Job Discussion Forums

[nancycoates]

hi guys,

my boyfriend and i are hoping to drive to mexico when we move to teach. it's partly based on the amount of stuff that we need to move (surfboard, bikes, tools for renovating) as well as the beautiful trip that we'd have down the coast (we live in toronto but would drive out to vancouver and start south). i'm trying to avoid being a dreamer and think about the safety of this idea. any thoughts? has anyone brought their own vehicle into mexico and dealt with the paperwork involved?

thanks!

[M@tt]

i'm going to tell you what everyone told me when i was thinking about driving to veracruz from indiana. do not drive through the northern part of mexico at night. there are very long stretches of highway that are desolate and very dangerous. mexico still has bandits and the police will be of no help if there are even police nearby.

if you only drive in the morning and afternoon you should probably be okay.

[Like a Rolling Stone]

Holy Cow! Is Mexico still dangerous?

[nancycoates]

thanks for the 'heads up'. i'm thinking that we'd be quite a good target both for bandits as well as not so honest police who might be able to find a number of reasons to 'ticket' us. did you end up driving veracruz to indiana or just fly?

[danielita]

I have seen one approach to special gringo tickets and heard about the second from a Canadian who drives to Mexico anually

1) speak English constantly (not a word of Spanish) so as to frustrate la policia, making like you don't understand the bribe tactic. --this one worked --the driver even managed to slip in "we're not the droids you are looking for" into his conversation
2) roll down the window a crack (so you can hear them), then slap your license to the window so that they can write down your information and give you the ticket (avoiding the bribe).

Granted this was in Mexico city and not on the highways, it may be a little different....

How has everyone else dealt with this?

D

[thelmadatter]

Mexico is not as dangerous to drive in as it once was. However, if you are driving a car full of stuff and it looks obvious that you have stuff of value, you should take precautions.

Not driving at night, esp. in the north is one of them for the reasons M@tt lined out but I think a bigger concern is smashing into a wandering cow (much of the north is free range still).

However, I think that since you are looking to drive down the coast, you have an advantage of being near the more touristy places and the government is a bit better about taking care of visitors in tourist places than anywhere else in Mexico. I say go for it but drive during the day, stay on major highways unless you go off to a particular stop (that is, dont just wander aimlessly looking for a "scenic" route) and when you stop for the night, look for a well-kept, well-lighted hotel/motel with enclosed parking. With all that stuff in your car, Id worry about it being broken into.

Two other things you should know. On the plus side, esp on major roads, Mexico has what are called the "Green Angels," which are teams in little marked trucks and they are there to assist foreign travelers on Mexico's roads. Often they speak some English, but dont completely count on that. They will, however, help you out if you have car trouble or something. Ive heard only good things about them. On the negative side... all major roads... esp. the north-south ones ... are toll roads and tolls are mighty steep here in Mexico. As is gas. You will spend about double or perhaps more per km than you would expect in Canada or the US to road trip.

My ex and I used to drive a lot in Sonora when we lived in Arizona (station wagon with camping gear ) and never had a bit of trouble.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[sickbag]