We are a young couple from New Zealand who are wanting to drive from LA down through Mexico. Is this safe? ?

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Cabochick23

Hola! Although I have not made the trip you mentioned in quite a while...I do drive in Mexico alot, and there are many things I can tell you to do and not to do.

Yes, you can drive this. Its actually a very cool trip. But, as you make your way through Mexico, Guatamala, Nigeragua, Costa Rica and finally Panama you will find each country have alot of differences!! Oh please please do research prior to just up and going! Tons of books on driving the Pan-American highway.

Costa Rican roads are famous for their car sized potholes. I know.

I never drive at night. Many cars on the roads don't have headlights. Farm animals are very suicidal at night! Many locals drive drunk on holidays and weekends. Most cars and some transport trucks that are extremely unsafe drive at night.

Sleeping in your van on the side of road or isolated area is almost asking for trouble. Especially one with maybe american plates? oh so bad. You should mark out your trip, amount of driving you want to do in a day, and then make sure you have plenty of time to get to your accomodation, or even just a caravan park, remember safety in numbers. Never just pull over or maybe camp out on a beach with no one else around.

Transport trucks hate cars and they will do almost anything to run you off the road. Some just drive right down the middle. Very scary to come up on suddenly. Especially when there is usually no sides to most 2 lane highways in latin america. I've screamed in horror a few times, but some how made it by a b-train truck unscathed. Yes, there are lovely toll highways scattered throughout, but expect horrible roads.

Also expect to go long distances without finding services (food, gas, bathroom, water) etc. Not all gas stations have gas. Not all ATM's have money. Bring lots of extras with you, or you will be stuck.

Knowing some Spanish is such a really smart idea. My favorite toy right now is an electronic translator. I type in what I want to say and it says it. Oh I tell ya that has gotten me out of lots of crazy situations and playing exhausting games of charades. Cat? No Tire. I need a Tire, not a cat.

Each country has a whole set of rules and road regulations, border patrols, federal police roadblocks, so expect to be stopped and checked alot.

Dodgy? Oh god I just got back from Australia and I love that adjective. Yes....the Pan-American Highway is dodgy, but its also do-able.

avomatic

travel in mexico's major highways is quite safe, specially along the toll roads, your problems will start in the guatemala and honduras areas. remember that you cannot drive further south than the canal zone in panama. for all these countries, stay on the large higways and do your driving in daytime.

Victory27

If you speak Spanish and have some common sense, driving through Mexico should not be a problem.
There are toll roads which resemble any american freeway for nearly the whole length of the country which are totally safe to drive.
Camping in a vehicle might not be recommended, but it is done - I've done it. But roadside hotels are pretty cheap and mostly clean, too.
I would love to give you some more advice, gleaned of my own personal road trip through Mexico, if you'd like some more reassurances for your boyfriend. Feel free to send me an email or message on here.

Chelsea

My parents drive from WA. State down to Sinaloa Mexico twice every year (and they love doing it!). Only the Boarder city's of Mexico are really bad, Don't listen to people who condemn all of Mexico We have just as much murder and crime in America. Trust me it is mainly the border city's you don't want to stop in. If you speak Spanish or even if you try to speak as little as you may know, you will be more respected for it. My parents live in the coastal town Of Mazatlan sounds like you may go through there and if you do take a few days to enjoy it, it is a wonderful place. No once you get further south towards Panama I am not sure but do not listen to most the silly people who have no real experience with Mexico. ^_^

Hope I was a lil. help.

viajerita_primavera

Hello,

A friends of mine, drive all their way through California to Argentina in a van.

They didn't pay hotels, the only thing it's that you must be a very skilled driver, because there are not a lot of toll roads in Mexico, and roads are just two lines and with a lot of trucks.

But believe me as long as you don't keep driving a lot in the night in the dangerous roads there is no problem.

I even have a Swiss friend that made a travel from San francisco to Chiapas by bike, and he used to sleep in the roads, nothing happened to him. And I also have a Canadian friend that came all his way from Canada to Guadalajara (because he broke his leg in Puerto Vallarta) by motorcycle then he stayed in our house for a couple of weeks and returned to Canada.

So plan your trip, and I hope you enjoyed. I have just traveled to South by car, and to Baja, the rest of the country I have traveled by bus or by plane.

William W

No not really. Anywhere in Mexico, foreigners or cars with foreign plates are likely to get a lot of attention from police and thieves. Bad attention. You'll be stopped all the time by cops for bribes. And worse if you're stopped by thieves.

People do drive to Mexico from LA, and if you choose to do this, you must get better info than what Yahoo answers offers. Buy a Lonely Planet guide book and read what it says and take it seriously. There'll be specific advice on routes to take and routes to avoid. Most roads from LA to Mexico City will pass through deserts where there are real problems with thieves and bandits.

Mexico has very comfortable buses. Why not take those? The ones in the north are especially comfortable. Far, far better than anything available for general service in the US (Greyhound, etc).

I have met Americans and Canadians who've driven down but the east coast is generally considered a lot safer (because more densely populated) than the west coast. You might want to drive to Texas first and then come down. But again, get that Lonely Planet or Rough Guide.

In very few places in Latin America will people say it's safe to drive in the countryside at night. Mexico near the border with the US absolutely not. And in Guatemala, no one drives outsides cities at night if they can help it. The same holds true for other places, more or less, with a few exceptions (Chile, Argentina, southern Brazil).

Jilldo

princessmeltdown

Car theft (and crime in general) in Mexico is quite high. You might want to talk to a travel agent familiar with the sort of trip you want to take.

Lowell 3

No way. I'm not sure of your ethnicity, white or native New Zealender. If your white you'll stand out. Plus if its just you two then your going to be targeted easily. A larger group would be better. Plus you'll have to budget for bribe money, not kidding. I live in southern california and I'm told a million horror stories from travelers all the time. Although it would be cool to travel off the beaten path because Mexico is quite gorgeous. I would recommend to not go through with it. It is very dodgy indeed. Especially right now on the news the mexican mafia has killed a number of people within the past year.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/07/travel/main3681221.shtml

If you do go bring lots of bribe money and hire a really good guide.

Best of luck

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