Driving to Mexico

[JohnAndersen]

I have never been to mexico, but I would love to pack my car full of people and just go. I realize how long it is but I love road trips and I think it would be cool to have a car in Mexico and not worry about renting one.

Does anyone have experience with Northern/Central mexico and know any cool things to do or see?

[jcx]

Copper Canyon is probably the best "sight" in N. Mex. Worth seeing. Farther south the city of San Luis Potosi is a fascinating place full of great architecture. You may or may not know this, but U.S. auto insurance is not valid in MX. Make sure to buy coverage that will be valid in MX. It is adviseable for safety to travel during daylight hours, long distance car travel at night is not recommended.

[T50_Omaha8]

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Copper Canyon is probably the best "sight" in N. Mex. Worth seeing.

[/ QUOTE ] True. The classic way to see copper canyon is by rail. Driving through that area would probably be pretty frustrating; for long stretches of land there is just absolutely nothing but Indians, trees, and mountains.

I think in Mexico a car might be more of a hindrance than anything. It would definitely be very fun to just head down there Kerouac style, though.

Remeber that rural Mexico and rural America are extremely different places. In America, you can always be sure that if worst comes to worst, you'll be at a hotel or gas station shortly. In Mexico, if you head out into the random wilderness, you might come across terrible roads, have no suitable place to stay, etc, and help won't be at arms length. You definitely have to exercise much more caution and use a lot more planning than you do in the US.

[Humble Pie]

[ QUOTE ]
I would love to pack my car full of people and just go.

[/ QUOTE ]

This usually happens on the return trip...

[cbloom]

I've been to Mexico many times but never done the drive. I have always wanted to. Actually my fantasy right now is to drive from where I am (CA) all the way down to Argentina over a year or something.

Anyway, I looked into the Mexico drive and driving from CA looks really awful. There's a huge huge stretch of the northwest of Mexico that's just desert and badlands. The route from Texas looks a lot better, you have Monterrey and Puebla and lots of cool old towns and such.

[irunnotgood]

A San Diego to Buenos Aires road trip would make for a good amazing race type reality show.

[Zeno]

Good advice on insurance. You should buy some in the US that is good in Mexico. I did this to avoid paying for insurance at the border. Years ago (1988) I drove down to Colima (small state in western Mexico that borders the Pacific) from Arizona and then back up through central Mexico, passing into the US at Juarez. I also traveled by train in Mexico and with friends that I knew there.

Driving in Mexico is adventurous and fun but always remember that you are not in the US and driving rules are different and you must learn and feel as you go to get a sense of what is proper and what is not. You can't be a hindrance, as this will just add to danger in some situations.

You should be prepared to camp and or sleep in your vehicle if you plan on going through very rural areas or plan your trip so that you have a larger city to stop at each night. Driving at night is not advisable but you can do it once you get comfortable.

Police can and will extort money from you and you will be stopped by military and/or police at checkpoints. They will ask were you are going and look for weapons and drugs mostly. Make sure you have all the proper papers etc for travel and proof of car insurance. Citizen posses in rural areas can also stop you. Always act courteous and just play the dumb gringo, the majority of officials or citizens will not really hassle tourists. That said I have had to pay off police and was charged extra for bus service in and around Guadalajara. But I must add that for all the time I was in Mexico I felt quite safe and never in any real danger. Once you get past the border area you will find that hostility if present at all is very minimal and that most people are very friendly and tolerant. Only expect trouble if you act arrogant or stupid or hang about in really bad areas of some cities.

Unless you really need and want to drive going by train and other public transportation is a good option and fairly cheap. But remember that a lot of public transportation does not run on time, even if it starts more or less on time.

Get a good guide book as most have useful information and point out the important or interesting places to visit.

-Zeno

[T50_Omaha8]

If you're still considering this trip, I'd check out this place:

Guanajuato

I just found out about it.

[RPatterson67]

I live like half hour from Guanajuato.

[T50_Omaha8]

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I live like half hour from Guanajuato.

[/ QUOTE ]Nice...

And?