South of Neuvo Laredo there aren't any gas stations right off the highway after you are out of town. Fill up in the US if you want. The national gas station in Mexico, Pemex, only takes cash. If you find you self running low on gas before you reach Monterrey, peel off and head for one of the small towns a mile or so from the highway. I ran out of gas with the lights of Monterry in sight, because I was expecting to find gas station right next to the highway. A few days later I bought a larger fuel bottle...

Heading north I spent the night at a love hotel in Matamoros. Hotels are way cheaper on the Mexican side. The next morning I stocked up on souvenirs, then crossed the border.

Yeah, I would avoid Juarez. Anybody that says other wise not reading the news, US, Mexican or otherwise. Sure, the town is coming back, but there are places I would not put on my route, like Detroit, South Central LA, the South Bronx...you get the idea.

What Sjoerd said about worrying so much and riding too far it spot on. I ended up riding into the night to find a love hotel several towns south east of Monterrey on the second adventure into Latin America. Not advisable.

Make sure your bike is not left on the street overnight, anywhere. Three or four people can always lift a bike, toss it into a pick-up and be gone. There is always a garage, a locked compound, a night guard or sometimes you just roll your bike into the lobby or your room. My wife met me in Mexico City and I rolled the bike into the lobby of a very high end hotel each night. Only once did I leave my bike in an unattended parking lot overnight, in Tuxpan, MX, and there I used a thick cable with a serious lock, attached to a fire escape, plus a blinking alarm system. 9 months on the road and I only left my bike outside at night once, which could have been one time too many.

I crossed twice at Laredo/Neuvo Laredo. You can buy insurance for Mexico a few blocks north of the border. Not idea if the prices are better. I changed a few dollars for pesos the first time and used my Bank of America ATM card in Santander without fee the second trip.

Have fun. There are lots of great people in Mexico and point south.

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride