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Driving in Mexico Travel Guide


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Driving in Mexico can be a convenient way for U.S. residents to see the country, and many visitors to Mexico cross the border in their own vehicles. But you will find the driving etiquette to be significantly different from that of "El Norte".

It's a good idea to watch the behavior of the vehicles around you carefully - but don't necessarily follow their lead. If the vehicle ahead speeds through a stop sign without slowing - go ahead and stop anyway.

It's a good idea to drive at or below the speed limit, which will be shown (in most places) in the metric system. An easy conversion is that 100 km/h is approximately equal to 60 mph, so if you see 100 km/h posted, drive at around 55 mph (90 km/h). In the US it's common to "push" the speed limits; in Mexico it's advisable to hold back a little. This will mean driving through some small towns at 15 mph (25 km/h).

Have a reliable road map with you. GuiaRoji is a good option, but there are also others that are just as good if not better. Your first stop in Mexico should be to pick up a map. When planning your route in Mexico, remember that a straight line is not always the best way from point A to point B. provides information about road conditions, travel times for more than 240 routes in Mexico. If you haven't driven in Mexico before, and especially if you are not very fluent in Spanish, stick to the toll roads.

Much of Mexico is covered by modern "Cuota" toll roads, most of these are privately owned. They are generally much faster than the free "Libre" roads, if the latter run parallel, as the 'libre' roads will slow considerably as they pass through small towns and villages.

Using toll roads in Mexico is quite expensive: the tolls range from about 25 to 150 Mexican pesos (approximately 2.50-15 American dollars) for passenger cars, depending on the section of highway. If you are planning on making a long drive on toll roads, make sure you have plenty of Mexican pesos with you. U.S. dollars and credit cards are NOT accepted on many toll roads, though they may be accepted in some heavily-touristed areas (such as Highway 180 in Yucatan). The price goes up only if you're in an RV or towing something. Also, there can be several tollbooths between cities.

Even with the prices of using Mexican toll roads, some are not in conditions one would expect for the price you pay to use them. Some are in need of resurfacing, and will abuse your car if you travel the speed limit (which is normally 110 km/h or 65mph). It is a good idea to travel these sections of road under the speed limit to make sure your car makes it back up north without any suspension or other issues. If the conditions of the toll road cause damage to your vehicle (including blow-outs), insurance is included in the price of the toll (make sure to keep your toll payment receipt). This does not include an accident with another vehicle. (Your Mexican car insurance covers that.) Damage caused to your car has to be reported immediately at the next tollbooth you come to. It would be a good idea to take note of the "kilometer" marker where the incident happened, and have all of your papers ready (including toll receipt). If your only loss is a tire, and you're in a hurry, you may not want to bother making a claim since it can take some time. Having someone very fluent Spanish is also a strong recommendation, since most employees working the toll roads may not speak enough English to process a claim.

A plus for toll roads is that there are clean bathrooms and snack shops at most toll booths. It's a good opportunity to stretch your legs a bit, have a bite to eat, or visit the restroom before continuing on your way.

Once you get off the main highways, it's common to find potholes, dropoffs, dirt roads, and other hazards. The Mexicans brave these in standard passenger cars, but you'll probably be more comfortable in a higher-clearance vehicle such as an SUV, especially if you plan to visit hot springs, beaches, camping areas, or other off-the-beaten-path locations.


The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Driving in Mexico


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Driving in Mexico Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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