13 comments: Bribes by policia, bandits at road blocks from 7 comments = 47% have been bribed or robbed or carjacked.
That result is really stupid. Why would anyone subject themselves to these potential life-threatening circumstances is way beyond me.
Bob - 5 years ago
Reading all these posts confirms what I have been saying for years now. Don't drive cross country on Mexican highways.
Dona Hall - 5 years ago
I have never felt scared or threaten after 12 years, but this year heading to Columbia crossing Right after we exit the quota we were pulled over. They asked for your our registration of car and other information and held them in their hands. They asked for 10,000 p or have our car tolled. We had a died line to cross the border. Once at the border we mentioned it. They said that they knew of other cars that mentioned it.
George - 5 years ago
Highways, yes! Especially quotas to Texas and during the day.
So far, no problems in over 13 yers. Except one time in Nuevo Laredo, heading for the international bridge to Texas. Pulled over on a Saturday at shift quitting time. I was in bumper-to-bomper traffic going at a crawl.
I was pulled over for “speeding.” The “fine” was an immediate payment if $1,500 pesos. That worked out to $500 each for the three transit cops, so they could soon he’d to the cantina and have a good time.
Eric - 5 years ago
Our niece and her husband were carjacked at 9:30 AM on a highway in Puebla. Thank God only their car and jewelry was taken, not their lives.
After many vacations in Mexico without incident day or night, other than twice being rousted by local cops, my wife and I retired to Mexico 3 years ago. We have learned, however, to adhere to unwritten rules about traveling on highways and toll roads during the day only. Very sad.
brock huffman - 5 years ago
We always check with people in towns ahead of us (we have a birdwatching company in Chiapas so we have contacts in most of the areas where we travel). We try to avoid the secondary roads and never travel at night. So far we have had no problems in the 9 years we have been in business.
Diego Valdez - 5 years ago
I have travel all over Mexico for over 40 years with not a single bad experience. However, I always use common sense like not drive at night or secondary roads.
I am aware that crime and corruption have increased dramatically and thus I also increase my caution. I am hopeful that the new Guardia Nacional will impact and reduce crime and violence.
Richard Roussin - 5 years ago
I feel unsafe because our country is blatantly being robbed by caseta owners. These people can do what they like and how they like. I've been robbed repeatedly being overcharged while trying to pay for my one axel trailer and being forced to pay as a two axel trailer. Thieves with a permission to abuse.
Rusty Hill - 5 years ago
I have been living for almost 10 years in Mexico. One time I made a very big mistake driving in Sonora at night north of Matletzlan because I waited too long to look for a hotel. What kept from out of trouble was that my dirty Jeep and I look poor. I was able to find a semi-safe place to hold up next to an OXXO with an off duty late night policeman guard along the highway and sleep for a few hours. Just after sunrise a local checked me and said I was lucky I was not robbed and or killed because the area was very dangerous especially at night. He said the hotels were all booked because it was Saturday night and all bad people were all too drunk to be out robbing people because there was a big narco celebration going on in the city I was looking for a hotel in. I should have stopped at one of the highway motels I saw before that town. As a result I always make it a serous point to never travel after sunset and to make sure I am in a hotel before then. According to what I know one of the stupidest things a gringo can do is drive threw anywhere in Gurrero or Michoacan at night in an expensive car. Also I learned that you must stop at any kind of road block and be ready with a smile saying buenos as you hand over $20 pesos if they are not police or military. $20 pesos to a road blocker is cheap security when traveling threw any part of Mexico. I am from Las Vegas and I find most of Mexico to be much safer than Las Vegas and that most gringos who are robbed and killed in Mexico are robbed and killed because of their ignorance. The safest thing a gringo can do in any Latin country is look very poor and humble, not rich and arrogant. By the way after that I wanted to drive from PV to Alcupolco and further south on that the route that gringo was killed on on our way to Chiapas and my Mexican wife and her family insisted we do not and instead we went east threw Jalisco and north of Mexico City to avoid the very dangerous areas south of PV along the coastal highway.
Doug H - 5 years ago
I've traveled over 200,000 km by motorcycle, mostly alone, in the last 20 years, visiting 28 Mexican states and mostly on secondary roads. I've only had good experiences and met friendly, helpful people. I've only ever had a few bad experiences, a couple times in CDMX and in Cuernavaca.
Yes, the highways are safe if you drive sensibly.
Nora Sanchez - 5 years ago
I feel it safe traveling by bus on a highway. However, I would never do it in my car , that's scary.
It is a little coment : Guns kill people and I see a USA GOBERMENT dos not care haw many people get killed PER SAY in MEXICO guns haw they get in MEXICO is no control in USA any body can get guns , any body can get guns and go and kill people yes see the way people is getting kill in USA AAAA but politisians need money yes DREA AND YOU SEE
Kermit Feroge - 5 years ago
Mexico Sucks !!! Use to love this country. Now to fucking corrupted to ever think of spending any time there.
Ken Terrill - 5 years ago
If the Federale's don't hit you up for bribes at a roadblock the bandits might. Do not, under any circumstances, be on the highways at night.
13 comments: Bribes by policia, bandits at road blocks from 7 comments = 47% have been bribed or robbed or carjacked.
That result is really stupid. Why would anyone subject themselves to these potential life-threatening circumstances is way beyond me.
Reading all these posts confirms what I have been saying for years now. Don't drive cross country on Mexican highways.
I have never felt scared or threaten after 12 years, but this year heading to Columbia crossing Right after we exit the quota we were pulled over. They asked for your our registration of car and other information and held them in their hands. They asked for 10,000 p or have our car tolled. We had a died line to cross the border. Once at the border we mentioned it. They said that they knew of other cars that mentioned it.
Highways, yes! Especially quotas to Texas and during the day.
So far, no problems in over 13 yers. Except one time in Nuevo Laredo, heading for the international bridge to Texas. Pulled over on a Saturday at shift quitting time. I was in bumper-to-bomper traffic going at a crawl.
I was pulled over for “speeding.” The “fine” was an immediate payment if $1,500 pesos. That worked out to $500 each for the three transit cops, so they could soon he’d to the cantina and have a good time.
Our niece and her husband were carjacked at 9:30 AM on a highway in Puebla. Thank God only their car and jewelry was taken, not their lives.
After many vacations in Mexico without incident day or night, other than twice being rousted by local cops, my wife and I retired to Mexico 3 years ago. We have learned, however, to adhere to unwritten rules about traveling on highways and toll roads during the day only. Very sad.
We always check with people in towns ahead of us (we have a birdwatching company in Chiapas so we have contacts in most of the areas where we travel). We try to avoid the secondary roads and never travel at night. So far we have had no problems in the 9 years we have been in business.
I have travel all over Mexico for over 40 years with not a single bad experience. However, I always use common sense like not drive at night or secondary roads.
I am aware that crime and corruption have increased dramatically and thus I also increase my caution. I am hopeful that the new Guardia Nacional will impact and reduce crime and violence.
I feel unsafe because our country is blatantly being robbed by caseta owners. These people can do what they like and how they like. I've been robbed repeatedly being overcharged while trying to pay for my one axel trailer and being forced to pay as a two axel trailer. Thieves with a permission to abuse.
I have been living for almost 10 years in Mexico. One time I made a very big mistake driving in Sonora at night north of Matletzlan because I waited too long to look for a hotel. What kept from out of trouble was that my dirty Jeep and I look poor. I was able to find a semi-safe place to hold up next to an OXXO with an off duty late night policeman guard along the highway and sleep for a few hours. Just after sunrise a local checked me and said I was lucky I was not robbed and or killed because the area was very dangerous especially at night. He said the hotels were all booked because it was Saturday night and all bad people were all too drunk to be out robbing people because there was a big narco celebration going on in the city I was looking for a hotel in. I should have stopped at one of the highway motels I saw before that town. As a result I always make it a serous point to never travel after sunset and to make sure I am in a hotel before then. According to what I know one of the stupidest things a gringo can do is drive threw anywhere in Gurrero or Michoacan at night in an expensive car. Also I learned that you must stop at any kind of road block and be ready with a smile saying buenos as you hand over $20 pesos if they are not police or military. $20 pesos to a road blocker is cheap security when traveling threw any part of Mexico. I am from Las Vegas and I find most of Mexico to be much safer than Las Vegas and that most gringos who are robbed and killed in Mexico are robbed and killed because of their ignorance. The safest thing a gringo can do in any Latin country is look very poor and humble, not rich and arrogant. By the way after that I wanted to drive from PV to Alcupolco and further south on that the route that gringo was killed on on our way to Chiapas and my Mexican wife and her family insisted we do not and instead we went east threw Jalisco and north of Mexico City to avoid the very dangerous areas south of PV along the coastal highway.
I've traveled over 200,000 km by motorcycle, mostly alone, in the last 20 years, visiting 28 Mexican states and mostly on secondary roads. I've only had good experiences and met friendly, helpful people. I've only ever had a few bad experiences, a couple times in CDMX and in Cuernavaca.
Yes, the highways are safe if you drive sensibly.
I feel it safe traveling by bus on a highway. However, I would never do it in my car , that's scary.
It is a little coment : Guns kill people and I see a USA GOBERMENT dos not care haw many people get killed PER SAY in MEXICO guns haw they get in MEXICO is no control in USA any body can get guns , any body can get guns and go and kill people yes see the way people is getting kill in USA AAAA but politisians need money yes DREA AND YOU SEE
Mexico Sucks !!! Use to love this country. Now to fucking corrupted to ever think of spending any time there.
If the Federale's don't hit you up for bribes at a roadblock the bandits might. Do not, under any circumstances, be on the highways at night.