# Trying to Retire



## Barebones (Jan 12, 2012)

My wife and I are flying into and staying in Puerto Vallarta for 3 weeks at the end of January. The purpose of the trip is two fold, holiday and investigating Mexico as a place to spend 3-4-5 months during our winter season (Ontario, Canada). We plan on spending the first week in the Puerto Vallarta area then rent a car and do some exploring, Our plan at this stage is to drive down to the Barra de Navidad-Manzanillo area. As we come from a small town we are not looking for a large city environment. 
Questions:
Should we rent from a major car rental or local
How much Mexican $ should we get before we leave home
Is there good accommodation in the Barra de Navidad area to spend a couple of days

Any suggestions, comments, questions appreciated


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## Ken Wood (Oct 22, 2011)

*North from PV*

If you are not pressed for time, I would also suggest a short drive to the area just north of PV, through Bucerias. It is a beautiful drive through a hilly, maybe you can even say mountainous, area, to a nice, quaint, little town called Sayulita. It's a very nice place to have lunch prior to the return trip to PV. We have rented autos from both sources you mention. I have always felt that you are in better hands with the majors, but I have saved a few bucks, and have never been shorted in dealing with local businesses. To me, it seems that the majors pay a little more attention to upkeep and mechanical well-being than do some of the individual rentors, which translates to a bit more security on the road. If you carry an ATM, we generally carry very little cash and just withdraw every few days as we need it, relying on CC's at all the major establishments. Buen viaje


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

I would hold off on getting the pesos up north unless you find a decent exchange rate (which I doubt). Best way to get money here while on vacation is an ATM machine with your debit card or the money exchanges (casas de cambio). There are casas de cambio at the airport and in town. Try to use ATMs in banks or at least with the bank logo. Be sure to let your bank/card company know you'll be in Mexico, bring an extra card if possible and use a credit card as little as possible.

I live in/near Melaque and assure you there are a wide variety of places to stay here and in Barra


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

Barebones said:


> My wife and I are flying into and staying in Puerto Vallarta for 3 weeks at the end of January. The purpose of the trip is two fold, holiday and investigating Mexico as a place to spend 3-4-5 months during our winter season (Ontario, Canada). We plan on spending the first week in the Puerto Vallarta area then rent a car and do some exploring, Our plan at this stage is to drive down to the Barra de Navidad-Manzanillo area. As we come from a small town we are not looking for a large city environment.
> Questions:
> Should we rent from a major car rental or local
> How much Mexican $ should we get before we leave home
> ...


Please remember that most of Mexico is on a cash basis. There are very few business that accept credit cards and those that do are mainly in the larger cities. Also know that the exchange rate with those cards might be considerably higher than through the ATM's. Also check with your bank to see what their daily limit on foreign withdrawals is.

Other than all that, welcome to Mexico.:clap2:


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## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

*Same Route*

While my wife and I were exploring retiring to Mexico, we, too, started in PV by spending our time there. We loved it, fell in love and that was it. Before you fall in love with anywhere, be sure to check out the climate - there are two seasons in Mexico, rainy and dry. If you don't mind humidity, then the coastal areas around PV, Manzanillio, Bucieras is great. But, as much as we love the ocean, we did a bit of homework and decided instead to move to the mountains, the Sierra Madres, and will make our move to the area around Lake Chapala in Jan-Feb 2013. For us it is a year round resettlement and the climate , to us, was better.

Do your homework. If you are just coming down for the winter months "the season" - not the rainy season, PV and those places are warmer and near the sea. As for money, follow the advice from the veterans here, ATMs are great, some cambios in towns and cities work. Where we stay in PV, we are near a shopping center and the cambio there has good rates.

Hope your Mexican adventure is a great one - I know we are looking forward to ours!


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## mexfan (Apr 5, 2009)

Barebones said:


> My wife and I are flying into and staying in Puerto Vallarta for 3 weeks at the end of January. The purpose of the trip is two fold, holiday and investigating Mexico as a place to spend 3-4-5 months during our winter season (Ontario, Canada). We plan on spending the first week in the Puerto Vallarta area then rent a car and do some exploring, Our plan at this stage is to drive down to the Barra de Navidad-Manzanillo area. As we come from a small town we are not looking for a large city environment.
> Questions:
> Should we rent from a major car rental or local
> How much Mexican $ should we get before we leave home
> ...


Hi Barebones:

My wife and I have the same goal as you - spend winters in sunny Mexico! We also happen to be from Ontario. You asked about how much money to bring. The past two years, my wife and I have rented condos for 4 weeks, and we have converted $2,000.00 into pesos. Each time, we have returned home with pesos left over. We don't go crazy, but eat out maybe half the time, as well as keeping a good supply of booze on hand!! Good luck.


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## RPBHaas (Dec 21, 2011)

I echo much of the previous advice. I have lived in Melaque and Manzanillo and it can get rather hot when it is not raining. I am from Texas and am used to the heat but found a better place to live 60 miles north of Melaque in Autlan de Navarro, the childhood home of Carlos Santana. At 3000 feet above sea level, I enjoy the more moderate temperatures, 50's-60's at night and mid 80's during the day.
I have rented from both large and small car companies and have had success with both. I recommend performing a thourough review of the car before acceptance. Many times the quality of the tires or brakes is not to standard. Even after you remove it from the lot, many times you can exchange it if there are significant issues with the car.
I agree withdrawing from the ATM's is the best method for obtaining pesos. Depending on your bank fees, ATM's normally provide the best exchange rates. Always be aware of your surroundings during an ATM withdraw and whenever possible use an ATM located inside a building or structure.
PV is my favorite beach destination in Mexico. Enjoy!


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