Planning A Trip From Toronto To Monterrey Mexico

[alex joannides]

Any suggestions on the best and most scenic route to take from Toronto to the Mexico/US border? We have a week to ride and want to ship our bikes back to Buffalo NY or Toronto Canada. Your thoughts would be much appreciated...

Thank you,

Alex

[Zarcero]

For the Mexico portion there really is no "scenic" route. From the Texas border it's pretty much a short leg of desert at about 1,000 feet elevation. A couple of hours after crossing you are right there at Monterrey. However, in the area of the city itself and west of there (as the elevation climbs) are more interesting sites if you are planning on loitering/riding in the area.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

:confused1:Whaddayamean by"no scenic route" to Monterrey:confused1: Zarcero, amigo.
Theres lots of scenery. For sombody from Toronto the chaparral and desert vegetation from Laredo to Monterrey is of itself scenic and exotic. The Libre road Mex 85 has plenty of diversion to keep the mind occupied, there is a neat cuesta and rock cut and changes of vista, and there are a number of towns en route totally different from anything in Ontario.
An alternate route from Laredo is the westerly road NL 1 which passes thorough less populated ranch country, ,more smaLL towns and a chance to visit Bustamente Canyon a pretty neat bit of mountain park.
If you start from Reynosa area it is more low country , again chaparral and cactus , but exotic for a northeastern resident.There are mountains far north of Monterrey to the west of these roads but not many routes thru them
Zarcero is right on about the possibilities south of Monterrey, but do not blow off the north just beacuse it is not the south.


Alex, your trip description is a bit vague- what season is this taking place?- it matters as to weather expectations ,temps and the state of green-ness of the vegetation,. First ever trip to Mexico,,,,, on a bike?What kind of bikes- street, dual sport or dirt ?
A week of riding can easily be used up in the short loop.

[alex joannides]

we are thinking of riding from Toronto Canada in early June. We intend on riding down and flying back. We are trying to find a resonable rate for shipping our bikes back. I am riding a 2007 GSA and my buddy is riding a FJ1300. This owuld be his first big trip. I have been on several long runs (just got back from Morocco last month). Not sure on the best route to chose thought the US...still looking! Any suggestions would be a great!

Thx

Alex

[Sjoerd Bakker]

It reads like you have only 7 days for the whole expedition
If the week of riding includes the run down from Toronto you will not have very much time in Mexico . I know it takes me 4 days of riding from S Ontario to the Tex-Mex border and that is usually the longest riding days with little attention to scenic routes. From TO it will be the same story- 401 to Windsor and then interstates to the SW . If you want scenic routes in the US I would take freeways to mid -Missouri and then pick one of the squiggly black lines of state highways south thru the Ozark plateau into Arkansas and west through the Ouachita Mts, then into OK and back on fast freeways south thru Dallas-FW I 35 all the way to the border.
That leaves about 3 days for a quick loop in Mexico before you have to fly back.June will be really nice for the ride,longest daylight available, no worries about cold weather or heavy clothing, the countryside will be all in green and cactus should still be in flower.
Since you are talking of flying , think of the cost of shipping bikes and your flight ticket . Compare that to the income you would loose if you were to take another week extra- or two weeks, if that is a possibility. - Does it make sense to rush like your plan would require or would it be possible to stretch your free time.? One week is really not enough .Maybe you can have mor e free time available at another date so you could ride down and back?If that is not possible and finances are not a limiting factor how about getting the bikes shipped to Laredo TX before the trip and just fly down an back with a bike trip given the full week in Mexico..?

[Zarcero]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

:confused1:Whaddayamean by"no scenic route" to Monterrey:confused1: Zarcero, amigo.
Theres lots of scenery. For sombody from Toronto the chaparral and desert vegetation from Laredo to Monterrey is of itself scenic and exotic...

From that perspective you are correct. I guess because I have been over those routes so many times, well you know...

Personally, to take in desert scenery I would prefer crossing at Cd. Acuna, then riding MEX29 to Allende and then taking MEX57 down towards Saltillo before turning left towards Monterrey. As you know, it's a high plains desert route, so the topography is more interesting, especially as you climb from plain to plain. You can tell from my ADVrider (Pedro Navaja) ride reports that I am more into cultural sights, and generally I find little between the South Texas border and Monterrey in that regard, that is until arriving at Monterrey.

Gotta agree on the time constraints. I hope the OP can get more time. If Mexico is the real target of interest and given only 7 days, then I would just fly to Monterrey and rent bikes there. Even with entry and exit, that only gives them 5 days to explore. I'm glad I only live a day's ride from the border.

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

...If that is not possible and finances are not a limiting factor how about getting the bikes shipped to Laredo TX before the trip and just fly down an back with a bike trip given the full week in Mexico..?

That's also a great idea.