Mexico Road Trip Travel Blog

July 2010 - More gringos traveling to Baja!

2010-07-16T02:07:23Z

2009 was a very slow year for the Mexico travel industry, but 2010 is gaining momentum as a decent year for Mexico tourism.

Perhaps this is due to the US economy seeming to stabilize. Perhaps the panic about Mexico drug gang crimes seems to be diminishing in Baja. Or, maybe people have delayed their Baja trips for a few years, and now they are really itching to get down to Baja, and they can’t wait any longer.

Whatever the reason, it seems that more tourists are taking the plunge and returning for road trips to Baja this year. I personally spent three weeks in February driving around in Baja, and had a wonderful time. I never felt unsafe or threatened.

It seems as more people head to Baja and share their positive experiences with others, their friends are then willing to return as well.

We would love to hear about any of your recent road trips to Baja – please feel free to share!

Watch out for giant speed bumps in Baja – TOPES!

2010-03-12T03:03:57Z

Everyone has it happen to them – you are cruising along Highway 1 at 80 kilometers per hour enjoying the view of the desert without a worry in the world, then suddenly your vehicle jolts so hard it feels like you ran over a boulder causing you to bite your tongue as you scream an obscenity. #&$^#& Topes!

You got hit by another stealth Baja tope – the giant Baja speed bump! Instead of installing traffic lights or stop signs before each town along Highway 1, Baja has installed giant speed bumps to alert drivers to slow down prior to entering the town. Usually the topes are marked with a road sign showing a car going over a bump, and the actual tope is often painted bright yellow. Unfortunately, there are a few stealth topes out there that no longer have a sign (or never did), and the paint on the bump is so worn down that you can hardly see a fleck of yellow paint on it.

We have actually had a few insurance claims from customers who hit these topes at excessive speeds, so topes need to be taken seriously.

So every time you start to see any signs of civilization along Highway 1, go on tope radar. There most likely will be a tope (actually two topes – one on each end of town) lurking up ahead. Be warned.

Mexican Fishing Licenses Are NOT Needed if Only Fishing From Shore

2010-03-10T11:03:45Z

If you enjoy fishing, but you do not plan to go on a boat while in Mexico – you do NOT need to trouble yourself with getting a Mexican fishing license. Mexican fishing licenses are only required for people who are on a boat or other floatation device.

If you will only be fishing from the beach, rocks, piers, or shoreline – then you can save yourself some time and money because you do NOT need to get a Mexican fishing license.

If there is a chance you could get on a boat and do some fishing, then you should go ahead and get your Mexican fishing license before entering Mexico.

Call CONAPESCA for details: San Diego office 8am - 2pm Pacific time Monday - Friday (619) 233-4324

XM Satellite Radio Works in All of Baja

2010-03-08T11:03:18Z

Good news – if you have XM satellite radio, almost all of the channels work throughout all of Baja.

I just got back from a road trip from Tijuana to Cabo and back, and I never lost signal. I like the Grateful Dead Channel – you can listen to entire live concerts, so it helps make the long drives float by. The music blends well with the Baja landscape too!

But there are also more than 100 channels to choose from.

It was nice getting solid reception – fresh music – not your old cds – and no mariachi music! I enjoy mariachi music, but after an hour of driving, I need a break (they also have Spanish satellite radio stations so you can listen to mariachi 24/7 if that is your thing!)

Road Trip Tip of the Day - Baby Wipes – Water Free Clean Up

2010-03-02T01:03:31Z

Baby wipes are one of the most useful products I take with me when camping in Baja.

Washing your hands can use up nearly a pint or more of your camping water supply, but a nice fresh baby wipe can get your hands just as clean using no water at all!

If you hate using campsite sinks or the dreaded Baja gas station bathroom sink – don’t stress – use a baby wipe instead.

There are hundreds of things that can quickly and easily be cleaned with a baby wipe (no need to describe everything). So make sure to bring a pack with you on your next trip to Baja – they will soon become your friend.

NOTE: Get the fragrance free baby wipes, because some of the perfumed ones smell worse than Mexican gas station bathroom hand soap.

I prefer the Earth’s Best brand of baby wipes that can be found at Whole Foods or other natural grocery stores. They have no smell, and they do not irritate your skin even when used a lot.

Mexico Road Trip - Tip of the Day - Tune Up Your Vehicle

2010-02-27T02:02:21Z

Get a vehicle tune up a few days before you leave for Mexico.

There is always a chance the mechanic performing the tune up could forget to adjust something correctly. But if you get the tune up done a few days before your Mexico road trip, you will be able to drive your vehicle around for a few days at home to make sure everything is running properly.

Also make sure your spare tire is in good condition and has the correct air pressure. Check to make sure your jack is functioning as well.

Mexico Road Trip Tip of the Day – Buying Gas

2010-02-26T09:02:50Z

Your first gas station experience could be a bit confusing if it is your first time driving in Mexico. Here are some pointers for having a successful gas station fueling experience.

1: All gas stations in Mexico have the brand name Pemex. This is the government owned petroleum company. When you need gas, look for these signs.

2: In Baja and many areas of Mexico, the stations are all full service. So you are not allowed to pump your gas. A gas attendant will approach you as you pull into the gas pump. Do not attempt to tell him you want to pump your own gas, they will not let you. All gas prices are the same, so you are not being charged a fee for the attendant’s help.

3: Always try to keep your gas tank level above ¾ of a tank. There are many stretches in Baja and Mexico where gas is not available for well over 100 miles.

4: There are 3 types of gas at most Pemex stations. Magana (regular unleaded), Premium (higher octane unleaded), and Diesel Sin (Diesel). Not all stations carry diesel, and many remote gas stations may not carry Premium either.

5: Gas is measured in liters in Mexico, so be familiar with your 1 gallon = 3.785 liters conversion formula

6: Make sure the gas attendant sets the pump back to $0 before filling up. Most pumps in Baja are now digital and reset to $0 automatically, but in the past you had to keep an eye on the pump because some shady attendants could try to start the pump at a few pesos worth of gas before they even started filling your tank!

7: “Lleno por favor” – means fill it up please. Lleno is Spanish word for full.

8: If you have a diesel truck – make sure the attendant is filling your truck with diesel. The diesel pump is colored BLACK in Mexico. Do not expect the attendant to know you have a diesel truck. We have actually heard of customers who did not watch the attendant, and then had their diesel truck filled with regular unleaded gas!

9: If you want the attendant to wash your windows, (they often will do this without asking), say “Lava el parabrisas por favor” Lava is wash or clean, and parabrisas is the word for windshield.

10: Expect to pay in pesos. Gas stations in Baja may accept dollars, but the conversions could be confusing. Make sure to bring pesos for buying gas. Some gas station in Baja, and many in mainland Mexico accept credit cards as well. In Baja this may take a few minutes for the attendant to run the card, but in mainland Mexico you may find pumps that allow you to run your card directly at the pump.

11: Make sure to tip the attendant if they do any services beyond simply pumping your gas. I also tip the attendant even if my windshield didn’t need to be washed. I just enjoy the positive vibes generated by tipping – especially while visiting a foreign country. $10 - $20 pesos, around 1 -2 US dollars will make most attendants happy.

Camping tip of the day - Dust Brush & Pan will keep your vehicle dirt and sand free

2010-02-25T03:02:18Z

Bring a dust brush and dust pan.

In Baja, everything is dusty or sandy, so every time you get in your car, your shoes bring clumps of dust and sand in with them. If you go for a walk on the beach, you can carry globs of wet sand into your car.

If you set a cooler or a chair outside on the ground, it will also have dirt and sand stuck to it.

After a few days, you could suddenly find the interior of your vehicle and all of your possessions covered in sand and dirt (really not cool if it gets into your bedding).

Solution: A simple dust brush will work miracles. Once you get in the habit of brushing off your shoes, feet, and cargo before putting them in your vehicle – you can say adios to the dirt and sand that seemed to breed inside your vehicle.

Most dust brushes come with a handy dust pan – the whole combo pack is about $4-$5 at a hardware store.

A simple fix to an annoying problem.

Mexico Road Trip – Tip of the Day – Bring 3 Photo Copies of All Documents with you to Mexico

2010-02-24T09:02:14Z

Imagine your vehicle gets stolen in Mexico and all of your documents – passports, Mexican insurance paperwork, and vehicle registration information was inside the vehicle.

Getting your vehicle stolen is bad enough – but now you do not have your Mexican insurance paperwork to help you file an insurance claim. And even worse, your passport was in the vehicle, so now you do not even have the correct identification to get across the US border! What a nightmare.

To avoid this hellish fiasco – we always recommend making photo copies of all of your important documents and keeping them in a number of safe places inside your vehicle and outside of your vehicle.

We suggest keeping these photo copies in your wallet, glove compartment, and keep a set of photo copies with your family back in the US. Heaven forbid – if your vehicle and wallet got stolen, you could still contact your family in the US so they could quickly locate your insurance and passport information.

You would not believe how many people keep all of their important travel documents solely in their vehicle glove compartment. Then, if their vehicle is stolen – the cascade of confusion starts. They don’t know who to call to report the Mexican insurance claim because all of their Mexican insurance paperwork was in the car. Their passport also went adios because it was in the glove compartment – so it will now take hours to get back across the border (if flying, you may be required to fly to Tijuana, then walk across the border after a lengthy interrogation).

Solution: Adventure Mexican Insurance supplies our customers with pre-printed wallet sized Mexican insurance ID cards that you can cut out and place in your wallet at the time you print your Mexican insurance from our website.

As far as your passport, it is much easier to get through the customs madness if you have a photo copy of your passport with your passport ID number. So keeping a photo copy of your passport in your wallet is a great idea.

We also recommend keeping photo copies of your vehicle registration in your wallet as well in case you need to prove ownership of your vehicle – this is required if your vehicle were impounded for any reason.

3 minutes worth of photo copying can save your hours and hours of headaches in the event of an emergency – hope that helps!

Even better advice – Don’t get your vehicle or wallet stolen. Be smart, and park in secure areas. Try to keep an eye on your vehicle at all times (especially in towns within a few hours of the border).

Mexico Camping – Tip of the Day – Bring a head mounted flashlight

2010-02-24T08:02:39Z

This may sound like a small trivial detail – but trust me, while camping in the dark in Baja you want your own light source, and you want both hands available. A hand held flashlight becomes an annoying utensil when you are trying to cook, clean dishes, fillet a fish, open a beer, or any other camping task in the dark. (don't expect your frinds to volunteer to hold your flashlight for you) Wearing a head lamp is a liberating experience that will make all of these camping tasks easy because both of your hands are now free to accomplish whatever needs to get done. Most head lamps cost around $20 at camping and sporting goods stores. You may also want to consider a some type of lantern as well – especially for groups who set up a table where everyone eats and congregates, but try getting a battery powered lantern. Many people hate the smell of fuel fired lanterns, and they are also a fire hazard.

Good hands-free lighting is especially important during the winter months when the sun goes down between 5:00 – 6:00. Without good convenient lighting, you will be forced to fumble around for hours with an annoying hand held flashlight (or eat dinner by 5pm and go straight to bed).

Hope that helps - have fun!

Mexico Road Trip – Tip for the Day - Fill Your Gas Tank Frequently

2010-02-23T11:02:19Z

Never allow your gas tank to go below half a tank.

There are two reasons for this:

1: In Baja and other remote areas of Mexico, it is not uncommon for certain Pemex stations to be closed or out of gas. Also, in central Baja – between San Quintin to Guerrero Negro – there are hardly any Pemex stations. When we drove through Catavina, the small Pemex station was closed. This meant we had a stretch of driving over 200 miles without a gas station! You do not want to run out of gas in Mexico, so fill up frequently.

2: The other reason to always keep your gas tank filled to over half full is mechanical. Every once in a while we hear reports of some bad gas being sold in Mexico. While this is not a frequent occurrence, you can protect yourself by filling up frequently instead of letting your gas tank get below a quarter tank. The principal is this: If you get some old gas that is slightly dirty or old, then your vehicle will handle it much better if it is mixed with other good gas. But if you run your gas tank until it is almost empty, then fill your entire gas tank with some lower quality gas, your vehicle will then need to run on 100% bad gas. By filling up every time your tank get s below ¾ of a tank, then you will always be diluting any potential gas that may not be of the highest quality with the ¾ tank of quality gas you already have in the tank.

That is your Mexico road trip tip of the day! Hope it helps – happy travels!

Baja Highway is on the mend after heavy rains

2010-01-29T11:01:11Z

Over the past week – January 21-26, heavy rains caused a lot of flooding of the roadways in Baja. Fortunately, it sounds like most of the bridges and washed portions of road are already being repaired or temporary detours have been arranged. As of January 29, it sounds like all of Baja Highway 1 is flowing again, but some of the other roadways like San Felipe to Ensanada Highway may be difficult driving for a few more days.

Luckily for tourists, it is in the best financial interest of Baja to get the highways flowing as quickly as possible. The agriculture business grinds to a halt if the highways are not passable. So Baja quickly dedicates resources and creativity to get the highways and agriculture shipments moving.

Most reports are saying that the roads south of Ensenada in San Quintin, El Rosario, and San Vicente are where most of the road damage occurred. As of January 28, it sounds like detours and fixes have been established for all of these areas.

Here are some articles about the road conditions in Baja after the rains.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/26/baja-bridge-damage-stymies-buses-large-trucks/

http://thepacker.com/Rains-close-Baja-road--halt-strawberry-shipments/Article.aspx?articleid=980257&authorid=680&categoryid=122&feedid=217

Mexico Road Trip Favorite Songs

2010-01-12T02:01:26Z

Here are a few favorite Mexico road trip tavel songs. If you are into making music mixes, consider these tunes for your Mexican adventure.

Mexicali Blues - Grateful Dead

Me and My Uncle - Grateful Dead

They All Went to Mexico - Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana

Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett

Tequila - The Champs

Too Much Tequila - The Champs - look it up on youtube

Mexico - James Taylor

Can't think of any other good ones right now, hmmmm...

The Importance of Medical Payments on Your Mexican Auto Insurance

2009-12-29T12:12:17Z

The Medical Payments coverage section of your Mexican auto insurance policy is designed to pay for medical costs for the passengers of your vehicle. Many customers do not pay much attention to the medical payments section when purchasing their Mexican auto insurance - but I will provide you with a real life situation where the medical payments amounts have made a huge difference in how the customer's insurance claim has been handled.

Most Mexican auto insurance policies come standard Medical Payments limits of $2,000 per person up to $10,000 per accident. This means that the Mexican auto insurance will pay up to $2,000 in medical expenses for each passenger of the vehicle up to a total payment of $10,000. So to maximize the benefit, the insurance would pay for 5 people for $2,000 each.

We highly recommend purchasing Mexican auto insurance with the higher limits of $5,000 per person up to a total of $25,000 per accident.

We recently got word of the following insurance claim:

There was a serious accident that resulted in multiple injuries to the passengers of the insured vehicle. The Mexican auto insurance claims adjuster was able to pay the hospital $2,000 for each passenger who was injured, but the medical bills totaled more than $4,000 for each person. So the customer was responsible for paying all costs above the $2,000 per person. The hospital then refused to release the patients until their medical bills were paid in full. Needless to say, this became quite a nightmare for the customers.

For this reason, we strongly encourage you to purchase our Mexican insurance policies which include the higher Medical Payments amounts. Higher medical payments cost less than one dollar per day!

We also encourage you to check with your US health insurance provider to find out if your US health insurance will cover you while traveling in Mexico. You should also find out how to contact your US health insurance from Mexico in case you need to their assistance.

Travelers Checks in Mexico - Don't Bother!

2009-12-24T10:12:14Z

Just a quick post about bringing travelers checks to Mexico - we do not recommend bringing travelers checks.

1: Hardly any stores, restaurants, or vendors accept travelers checks in Mexico.

2: Almost all restaurants and stores accept US credit and debit cards.

3: In order to cash travelers checks - you will need to go to a Mexican bank and spend a lot of time and energy verifying the travelers checks - and some banks may not even accept them.

4: If you need cash - there are ATM machines located all over Mexico - and almost all of them accept US debit cards for cash withdrawals. You will pay a small fee, but this is much easier than spending your day trying to cash travelers checks. (Note: we recommend only using ATMs at bank branch locations)

We have found that most people who take travelers checks to Mexico end up not using them. Most travelers checks will return with you to the US where you will need to exchange them for cash once you arrive back in the US.

Now that Mexico is fully wired to accept US credit and debit cards - travelers checks are nothing more than a hassle for most tourists.

When you return from your trip to Mexico, make sure to review your credit card statements for any fraudulent charges. But remember - if you see a charge from Adventure Mexican Insurance - that is us! We get a few customers a year who forgot they bought Mexican auto insurance from us, so they call us to inquire about the charge. Once we answer the phone saying 'Adventure Mexican Insurance - how can we help you', most customers say, 'oh yeah, the insurance, I forgot - that's what this charge is for....thanks!' We're happy to hear from you, so give us a call if you ever have a question about your charge.

We wish you safe and happy travels in Mexico!