# What about transportation?



## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

What do you prefer in Mexico?
Cars, SUV, motorcycles, scooters?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> What do you prefer in Mexico?
> Cars, SUV, motorcycles, scooters?


My own two feet!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

GARYJ65 said:


> What do you prefer in Mexico?
> Cars, SUV, motorcycles, scooters?


If I can get there in less than about 30 or 40 minutes on foot, I walk. 

If it is farther than that but local, I take a local bus.

If it is outside the city, but there are no oceans involved, I take one of Mexico's luxury buses.

If there is an ocean in the way, I fly.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Pesero, camión, metro, metrobus for getting around Mexico City.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

Reading these responses, I look forward even more to retirement. The thought that I could easily choose to walk somewhere that takes me 20 minutes, instead of saving the time by hopping in the car for that mile or so drive--heaven!


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

Transportation in Mexico depends entirely on where you live and the availability. Here in Baja, once you get out of cities like Tijuana and Mexicali you need a car unless you expect to live the life of a hermit or plan to spend a lot of time in taxis driving distances to get anywhere. Baja probably resembles more of life in the U.S., i.e., higher prices and less public transport as many areas are isolated as compared to areas on the mainland of Mexico.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

GARYJ65 said:


> What do you prefer in Mexico?
> Cars, SUV, motorcycles, scooters?


1. By foot.
2. Public transportation.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

As others have said, it totally depends on where you are and where you need to go. I live in central La Paz and did without a car for the first few months. But I soon realized that I didn't want to dedicate an entire day every time I needed things at City Club, or tote heavy purchases from the bus stop when it was pouring down rain or 100+ degrees outdoors. Not to mention the issues of taking pets to the vet or visiting the secondhand markets outside of town. So I bought a cheap older car. I still walk to some places for the exercise, but I feel much more free knowing that I can drive when I want to.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

makaloco said:


> As others have said, it totally depends on where you are and where you need to go. I live in central La Paz and did without a car for the first few months. But I soon realized that I didn't want to dedicate an entire day every time I needed things at City Club, or tote heavy purchases from the bus stop when it was pouring down rain or 100+ degrees outdoors. Not to mention the issues of taking pets to the vet or visiting the secondhand markets outside of town. So I bought a cheap older car. I still walk to some places for the exercise, but I feel much more free knowing that I can drive when I want to.


I fully understand that. I have visited La Paz several times and the bus system there does not compare at all to that of bigger cities: few routes and long waits for a bus.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> I fully understand that. I have visited La Paz several times and the bus system there does not compare at all to that of bigger cities: few routes and long waits for a bus.


Not to mention, 100º+ temperatures and torrential rainstorms!


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## Guategringo (Nov 9, 2012)

Maybe it is my years in latin america that have jaded me, but I get the feeling that GARYJ65 is taking a survey to be used for marketing purposes or for a demographics study on expats or foreigners in Mexico. Why ask about different modes of transportation or about services in another thread. Very broad questions.... just saying...


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Guategringo said:


> Maybe it is my years in latin america that have jaded me, but I get the feeling that GARYJ65 is taking a survey to be used for marketing purposes or for a demographics study on expats or foreigners in Mexico. Why ask about different modes of transportation or about services in another thread. Very broad questions.... just saying...


You know, Gg, I've been thinking along those very lines myself.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Guategringo said:


> Maybe it is my years in latin america that have jaded me, but I get the feeling that GARYJ65 is taking a survey to be used for marketing purposes or for a demographics study on expats or foreigners in Mexico. Why ask about different modes of transportation or about services in another thread. Very broad questions.... just saying...


I am interested on those subjects not only to find out about Gringos, As this is a growing country and we all are living here, I want to know things like those. I used to live in Mexico CIty and moved around in a car mostly. Now I live in Queretaro and use a scooter most of the time, then a car if it's raining or I have to carry heavier things or more people, and a pick up truck to move furniture, building materials or heavy machinery or a trailer. The car and pick up truck remain parked most of the time.

I also use them if I have to take the highway

Everyday we may see most of people living in Mexico, gringos or not, driving 1 or 2 blocks to get a newspaper, or in large SUV's or minivans used for 1 person or picking up 2 kids from school.

I' m not going to try to sell cars or scooters, neither I am trying to study people, just curious about subjects and trying to talk about something.
Regards!


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

GARYJ65 said:


> I am interested on those subjects not only to find out about Gringos, As this is a growing country and we all are living here, I want to know things like those. I used to live in Mexico CIty and moved around in a car mostly. Now I live in Queretaro and use a scooter most of the time, then a car if it's raining or I have to carry heavier things or more people, and a pick up truck to move furniture, building materials or heavy machinery or a trailer. The car and pick up truck remain parked most of the time.
> 
> I also use them if I have to take the highway
> 
> ...


A suggestion: It might be less off-putting if, instead of asking what may feel like demanding questions, you read a few of the threads for awhile, go back and learn who the majority of the more frequent contributors here are, and then you won't have to ask.

As an example: I know, without asking, that GG now lives in Guatemala, but is soon moving to MX with his family, and will surely be traveling by car. Again without asking, I know that Isla lives in an urban neighborhood in the DF, and has no car.

See if you can tell, from reading the forum, something about me, rather than asking.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

mickisue1 said:


> A suggestion: It might be less off-putting if, instead of asking what may feel like demanding questions, you read a few of the threads for awhile, go back and learn who the majority of the more frequent contributors here are, and then you won't have to ask.
> 
> As an example: I know, without asking, that GG now lives in Guatemala, but is soon moving to MX with his family, and will surely be traveling by car. Again without asking, I know that Isla lives in an urban neighborhood in the DF, and has no car.
> 
> See if you can tell, from reading the forum, something about me, rather than asking.


I really appreciate your comment, and you are right, up to a point; I have read some of the threads already, but there are just too many members.

I wanted to post an open question, if someone finds it demanding, that´s just the way I redact.

If someone does not like my posts, while they are not offensive or forbidden subjects, just don´t answer them.

There are not forum approved ways of posting are they?

As I understand it, this kind of forums are to get in touch with people, share information, make comments, mostly for foreign people living abroad or foreign descendants as myself, they may be very useful by providing other members experiences and perhaps orientation on the most diverse subjects as long as there is not offensive matters, foul vocabulary, etc.

Very much like the newcomers clubs.

I just registered here a few days ago and find it very interesting, I don´t want to be offensive to anyone here, but the forum is free and open.

Best regards y que tengan muy buen dia!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> Everyday we may see most of people living in Mexico, gringos or not, driving 1 or 2 blocks to get a newspaper, or in large SUV's or minivans used for 1 person or picking up 2 kids from school.


Where I live, I don't find that to be true. In my neighborhood in Mexico City, my neighbors walk to run their daily errands. They certainly don't take their car to drive a couple of blocks to get a newspaper!


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## Guategringo (Nov 9, 2012)

Isla Verde said:


> Where I live, I don't find that to be true. In my neighborhood in Mexico City, my neighbors walk to run their daily errands. They certainly don't take their car to drive a couple of blocks to get a newspaper!


I agree Isla... Here in Guatemala the vast majority of people do not own cars.. even though traffic is horrendous most take buses. The road system was not made to hold the cars there are today, imagine if everyone had one!!! 

I do not mind answering certain questions asked by other posters, but when the question become to broad and seem "survey like" then red flags go up for me. Gary might very well be interested in how we all get around but I doubt it is all very just his personal use.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Guategringo said:


> … imagine if everyone had one!!! …


In the US nearly every one does have one, 812 cars for 1000 people.

Cars per 1000 people:
-------------------
908 - Monaco #1
812 - US #2
620 - Canada #14
276 - Mexico #56
117 - Guatemala #88
<10 - Much of Africa

Complete list


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## perezl (Nov 16, 2012)

Why do all my relatives have a car in Mexico? Is it that much of a hassle? Do they allow us to bring our car if we make modifications at the border?


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

perezl said:


> Why do all my relatives have a car in Mexico? Is it that much of a hassle? Do they allow us to bring our car if we make modifications at the border?


It's not that much of a hassle, it's just that there is a large number of truly poor people here who simply can't afford one.

You can bring your US plated vehicle into Mexico as an "importada temporal" but only in your name (as a residente temporal), not your husband's name since he is a citizen. As soon as you change to residente permanente, you will lose the right to have a foreign car, so you'd have to return it to the US and sell it at that point.

You can nationalize you car but, from what I understand, it rarely makes sense from a financial point of view. Just sell it and buy a Mexican car.


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

perezl said:


> Why do all my relatives have a car in Mexico? Is it that much of a hassle?


Probably because they feel they need one where they live. I have an old Mexico-registered car that I bought a few months after I moved here. It's virtually no trouble at all compared to what I read on forums from expats with foreign-plated cars. I renew registration once a year, renew driver's license every three years, pay insurance once a year, get it fixed if it breaks (rarely). That's pretty much it.


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## perezl (Nov 16, 2012)

Where do you live? We would probably buy a car. Like to travel and whevever we go we depend on buses (or once in a while a relative takes us somewhere). I love the buses....and have travelled all over Mexico on bus. I didn't even get my first car iin USA until I was 32 yrs. old. I am believer in public transportation. But now I am addicted since I like to get up an travel alot around California. I hope you feel bdtter very soon. I had a cyst near there once (a scare).


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