People who don’t live in Mexico tend to assume, based on what they see on the news, that the whole country is unsafe for road trips. Ask just about anyone, and they’ll tell you that driving your own vehicle anywhere south of the border is foolishly risky. It’s easy to see why they might think that way, because it’s not just a case of the media blowing minor incidents out of proportion. The Mexico Travel Advisory, a bulletin issued by the U.S. Department of State, classifies much of the country at Level 3, warning of serious risks to your safety and security due to high levels of violent crime. U.S.citizens are advised to “Reconsider Travel“ to those areas, including pretty much all the territory anywhere near the border. Worse: there are no less than six of Mexico’s 32 States (Estados) that ratchet the risk by a full order of magnitude, all the way to Level 4, “Do Not Travel,” a grim designation that’s usually reserved for active war zones!  In those areas, the infamous Mexican Cartels run the show, and outsiders driving through may not be protected by the conventional rule of law. These published threat levels vary from state to state and are subject to change, but they’re still a “full-stop” deal breaker for the average tourist. That’s unfortunate, because the reality on most of Mexico’s highways is actually closer to Disneyland than it is to Damascus. Mexican road trips are fantastic! Yes, there are risks, but all you have to do to reduce those risks to to an acceptable level is follow a few simple guidelines.

What makes me such an authority? In October of 2015, I ignored the advice of just about everyone I knew, and I traveled the length and breadth of Mexico on an epic road trip. My old friend Michael and I drove my Jeep Grand Cherokee to the Texas border town of Laredo, and from there, we motored all the way to the Yucatan and back, covering 8,000 miles over the course of a month. I wanted to see Mayan ruins, so we made that a priority, visiting no less than 14 different Mayan sites, and along the way we attended amazing festivals in five different Colonial cities, ending with the Day of the Dead celebration in San Miguel de Allende. Overall, we experienced some of the most wonderful fun I’ve ever had, and I don’t make that statement lightly.

Hassle-free good times are never a given in a place like Mexico. There’s a lot that can go wrong, and a thousand potential aggravations, which is why it’s so important to know at least a little about what you’re getting into before you cross that border. A Mexican Road Trip isn’t something you’d want to do on a whim. It requires planning, particularly as regards the route that you’re going to take, as well as a bit of preparation, in terms of readying your vehicle, and squaring away all the required paperwork. Read on, for some useful specifics: 

The Planning Stage

What to Drive: As a practical consideration, you’re probably going to drive whatever vehicle you normally drive, but there are a few things you should keep in mind: a top-of-the-line luxury vehicle that’s obviously very expensive will attract the wrong kind of attention, especially outside the major cities. A classic car or an exotic marque, even though it may be your pride and joy, will be impossible to find parts for if something breaks. A vehicle that’s too low to the ground, like certain sports cars, might look cool, but it will have a major problem with the ubiquitous topes (speed bumps). Electric vehicles? Mexico is many years away from installing enough charging stations to make them practical. With those few exceptions, whatever you happen to have in your driveway should serve the purpose. After all, there are millions of cars and trucks of every description traveling Mexico’s roads every single day, just the same as anywhere else.

If you drive an older vehicle, it should be well maintained and running smoothly, with good tires, good brakes, good shocks, and a solid front end. (Between the potholes and the speed bumps, your suspension and steering components are going to take a serious beating!) Before you leave home, you’ll want your mechanic to go over EVERYTHING. In addition to what I’ve already mentioned, they should inspect all belts and hoses, do a load test on the battery, and check every possible fluid reservoir, replenishing or flushing and replacing as necessary. How’s your spare tire? If it’s more than 8 years old, you should replace it, even if it’s never been used. This advice isn’t specific just to Mexico: I’m speaking from many decades of road trip experience. Nobody wants to break down while they’re on vacation, and most vehicle trouble can be avoided if you keep up with basic maintenance.

Mexican Auto Insurance: Despite anything it might say on your policy, your car insurance won’t be worth a hoot in Mexico. You’ll have to show proof that you have Mexican Insurance before they’ll issue a permit for your vehicle, and that’s for the best: if you should be involved in an accident while you’re in Mexico, and you don’t have valid insurance, good odds you’ll be jailed while they sort things out, even if you’re not at fault! You’ll need country-specific liability insurance at the absolute minimum, and you can buy that ahead of time from any of several providers, either online, or in a brick and mortar office on the U.S. side of any of the border towns. (My advice: get it online, and save the aggravation of making the extra last-minute stop.) The premium is the same for a 30 day policy as it is for six months, so it’s smart to ask for more time than you think you’ll need. The cost is directly related to the value of your vehicle, which is another reason to drive something that’s less expensive. It pays to shop around for the best rate.  Use the links below to get instant quotes.

(These Links are provided for informational purposes, and should not be viewed as a personal endorsement of these companies).

Everything else can be done when you get to the border. You’ll need to bring along your Passport (or Passport Card), your driver’s license, the title and registration for your vehicle, and proof that you purchased your Mexican insurance. Make color copies of each of these documents, and carry the copies seperately from the originals. For more detailed information, read on:

BORDER FORMALITIES

Mexico has Customs inspections, the same as the United States, and vehicles entering the country are subject to search.  Your first stop in the border crossing process will be in one of the drive through inspection lanes. 

They’ll ask you for your identification (U.S. Citizens will need their Passport, or Passport Card). Then they’ll ask a series of questions about where you’re going and what you’re carrying in your luggage. They may or may not require you to fill out a customs form (see sample form, below), after which they may or may not physically inspect your vehicle and its contents. For a complete list of currently allowable items, check the Mexican Customs website at the following link:

When you’re packing, never forget that they have the right to question you about every item in your vehicle, so think twice about bringing along anything that might be difficult to explain. Normal quantities of clothing and personal gear will always be acceptable. Anything outside the norm has to be declared. If you have prescription medicine, you need to declare it. You must carry it in the original prescription bottle, and bring only the amount that you’ll need for the duration of your stay in Mexico. If the medication is a narcotic or any type of anti-anxiety drug, you’ll need a letter from your physician, written in Spanish, stating your need for the medication, the dosage, and specifying the quantity that you will require during your stay.

As long as you’re not carrying prohibited items, you’ve got no reason to be nervous about Mexican Customs. If you maintain a respectful demeanor with the inspectors, they will usually respond in kind, and your customs inspection will be a simple formality, all perfectly cordial. If you come across like an ugly American, demanding, demeaning, or in any way uncooperative? You’ll be inviting a lot of unnecessary grief.

At the time of this writing, the paper FMM (above) is being phased out, to be replaced by a digital version sent to your phone, and a stamp in your passport. 

Each step in the border crossing requires lining up at a different window. At a very busy port of entry, like Laredo, or Juarez, the lines can be long, and they seem to move at a snail’s pace. From start to finish, the whole process can take several hours, most of that time simply standing in one line or another. Welcome to Latin American Bureaucracy, which requires a special kind of quiet patience. You can’t beat it, so you might as well learn to roll with it.

After you’ve secured Visas for everyone in your party, you’ll need to secure the permit for your vehicle. For that, you get in line at the Banjercito window:

2.) Temporary Import Permit (TIP): Vehicle Permits are issued by Banjercito, the military bank charged with running the program for the Mexican Government. At the border (or online) you’ll need to provide proof of ownership, in the form of your vehicle’s title and current registration; If your vehicle is financed, you’ll need a letter from your lending institution authorizing you to take your vehicle into Mexico, and if it’s leased, you’ll need your leasing contract. You’ll also need to show proof that you’ve purchased Mexican auto insurance. There’s a non-refundable fee of about $52.00, as well as a required cash deposit that varies with the age of your vehicle. For anything that’s 2007 or newer, you’ll have to put up $400, which will be returned to you when you cancel your permit and leave the country. For vehicle models 2001 to 2006, the deposit is $300, and if 2000 or older, $200. It’s easiest to pay the deposit with a credit card; when it’s time for your refund, they simply reverse the charge. If you fail to properly cancel the permit (in person, at the border, just before you leave the country), or if you cancel it after it expires, you’ll not only cause yourself a whole lot of trouble, you’ll also forfeit your deposit.

Until recently, the TIP took the form of a holographic sticker prominenty displayed on your windshield. When you canceled it, the Banjercito employee checking out your vehicle had to literally scrape it off the glass with a razor blade. Because so many people are buying their permits online, they’ve shifted to a digital version with a scannable QR code, which they send you in an email that you carry on your phone. The goal was to make the process easier, and it would seem that they’ve succeeded! If you pay at the border, they’ll provide you with a plain paper copy of the form to use in case there’s ever a problem with your digital copy. If you pay online, you’ll have to print your paper form at home. Be sure to do that, and make several copies!

PLANNING YOUR ROUTE:

Travel in Mexico is a bit different from travel in other parts of North America, in the sense that you shouldn’t let your GPS choose your route for you. Those things always prioritize the roads that are fastest and most direct. Because there are areas you need to avoid, that methodology doesn’t always work to your advantage. Here’s what you need to do instead:

The U.S. Border with Mexico

General rule of thumb: you should give the whole state of Tamaulipas a wide berth–meaning you should avoid crossing at McAllen, Brownsville, or Downtown Laredo. (No offense to the local folk. The towns are safe enough. It’s the highways leading south from those ports of entry that are considered dangerous.)

SAFETY CORRIDOR

It’s time to talk about the Travel Advisories from the U.S. Department of State, which are based on current statistics related to violent crime; they are deadly serious, and should not be ignored. Is there anything you can do to minimize the risks? If you examine the color-coded Risk Map provided with the most current Travel Advisory  (Left/ Above), you’ll see that there is a yellow swath of relatively safe territory that runs the length of the country, from the border near Laredo, all the way south to the Yucatan and the border with Guatemala. Yellow indicates Risk Level 2, which simply means that you should exercise increased caution. That’s hardly cause for alarm. It’s more like sensible advice that would apply practically everywhere.

3.) NO-GO SO-LO: Don’t travel alone unless it’s absolutely necessary. In some areas, there are n’er-do-wells hanging around the gas stations, the toll plazas, and even the police checkpoints. Solo travelers, especially foreigners, tend to stand out, and you don’t want to look like an easy target.

4.) LOW PROFILE: In that same vein, always try to keep a low profile. I already mentioned the ill-advisability of driving a flashy vehicle. You also shouldn’t travel wearing an expensive watch or other jewelry that might catch the eye of a thief.

5.) MONEY EXCHANGE: Dollars aren’t universally accepted, so you’ll need to exchange money from time to time. The best place to change your money into Mexican Pesos is at an ATM inside a bank (as opposed to a machine on the street). After your withdrawal, don’t carry all your cash in one place. Keep a smaller amount handy, and the rest tucked away somewhere safe and out of sight. Ideally, you should carry a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and you can use that instead of cash at hotels and most restaurants. When driving, always keep a supply of small bills and coins available for tolls, as toll booths only take cash.

6.) FRONT LICENSE PLATES: Many of the individual states in the U.S. no longer issue a front license plate, and that can be a problem in Mexico. When you pull up to any of the many checkpoints on Mexico’s highways, they’ll be watching you approach, and they’ll be looking for your license plate, to determine where you’re from. If they don’t see one, (because you don’t have one), they will be immediately suspicious, especially in the south, where they don’t deal with many U.S. registered vehicles. You will have to explain, in the best Spanish you can muster, why you don’t have a plate on the front (basically, because your home state is too cheap to provide one). My Spanish is decent, so I didn’t have a problem with this, but I can only imagine how it would have gone if the guys with the machine guns hadn’t understood me.

You can save yourself from this aggravation by employing the following hack: before you leave home, find a shop where they make signs, and things like novelty license plates. (If you can’t find a sign shop locally, I can personally recommend BuildASign.com, on the internet). Provide them with a close-up photo of your current, valid license plate, and have them make a facsimile on a metal blank, which you can then attach to your front bumper. It won’t be an “official” plate, but it doesn’t have to be, because your state doesn’t require an official front plate. As long as it matches your rear plate, the inspectors at the roadblocks in Mexico will be perfectly happy.

7.) DOCUMENTS: When you’re on the road, keep your passports, tourist cards, insurance information, and all the paperwork related to your vehicle handy and in one spot, so that you can easily produce it on demand, without digging through your luggage. Before you leave home, make several good color copies of the main page of your passport, your car title, and your driver’s license. Avoid handing over the originals unless the requesting official insists, and keep the copies and the originals in separate locations.

8.) HOW’S YOUR SPANISH? You will be asked (dozens of times) where you’re coming from, where you’re going, and why. Have your answers to those questions prepared, and practice some of the basic Spanish phrases most useful to travelers. The deeper you go into Mexico, the more difficult it will be to find anyone who speaks English.

9.) GAS SCAMS: Most gas stations in Mexico are retail outlets for PEMEX, Mexico’s National oil company, though it’s increasingly common to see Shell, BP, and other international brands represented. Prices tend to be a bit high by U.S. standards and there is no self-service; every station has attendants that pump your fuel. You should always check the dials on the gas pump before the attendant begins fueling, to insure that he’s reset the pump from the previous customer’s transaction. (If they “forget” to reset, and you neglect to notice, your total will be inflated by the amount of the previous transaction, and they’ll slyly pocket the overcharge.) You’ll frequently hear the phrase, “Cero-cero!” (meaning double zero). The honest attendants like to call your attention to the “zeroes” on the pump dial, as proof of their good character. (Incidentally, if they give you good service, you should tip them 5 or 10 Pesos.)

10.) GREEN ANGELS: On Mexico’s National Highways, they have a fleet of around 200 Green and White utility trucks that patrol every major road in the country during daylight hours; the drivers are friendly mechanics whose sole function is to come to the rescue of stranded motorists. If you have a flat tire, run out of gas, or have any type of mechanical or medical issue, one of these guys, known as the Green Angels, will show up from out of the blue, and they’ll do whatever is necessary to get you back on the road. (If they don’t show quickly enough, you can call them, simply by dialing 078 on any phone, or on one of the emergency call boxes that you can find alongside the highways.) There is no charge for this extraordinary service, but if you do receive their assistance, they’ll deserve a good tip before you part ways.

11.) LEFT TURN SIGNALS: If you’re on one of the two-lane Mexican Highways, and you’re stuck behind a slow truck, it’s common to see them turn on their left turn signal. This doesn’t mean they’re about to change lanes into oncoming traffic. It’s actually a courtesy: the truck driver is letting you know that if you want to pass him, it’s safe to do so. Other drivers that are behind you expect the same courtesy, so, at least on the two-lane highways, be careful not to use your own left turn signal for any other purpose.

12.) ROUNDABOUTS: Unless you’re from Boston, the roundabouts used to control traffic at busy intersections in Mexico’s cities will probably terrify you. There are rules governing the Right of Way, but picture this: you have several lines of  heavy traffic hurtling around a circle, while every other driver is willy-nilly changing lanes. It can be impossible to figure out who’s heading where, because the Right of Way seems to go to whoever has the largest vehicle, the loudest horn, or the biggest balls, not necessarily in that order. My advice? Just keep a sharp eye out, don’t panic, and be prepared to go around the circle more than once!

Use this link (above) to reach a Mexican Government website where you can apply for a Pase Turistico, a two week exemption to the law for vehicles 2008 and newer.

14.) LA MORDIDA (THE “BITE”):  The Police in Mexico are generally more honest than they used to be, and there is a fair bit of emphasis placed on rooting out corruption, so it’s less likely that you’ll experience “the bite.” Traditionally, that’s a situation when a policeman or some other official accuses you of something, often falsely, and demands an immediate payment. If you do enough driving in Mexico, it’s entirely possible that you’ll run into a guy like that.

Here’s a common scenario: You get pulled over on the highway, and accused of speeding, or illegally changing lanes, or violating the Hoy No Circula rules (see above). They’ll tell you that there is a fine, and they’ll want you to pay on the spot. What you should do, especially if you have doubts about the supposed infraction, is ask to see the officer’s badge, and make a show of writing down the name and number. Agree to pay, but insist on paying at the Police Station. If the charge is legitimate, the officer won’t have a problem with that, and that’s what will happen. If he’s scamming you, he’ll probably attempt to negotiate, possibly by dropping his price. Be respectful, but continue to insist that you’ll only pay at the station. Pretty good odds he’ll back down and let you off with a “warning.”

15.) ZAPATISTAS: If you’re traveling in the southernmost part of Mexico, and you cross the border into the State of Chiapas (on your way to Palenque, for example), you might run into a Zapatista road block. The Zapatistas are a loosely organized group of mostly indigenous activists. They have many legitimate economic and environmental concerns, and their favorite technique for making themselves heard is known as the “bloqueo.” They create unofficial roadblocks at critical highway junctions, stopping all traffic, sometimes for several days at a stretch. Noisy standoffs between protesters and police attracts media attention, which is really the whole purpose. These incidents are rarely violent, but if you’re in a hurry to get somewhere, they can be extremely inconvenient.

If you do run into a Bloqueo, or any other political protest involving large crowds and armed police or military, the smart move is to make a U-turn and quietly leave the area. Never involve yourself in that sort of thing, not even if you strongly sympathize with one side or the other. It’s always best to just hole up somewhere, and wait until whatever it is blows over.

If you drive off the main roads in Chiapas, you may run into small “Zapatista Bloqueos” that are really just a form of minor extortion. Locals, often children, will stretch a rope, or maybe even just a string across the road, and when you stop, they’ll demand a toll. You’re under no obligation to pay. The law would be on your side if you don’t, but these people are extremely poor, and you’re on their land, so my personal inclination is to consider the requested toll a donation.

Most of the advice and information in this post is generic. I’ve done my best to present an accurate picture of the current situation at the border, and on Mexico’s highways, and to provide useful insights that should help you navigate the country on a road trip. Wherever possible, I’ve tried to provide links to official Mexican government resources, many of which are in Spanish. If your browser doesn’t automatically translate these pages, use Google Translate, or any other Translation app to insure you understand the information presented.  A Mexican Road Trip can be a transformative experience. If you go, I wish you safe travels, and the very best of luck!

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This is the first post in a multi-part series that is currently a work in progress. Next up: Mexican Road Trip: Heading South, from Laredo to Villahermosa

(Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this site are my original work, and are protected by copyright. They may not be duplicated for commercial purposes.)

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ON THE ROAD IN MEXICO

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(This post is a work in progress. Anticipated publication: April 2024)

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IN THE LAND OF THE MAYA

A few years ago I wrote a book about road trips in Arizona and New Mexico that’s a lot like this website, packed with interesting information, and illustrated with beautiful photographs. Check it out! You can find it on Amazon, and at all other major booksellers.