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Driving from Calif/wish us luck


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Good Luck of course. Buy car insurance before you enter Mexico.  It is  cheaper on-line than at one of the vendors by the border. Stick to the Autopistas (cuotas) and  have enough pesos for tolls, motels, and gas.. Save the toll receipts. If your vehicle is damaged by something on the road, or a pothole you are covered by insurance included in tolls.  Don't drive after dark. 

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We just drove down in December through Nogales and it was very mellow and nothing to worry about. We stayed in Novajoa the first night and Mazatlan the second and rolled into Jocotepec around 1:30 in the afternoon. Use the Mariposa crossing and if you are there when they open you just drive on through. Lots of places for tacos at roadside vendors along the way. Just stay on the toll roads and all will be well:- ) From Mazatlan the drive is really lovely even from Nogales to Mazatlan was very good. Just relax, enjoy the scenery and you will have a wonderful time:-) 

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A roll of toilet paper is kinda conspicuous, but those little packets of Kleenex should always be in pockets or purses. All too often, there's no attendant and no paper in sight!  Some of the gas stations have small stores attached where you can find safe food; sometimes it can be microwaved on the spot. There are usually packaged sandwiches.  I'd be a little wary of any old taco stand since the last thing you need on a long trip is gut problems.

Mexico is a cash centered economy, so get plenty of pesos before you leave.  Credit cards aren't king here, but most motels will take them.  Not so much with restaurants and stores.

If you speak Spanish already, that's a real plus, but if you don't (as I didn't when first coming here), then it's very useful to carry a small dictionary along.  

Other than that, you've had good advice above about staying on the quotas and not driving at night.

My spouse and I are ex-Californians, too.  There are quite a few of us already here to welcome you!

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Kleenex is not a good product to put in a toilet. So, if you do use it, be sure to deposit it in the waste bin.  It is not quickly degradeable, as is tolilet paper, and is therefore more likely to cause a clog in some sewerage systems.  Only toilet paper should be flushed; and even that can be a problem in systems that are old and suffering from roots, broken pipes, or old 'registros'.

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2 hours ago, bmh said:

I drove from San Francisco to Ajijic by myself a few years ago when the road was not as good.. .  Good luck, take it easy and have fun on the way!

What year was that exactly? What is a few? The roads have been good for almost 18 years, not just a few years.

 

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There have been several periods of re-paving throughout recent years, and for some of that time, people complained of poor road conditions.  However, even during such periods, there is little inconvenience to worry about, and few delays, if any at all.

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Hud what difference does it make.. When I went through there was a lot of construction work going on, .. I dirive between our 2 houses a lot and  we never know when we will run into road work.. it happens...Meanwhile everyone who has driven the road recently says it is ok so  I am sure it is , until it is not..

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4 hours ago, camillenparadise said:

Consider taking an ice chest full of home cooked food...grilled chicken, pasta salads, tuna, whatever you like. Saves time rather than stopping and eliminates the dreaded thought of three days a prisoner of the loo in your motel.

The problem with that otherwise good idea is that by the time one is ready to make the move, the kitchen has been packed up.  It might be better to ask the motel where you stay for a restaurant recommendation.

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II travel a ot and on back roads and never had to ever have even a sandwich.. There is always a place to buy food while on the road or some type of restaurant. Stay away from things that are not cooked and most of the time it is ok.. I even have offered to pay for someone to cook me a meal in remote villages and they always have cooked something for me and I always have a tough time paying for the food.  There are always beans on the fire  , tortilla ready to be made and eggs from the chiken  and people will help if you are stuck. Get off the toll road and find a place to eat if you are hungry and enjoy the experience.

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