# Driving from Tijuana to Querétaro



## Silq (Jan 24, 2014)

Hello, I'm new here to the forum. I most likely will be studying abroad for a year starting this August in Querétaro. *I live in Southern California and will be driving the 24 hours down there. I have heard of stories that it is not safe to drive down there *but I am assuming it is mostly on the Texas side near Chihuahua. I am familiar with Latin countries a bit and a lot of scams. I just finished my 1 month in Medellín, Colombia, last week and have been living in Tijuana part time for work. 

I have been studying Spanish but it's still a work in progress and will be studying Spanish intensively in and out of school in Querétaro. I stand out in Latin countries (I'm Asian) but I get around pretty well.

I'm well aware that I should not be driving during the night and should stick to the main federal highways. I may possibly be driving to the East coast before my trip to Mexico to leave my car with my family while I am on an extended vacation so that leaves the option of entering Mexico from the east side or the west side (most likely from San Diego)

*What are my relatively safe options to get to Queretaro?
*

Also, I work online, how stable is the internet there? I am thinking of purchasing a WiFi card for my laptop for the 24 hour drive just in case I need to Google something. I do have a Garmin Nuvi GPS that works decently in Tijuana but it's kind of off sometimes (sending me down 1 way roads the wrong way).


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I think I would drive to Loreto TX in the US and cross, straight down to Queretaro.....


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

If you are coming for a year, you will have to get a visa. A tourist permit is only good for 180 days and your car must leave Mexico when you do. If you have a student visa, check with the nearest Mexican consulate and see what is required for you to stay longer than 180 days with your car. 
Others on this site may know, so please chime in.


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## Silq (Jan 24, 2014)

RVGRINGO said:


> If you are coming for a year, you will have to get a visa. A tourist permit is only good for 180 days and your car must leave Mexico when you do. If you have a student visa, check with the nearest Mexican consulate and see what is required for you to stay longer than 180 days with your car.
> Others on this site may know, so please chime in.


the student visa is for about 9 months.


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## JustinChase (Dec 26, 2013)

I wouldn't bother driving to TX, then driving down. It adds too much time/distance to the trip.

I'd plan to cross the border at about 6am, and plan for it to take at least an hour, maybe 2, then drive towards Queretaro. I'd look for a hotel about 1 - 1 1/2 hours before dark, and find something with a gated and locked parking area. Expect to pay from $30 to $50/night. I'd then start driving after sunup, and you should make it to Queretaro before sundown on day 2.

Driving to TX will add at least a full day to your drive.

Mexico is NOT as dangerous as you might hear on the news in the US. Use common sense, don't be an idiot, don't flash money/expensive items around, and focus on putting in the miles to get to Queretaro, which is extremely safe.

I suggest paying for the toll roads, which aren't cheap, but do reduce the miles, time and (especially) the topes (speed bumps) you're likely to deal with on the Libramiento (free) roads.

If you have some time before leaving, you can get your car visa online but I think it takes about 2-3 weeks to arrive.

As others have said, a tourist visa, and the temporary car visa are both good for 180 days, so you'll have to take the car out of the country during your time here.

Finally, someone told me recently that you cannot get another car visa within a year, so you might not be able to bring the same car back to Mexico after the first 6 month permit. I'm going to be heading back to TX very soon, and will find out if this is true soon enough, as it's the reason I'm leaving the country in a few days.

When I get back, I'll be living in San Juan del Rio, which is about 45 minutes from the city of Queretaro. Be sure to visit if you do come down this way, it's a great little city/town


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## Silq (Jan 24, 2014)

JustinChase said:


> I wouldn't bother driving to TX, then driving down. It adds too much time/distance to the trip.
> 
> I'd plan to cross the border at about 6am, and plan for it to take at least an hour, maybe 2, then drive towards Queretaro. I'd look for a hotel about 1 - 1 1/2 hours before dark, and find something with a gated and locked parking area. Expect to pay from $30 to $50/night. I'd then start driving after sunup, and you should make it to Queretaro before sundown on day 2.
> 
> ...


How will they know when my vehicle enters Mexico? I drive across the San Ysidro border every weekend in Tijuana and I assume they have photos or video recording of every vehicle crossing but I don't know if they pro-actively start a list of time spent in MX. I mean, when I return to the US, I know the US checks my ID, etc but does the US even know I left the US until I try to return?

I was thinking another option is for me to fly down there, fly back during winter break then drive back down there with my car. That way, I would have left the country and can stay 6 months longer, starting on the day I return into MX.

The other option I am thinking is driving down there from the start then during winter break, vacation in Guatemala, Belize, and/or the rest of Central America. I don't know much about the other countries and it looks quite far but it would be a fun experience for a month, seeing those places. I don't know about the safety since crossing thin borders can run me into traffickers.

I appreciate all the info I am getting here.

and previously, I meant that I will be studying in Mexico for 2 semesters which will equate to 4 months, 1 month break (not sure how long their break or semesters are actually) then another 4 months. I just know that they follow a similar timeline of when my school starts and since this is a public state-wide study abroad program, I believe it had to require similarities in the semester timeframe.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Silq said:


> How will they know when my vehicle enters Mexico? I drive across the San Ysidro border every weekend in Tijuana and I assume they have photos or video recording of every vehicle crossing but I don't know if they pro-actively start a list of time spent in MX. I mean, when I return to the US, I know the US checks my ID, etc but does the US even know I left the US until I try to return?
> 
> I was thinking another option is for me to fly down there, fly back during winter break then drive back down there with my car. That way, I would have left the country and can stay 6 months longer, starting on the day I return into MX.
> 
> ...


Tijuana is in the "Zona Frontera" and is different. I think you would find that if you drove from Tijuana, when you crossed the border from Baja California to Sonora, there would be a vehicle check and you would need to get a permit for the vehicle. I have only done it by bus, so I am not speaking from experience.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

You do not need a Temp. Import Permit or TIP for the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur or Sonora down to past Guaymas at Empalme, Mexico calls this a "no hassle zone" although a TIP can be obtained at any border ,Carborca Sonora and Empalme ...And of course the Guatemalan and Belize borders..........


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## JustinChase (Dec 26, 2013)

Silq said:


> How will they know when my vehicle enters Mexico?


Mexico, like the US, has a 'border zone' which is basically 'free' to enter and exit, without having a special permit/visa. In the US, it's about 25 miles from the border. Once you get that far into the US, there is another 'checkpoint' where they will ask about your status, and for any paperwork they think you should have, including your car permit.

In Mexico, I think it's about 50km from the border, and it seems to be a little less 'sure' that you will be stopped. However, the vehicle permit you get at the border has a large(ish) sticker that needs to be placed on your windshield, so they can see that you have this from somewhat of a distance, so if you look otherwise 'decent', they often waive you thru without stopping you. If your vehicle is 'loaded down' they will probably stop you, and ask what you have in the vehicle, and you might end up needing to pay 50 -100 pesos as a "mordida" (bribe) to keep them from searching your car. Think of this as an expedition of your return to traveling. You don't have to pay it, but it will get you moving much faster if you do.

I've only been stopped twice while driving in Mexico. Both times while riding my motorcycle. Once they just wanted a mordida, and said I was speeding, and driving recklessly, even though about 70% of the vehicles on the road were passing me. I paid 200 pesos, and was on the road again in less than 10 minutes. The other time, it was just a random checkpoint, and they asked to see my paperwork, which was all fine and legal, and I was on the road again in 2 minutes with no fine.

I've never been stopped in the car, other than at the 'fixed' checkpoints which are not uncommon in Mexico.

Oh, try not to be worried when the checkpoints are filled with 16 year-olds with machine guns. Most probably don't have bullets 

Personally, I would suggest you fly down, learn about how the town works, and get acquainted with your area, and then when you bring the car down after your break, you'll kind of know where you're going while driving.

Public transportation is pretty inexpensive, and MOST things you'll want on a regular basis can be obtained by taking a short walk.

Good luck and have fun in Mexico!!


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## JustinChase (Dec 26, 2013)

Silq said:


> The other option I am thinking is driving down there from the start then during winter break, vacation in Guatemala, Belize, and/or the rest of Central America. I don't know much about the other countries and it looks quite far but it would be a fun experience for a month, seeing those places. I don't know about the safety since crossing thin borders can run me into traffickers.


I have ridden thru every country in Central America, down to Panama City, then back up thru Mexico. I spent several months on this leg of the trip, but you could see a decent amount of Central America in a month.

Belize is nice if you want to spend time at the beach, but internal Belize is poor, and pretty uninteresting for the most part. You could skip it altogether and have more time to enjoy more interesting places.

If you're interested in Pyramids and archeological ruins, they are all over Mexico and throughout Central America. You might consider driving down thru Oaxaca and Chiapas over to the yucatan peninsula and can see lots of very cool and unique ruins. You can continue down thru Guatamala and much of Central America wit ruins as your 'destination', and just getting from one to the next will 'force' you to see a good amount of Mexico and CA.

Malinalco in Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Teotihuican just outside Mexico City, Mexico
Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico
Chetumal in Quintana Roo, Mexico
Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico
Tikal in Guatamala
Copan in Honduras

Those are some of the ruins we visited. google can show you more and you can decide if any are interesting enough to visit


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Just in Case, I knew Chetumal was the capitol of QR and has a fine museum but I did not know there were ruins in town, where about?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chicois8 said:


> Just in Case, I knew Chetumal was the capitol of QR and has a fine museum but I did not know there were ruins in town, where about?


There are no ruins within Chetumal proper, but there are a few interesting ones within driving distance, from 60 to 75 kilometers away from the city:

Chetumal travel guide - Wikitravel


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Si Isla and I have visited them, it is wonderful to be all alone in ruins,well the only human around...


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chicois8 said:


> Si Isla and I have visited them, it is wonderful to be all alone in ruins,well the only human around...


I've been to many parts of Mexico over the years and visited many of the major archaeological sites, but not the ones near Chetumal. One day . . .


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## Silq (Jan 24, 2014)

Thanks everyone, this information was very helpful. My friend told me while I was in Colombia 2 weeks ago, he said that Colombia had a rule where tourists could stay up to 90 days in the country before required to get a tourist visa or leave the country for at least a day before re-entering. He told me that the loophole is that when the calendar year ends on Dec 31st, on Jan 1st, the 90 day resets thus you can leave at the end of March. 

For example, if you came in the middle of October, normally you would have to leave middle of January but the calendar year resets your time in the country. Not sure how valid this is but if it is true, could something like this work in Mexico?

The other option/question:
If I choose to drive there this August and leave Mexico to drive to Central America during break in December, then return to Mexico a few weeks later, will this allow me to reset my time in Mexico? I'm not opposed to public transportation. I really do want to get to Mexico city and other countries without constantly having to rely on public transportation. Also, is the driving as crazy in Mexico as it is in Tijuana? When I was in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia, it was just as insane as TJ.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

The fmm is for 180 days,period.
If you drive in you can not leave the country without your vehicle, so if you visit Guatemala you have to turn in your FMM and when you return from Guatemala you would purchase a new one, along with the pay stamp on the FMM there is a small profile of an auto showing you drove into Mexico...If you leave a vehicle in Mexico it is considered abandoned and could be confiscated...........


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

The new vehicle deposit should be mentioned: Not only is it illegal to leave your car in Mexico and depart with an FMM, your car will forfeit the deposit ($200=$400 USD) and also be subject to confiscation.
Play by the rules. Where you go, your car goes.


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