# Driving from Ontario to Merida



## Dylemma (Sep 21, 2016)

Hi Everyone,
We are going to Merida for 6 months in November. I considered flying but we have two dogs and one is too tall to bring in the cabin and the airline won't let us put him in checked baggage (not available for landing in Merida) so we have decided to drive.
I'm not worried about driving through the US or Canada.
We enjoy driving but I am concerned about driving in Mexico re: safety and also being pulled over by police (bribes) for no good reason. I understand I should drive only during the day and take the toll roads.
I have few questions,
1) Can you give me the best directions and suggestions for stops. We have to make a stop in Ajijic for a few days.
2) How likely are we to encounter issues with police or robbers? 
3) How should we handle it if we are pulled over.
4) Am I overreacting regarding road safety in Mexico? (US and Canadian Bias)

Thanks very much.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

Some random thoughts :

- If you are going to be taking the toll road (which you should) I suggest getting a hold of a little device you stick on you windshield to auto charge your credit card. (I can't swear that it can charge a non-Mexican card, but maybe...)

https://www.idmexico.com.mx/idmexico/

- If you are going anywhere near Mexico City consider getting the pass that allows you to drive as a tourist regardless of the 'hoy no circulo' rules. 

- When we drove from Laredo to Mexico City we were stopped perhaps as many as 3 times by Federales. At all times they were just checking that we were 'happy' and had no problems. It can be intimidating - but if you are not doing anything wrong I would n't worry.

- Now when you get off the highway - anything can happen when you are stopped by a traffic cop. We got hit for mordida in Saltillo (which we really liked by the way) and Acapulco (which we didn't really like by the way).


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

Dylemma said:


> 4) Am I overreacting regarding road safety in Mexico? (US and Canadian Bias)


With some caveats, yes.

I'm a youngish single woman who has travelled huge swaths of Mexico on her own with no trouble. I stick to the toll roads as much as possible, especially in the north, I obey the speed limit, and I drive during the day.

I just drove from southern SK to Mérida. I crossed at Colombia (just northwest of Laredo), stopped in Matehuala the first night, took the Arco Norte around CDMX the second day and stopped in Xalapa. Third day, I stopped in Villahermosa and I was home around 5PM the fourth day.

Ajijic is a huge detour and I haven't been that way, so others will be able to better advise you, but I'm thinking you could cross at Laredo or Colombia and then stop around Saltillo the first night and Zacatecas the second. I'm sure you'll get lots of good route advice here. I know I did!

On this trip, I had zero issues and the only stops were at the Campeche and Yucatán borders, likely because of the proximity to the Guatemala and Belize borders, where state police officers checked my immigration and vehicle import documentation.

This was in sharp contrast to the days when I was driving between Nogales and Mazatlán on MX-15 and kept getting (legitimate) stops by the narcos, the agricultural inspectors, the feds, the military, and the state police. So I was able to cover a lot more miles per day on this trip than I have in the northwest part of the country. It should be the same en route to Ajijic.

The advice that I've seen but never had to heed if you get pulled over and are asked for a bribe, offer a copy of your license, not the original, and ask to be taken to the nearest police station so you can pay your fine there. The fine will likely be less than the bribe. Again, obeying the speed limit will greatly reduce your chance of being pulled over.

My final tip is that I've never come across a Pemex that didn't have a bathroom or an Oxxo that didn't have coffee. 

I hope you have a wonderful trip. I also debated flying or driving and am so glad I went with the latter.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

One of the things that has scared me from trying to drive in Mexico is lack of clarity about what a policeman wants you to do when he wants you to do something. The police around here often drive with their lights flashing, and nobody pulls over. Sometimes when traffic is backed up the police stay in their lane with their lights flashing and wait their turn like everyone else, and no one gets out of their way. Alternatively, sometimes on a road with 2 lanes going the same way they will drive down the stripe and everyone edges over to the curb to make 3 lanes out of a 2 lane road so they can get wherever they're going sooner.

It seems to me, just watching and not necessarily understanding, that when they want you to pull over they use their loudspeaker to yell instructions to you - in spanish of course. That fact and not being able to understand the instructions has scared me off from driving until I learn more spanish.

Without trying to hijack the thread, I'd appreciate understanding more and about this, and it might be on topic too.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

It is my impression that the Federales are a cut above your average policeman in Mexico. If one were behind me with lights flashing I would at least pull over to allow him to pass.

If a local police car (or emergency vehicle for that matter) really wanted to pass they would go right down the center line and force you off the road.

On local roads (out of our town) the two times we have been 'pulled-over', the cop in the passenger seat used his hand to tell me to pull over.

We have been on the autopista (two lanes in each direction separated by a cement barrier) where the rescue vehicles force everyone to the right as they ride down the cement barrier. We have been stuck for as long as 5-6 hours...


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

horseshoe846 said:


> It is my impression that the Federales are a cut above your average policeman in Mexico..


I have a Mexican friend who says that the federal police officers are very well paid and that leads to much, much lower levels of corruption compared to a small town police officer who is making a pittance.

I've only ever once felt uncomfortable dealing with a police officer and he was from Sinaloa state police. It was the only time I ever pretended not to speak a word of Spanish so I could be on my way more quickly! All my interactions with federal police have been positive. I've only been pulled over once (not counting routine stops where they're pulling over everyone) and it was because the officer had seen me driving around in circles and wanted to make sure I was okay and knew where I was going!


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

eastwind said:


> One of the things that has scared me from trying to drive in Mexico is lack of clarity about what a policeman wants you to do when he wants you to do something.


This was my fear too and then I learned to drive like a Mexican -- follow the flow of traffic. I do manoeuvres here in view of police that I wouldn't dare to do in Canada or the US so that I can follow the speed and flow of traffic and not be in people's way. It's really a lot less intimidating than one thinks it might be once you get used to it. Remember that just as much as you don't want to hit anyone else, they don't want to hit you either. I always thought of myself as a timid driver, but once I realised that it would take a lot for me to get a ticket here, I relaxed a lot and actually rather enjoy driving in Mexico.

I ignore police unless they pretty much make eye contact with me. I got in the wrong lane at a toll booth on the trip down and as soon as I got clear of that mess, an officer flashed his lights and waved at me to catch my attention. I pulled over and he almost immediately waved me off. I figure that he saw my out of country plate and took pity on me. :lol:

I think driving here is a bullet one needs to bite. Just accept that you're terrified, then do it. It gets easier the more you do it. And, by the way, I'm fluent in Spanish and I don't think that gives me any real advantage. Friends of mine who can barely say more than gracias and have driven all over Mexico and gotten into accidents say that a smile and a "I'm an idiot" shrug go a long way.


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## Dylemma (Sep 21, 2016)

Thanks for all the posts, lots of good information.
My dh and I get a knot in our stomach just thinking about driving in Mexico.
Part of the reason we are going to Mexico is to change our lifestyle and our way of thinking and to be more relaxed so I think we just need to adapt a "go with the flow attitude" and deal with things as they come up instead of worrying so much.


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

Dylemma said:


> Thanks for all the posts, lots of good information.
> My dh and I get a knot in our stomach just thinking about driving in Mexico.
> Part of the reason we are going to Mexico is to change our lifestyle and our way of thinking and to be more relaxed so I think we just need to adapt a "go with the flow attitude" and deal with things as they come up instead of worrying so much.


Good for you for stepping outside your comfort zone!

For your first trip, plan out a pretty rigid itinerary and you'll be fine. By that, I mean plan all your food and fuel stops and know where you're going to stop each night. Plan for shorter driving days than in Canada or the US and to be off the road by about 4PM, which gives you a buffer to sunset if you have any delays. If you're nervous about finding restaurants you'll be comfortable eating at, plan grocery store or fast food restaurant stops ahead of time.

It's okay to be scared! I was like you at first and planned my first trip very rigidly. Now I'm as comfortable driving here and looking for services as I am back in Canada and the US and don't plan nearly as much.

You will more likely than not be absolutely fine and have an amazing adventure.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

You might want to investigate what is involved in importing/exporting pets these days.

When we brought our pets it was not a trivial thing (vaccines/inspections and such) and had a definitive time 'window'.

Good luck !


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Here are the new rules for bringing pets into Mexico...hope this helps.

Bringing Your Pet into Mexico: New 2017 Laws are Being Enforced!


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## Gwnortth (Jan 2, 2017)

I was just in playa del carmen and was pulled over at a checkpoint by a local cop.he said I was speeding and had to pay a fine.i said sure I'll pay it but not to you, to the gov.he said then you'll have to go to the police station .i replied let's go I'll follow you.he then got on his phone for a few minutes, came back to me and said he was now giving me a warning and to go on my way.as I pulled away and older couple behind me were forking out money to his partner.they are looking for an easy mark. A local told me later they will take $20 so even if you have to pay just don't pull a wad of hundreds out of your wallet


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Stop! Pay Troll!

By local cop, you mean PDC police department? Or Tourist police? Anyway, not the Federales? 
$20? I assume you mean they take US currency? Lol at that.

By the way, I was planning on retiring to Thailand for several years, and read a lot about it. In Thailand, the advice is the exact opposite of Mexico. You pay the cop that pulled you over directly and as soon as possible to minimize the fine. If you argue, the price goes up the longer you waste their time and the more embarrassed you make them. The _last_ thing you want to do is force them to take you to the station. If you do, you have to bribe the captain instead of just one of his officers and the price is much higher! They've got plenty of room to keep you until you pay up, too. Hire a lawyer? He'll just negotiate your fine for you, and you'll have to pay him too.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

You do not need to go near Mexico ..from Queretaro go to Puebla via the Arco Norte , you end up in Puebla and then the road is straight as an arrow and without problems.. There ae check points sometimes in the State of Vera Cruz but we never have been asked for mordida on that part of the trip. 
Keep a wallet with some money but not a large amount and your papers.. keep the rest of your mney in a separate place so you never have a bunch of money in your wallet when you open it to pull your driver´s license or whatever..
We used to get hit by the transitos and the Mexico State police befre the Arco Norte but no more thanks to that great freeway..
We have gone down to chiapas once to twice a year dor the last 10 years and since the Arco Norte have not been hit once for mordida south of Queretaro while on the autopistas.
Keep your receipts as you need them as proof you paid .. We hit some metal bar in Vera Cruz State . that destroyed a tire and damaged the car and the insurrance from CAPUFE paid for everything but we had to wait for the green angels to come by and we had to show our receipt.
Have a nice trip.


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## Dylemma (Sep 21, 2016)

Thanks for your replies. Very good info.
I am planning my route, trying to find hotels that takes dogs. Any recommendations for Puebla and Guanajuato City?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I try not to go into large cities with dogs. Between the cuota San Miguel Texmelucan before getting into Puebla and the Vokswagen plant which is on the east side of the autopista there is a motel with a coffee place and an Oxxo I think where truckers stay. It is not a no tell motel but a motel with space around to take the dogs.. They take dogs there.. It is not a great place but it is safe and they accept dogs. Most of the hotels are on the westside of the freeway on the tight going south. There is a Fiesta Inn , a Holiday In.. and several others.. they are all highrises and I never tried to stay there with dogs although I stayed there several times..

The motel is north of those hotels..on the other side of the autopista. They are building lots of roadway in that area and the last time I came back from Chiapas a couple of month ago I missed the motel and ended up staying in Tula (no dogs ) and out of the way for you.

There was a hotel that accepted dogs on the way to Cholula but I do not know if they still do.

If you have the time Orizaba (about 3h down the road), I have heard has hotels on the main street that accept dogs, also San Martin de las FLores has many hotels around mainstreet and I would check there if Puebla a has nothing.. I think that the Orizaba San Martin de las FLores, Cordoba area is more likely to accept dogs than Puebla.

Puebla is not a nice area to drive if you do not know where you are going and the traffic can be pretty bad, I find the drivers there some of the rudest in Mexico as well.

There is a couple in Orizaba that have a wonderful garden and 2 cabins.. Anya is the name of the woman, John may be the man.. Check B&B or Air B& B you may find them.. Sorry I do not have their number anymore but it was a great place to stay when we used to go dwn with our dogs There used to be a hotel called Cascadas in Orizaba that took dogs but they are closed..

Every town has no tell motell and those are good when you have dogs as no one asks questions. Most motels in Mexico are love motel, the one I told you about is one of the few that is not.. I have heard that yo have to leave early in the morning in those motels that are available by the hour..
Good luck

WHen we had mastiffs we found ouut that having a kennel and telling the hotel the dog slept in the cage rather than on the bed really helped us.
We do not travel with dogs anymore if we can help it especially the larger ones..it is too much of a pain.


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

citlali said:


> Puebla is not a nice area to drive if you do not know where you are going


Amen to that. Accidentally got turned around downtown on my way to Córdoba and ended up in Xalapa. This story is funnier if you look at a map.


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## roadapple (Mar 31, 2014)

One thing that is perplexing to Gringos is the Mexican way of designating street direction. They normally paint arrows on the corners of the buildings (in many cities) that show the street direction if it's a one way or two arrows (pointing in both directions) to indicate a 2-way street. This is especially helpful in strange towns near the city center where there is always a plaza.

I found out the hard way in Valladolid when I inadvertently turned the wrong way down a one-way street and came face to face with a pickup truck full of Federales with machine gun toting cops in the back. They just waved their hand in a circle (indicating to turn around) and laughed at me. ****** tonto..... jajajaja


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

roadapple said:


> I found out the hard way in Valladolid


I did that once in Guamúchil and the number of people chasing me and waving their arms is what told me I was going the wrong direction. Thank you so much for this tip. I will look for arrows!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Another thing that many people are not aware of: when the arrow is painted on a red back ground it is the equivalent of a stop sign or at least an indication that you do not have the rightaway whn on a black background you have the righaway, it is that way in San Cristobal de las Casas and Tuxtla Gutierrez except in the center where people take turns.. Not that way in Guadalajara and so on so when you arrive in a town see how the crossworks function...
Also in some states the slow traffic drives on the shoulder and you better get ut of the way if you do not drive like a maniac.. of course around curves always drive in the roadway as trucks and cars can be stopped on the shoulder....


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## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

citlali said:


> Also in some states the slow traffic drives on the shoulder


That's been my experience in every state I've driven in Mexico, and I've driven in 17 of 18 states I've passed through. It seems pretty universal that if you're driving more slowly than most, you should hug the shoulder to convert your lane to two and give the speed demon behind you place to pass. Further etiquette dictates that you activate your turn signal to let said speed demon know that you can see ahead and that it's safe for him to pass you.


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## roadapple (Mar 31, 2014)

Mexico has several unique driving experiences, a couple of which you point out. A few others:
Topes (speed bumps) are pretty much universal when entering / leaving towns.
Public parking areas (public, not free) denoted by large round white signs with a Blue Circle with a capital "E".
When stopping at the ubiquitous checkpoints (whether by Army, Federales, indigenous peoples, narcos, etc. simply look them in the eye and do what they say. They'll usually wave you on, though you may be required to pay a "tax" on some roads.
Always carry a Drivers License and a COPY (NOT the original) of your Passport with you at all time.
Always carry Mexican Pesos with you and have enough to cover gas, tolls, "taxes", fixing a flat tire, buying food/drink, hotels, etc.
*NEVER* travel overnight. Repeat.... *NEVER* travel overnight. This is a recipe for disaster outside of the cities.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

No people do not drive on the shoulder as a rule.. I am ont speaking of hugging the shoulder I am speaking of driving on the shoulder.. It is is illegal in Jalisco.. and not it is not common in most states. I see it more in the south. People will do it in most states in certain cases biut in the mountains in Chiapas people drive on the shoulders making 2 lanes roads into 4 lanes, unfortunately when cars are broken down on the shoulder or several trucks or busses try it at the same time you get horrible headons accidents, like those of blodd alley between San Cristobal and Tuxtla.

Indigenous in Chiapas do not wave you on.. you have to pay or you do not go through and that is when you are lucky.. the bloqueos can last several days and sometimes you have to do a whole lot more km to get around..
We got in one bloqueo in Minamitlan where we had to turn back and go home , that was 6 hour drive extra and we flew back as we did not know when we could get through, that was last year.. This year I drove I do not know how many more kms on dirt roads between Palenque and San Cristobal as the bloqueos became really bad and there was no easy way through. The guys even gave us receipts and literature about their cause and you could show them to the mext bloqueo down the road to show you had paid... it is pure extortion but they usually do not happen on cuotas although they may in Chiapas and Oaxaca.
The police, army, immigration and so on have never asked us for money to let us through. They will have a spill on what they are doing sometimes and when you hear "revision" get out of the car and let them search it..they are looking for drug or weapons and then they let you through. Do not leave any mney floating around the car..

The morale of the story have a map or gps so you can get around the blocked areas.


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## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

I have only seen the practice of the slower vehicle straddling the shoulder in the state of Puebla - on a beautiful new dual lane Cuota where the shoulder was every bit as nice as the road itself. 

Where we live no one ever pulls over - not even the double trailer-ed trucks going 5 kms up a mountain - on a Cuota. You either go 5 kms behind them or you take you chances passing them on the left (crossing the line).


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## roadapple (Mar 31, 2014)

I said clearly that they may wave you on, after collecting a "tax". Chiapas is the major culprit that I've seen in the south that is.

I've only experienced driving in Mexico City, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Yucatan... Some wild driving goes on down that way, but people are fairly respectful in getting over to let you pass, letting you know it's safe to pass, etc...


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Also in Chiapas no one respects the yellow lines in the middle... actually many people break that one in many States... and the topes are used for passing , especially the large trailer.. wether there is a continuous yellow line or not, if n one is coming you pass the trailers on the topes... I have to admit , I like that practice..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

roadapple.. I have to smile when you say some wild driving goes on that way.. When we rebuild the house in Chiapas the engineer was married to a Chiapaneca but he was from Mexico city and we used to have discussion on where were the worst drivers.. I used to say Oaxaca 1 and Tuxtla Gutierrez 2 and he used to say no way..Villahermosa 1 Tuxtla 2...Mexico city did not make the list..but Southern Mexico did.. Althugh I woud put Puebla number 1 for rude drivers and he agreed..


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Dylemma I see that you say you will go by Ajijic which is out of the way but from Ajijic the best way to go to Puebla or Orizaba is Ajjic Ocotlan take the cuota towards Mexico.. If you leave at day break you can make Orizaba just before nightfall or stay in Puebla..
Orizaba Puebla is about 3 hours .
Go by Morelis towards Atlacomulco and just before getting to Atlacomulco take the Arco Norte in the direction of Queretaro you will pass Tula and the follow the signs Puebla.. 
Ajijic Puebla is about 9 hours. If you go via Michoacan Morelia Atlacomulco refuel every half tank, the stations are sometimes a little far from each other. The road is easy and the traffic light until Puebla. 

Make sure you have legal aid with your insurrance. It comes in handy in case of an accident. I would also recommend having a cell phone with the number of friends in Mexico and make sure you know how to dial the green angels and your friends.. There are areas without signal on the way. Telcel has the best coverage for phones.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Frank and Anya are the names of the people in Orizaba who have 2 cabins in a wonderful garden
They are listed under AirB&B . Our favorite is the wooden cabin.. it is more practical for dogs closer t the exit.. The price appears to be 378 pesos a night. 
Make reservation ahead of time if you want to stay there as there are only 2 cabins and Frank and Anya go to PV in the winter and I ammm not sure when that is ,, I think Dec January but it is good to know ahead of time.
If you wnt to stay ther eyou have to leave at the crack of dawn from Ajijic.. The place is on the hill on the right handside of the freeway but finding it can be a little tricky but they can give you directions.
I have heard that Hotel RIo in Orizaba accept dogs but i am not sure so you would have to ask.


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## Dylemma (Sep 21, 2016)

Thanks so much for the information I really appreciate it. Driving and esp driving with dogs is a pain. We wanted to fly but WestJet won't accept dogs at all on flights to Merida, ( I think it's because of the heat on the tarmac etc) We could fly into Cancun which is allowed for dogs but I am still concerned about the heat. We will drive this time but next time I may try and find another solution like flying into Mexico City (direct flights from Toronto better for dogs) and hiring a driver to pick us up or renting a car (but I think the one way drop off would cost alot). We are going to Merida to find a place to move to for 7 mths a year but this whole dogs not being able to fly there is unsettling, so much so we may consider moving somewhere else.....


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