# Exploratory Trip.



## AlanR (Aug 17, 2010)

Sometime within the next 6-12 months, I would like to travel to and spend some time in Mexico to determine the country’s potential as a prospective retirement home for me. My initial thought is to schedule one to two 3-6 month trips to explore the different areas on my radar as ideal places to live. Included, at this time, would be the ideal climate mountain areas around Lake Chapala, and the beach areas, perhaps on the Pacific Coast. Although, based on the very informative advice suggested in this forum, I would not be looking to make permanent residence on the coast, based on the oppressive summer weather, I would contemplate splitting my retirement residences to include the coast during the winter months, if that proves to be a financially feasible alternative.

I am looking for some advice on how best to accomplish these exploratory trips, based on cost and convenience. Some alternatives and questions;

Air Travel. I am assuming this would be the costliest option for an extended 3-6 month stay, unless there are inexpensive car leases and excellent public transportation available.

Personal auto. I would be traveling from the Boston MA. area. Can anyone who has traveled from the New England area give me some perspective on what this would entail, from a distance factor, travel time factor, convenience and cost of stopovers on the trip, and any specific words of advice or caution?

As an alternative, I have thought about purchasing an RV for my overall travelling needs. Can anyone tell me how the cost and convenience of RV travel compare to car travel, i.e.

- Are there a number of good RV parks in the areas of Mexico I am interested in?

- How does the cost and amenities of RV travel compare to that of other options in Mexico, e.g.
- Cost and convenience of finding a good 1 BR furnished apartment, with flexible lease agreement, versus cost and convenience of RV stay
- Nightly cost and convenience of B&B or good hotel/motel accommodations versus cost of RV park or cost of rental.
- Additional costs required for hotel living, if no cooking or refrigeration amenities available. 
- Do B&B/Hotel/Motel accommodations include cable and internet, and if so at what price range, and how available?

Lastly, what are some preferable items to take down to Mexico from home to avoid sticker shock or lack of availability in Mexico?

Thanks,
AlanR


----------



## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

Wow, lots of points. I will try a couple but stay away from Lake Chapala & Guadalahara as not my choice. 
We drive down from Raleigh NC to the San Miguel area multiple times per year. It is 1500 miles to the border at Harlingen Texas and about 500 miles to our place in Mineral de Pozos. We sort of alternate between 3 days/two nights(Pascagoulah & Harlingen) and 4 days 3 nights(Montgomery, Breaux Bridge, Harlingen. Hotels cost around $60/night and I get 20-21miles/gallon on regular. We have a good friend with relatives in southern Vermont that frequently does 1 day trips each way. My guess is that you could do 4 days/3 nights to the border but better to do 5 days/4 nights. Still guess 1 day in Mexico would work but again more familiar with routes to San Miguel area than Guadalajara.
Long term car rentals are a lot less if you can use credit card to avoid insurance so not huge cost difference flying/rental car versus driving for one person. We are two people so tilts equation.
I will leave it to RV ****** on RVs'.


----------



## joelpb (Nov 23, 2009)

You should check out baja ca. Ensanada is a great place to live. It is on the beach and the weather never gets to hot. I believe baja ca. is a great all around place to live. You have everthing you would want in location and weather you could want. Check out loreto and mulege. It is all good.


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Alan,
Although I love RV travel, it wouldn't be practical for your type of exploration. Good RV sites, or even parking spots, can be very rare in much of Mexico and the size of an RV would restrict your flexibility in exploring. With two of you, I would suggest that you drive and enjoy having your own vehicle with you to maximize that flexibility. Lodging on the road can be from as little as $40 USD to almost anything you might imagine in beachfront luxury resorts, starting a $200 per night. That said, it isn't hard to rent a place for a month, furnished, and use it to explore a fair amount of territory with day trips and occasional overnighters. For example; if you were in an apartment or B&B at Chapala, you could explore the bulk of the states of Jalisco, Michoacan and even a bit more. If your 'economy hotel' doesn't have WiFi, it will be available at nearby coffee shops, etc. B&B prices at Lake Chapala will run from $35 to $65 USD, with a few even more expensive, but some have monthly rates. Casitas will run from $300 to $500 per month, as would an RV site, if you can find one. Meals can be had for the following approximations: $4+ for breakfast, $5+ for lunch and $10+ for dinner, if you want the usual 'European/American' meals; somewhat less for a typical Mexican taco stand meal.


----------



## AlanR (Aug 17, 2010)

joelpb said:


> You should check out baja ca. Ensanada is a great place to live. It is on the beach and the weather never gets to hot. I believe baja ca. is a great all around place to live. You have everthing you would want in location and weather you could want. Check out loreto and mulege. It is all good.


Joelpb,

Thanks for the heads up on a couple of alternative areas in Mexico to explore. How do the prices, especially for rental and food, in Ensanada / Baja area compare to say Lake Chapala or Puerto Vallarta areas? 

Can you tell me where I can get more detailed information on these areas?

Thanks,
AlanR


----------



## AlanR (Aug 17, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> Wow, lots of points. I will try a couple but stay away from Lake Chapala & Guadalahara as not my choice.
> ...
> I will leave it to RV ****** on RVs'.


Hi conklinwh,

Thanks for your reply. Can I ask what your objections are regarding Lake Chapala and GD? As I am considering this area based solely on what I have read about this area, both inside and outside this Forum, I am very interested in hearing the 'not so sunny' views as well.

AlanR


----------



## abscissa (Apr 5, 2010)

Another area to look at is around Progreso on the Yucatan ... beach front is less than 1/2 of PV


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Everyone has their bias on where to live in Mexico. If you count heads, you will find the vast majority of expats have settled in the Lake Chapala's north shore towns and villages. The reasons: Climate, product availability, access to Guadalajara and its airport (30 minutes), moderate elevation, the lake itself, nestled between the mountains, clean air, other expats, cultural opportunities locally and in Guadalajara, access to Pacific beaches, etc., etc.
That said, there are 'beach bums' who relish waves and sand, and can tolerate the horrible heat and humidity of coastal towns, many of which are 'ghost towns' in the summer, as many escape to second homes in cooler inland areas at higher elevations. Of course, there are those who don't want to live near any other 'gringos', some who have made an unhappy choice and we all know that "misery loves company". On top of all that, there are posters on this forum who have an interest in certain local enterprises, or have friends who do. If we catch them 'being commercial', they'll have an opportunity to become paid advertisers or, perhaps, simply vanish.
So, you'll have to read between the lines and then do some exploration on your own. My suggestion is to carefully evaluate the climate and access to the things you enjoy routinely and the things you enjoy once in a while; like a beach vacation. We do the latter with only a half day drive and stay as long as we like in a rental or small beachfront hotel. Then, when you find a place that is tempting, dig even deeper. We did that in 2001, buying a home in Ajijic. Four years later, we had a great offere, sold and moved five miles to Chapala, buying a larger and more convenient home. Almost a decade and we're still here, but age and some infirmity are giving us thoughts of downsizing. So, you see, time will also make a difference, as it passes. So will curiosity & you might find that a decade later, you want to see another part of Mexico more intimately; even another part of the world. As much as we once loved Sherborn, MA, we wouldn't move back! Note that I haven't touched on your question about the trip from MA to Mexico; that's the easy part and will depend upon your travel habits, budget, sense of adventure and desire to 'stop and smell the roses'. Plan a week to get to the border of Mexico, then cross the border and get through the 'frontier zone'. Pause, take a deep breath, relax and just suck in Mexico. You'll never regret it & you'll never be the same again.


----------



## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I guess I could have worded my comment about Lake Chapala a little better. I don't have any real view as that wasn't our choice. I'm a history buff and my wife is an artist. The San Miguel area fits what we were looking for so we didn't pursue the Lake Chapala area. 
RV ****** is right in that he & I like most people have biases, that's why we are where we are. I do take some offense with the "misery loves company" and "commercial interests" comments as we thank god every day for getting us where we are and I have no commercial interests in Mexico. What is also true is that living in Asia most of the '90's has given me a case of expat herd aversion. To me Lake Chapala seems like the ultimate Mexican expat herd as wonderful as it might be.
When we decided to build, we actually moved 30 mi from San Miguel to a very historic small town with about 40 expats, not all in town at once. We can easily get to San Miguel for all the positives yet get away. We are also less than an hour to Queretaro and an easy drive on wonderful roads to the beach. Most people now go to Trancones although some to Ixtapa & Zihuatenejo. 
If I were you, I would spend time in both Lake Chapala and San Miguel as the most logical places to start in the bahio.


----------



## moisheh (Jun 14, 2009)

You have a great idea. Do not commit to anything. Travel Mexico and after you have seen the places that meet your requirements the decision will be easy. As for living in ****** ghettos: Everyone has different needs. Some people like privacy and that can be hard to obtain when you are surrounded by 100,000 Canadians and Americans. Others like the community support : English libraries, US style restaurants, service providers who speak English, Cultural activities, etc.. Living in a strictly Mexican community can be hard. The locals will be polite but often are stand offish. Or they might adopt you as family. Do you speak Spanish? That can open up many doors and make life easier. There is a ton of info on this subject both on the net and in books. Good luck!


----------

