One of the best ways to explore Mexico is to take a road trip across the country and see it for yourself and on your own schedule. That way you can go beyond the common tourist destinations and get to know the country from the perspective of locals, as much as it’s possible to do so.
As is the case with any road trip, the key to making it comfortable and safe is to learn a bit about the country you’re visiting beforehand and to prepare for what may come up.
You’ll Need a License
Foreigners need an international driver’s license for Mexico in order to legally drive or rent a vehicle. This is an easy document to get since it’s based on having a national permit and doesn’t require any additional tests or exams.
The permit is only valid if you have a national license with you and it expires after a year. It’s also important to have proof of identification and documents relating to your car insurance policy. Once the permit expires it can be renewed online just as easily.
Be Careful When Renting a Car
There are numerous renting agencies in Mexico and not all of them are equally reputable. Make sure you find online reviews and check if the agency is registered with the proper authorities. As is the case with agencies anywhere else in the world, you’ll need to properly document the state of the vehicle before you take it on the road.
That way you won’t be blamed if something was damaged before you started using it. It’s best if you take photos or even film the car from every possible angle before driving and keep that file saved until it’s time to return it.
Topes
Topes is the term used for speed bumps in Mexico. They are placed all over the country and there are signs before you reach them. These are too often missed by drivers that aren’t used to them and driving on a speed bump at full speed can damage your car.
These can be found both on highways and on small roads. Some topes are built by the locals and aren’t properly marked so make sure not to drive too fast if you don’t know the area too well.
Couta and Libre Roads
There are two types of roads in Mexico based on their quality and how fast you can drive on them. The good quality and fast roads are known as Couta and lesser roads are known as Libre roads. Using the Couta roads comes with a charge. These roads don’t have topes so they are much faster to use and they are safer as well.
Libre roads go through small towns and they usually run along the Couta roads. It takes much longer to get where you’re going using these roads, but it’s less expensive to do so.
Delays
Delays are quite common in Mexico and you shouldn’t rely on the estimated time set up by Google maps. Chances are that something will happen on the road or that the information Google has on the road damage is outdated. There’s also a cultural difference when it comes to punctuality and that can easily turn into traffic jams.
It’s quite common to be 15 minutes late to an appointment and in some cases, even more than that. This may be somewhat challenging to those who aren’t used to it and the only thing to do is to adapt.
Is Driving in Mexico Safe?
Many have heard about drug and gang-related violence in Mexico. There’s some truth to that and it is one of the issues that local authorities are struggling with. However, for the most part, Mexico is safe for foreign travelers and violent interactions are rather rare.
There are plenty of resources where you can learn about your route and consult those who have been there before. In rare cases, you’ll learn about routes and villages to avoid and if there’s a growing opinion that it’s best to do so, you should try to stay clear. If there’s an unexpected event – the US embassy will let everyone know about it, so keep your eye on that.
Pro Tip: Driving in Mexico is going to be more expensive than you might have planned and US tourists often get surprised by the difference in gas prices. The benefits of using your own vehicle are overwhelming but still try to factor in the costs in your decision as well.
