Would it be safe to travel by automobile through Mexico and Central America?

Question

I was just curious, because I really want to do this really badly.

Answer 1

I have done it before but I wouldn't do it again. That said,
if you stick to the Pan-American highway you will have fewer problems than if you were to meander through the countries on local roads.You need to know that a trip like this bears little if any resemblance to driving from Los Angeles to New York on the freeway.

You will need additional insurance,an international driving permit,current road maps,documentation showing ownership of your vehicle, a credit card for the bank in Mexico where you deposit money to insure them that you will leave Mexico with your vehicle and a passport.You should have a"very good" working knowledge of Spanish and be able to read and understand road signs and also be able to accurately convert kilometers to miles.There are 'sufficient' gas stations along the way but they are not in the numbers you would probably be used to seeing so you will need to stop more often. You will need money for the numerous tolls along the way and for the permits, entry and exit visas, vehicle stamps from each country that you pass through.Each country seems to have a different set of paperwork hoops the you must jump through,especially when you have any kind of vehicle. Fuel costs are higher and if it may be difficult to find replacement parts for your vehicle if you breakdown or have an accident. The road lighting is poor to sometimes non-existent and the highways seem to be in a constant state of repair and animals are often on the road making driving at night unwise. Finally your licence plates will identify you as a tourist and may bring you unwanted attention from police and others.(This is yet another reason for strong Spanish skills.) If you want more information,Tom at the Xela pages has written an article about his trip from Texas to Guatemala that you might find helpful and/or informative.I'm not sure how current it is.
I still try to go to Mexico and Central America 3-4 times a year but I now use local transportation,it is usually safe, inexpensive and reliable. Hope this helps. Feel free to email me with any other questions...Best of luck!

http://www.xelapages.com/

See: Driving to Guatemala

Answer 2

If you're careful, no , it's not unsafe. I have traveled all over Mexico. By car. Can't really tell you about Central America though. I've never been in danger of running out of gas, honestly, I've been closer to running out of gas in the U.S. than in Mexico.

It is not boring! The toll roads are of course safer, I would try not to drive on the "libre" roads at dark. Do not tell strangers where you're heading, etc. Do not carry a lot of cash. There are a lot of ATM machines. Always lock your vehicle. Don't do things you wouldnt do in your home country. Get some good maps, and plan ahead, what roads to take, where to stay, but, don't be afraid to explore!

Answer 3

The Pan American Highway runs from Alaska to Southern Chile with only one break in Southern Panama and Northern Colombia. There have been discussions and plans for years to complete the highway through that area, but nobody knows when or if it will ever be completed. That area, called the Darien, is an engineering nightmare. It is a dense forest with a lot of swamp land. The guerrilla groups in Colombia are not as active there as before, but they are still around. Also, the Indian groups in the area are fighting the highway, because they feel that it will destroy their territory as new people move in. Finally there are rumors that the US government is trying to prevent the roadway because once it is completed that would allow another easy drug route from Colombia to Mexico and then the US and it could create another illegal immigrant wave as South Americans would have an easier time getting to the US border. Once the highway sarts up again in northern Colombia, it runs through Ecuador, Peru, and Chile until Tierra del Fuego.

Answer 4

Yes, no, see, do you think that nobody owns a Ferrari in Mexico? , but yet, you'll take a chance, i have been driving in mexican roads like 5-6 years and never got robbed or anything just be aware of accidents wich i would say it's the most dangerous thing about driving in these roads, and you'll have to drive through some really poor places mostly in the south mexican border and central american roads so my advice would be don not drive anything too fancy, or make a convoy that would help you to improve the security and low the risks, i would love to drive from Alaska to Argentina for example but not just by myself and not in some fancy car just something comfy and reliable =)

Answer 5

As long as you remember three things: first, your American insurance policy WILL NOT cover you once you cross the border - you MUST get an additional insurance policy. Second, the "roads" will get progressively worse and narrower with much tighter curves than you'll find in America. This means the likelihood of getting into an accident is increased in a huge way. Third, gas stations are few and far between. You would do well to carry extra gas, and some form of protection for when the locals decide to take your gas away from you.

As a final note, you are a rich American. (Regardless of your financial status.) That said, there are many opportunists waiting at every blind intersection to collide with you so that they can collect 'damages' from you. Under Mexican law, you can be held in jail WITHOUT BOND until your court date if there is an appearance you were at fault in an accident. Court dates are not set up in a speedy way, and the wait in jail can be long.

Your call. My recommendation is to get your jollies some other way.

Answer 6

You'd be taking your chances. Its been many years and I drove through Mexico, not Central America. Mexicans are good people. Within 25 miles of the American border ( the Frontera ) is a bit riskier, but as you get into the interior there is a greater sense of national pride and honor which translates into greater safety. Mexico wants to encourage tourism so local authorities are on the lookout to protect Americans. But when you get off the beaten path you may find poverty that rivals that in the third world. There are the rare individuals who would stab you in the back for 25 cents. The incidence of rape of American women is high. Also because of the poor quality of roads and cleanup, there is a high incidence of flat tires which increases potential for danger

Answer 7

Stuart had a lot of useful info and speaks from experience. Don' travel at night. Keep the windows up and doors locked and be suspicious of all. Still do it by all means. Stick to day driving and you will be O.K. I personally only ask Police for help/ directions / advice and have even paid them for an escort thru town

Answer 8

i wanted to do this really badly too, and my boyfriend, (who is mexican, living in mexico) just stared at me like i was crazy. he told me this trip is so dangerous that i was just asking to be robbed, murdered, raped, or whatever. going from the US to mexico city is probably reasonable...assuming you take major toll roads and don't drive at night. but apparently after that, even pulling over to go pee could result in a car jacking where you are left in the middle of nowhere with nothing. the crime at the southern border of mexico is really really bad, and countries like guatamala, and honduras are VERY dangerous. not to mention the road quality in these spots.

all i'm saying is, if a tough looking mexican man whose fluent in language and culture is telling me he wouldn't do it...then i'm not doing it and i don't recommend you do it! :)

Answer 9

I have done it and its is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORing. Just make sure you stick to the toll roads and dont let your gas tank get below 1/4 of a tank. The PeMex stations are pretty far apart in some places.

Answer 10

your quest for your answers and your curiosity in these regions are over-weighed by the factions which would use your visit as a platform for there radical beliefs. I would do a lot of talking to the governments and get their reactions.