dreeds
Chewelah, WA
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Joined: 08/10/2008
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We are interested in a Mexico trip to the Yucatan area and took a look at the caravan companies. I was shocked at the prices - all in the $6000+ range for two people for a 45 day trip. Why do they cost so much? $1400 for 45 nights @ $30/night, a dozen dinners $700, a few tours, $500, so that's $2600. I can't believe there is $3400 profit, is there ? What am I missing?
Dreeds
Tioga Class C
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drtee
RGV, Texas
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Joined: 03/08/2005
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Maybe you should consider hiring yourself a guide. There are numerous college students who are bi-lingual, not to mention former illegal workers in US who have returned home. They would be delighted to earn $200 a week with a dry place to sleep and a few eats. That's $1,800, saving you about $1,600.
You could go as you please and not have the bother of a bunch of folks in their 40' behemoths poking along at 40 mph. I've run into quite a few former US workers who speak passable English and who would probably make excellent traveling companions to get you where you want to go and get fixed whatever needs fixing.
Just a thought.
Wm. W. Thompson, PhD
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UT-Pan American
Edinburg, TX
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sun seekers
arizona and alaska
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Try www.rvadventuretreks.com This is the one we'll be using this coming Feb.
Prices are good and there will be a fluent spanish speaking RV'er along on the trip. Copper Canyon is included, going in at Nogales, out by Donna TX.
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Turtle-Toad
Wherever I park (orig Kingston, WA. USA)
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You might want to try the Vagabundos del Mar travel club.
I think they have a caravan traveling down the Gulf Coast and through the Colonial Cities in Feburary. Because they are a club, and not for profit, you normally get much better deals. Your guides are members of the club, not employee's. You can also split off on your own at any time and rejoin at your leasure (if at all).
Turtle & Toad, On the Road
37' Georgetown XL w/3 slides, 1 1/2 bath, & 275 watts of solar power
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www.turtleandtoad.com
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John & Angela
Full Timers in Canada, USA and Mexico
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For the Baja I would recomend www.Bajawinters.com
Good luck.
Come visit us at our website and share in our great fulltime RV Adventure.
2003 Fleetwood Revolution 40C
Retired Canadian Air Force Technicians
Vernon,B.C,Canada.
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crandle
Campbell River, BC, Canada
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If you like the "Today is Wednesday so this must be San Miguel" type of travel then a Caravan might be just what you need. We did not do it that way but rather just winged it. Our plans changed on a city to city basis as we talked to fellow RVers and listened to their experiences and recommendations. We found we saw much more and sampled Mexico much more in depth than we could have done in a Caravan.
I too was taken back by the cost of these tours. $6000 would represent half of what our entire five months in Mexico cost us!
If you would like to read my Blog entry on the subject of Caravans, click on this link. Our trip budget is on the Blog as well.
http://croftstravels.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-thoughts-on-rv-caravans.html
* This post was
edited 08/11/08 11:11pm by crandle *
My 2008 / 2009 Mexico Blog
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Earl E
Klamath Falls, Oregon
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hwybnb wrote:The flat-bed rail car tours of Copper Canyon no longer exist. The railroad discontinued allowing them because of safety concerns. There are still Copper Canyon trips available but they travel by regular passenger car and stay in hotels.
What a bummer. That has been on my list for years. But you are right--I couldn't find any company still advertising them.
This from RVtravel.com:
RV rail tours through Copper Canyon discontinued
El Paso, Texas-based Tracks to Adventure no longer offers its railroad tours into Mexico's Copper Canyon after the Mexican government decided to prohibit the practice of allowing RVers to stay in their motorhomes or trailers that rode atop flat cars while traveling through the picturesque canyon in the northern state of Chihuahua. According to RV Business, the Mexican government said the practice was not safe, although Tracks President Larry Olsen said there had been no serious mishaps during the 33 years that he arranged trips for some 8,000 RVers. Tracks still offers the Copper Canyon tour but now RVs are parked and visitors take the 172-mile-long canyon rail in passenger cars.
2008 Keystone Springdale 252
2004 Chevy Silverado, 5.3 L V8
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rocmoc
Tucson, AZ/Mexico
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Joined: 09/30/2006
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BEST ADVICE! Meet up with someone and follow them down. Use this site or Church's site, http://rollinghomes.com/Mart014%20-%20Me........ico%20Travel%20Buddy%20Search%20Page.htm . No updates on Church's site currently, but soon. We will be sending ours in for our Thanksgiving Day departure.
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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aviddk
SW Oregon
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Joined: 07/05/2008
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Be sure and check out John and Angela's excellent web site with a travel log of their Baja Winters Caravan. It is really and excellent resource. I am looking forward to their trip to Mainland Mexico this winter.
aviddk
Ashland, OR
Airstream Interstate '07
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John & Angela
Full Timers in Canada, USA and Mexico
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Hey Avisdk. Thanks for the nice comments. This year we are a little better prepared as far as the language is concerned. We have studied a few nights a week with literature, notes and "expertvillage.com". We may not be fluent yet but we will definetly be functional this year. We hope by the time we return we will be mostly fluent this year. We try to avoid english when talking to the locals and tell them early in the conversation "Mi preferencia es espanol. Estoy solo en invitado en su pais. Quiero hablar su langua en su pais". This usually slows them down a bit so it doesn't sound like jibberish. Should be a good winter. We are almost out of shrimp which means we are in crisis mode so we are getting anxious to get back. Looks like we will be on the road at christmas and may be somewhere around Kino Bay. About 65 days to blast off. Taking a detour to the grand canyon first.
have a good winter.
John and Angela
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