# Driving to Belize



## Jessicajamison (May 12, 2015)

Hi I am a solo female traveler looking to drive my car from the U.S. through Mexico, I have found conflicting info for safest route. Any advice would be helpful, I am willing to drive any route as long as it's the safest. Thanks


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## Belizegirl (Oct 21, 2010)

There is a lot of information on this forum regarding border crossings from the US to MX and routes that go South. 

If you search and find the Belize forum there are some recent posts giving driving advice and directions. 

It may be helpful to other members here to know where you plan on crossing.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

edward222 said:


> Heres a tip:
> First get a map,
> second get a lawyer,
> then give the map to that lawyer and ask him/her
> where to go and what to do.


Hi,
How exactly is that answer helpful to the OP?
Cheers
Steve


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## edward222 (Jan 30, 2015)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> How exactly is that answer helpful to the OP?
> Cheers
> Steve


Hello there 

Well, she want to drive from U.S to mexico,
and she want to know the safest route she can have,
First, I suggested her to get a map to have an over view of the possible road ways she can take,
second is I suggested her to get a lawyer to help her choose the way,
Why? 
Because, there's always a safe way to drive from US to mexico,
being safe is not the real problem, the real problem is the boundaries,
she asked for the safe way so I assumed that she doesnt know the roads well,
but a lawyer is good at law, so its a great advantage for her to get one,
and ask if its okay to pass that way, she might pass in a property without knowing that its illegal to pass there, hhhhmmm.

Ignorance of the law excuses no one.
I'm afraid she might get into a violation, without planning what way shes going to take.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

edward222 said:


> Hello there
> 
> Well, she want to drive from U.S to mexico,
> and she want to know the safest route she can have,
> ...


Must be pretty boring in Hong Kong, as a person has to put in real effort to come up with your reply there. 
A person with little knowledge of your brilliance might think that your comment: "she asked for the safe way so I assumed that she doesnt know the roads well" shows that you know absolutely nothing about Mexico and your nonchalance could get a novice driver in Mexico killed. You and I, however, well understand that if you can figure out the way to drive from Point A to Point B in Hong Kong and its overly congested roads, you should be able to zip through Mexico with your eyes closed. I mean, there are hills in Hong Kong of almost two meters high! What could be more dangerous? And it sometimes takes almost two hours to go from north to south in Hong Kong. Now, that is a brutal drive.
While you're at it, why don't you take up the unfounded fears Westerners have of driving through Syria. They just have to keep their heads screwed on tight and no problem, right?


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

From TX, I usually take Cuota/Hwy 57 south to the Arco Norte to Puebla, there Cuota 150 to the Cuota 145 to Hwy 186 to Hwy 307. At 307 turn south, in a couple of miles you will see signage for Belice. Only drive during the day. Plan each day and the stop you will make at night.

DO NOT drive the east coast route


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Buy your Mexican insurance online, if you plan to get the vehicle permit at the border bring your passport,original registration and copies of the title, registration, drivers license and passport...

Use an ATM to get pesos, most all toll booths and gas stations only accept Pesos....

Ask for exact amounts at gas stations like say 400 pesos please, never just say filler up and make sure the pump is zeroed out before filling......


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Jessicajamison said:


> Hi I am a solo female traveler looking to drive my car from the U.S. through Mexico, I have found conflicting info for safest route. Any advice would be helpful, I am willing to drive any route as long as it's the safest. Thanks


The responses to this inquiry have been interesting. First, understand that I have never driven into Belize - only as far south as Xcalak, Quintana Roo just above the área of Belize known as Ambergris Cay. I have heard many cautionary tales about driving through Belize but I don´t know if those tales are reliable. I would exercise serious caution there but also in many parts of Mexico and, if I were you, while driving through Mexico these days I would remain on major toll roads at all times if possible and you can do that from the U.S. to Belize. The toll roads in Mexico are normally excellent but will not assure your safety but they will be _*much*_ safer than back country roads. 

I write as one who has lived in Mexico for 15 years and travels with my spouse between Lake Chapala and Chiapas near the Guatemala border several times a year. That is a 3,000 kilometer drive round trip so I have some experience in these matters. As an example, when we recently returned to Lake Chapala from San Cristóbal de Las Casas, bandits were assaulting and robbing motorists on the largely deserted toll road from Tuxtla Gutiérrez to La Tinaja and the toll road was saturated with federal cops who caught and killed at least one bandit and jailed two others. I am not telling you this to frighten you but just to advise you on the best routes to take from the U.S. to the Mexican/Belize border at Chetumal. There are very good toll roads from the U.S. to the Belize border at Chetumal but I would advise you to stay on roads well travelled with a lot of traffic.
* Always leave very early in the morning and plan to find lodging about mid-afternoon. It is not only that you should not plan to drive a night but you must be prepared to realize that you may experience problems with your car and be stuck on the highway shoulder so you should avoid driving in the late afternoon just before dark since being stuck on the shoulder of a Mexican highway in the dark is extremely dangerous for anyone but a woman alone can be a target as is true in the U.S.
* Primary Mexican toll roads are patrolled by a Mexican governmental agency known by the acronym CAPUFE and, if you have a problem they may help you and even tow your car to safety but it is seriously important that you hold onto your toll booth receipt to prove you paid your toll. If you have that, CAPUFE´s service is free and readily offered. Write down those emergency telephone numbers you will spot along the way so you can call in case of an emergency. Be sure you have a working cell phone.
* Carry only minimal amounts of pesos in your purse or wallet and hide the rest somewhere else in your car. You can experience theft from bandits but also from cops patrolling the highways. You want to keep enough cash on your person to satisfy thieves and/or thieving cops demanding a bribe - say a couple of hundred pesos or more or you may find your car ransacked as these folks search for money and - believe me - they are really good at this so hide your excess cash well.
* Never show a fat wallet full of cash whether buying gas or food along the way. 
* Keep in mind that on certain toll roads you may not find a gasoline station for many kilometers and you will receive no warning of this by road signs so top off your gas tank often. Running out of gas and finding yourself stranded is not something you want to do. 
* Now, many may disagree with me on this but I am a big guy, a bit elderly but still a big guy and when I drive long distances in Mexico I do not like to do that alone for many reasons. We drive the long distance between Lake Chapala and Chiapas together several times a year but if I am alone, I prefer to fly. We only drive Mexico plated cars but U.S. plates can prove problematic so keep that in mind.

OK; you asked the question and that is my personal response. I hope you have a pleasant trip,


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## Jessicajamison (May 12, 2015)

I am not sure where I am crossing yet, I am driving from Idaho so I can either go towards Cali or Texas. I am more concerned with safety since I will be traveling alone and I am a 29 yr old woman. I am in the begining phase of planning, but my trip will end in Argentina.


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## Jessicajamison (May 12, 2015)

Thank you to those of you who have given actual advice, I appreciate it.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Jessica, You do know that you have to ship your vehicle from Panama to Columbia to complete a trip to Argentina and can be very expensive and or time consuming, correct?


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Jessicajamison said:


> I am not sure where I am crossing yet, I am driving from Idaho so I can either go towards Cali or Texas. I am more concerned with safety since I will be traveling alone and I am a 29 yr old woman. I am in the begining phase of planning, but my trip will end in Argentina.


Wow, that added info tells us you're embarking on a trip of a lifetime. "Idaho to Argentina" might itself be the title of a book on your adventure, taking off from an all-American state and journeying through all of Latin America to wind up in what was once a super cosmopolitan country.

How long are you planning to travel? Are you planning on doing it all by land? Alone? If all by land, what's your plan to get from Panama to South America?


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## Jessicajamison (May 12, 2015)

I plan on trying to finish the trip under 8 months, although, I am giving my self some flexibility. I plan to blog about my trip and hopefully a happy ending, coming out of it alive and mostly unscathed :blush:. I do know about the Darien Gap and I will have to arrange the shipment of my car but it seems like people are able to manage even though it is a hassle. I am considering driving through Baja and cutting over into Southern Mexico since there seems to be so many warnings for the North, but more advice the better.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

Jessicajamison said:


> I am not sure where I am crossing yet, I am driving from Idaho so I can either go towards Cali or Texas. I am more concerned with safety since I will be traveling alone and I am a 29 yr old woman. I am in the begining phase of planning, but my trip will end in Argentina.


I lived in California for more than half my life. I suggest you don´t call it Cali when there. The locals will laugh at you. It is a well know fact that people who use this abbreviation have never visited there. 

Urban Dictionary: Cali


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Jessicajamison said:


> I plan on trying to finish the trip under 8 months, although, I am giving my self some flexibility. I plan to blog about my trip and hopefully a happy ending, coming out of it alive and mostly unscathed :blush:. I do know about the Darien Gap and I will have to arrange the shipment of my car but it seems like people are able to manage even though it is a hassle. I am considering driving through Baja and cutting over into Southern Mexico since there seems to be so many warnings for the North, but more advice the better.


Let us know when you start and what the blog is. I recently watched that movie on netflix of the Aussie woman who trekked alone across her country's great desert back in 1977, and was super impressed. Preparation is everything, and it looks as if you have that in hand.


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

Jessicajamison said:


> Hi I am a solo female traveler looking to drive my car from the U.S. through Mexico, I have found conflicting info for safest route. Any advice would be helpful, I am willing to drive any route as long as it's the safest. Thanks


I drive a lot in Mexico, almost 10,000 miles in the last 6 weeks.

I would drive to the Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras crossing in Texas. That will keep you in the USA longer and gasoline is much less costly. 

I assume you are going to stop to smell the roses along the way. There are great colonial cities along the central route I posted above. The west or east coast beach routes have quite a few not so good area's. 

I believe the safest route to Corozal would be the one I posted.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

AlanMexicali said:


> I lived in California for more than half my life. I suggest you don´t call it Cali when there. The locals will laugh at you. It is a well know fact that people who use this abbreviation have never visited there.
> 
> Urban Dictionary: Cali


Good point Alan. I lived in California for some 40 years from L.A. to San Diego to a number of places in the Central Valley(s) to Eureka to San Francisco to the Sonoma and Napa Valleys to the coast at the mouth of the Russian River at Jenner and not once during all that time have I heard even one person use the Word "Cali". Now, the Word "craphole" once in a while, yes.


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## flyboynm (Oct 24, 2014)

Have you made any progress on what route you are going to take? I have heard time and time again to avoid driving the Eastern Coast down but sometimes people say things that are not true. *shrug*

How do you plan on getting your car from Panama into S. America? From what I have seen, there are no roads across Panama into S. America.


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## steffiemaber (Aug 27, 2015)

Hi Jessica, wondering if you ended up driving down through Mexico yet? My boyfriend and I are making the trip to Belize on November 1st, we lived there last winter but flew. This year we wanted to drive through Mexico, I am now getting scared after reading so much online.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I would not be scare of driving through Mexico just drive during the day and enjoy the various areas you will be going through.


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## steffiemaber (Aug 27, 2015)

Thanks  Now we just have to start planning the right routes/stops etc. Glad to have found this site.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Unless you have a very good reason to enter in Western Mexico, don't. Drive to Laredo Tx. and then take the road recommendations from Playaboy above.

Why stay north?
+ Much better gas prices... in the lower $2 range rather than the upper $3 range for regular
+ All free roads and freeways are much better
+ Familiarity/the 'known' with 'offering' in the US vs Mexico
+ You'll have plenty of time to drive in Mexico, etc if you going to Argentina

You'll have to have Mexican car insurance and a temporary car import permit both of which can be obtained online before you leave home.


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