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Old 04-17-2014, 08:18 PM   #1
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Mexico

Anyone go down into Mexico?
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Old 04-17-2014, 08:27 PM   #2
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Yep, by plane.. stayed in an all exclusive resort. Ready to go again (when the budget allows). Have ZERO interest in traveling with my tug/tow. YMMV
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Old 04-17-2014, 11:41 PM   #3
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I have been by plane 6 times now. I know a couple people that spend the winters in their (big) trailers, and enjoy it. They stay in RV parks. I would love to tow my trailer down their someday, i have seen some great places to stay.
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Old 04-18-2014, 10:16 AM   #4
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Last year while camping at Lake Mead, NV I met a couple from Germany. Every few years they ship their trailer over from Germany and travel the US for 6 months, then head down to Mexico in the winter for 3 or 4 months, then come back to the US with a new 6 month visa and travel the rest of the US and parts of Canada. Not sure what part of Mexico they stayed in. Wonderful, fun couple who helped me to brush up on my German.
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Old 04-18-2014, 02:47 PM   #5
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We have been often, but just to the cruise ship ports - except for one wonderful week when I went to Guanajuato with my brother and two of my friends; this was in 2008. My brother has been going to Mexico every year for decades, and I finally decided to join him and talked two of my friends into joining us - one of these friends still refers to it as an "enchanted week of a lifetime." We drove to Laredo Texas and from there took Mexican buses to Guanajuato. I expected the buses to be nasty, but they turned out to be better than anything found in the US - clean, spacious, a hostess who served us refreshments, and dual restrooms.

Guanajuato was a gem - colorful, high in the mountains, and totally safe. I wandered the back alleys alone for days and never felt threatened or endangered at any time. The people were wonderful - and caused me to change my stereotypical viewpoint of Mexicans.

My brother now restricts his yearly visits to the Yucatan Peninsula because, at 70+ yo, and the recent border violence, he no longer feels safe to travel alone in some of the areas. Evidently, the Yucatan Peninsula is still a very safe area to visit, and very convenient to him in South Florida.

I think I would be hesitant to take my trailer to Mexico because of all the border violence, but I hope to return to Guanajuato some day, maybe by flying.

Do a Google "Image" search for Guanajuato and see for yourself what a charming place it is.
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Old 04-18-2014, 07:00 PM   #6
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Yes I go to Yucatan a lot and love it. But I fly in. I was surprised by how many Americans drive and say many areas are safe if you stay away from the boarders. I have heard there are some nice RV parks but I don't know where they are. Guanajuato sounds lovely.
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Old 04-18-2014, 07:24 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox hunt View Post
..... I was surprised by how many Americans drive and say many areas are safe if you stay away from the boarders. I have heard there are some nice RV parks but I don't know where they are. Guanajuato sounds lovely.
My plan if to get a lot of speed going with my Frontier and little 17b and try to fly over the border area..... Wishful thinking But a shame that it doesn't seem safe.

Has anyone tried those RV caravans ? That seems like an option.

(We leave by air tomorrow for Playa)
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Old 04-18-2014, 07:35 PM   #8
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For the most part Mexico caters to tourism, as it has been a great boon to their economy, and they go to great lengths to keep it safe, and have travellers feel comfortable. I would not hesitate for a moment traveling in Mexico.

I have friends who have gone down there for months at a time every winter, and just love it. They usually drive down now to have a vehicle, but don't take a trailer. Vehicle rentals are pricey there, not the rental itself, but the required third party liability you have to get, despite having coverage from your own vehicle policy, or your credit card.
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Old 04-18-2014, 08:49 PM   #9
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I googled "driving in Mexico" and found lots of good advice. Been trying to talk my smarter half into driving through to Belize, but so far not happening. We flew down there before Christmas and drove by a pretty nice looking campground I would love to stay at.

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Old 04-18-2014, 09:09 PM   #10
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I've read or heard somewhere that the police treat all motor vehicle accidents as a criminal offense and look for someone to charge with a criminal offense or for someone to bribe. And the most likely person to end up in trouble is the rich foreigner.

That little bit of info keeps me away from driving anything in Mexico. That info may not be true but if it is it bears thinking about.

Two sec on online research got me the following. And since it is on the internet it must be true...... My guess is my source is a Mercian defense counsel looking for business


http://m.mexpro.com/mexico/coverage/...ssistance.html


Unlike the United States, where many accidents tend to result in little more than a minor driving infraction, the Republic of Mexico considers all auto accidents to be a criminal offense as well as a civil matter. Whenever you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, not only can you be held financially liable for the consequences, including damage to other people's property, but you can also be held responsible for injuries and fatalities. If you should be involved in an accident in Mexico, you will want to have a qualified attorney available to provide you with proper guidance as you deal with the Mexican court system.

You may be asking, "Couldn't I just simply contact the US or Canadian consulate, and get help from them in under these circumstances?" Yes, but the main purpose of the US and Canadian consulate offices is to provide visitors with information, and they do not have any actual legal jurisdiction in Mexico. Subsequently, they are not allowed to offer any legal advice, nor are they allowed to interfere in the legal process of any foreign country.
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Old 04-18-2014, 09:27 PM   #11
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For the most part, that is just fear mongering. You do have to make certain you have adequate, and mandatory Third Party Insurance, and it is quite costly. This coverage is necessary whether you rent or drive your own vehicle, as your insurance will not cover you.

Bottom line is you do have to do your homework to insure proper coverage. Here is a little ditty from Tripadvisor on renting, but the same rules apply to driving your own vehicle.

Mexico: Renting a Car in Mexico - TripAdvisor
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Old 04-18-2014, 09:32 PM   #12
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That sounds right
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:07 PM   #13
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No way Jose. While statistically you can argue, there are too many places norte of the border to have fun in my Escape and not worry about safety in a narcostate. Hell, the civilian cop at Ft. Hunter Liggett was fawning over my rig. What about the cop & friends down there?
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:14 PM   #14
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If I understand you right...You would like to go traveling and camping into Mexico with trailer in tow? Are you crazy up there? In case you haven't heard...the war between drug cartels has not ended. You are just asking for trouble driving into the interior. Let me spell this out for you. You will likely end up kidnapped, held hostage for large sums of your own money from back home, and never seen again. Or if your lucky, just lose your tow vehicle, trailer, and everything in your possession. You will be defenseless to stop it. This is not fear mongering! The larger populated border towns have been destroyed. Gone are the shops and restaurants that once drew foreign dollars. Flying into a protected resort/tourist area like Cancun is no comparison. Those of us who live in the US border states and the honest, hard working citizens of Mexico are subjected to this horrible situation and bombarded by the news reports daily. If you don't want take my advice and insight, then please check with the US and Canadian travel agencies for travel advisories and ask yourself if it's worth it. Good luck.
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:37 PM   #15
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If I understand you right...You would like to go traveling and camping into Mexico with trailer in tow? Are you crazy up there? In case you haven't heard...the war between drug cartels has not ended. You are just asking for trouble driving into the interior. Let me spell this out for you. You will likely end up kidnapped, held hostage for large sums of your own money from back home, and never seen again. Or if your lucky, just lose your tow vehicle, trailer, and everything in your possession. You will be defenseless to stop it. This is not fear mongering! The larger populated border towns have been destroyed. Gone are the shops and restaurants that once drew foreign dollars. Flying into a protected resort/tourist area like Cancun is no comparison. Those of us who live in the US border states and the honest, hard working citizens of Mexico are subjected to this horrible situation and bombarded by the news reports daily. If you don't want take my advice and insight, then please check with the US and Canadian travel agencies for travel advisories and ask yourself if it's worth it. Good luck.
This is a joke, right?

If not, do you have proof of all these US and Canadian citizens having this happens to then. We have tons of crime up here too, but none of it is glorified like that on foreign soil.

Of all the people I know that have driven into Mexico, none have had anything but good to say of their experience.
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Old 04-18-2014, 11:45 PM   #16
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They love Germans....and probably Canadians too. Seriously Jim, life is especially cheap down there.
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Old 04-19-2014, 12:12 AM   #17
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This is from Google search of "mexico travel advisory canada". Government of Canada web site. http://travel.gc.ca/destinations/mexico

MEXICO - Exercise a high degree of caution

There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Mexico. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution, especially in those parts of the country experiencing a deteriorating security situation. Most major tourist areas have not been affected by the extreme levels of violence in the northern region.
The Yucatan Peninsula, which includes the tourist destinations of Cancun, Cozumel, Riviera Maya, Merida and Progreso, has not been significantly affected by violence or insecurity.
We strongly recommend travel to Mexico by air in order to avoid land border crossings through potentially dangerous regions. High levels of criminal activity, as well as occasional illegal roadblocks, demonstrations and protests remain a concern throughout the country. For these reasons, you are strongly advised to sign up with the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service if travelling to or residing in Mexico.
Due to high levels of organized crime in rural areas, including on major highways, you should exercise extreme caution in the states of Baja California (North), Morelos, Nayarit, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, Veracruz, and Zacatecas.
The coastal areas of Jalisco (from Puerto Vallarta to Barra de Navidad) and southern Nayarit (from Nuevo Vallarta to La Peñita de Jaltemba), popular destinations among Canadians, remain relatively safe, as do the Lake Chapala area and the cities of Cuernavaca, Tepotzlan, Guadalajara, San Luis Potosi, Xalapa, Veracruz, and Zacatecas. When travelling in these regions, exercise extreme caution when venturing outside urban areas.

It goes on to specific areas with large red exclamation marks.
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Old 04-19-2014, 12:20 AM   #18
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"Of all the people I know that have driven into Mexico, none have had anything but good to say of their experience."

All I can say is that those people were very, very lucky. It may sound crazy to most, but Dave pretty much sums it all up. Mexico is not a nice place to be and I would never, ever drive any type of vehicle there ... mine or a rental. We used to love vacationing there and never worried about our safety (well, almost never). In our last three trips, there has always been some type of "incident" -- one involving a drug feud near where we were staying where a number of people were lined up and shot. Thanks but no thanks ...
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Old 04-19-2014, 02:05 AM   #19
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Well I agree there are many dangerous places but many Americans drive in Mexico and live in Mexico and seem to have no trouble it's true that they are knowledgeable and stay in safe areas, I am a little afraid because I may not know enough to stay safe so I have not driven in Mexico but I am interested in learning more it's a beautiful country and if I could explore it more intimately and also safely I would like to.
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Old 04-19-2014, 07:57 AM   #20
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The Mexican bus service is so nice I see no reason to rent a car. When in a city use a taxi.

Here is the US Dept. of State warning about travel in Mexico: http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...l-warning.html
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