Travelling in Mexico by car.
July 24, 2006 11:56 AM Subscribe
I'm planning a trip to mexico by car. I want to find out some basic travel details such as mileage between cities, length of journey, etc.. I know I can find this in your typical Rand mcNally map, but is their an Online service such as Mapquest that does the same thing? Mapquest has no service for mexico apart from some maps of cities, but nothing to help me with planning a trip between cities.
Also, any hints as far as insurance, travel tips etc., are appreciated.
Also, any hints as far as insurance, travel tips etc., are appreciated.
I highly recommend The People's Guide to Mexico. [amazon link]
You can buy a Mexico car insurance policy in San Diego or one of the other border cities, or from the AAA. Check prices, a 6 month policy could be cheaper than a 2 week policy.
Last time I was in Mexico, I had to go to the immigration office in Ensenada, get a tourist card, pay the fee at the bank, and return to the immigration office to get it authorized.
You also need a temporary importation permit. That website has other information you may find useful.
Depending on where you drive (ie, Baja California), you probably want to fill up with petrol at every gas station you see. Get Magna Sin or Premium gasoline. Nova gas is only 80 octane or so.
Don't forget to tip the kid who washes your windows at least N$5 (45 cents US).
Never drive at night.
If the slow moving truck in front of you turns on his left blinker, it means either a) it is safe for you to pass him or b) he's turning left. After a week or so you will figure it out.
posted by angrybeaver at 1:48 PM on July 24, 2006
You can buy a Mexico car insurance policy in San Diego or one of the other border cities, or from the AAA. Check prices, a 6 month policy could be cheaper than a 2 week policy.
Last time I was in Mexico, I had to go to the immigration office in Ensenada, get a tourist card, pay the fee at the bank, and return to the immigration office to get it authorized.
You also need a temporary importation permit. That website has other information you may find useful.
Depending on where you drive (ie, Baja California), you probably want to fill up with petrol at every gas station you see. Get Magna Sin or Premium gasoline. Nova gas is only 80 octane or so.
Don't forget to tip the kid who washes your windows at least N$5 (45 cents US).
Never drive at night.
If the slow moving truck in front of you turns on his left blinker, it means either a) it is safe for you to pass him or b) he's turning left. After a week or so you will figure it out.
posted by angrybeaver at 1:48 PM on July 24, 2006
Nova gas doesn't exist any more. Also, "new pesos" (N$) are now regular pesos. So you'd tip five pesos in the case angrybeaver mentions.
If you understand Spanish, the Guia Roji is the best choice. They update their guides every year. Their website is here (in Spanish), but they only have online guides for Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. They have a guide in English, but it seems to be from 2002.
posted by clearlydemon at 3:20 PM on July 24, 2006
If you understand Spanish, the Guia Roji is the best choice. They update their guides every year. Their website is here (in Spanish), but they only have online guides for Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. They have a guide in English, but it seems to be from 2002.
posted by clearlydemon at 3:20 PM on July 24, 2006
(Which also means they never use the the N in N$, which gets very confusing when everything in Mexico looks like it is in dollars and very pricey.)
posted by smackfu at 4:04 PM on July 24, 2006
posted by smackfu at 4:04 PM on July 24, 2006
It is also a good idea to keep your passport and other paperwork nearby while you are driving since you are often flagged down by federal police or military at various checkpoints where they will check your documents and look in your trunk and such.
The moral being that even if you have an up to date map, your trip will have unexpected twists and turns along the way.
posted by jduckles at 4:19 PM on July 24, 2006
The moral being that even if you have an up to date map, your trip will have unexpected twists and turns along the way.
posted by jduckles at 4:19 PM on July 24, 2006
Pemex makes a great map, but I forget where you can find it. I've used Sanborn's for Mexico insurance and had no problems. They had a guide that was very thorough and helpful.
I realize this isn't online, but can be gotten by U.S. Mail pretty quickly.
posted by atchafalaya at 4:34 PM on July 24, 2006
I realize this isn't online, but can be gotten by U.S. Mail pretty quickly.
posted by atchafalaya at 4:34 PM on July 24, 2006
Never drive at night.
Heh? Driving in Mexico at night never seemed especially dangerous to this driver. Certainly no more than driving at night in the US.
Buuuuuut....you want my advice, don't drive at all in Mexico. Get around by bus, which is a much safer, much more entertaining way to travel Mexico. Plus you will absorb much more of the culture. Bus travel in Mexico is not like the low-life experience in the US. There are very comfortable "first-class" busses available between many destinations. Conversely, if travelling on a crowded "second class" bus, DO NOT leave your valuables in the bus at a meal stop.
Yes, I know, to the car-centric US traveller, the above is sacrelige. But for this Mexiphile, the bus is best.
posted by telstar at 5:19 PM on July 24, 2006
Heh? Driving in Mexico at night never seemed especially dangerous to this driver. Certainly no more than driving at night in the US.
Buuuuuut....you want my advice, don't drive at all in Mexico. Get around by bus, which is a much safer, much more entertaining way to travel Mexico. Plus you will absorb much more of the culture. Bus travel in Mexico is not like the low-life experience in the US. There are very comfortable "first-class" busses available between many destinations. Conversely, if travelling on a crowded "second class" bus, DO NOT leave your valuables in the bus at a meal stop.
Yes, I know, to the car-centric US traveller, the above is sacrelige. But for this Mexiphile, the bus is best.
posted by telstar at 5:19 PM on July 24, 2006
Certainly no more [dangerous] than driving at night in the US.
Depends on the road I guess. The toll roads and major highways might be safe and well lit, but once you get out of the cities, the roads are a lot narrower with no shoulders and 6" or 1' dropoffs.
No more new pesos and Nova gas? Guess it's been a while since I was down there, time to go back.
posted by angrybeaver at 9:14 PM on July 24, 2006
Depends on the road I guess. The toll roads and major highways might be safe and well lit, but once you get out of the cities, the roads are a lot narrower with no shoulders and 6" or 1' dropoffs.
No more new pesos and Nova gas? Guess it's been a while since I was down there, time to go back.
posted by angrybeaver at 9:14 PM on July 24, 2006
« Older Why do I wake up at 3 am every day? | How can I delete defunct RSS feeds from my blog? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jaimystery at 1:02 PM on July 24, 2006