My sister and husband are going to Mexico, they want to drive their car, good idea??
 

My sister and her husband are going on a trip to mexico to puerto vallarta, they are already spending a fortune on a exclusive resort down there, so they want to save money by driving instead of flying...Im thinking thats a bad idea to take your car down there...what do you guys think? Good idea to drive their own car, or not good?

Are they good with the lang? Do they drive a junker? Do they have money to pay the (uh hem) "tolls"?

They should try hotwire.com for the plane and if they wanna drive maybe get a rental...

no, they dont speak spanish, they were going to take his 2004 pathfinder, but I convinced them to taker her 97 Toyota Corolla which is worth alot less. They DID get mexican car insurance.

theyll spend just as much on gas and "tolls" as they would a plane ticket...

When I was working down there, we'd get hit up every day on the way to the job site.

We were actually given cash when traveling just because of these "tolls".

"tolls"?

What the hell are tolls and how much are they usually?

Mexico is corrupt :Graucho

A couple guys with machine guns will make the decision when you drive up..

scary shit

yeah

The highways have tolls and could get very expensive, as there is some every few miles. Most mexicans don't use the main high ways but tourist will get jacked if they use the side roads.

well, mr and mrs white suburbs like MetaFormX is describing, yes, they'll probably get jacked... stick to the "highway" and pay the money if you want to keep the car, your money, your clothes, your life as it is not including rape, and your life.

for me bad, better rent one locally

your right it's a bad idea. i use to live in san diego and all the rape stories you hear by tijuana cops are true (look for it on the net). if they don't speak the language or have done it before tell them to fly, enjoy there vacation and fly back.

good advice.

if you are obvious gringos with money and a nice car traveling cross country in mexico take very seriously the threat of carjacking, kidnapping, and murder.

there are some places in mexico you DO NOT want to go, and some places where towns are 100 miles apart and you can get boxed in by "banditos" who will kill you for the car and money.

and your cellphone, and "onstar" will not help you.

more common than you think, and not reported much.

Either this or hungry cops who just need a few bucks for lunch. :1orglaugh

Make sure and I said make sure they get insurance that covers them in Mexico!! They can get it at the border but their US policy will not transfer.

Wow is Mexico really this bad?

Odds are they have a good chance of getting robbed.

Better off just renting a car down there.

Yes. I would never EVER want to drive in Mexico.

Meta, if they think they can't afford to fly, ask them if they can afford to die.

Why would your sisters Husband want to put her in this kind of Danger?
Just to save a few bucks?
What a fucking jerk!

Sounds like you need to have words with this Guy!

I would never drive in Mexico. Take buses between major cities and taxis when in city.

PV is about 24 hours drive time from the border. Your brother-in-law is nuts.

If you want a dangerous vacation check out this book. :thumbsup

I have gone on a rode trip in Mexico and never even heard of any of this.

We were on a pretty major rode though, and we hit a toll booth.

There was no machine guns that I saw, lol.

Just like a normal American toll booth. I think it cost like $10 or $15.

the toll booths on the paid highway are cheap . . . it's the guys with the machine guns (cops/Federales) that have the expensive rates

Where are you finding American toll booths with rates that high?

More then you think....:warning

Unless they are Mexican I strongly suggest they do not drive.

My personal experience is that it is high risk. I have been pulled over at gun point and robbed by guys claiming to be police.

I suggest they fly and if necessary rent a car locally, it will have Mexican plates and they will not be doing the long stretches between clites.

In addition driving a night on Mexican roads is dangerous because of unfenced grazing. A traffic accident in Mexico is a criminal offense and you can easily end up in jail.

SOunds like there is no way you would want to drive through that place.

seems like it would be so much easier to do anything but drive, and that in itself would make it worth the money for a plane ticket

Guys. It s not that bad. I go throught the " tolls" that you are talking about all the time. I live here in Baja.

You DO NOT have to pay at the check points unless you are carrying something that you should not. Drugs are illegal and even a little pot will cost you some cash and time in jail.


As for that drive. It is about a 24 hour drive from the border.

I would really sugguest that they fly or take a boat trip.


ICQ me if you have any other questions.

We are moving to Cancun in a month, and we are driving. We have been studying up and talking to people that live in different parts of Mexico. What we have found out is....the roads in some parts of Mexico aren't to good, big pot holes and speed bumps in the middle of highways. Also, it is illegal for the police to try and bribe you, but they still try. Take a camera and if you get pulled over for no appearant reason, get out and start snapping pictures. They will leave in a hurry if you've done nothing wrong :)We were also told to have an alarm system and a club on your steering wheel, mexicans won't steal it if they have to work at it. There is no more a chance that you will be ripped off in Mexico as there is here. Just better safe than sorry. And renting a car in Mexico isn't cheap either.....and gas isn't as good as it is here. Drive during the day and you don't get robbed. No different than some parts of the US.

Mexican people are great in general, but like all tourist areas, they see us coming ! English is spoken in the resort areas and it's not hard to communicate anyway.

Don't listen to idiots that say Mexico is corrupt. That's a bunch of shit, things don't work exactly like they work here, but why should it.

I do not want to be a wet blanket and Cancun is great but what I said earlier is true. I have driving in and out of Mexico for 30 years and do not recommend it to anyone.

1. I have been pulled over at gunpoint; an exception not the rule.

2. It is a criminal offense to get into a auto accident and you can go to jail.

3. Most of Mexico is unfenced open range and if you hit a cow and don't flee you will buy the cow and go to jail.

4. There are checkpoints and although it is the exception not the rule you can get in trouble.

5. You will go to jail for drugs, guns, ammuniton or anything else they decide if they don't like your attitude.

6. The gasoline is currently expensive and inferior, if your car needs premium take octane boosters with you because you probably will need them.

Mexico is a wonderful place with some of the greatest people and food in the world but it is a third world country and you need to think and act differently.

Oh, we've heard the horror stories too and it is a bit scary, but the majority of the people we've been talking too never had a problem with the police at all. I guess I'm not intending on having drugs, guns or an attitude, hopefully our 4000 mile drive will be great.

And, alot of people have trouble with the police in this country too (the US). We have alot of Mexican Nationals that are friends working here in the US and they get harrassed by our police alot too. I guess it's just human nature.

One more thing...You have to have Mexican auto insurance to drive in Mexico. You can get it over the internet and it doesn't cost that much and it is against mexican law not to have it. That is why alot of people get in trouble if they get into an accident.

It makes a difference where in Mexico you are driving. Some areas are safe, others definately are not.

I have driven in Mexico -- no serious problems but I wouldn't do it again if I didn't have to. I saw one car pass another while going up over a hill. :1orglaugh

That's when my husband would say "darned woman drivers' and get slapped :1orglaugh

Your right though, there are good and bad...just like everywhere else....

Thanks I'm gonna get that :thumbsup

Mexico is a risk no matter where you go - third world - poor people have nothing to lose

absolutely agreed and that's why they shouldn't drive down there, better to fly....that's for sure:)

I just can't get over how many people have the totally wrong idea about Mexico.

Of course there are places that are horrible, but that goes for anywhere including the US.

They even have paved streets and wireless internet in Mexico :1orglaugh

Just because it isn't the US doesn't mean it's 3rd world....