Last week of May we are going into Mexico, a friend is having her 50th Bday party at a Hacienda, aways into Mexico that they rented for a week. I am a little behind, my life as usual, in getting paperwork and all that. But have been researching and my plan is to use mexonline.com to get my papers and mexadventure.com to get insurance.
The shortest route for us to enter Mexico is I35 as we will be shooting down from Dallas. Then? I need to get on MEX57, which hits Piedras Negras, but time is going to be a factor in this trip unfortunately. So Laredo it probably is, is this a bad decision? Also, which would be the best road out of Nuevo Laredo to take to get to 57?
Our destination www.haciendalastrancas.com is not very far off 57, but aways down. Is 57 a tollroad? My buddy said he thought it was about 400miles into Mexico. He thought the overall one-way from Dallas was about 950. They and other folks are driving cars down in, and are thinking it's a 2day run, with a stopover this side of Laredo. I'm in a wheelchair, long days in the driver seat can take a hard toll and I'm not sure I want to do this. Problem is the Bday woman is the only one who speaks Spanish, decisions, decisions. If I need to break into 3days, is there any decent/safe place to stop on 57, probably around Saltillo or below? Also, how is 57? A good road the whole way to San Luis de La Paz?
Well, these are my startup questions, I'll be back for more I'm sure. Thanks.
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Do yourself a favor and enter Mexico at Eagle Pass / Piedras Negras. The toll bypass around Monterey is extremely expensive. Fifty to seventy dollars of my recollection is correct.
Mex 57 is the preferred way all the way down. The only tolls on this 4 lane highway (mostly) are a few city bypasses around San Luis Potosi, Saltillo, Matehuala, etc., but reasonably priced.
About 40 miles into Mexico you will encounter the checkpoint to get your car permit and your tourist card. Make sure that your driver license does not expire when you expect to be in Mexico.
BUCKLE UP! Seatbelts are mandatory for drivers and a six hundred peso fine awaits those who forget or sneer at this vigorously enforced federal law. Same for speeding, the FEDERALES have K band radar and they are as sneaky as any Virginia Trooper or California Highway Patrolman.
Fuel purchased within 50 kilometers of the border is MUCH MORE expensive that further on down.
Note exactly where you got your car permit and tourist card. You must turn in the vehicle permit before you exit Mexico or they will never give you another car permit and they might seize the vehicle if it appears again with an expired car permit showing on the computer. The ease of getting and turning in a car permit here, bear Ciudad Allende is yet another reason why I much prefer this crossing to others. Note that the Nogales to Mexico crossing is expensive for tolls and the roads south of Juarez to Mexico even more expensive yet.
Thanks Mexbungalows, lots of good info. That is some outrageous money to get around Monterey, sheesh.
So if I get my paperwork over the internet, do I present this at the border or at that checkpoint further in? Just wonering which spot would be my "official" spot to check back out of.
I saw in another thread that MrBrew-ski spent over 4hrs at a border crossing. Does anybody know what the average time is to get thru the different Tx spots?
The only paperwork you will get over the internet is your vehicle insurance and you don't have to show that to anybody. Nobody will care whether you have insurance unless and until you have an accident at which point you will care deeply.
You will do your vehicle import paperwork in person once you are inside Mexico. Anybody who gives you an estimate on how long this will take is blowing smoke. It can go incredibly quickly or it can seem to take forever. We budget a couple of hours for it when we cross but we're familiar with the crossing and the procedure and still sometimes we get a surprise. This year for instance - my wife took the motorhome papers to one window, I took the towed to another. She got whisked through and was done in less than 10 minutes. I got the stupidest man on the face of the earth and he eventually dragged it out long enough to come up on a shift change at which point he cancelled whatever little he had already accomplished. The new guy came on after the shift change and took less than 10 minutes to do the whole process. So it took me close to an hour but that was 50 + 10 minutes.
Go early in the morning and stay relaxed is all the advice I can offer.
McDuff wrote: Thanks Mexbungalows, lots of good info. That is some outrageous money to get around Monterey, sheesh.
So if I get my paperwork over the internet, do I present this at the border or at that checkpoint further in? Just wonering which spot would be my "official" spot to check back out of.
I saw in another thread that MrBrew-ski spent over 4hrs at a border crossing. Does anybody know what the average time is to get thru the different Tx spots?
Check the Border Wait Time. I really believe your best bet is to cross at the Columbia bridge. You will receive royal treatment as well as quick cross time. If you are coming down the I-35 from San Antonio, you take the Texas Toll 255 that takes you directly into the Columbia bridge. You will by-pass both Laredo, TX and Nuevo Laredo, Tamps.
I highly recommend you take the toll road. Well worth the money. From Hwy85 South you exit on Hwy 40 East to Saltillo. You won't enter Monterrey. You will be covered with insurance plus any type of emergency road service you need you can get it easily. Phones are located all along the route.
You can check your toll rate based on vehicle type Traza Tu Ruta (Trace Your Route). If you need help with the site, feel free to contact me.
IMHO, not being familiar with the roads, having a date to meet, as well as being in a wheel chair you are safe taking the toll road.
bobofthenorth wrote: The only paperwork you will get over the internet is your vehicle insurance and you don't have to show that to anybody. Nobody will care whether you have insurance unless and until you have an accident at which point you will care deeply.
Your TIP and FM-T can be procured via the internet and mail. TIP's are available from the Banjercito website and FM-T's are available from various travel clubs; like Vagabundos. Both are paid for in advance and all you have to do is get them stamped at the processing station inside Mexico.
See my Sticky at the top of this forum for more info. For info on mainland Mexico, click on the link at the top of the sticky on Mexico Border paperwork.
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bobofthenorth wrote: The only paperwork you will get over the internet is your vehicle insurance and you don't have to show that to anybody. Nobody will care whether you have insurance unless and until you have an accident at which point you will care deeply.
Your TIP and FM-T can be procured via the internet and mail. TIP's are available from the Banjercito website and FM-T's are available from various travel clubs; like Vagabundos. Both are paid for in advance and all you have to do is get them stamped at the processing station inside Mexico.
See my Sticky at the top of this forum for more info. For info on mainland Mexico, click on the link at the top of the sticky on Mexico Border paperwork.
I learned something today - I didn't know that was an option.
However - based on your own comments in the sticky and a cursory review of the TIP website I wouldn't try that process unless I was actually looking for trouble. I can see about a million ways that process could go bad and make the wait at the border even longer. No thank you. As far as the immigration document, that is a complete formality - it takes next to no time at all. Its a PITA remembering to go to a bank while we're in the country but getting the document at the border takes longer to walk to the building than getting the document.
The one report I've seen on getting your TIP on-line was positive; they received the paperwork, via private messager, within a week of applying.
But I haven't tried it myself yet. I'm afraid that some of the smaller crossings I use might not have network access yet and not know how to handle it. I ran across that problem when I tried to get into Sonora under the "Free Zone" rule a few years back. The "Free Zone" was fairly new and the Sonoyta station thought that you had to go through Nogales to qualify for that.
I use the Vag service to get my boat permit, fishing license, and FM-T. If I was just getting the FM-T, I probably wouldn't bother and just get it at the border because I'd have to go to the Banjercito anyway to get my TIP. I haven't had any problems with the pre-paid FM-T. They just stamp it and that's that.
I really feel that doing paperwork online is kind of a waste of time---immigration and the car permit folks go over pre-filled-out paperwork with a fine toothed comb. The net result is not a whole lot different. Weekdays mid-morning is about the least busy but you never know. I wouldn't worry about making it to an RV park the first day. Choose one of those super large gasolineras (Pemex station) fill your fuel tank and then park a decent distance from the activity. Cops are never far from all that cash floating around so boon docking there is pretty safe. If you are towing a trailer make sure you secure loose items before turning in. I use a cable and padlock and thread the cable through gas cans, spare tire, etc.
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