# California to Playa del Carmen



## Boomer262 (Feb 6, 2013)

Hey Everyone,


I am a longtime lurker and I just have a question over the route I plan to take from Northern California to Playa del Carmen. I have attached a map showing my route. The one inaccuracy is that Google Maps doesn't show my ferry going directly from La Paz to Mazatlan.

I like the idea of driving along the Pacific coastline because I think it would be neat to stop in some of these spots. 

So my question is: is my route terrible or crazy? I never see anyone online talking about getting to Playa this way. Then again, I never seem to find anyone writing about driving to Playa from the west coast of the U.S. either. 

Thanks to everyone on this forum for all of the information I have received over the past two years and I am very excited for my move scheduled for July 1st.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Boomer262 said:


> Hey Everyone,
> 
> 
> I am a longtime lurker and I just have a question over the route I plan to take from Northern California to Playa del Carmen. I have attached a map showing my route. The one inaccuracy is that Google Maps doesn't show my ferry going directly from La Paz to Mazatlan.
> ...


Hi Boomer,

I can't offer an answer to your question, but I do want to welcome you to the forum as participating new member!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Boomer262 said:


> Hey Everyone,
> 
> 
> I am a longtime lurker and I just have a question over the route I plan to take from Northern California to Playa del Carmen. I have attached a map showing my route. The one inaccuracy is that Google Maps doesn't show my ferry going directly from La Paz to Mazatlan.
> ...


Perhaps google is showing the La Paz-Topolobampo (Los Mochis) ferry instead of the La Paz-Mazatlán ferry, because it is a bigger ferry with more frequent schedules and a shorter crossing time.. 

The one time I crossed the Sea of Cortez, I planned to take a ferry from Mazatlán but didn't book a reservation. When I got to Mazatlán, I was told that the ferry was full and the next option was two days later. I took a bus to Los Mochis and arrived just in time to taxi over and catch the Topolobampo ferry.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I drive all around Mexico every year, I have logged 106,000 miles in the last 5 years, I always drive different routes coming and going from my Mexican home base near Puerto Vallarta. Having said that I would eliminate the Baja portion of this trip because you do not see much of the Pacific coast from Baja Highway 1, you would have to get your FMM in Tijuana and TIP at the La Paz Banjercito Office and you may have to wait for ferry opening ( ferry full or bad weather) ...

I shoot over from CA to Nogalas AZ and enter through the Mariposa truck crossing thus avoiding the city of Nogalas MX. Take care of FMM and TIP at the +21KM customs/ immigration checkpoint..Continue to Navojoa for the first night, Mazatlan the second night PV the third, Meleque the forth night, Playa Azul the 5th night, Pie de La Questa the 6th. night, Puerto Escondido the 7th. night, San Cristobal de las Casas the 8th. night, Palenque the 9th. night, Xupil the 10th.night and Playa del Carmen the 11th. day.......Hope this helps, remember your MX auto insurance, watch for Topes ( bumps in the road to slow you down) Pesos for tolls and gas. suerte..........


http://aplicaciones4.sct.gob.mx/sib...G2!1088887182!2053590721?action=cmdEscogeRuta


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

I have driven from Santa Rosa to PDC many times over the last decade+. 2 weeks ago I drove from GDL to PDC in 2 1/2 days.

Unless you plan to stop and smell the roses, I would not drive the west coast route. It is a lot longer and more expensive route. You will have to drive thru not so safe areas in Michoacan. I would stay away from the East coast route thru Tamaulipus and Veracruz as well.

I would drive to Texas, gasoline is a lot cheaper in the USA, and take the HWY 57 cuota thru the center of the country. Except for road construction in Puebla the rest of the route was in great condition.

Some of the consulates in CA issue TIP stickers or you can get it online. It saves a lot of time at the border.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

The West coast road is going way out of the way takes too long to see too Little. There are interesting áreas on that road but you will just be driving through and will not see anything but lots of topes, the ocean once in a while and that is about it. Unless you want to drive for the sake of driving and say you have done it, it is not worth the extra time or money and the topes get really tiring.
The road going don the middle of the country is pretty boring as well especially south of Cordoba but at least there are not topes and it is the fastest way to go.
We live in the Guadalara área and in San Cristóbal de las Casas and we do the trip a couple of times a year, we took the west coast road once and that as enough for a life time. It is way too long of a route and it has way too many topes..


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