# Driving from New England to Lake Chapala



## AlanR (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi,

For someone driving from the New England area to get to the Lake Chapala area, where would be the most logical border crossing area? And what would be the approximate drive time from this border crossing to Lake Chapala? Is it primarily highway driving?

Thanks,
AlanR
[email protected]


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

We're northeasterners and the logical approach is to go to Houston, south on 59 and 77 to the border. You can cross at Matamoros, Nuevo Progresso, Pharr, Reynosa, etc. Your choice. From there, we head straight for Ciudad Victoria, spend the night, then continue to Chapala the next day.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

Since Ciudad Victoria only about 4 hours from the border, I suspect that you also have the option to continue on to San Luis Potosi which is 2-3 hours more and there are a lot of places to overnight with very easy highway access. I continue south on 57 but expect that you would go west from San Luis Potosi toward Aguascaliente and Lagos and then Guadalahara.
We do to our place in one day from the border but we are only 1-1.5hrs south of San Luis Potosi but expect Lake Chapala at least 3.5-4 hours from San Luis Potosi.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Of course, San Luis Potosi is an option that we have used a couple of times, especially if it is Sunday and the usual band concerts are playing in the main plaza after dinner. However, it seems easier to bypass it on the periferico. We also have some favorite restaurants in Nuevo Progresso, so we like to stop at one southbound for a long leisurely breakfast and at others on the way north for a similar long lunch. All of that makes Ciudad Victoria our preferred choice. North of the border, there is little of interest until we hit a crossroad on 77 in Refrugio, TX, where there is a great BBQ joint for lunch. Then, we spend the night just south of Houston, usually in Sugarland.


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

conklinwh said:


> Since Ciudad Victoria only about 4 hours from the border, I suspect that you also have the option to continue on to San Luis Potosi which is 2-3 hours more and there are a lot of places to overnight with very easy highway access.


That's what I would do but gas up in Cd Victoria as there are few facilities on Via Corta and the Mx101/80 route over to Mx57. 

Actually, you won't go into Cd Victoria in that case but take the bypass around it, which is a shame because Cd Victoria is a nice place to visit. Around the centro anyway.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

I think a lot easier to get in/out of San Luis than Ciudad Victoria so I would do bypass around Ciudad Victoria and the libamiento through San Luis as a lot of hotels on the libramiento on the south side. One caution though, there is a small town on north side of San Luis near the airport exit where police make a habit of stopping tourists for traffic violations so as onerous as speed limits are for a divided highway, don't speed. Locals can & do but risky for tourists.
Comment on gas is good. Very little difference US & Mexico prices so I would gas up in say Harlingen and this plenty to get to Ciudad Victoria. Then easy to go to San Luis.


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