfortably, while a little extra caution around potholes and topes suits the older city streets and coastal back roads alike.