BC Canada to Acapulco in 2 Weeks, Best Route?

[scharfg]

Hi folks.

Us working stiffs can't just point out "beaks" south and head off into the sunset for as long as we want/need so we've devised a plan on how to get a taste of retirement riding before hand.

We have two weeks for a one way ride from Northern BC to somewhere in Mexico so that we can store the bikes, fly home, then fly back and continue south. Buddy has a friend with a Hostel in Gutamala so the plan is to ride there on the second leg of the trip, store the bikes again and then use it as a hub for future year(s) riding.

We did the Baja and some of the northern Mainland of MX last year on a 42 day ride for my 50th so we have a bit of MX experience.

We figure on this trip we can get to Aculpulco in the two weeks.

So my question is, what would be the best route to ge to Aculpulco given that we prefer to ride near the ocean for what it offers.

I'm thinking of a couple of route options looking at the maps.

1) One is to cross over at say Nogales and head straight south to the coast at Guaymas and then just following the coast line on the non toll main roads all the way to Aculpulco, making a slight detour to ride the Devil's Spine again

2) or to cross over at say Douglas, ride east on the 2 then south on the 10 to Chihuahua then south on the 24 (twisites!) to Durango, and riding the Devil's Spine southwest to Mazatlan and then taking the non toll main roads to Aculpulco

What do you guys suggest....?

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Two important details you need to think about first:
What month are you travelling south and how long is the storage i n Mexico ?

Summer in the Pacific coast plain can get very hot while the interior uplands will be more temperate. Other way around, winter in the northern upland can be very cold on some days and icy , not fun on bikes.
So your Durango route would be ideal for spring- summer-fall months but needs careful watching in winter.
I f it is a summer ride consider staying in the interior all the way down to ACAPULCO . The route along the Pacific is for most part not right along the water but anywhere to 30km+ inland. Of course there are some really great scenic bits east of Tecoman where the road runs at cliff top above the tide, but most of the time you need to hit spur roads to the water.

Storage in Mexico is not a problem if you will resume the ride and get to the southern border within the 180 valid period of the TVIP. If you leave it longer than that the TVIP expires, you lose your security deposit and face the trouble of having to set things right with Banjercito

Your #2 route is nice but I would suggest to not go to Chihuahua the city.
The 10 will send you south toward Cuauhtemoc and Mex 16 which is the perfect entry route to Copper Canyon country. So take 16 west, turn south onto 23 and to Creel,and you can see the CC, stay on 23 and it sends you on 24 to Hidalgo del Parral and you are back on Mex 45 ( flat, straight- ish)the fast route to Durango DGO and the Mex 40 / Espinazo to the coast CURVES
Mex 24is very nice enough but not really very twisty between Chihuahua and Hgo del Parral- it is high plains grassland and of and on a mountain ridge. The CC route will get you more curves and a number of dips down through canyons . At Creel take the side trip to Divisadero.
Other than this adjustment either of your routes is really okay, you need to explore either area sooner or later

Two weeks from PG to Acapulco is possible either route but really need to race thru the CDN-US bit to maximize Mexico time.

[mollydog]

Two weeks is very short time. As Sjoerd says, you'll have to hustle through USA, which can be done, but exhausting. I would BEG, BORROW or STEAL another 2 weeks in order to make the trip less stressful (safer!), more fun.

As noted, time of year is key to getting route advice. In Summer ... which is also RAINY SEASON (May through October) ... it's HOT and humid. But you guys aren't new to Mexico so you probably know all this.

If Summer, I'd stay cool in central highlands, but that is slower travel ... and so much to see ... you'll not make it in two weeks unless you skip all good sites.

Coming through Copper Canyon is a good bet and riding Mex 16 is better than the Espinia del Diablo imo. Enter at Nogales, cut off Mex 15 at Hermosillo on Mex 16 (or 23), ride to Creel, visit Copper Canyon, then continue South as Sjoerd suggests. Cut West to Acapulco.

You can make good time on the Mex 15 toll roads. Not too interesting but fast.

You have 6 month TVIP ... so if you return to Mexico to continue ride, then exit Mexico before 6 months is up, you're OK. Be sure to STOP at Guat. border and CANCEL your TVIP with Mexico Aduana/Banjercito in order to get your deposit bike back.

[Neil]

All the above! Special care on the security deposit! Other, than that and what the other folk have mentioned, Durango is truly one of my favourite Cities of northern Mexico, I planned to stay a night and carry on riding south, I spent a week there. I've been here since September last year and I can tell you that the climate is so changeable having been here from late summer through winter and having returned to places I was at in late summer I can attest to the the climate change. Late summer in Zacatecas for example was a pleasant 20°C degree climate in September, by December we were at -3°C. And as for coastal, even in winter Acapulco was a sweat-shop, frankly one of those places you can't wait to get into AC kind of places.

I can't really add more to what the previous posts have said but in detail I can say that coastal in summer doesn't bare thinking about for me on a bike.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Since you asked ( elsewhere. )
When you leave Mexico at the south border before the 180 days of the TVIP are used up you have a choice as to whether you cancel the TVIP or not.
ONE - if you are going into Guatemala or Belize for a short time and returning to Mexico before the TVIP expires you may hold onto it .
TWO - if the TVIP will expire while you are out of Mexico and in Central America then you should cancel it and collect your security deposit refund

[scharfg]

Wow this is awesome intel folks! I live in a small norther BC town so I just can't to down to the next "biker's" meeting and chin wag with folks that have done the type of travelling you have done, so this is critical intel for planning a successful ride for the likes of us that are limited in time and $$. Of course if neither were an issue I would just head south and see what happens :0)

Hi Sjoerd, its good to hear from you again. I bought both of your accommodation books for our Baja/MX mainland ride last spring, very helpful and here you are again being awesome!

Okay back to your great replies.

Yes I agree 2 weeks is pretty skinny buy alas its that or nothing as the one fellow who knows the Hostel owner in Guatemala runs his own business and is recently married and has a 3 year old!

I'm use to beetling it through the States and am quite happy to do ~500 miles a day and then slow down once we hit MX.

The timing will be the last week of September so it sounds like the more we can stay inland the better before hitting the sticky hot coast route, which north of Mazatlan does not really seem to be much of a coastal route (ie: you have to ride off the main road to see the water and enjoy the benefits of better scenery and cooling winds etc).

In terms of the suggested routes above, it turns out we rode a good chunk of those roads when we came north back home to BC last May, yes I agree that 16 east of Hermosillo is fantastic, but I also rocked the Devil's Spine despite each one of us having a near death experience on it!!! We also rode the new by pass toll hwy and I'd highly recommend it as well just to see all the engineering marvels on display, I was godsmacked and I live in BC Canada where we have some pretty challenging topography but we have nothing compared to what I saw over and over again on that road!

Here's the route we took back last year:

Once we hit Durango after doing the Devil's Spine 2x :0) we headed north on the 23 and then northeast on the 44 through Santa Cruz De Tepehuanes. Then north on the 45 to Hidalgo, then west on the 25 to just north of Guachochi, then down into Copper Canyon and then north to Creel, then northwest on the 23 at San Juanito to the 16 (yes that is twisty heaven indeed!). We continued west into Hermosillo, then north east on the 14 and turned north on the 118 and stopped in at Turkey Creek and met with his awesome wife (Mr. TK was in Bisbee and we actually passed him as he was riding home on the 118) who was indeed very helpful with directions and such. The 118 is in pretty rough shape but on our Wee and KLR's we were find (mind you the three cement based slimy stream crossings we made were a bit interesting).

Oh and we also road west of Creel and checked out Divisadero (strange indeed to see so much recreations infrastructure in that park) and headed further west on the fantastic new pavement looking (some sort of pipeline is going in) to ride into Urique but we kind of got an icky feeling just before we left the last town on the pavement and headed down into the valley towards Urique (ie: SUV's with guys in the back with guns heading the same way we were going), so we turned around back to Creel and then headed north.

So with all that background should we just ride the same super roads south through the interior, then southwest at Durango to Mazatlan and then along the coast from there?

Also, after doing some research about how best to fly home it turns out that there are not any flights on the airline we like to use out of Acapulco back home, so instead I'm suggesting we aim for Puerto Vallarta as our end and storage point. Its about 750 miles shorter and the flights back home are more frequent and cheaper. The plan is to come back in the spring so we'll be within our 180 TVIP dates and get into Guatemala to buddies Hostel and then leave the bikes there for the next time we come back.

Any bike storage suggestions for PV?

How does that all sound..?

Ps: Rather than do the Devil's Spine southwest to Mazatlan from Durango how is the 23 south of Durango to where it meets the 15D near San Lorenzo? I would not have considered this route as both my maps don't show the 23 connecting with the 15D to the south but Google Maps does and it looks mighty twisty.....

Pps: we'll be riding a KLR a Wee and an ULY. The fellow on the ULY rides that think in places I would never go with the Wee (ie: he mounts up TKC80's and pins it).

[scharfg]

Originally Posted by Sjoerd Bakker

Since you asked ( elsewhere. )
When you leave Mexico at the south border before the 180 days of the TVIP are used up you have a choice as to whether you cancel the TVIP or not.
ONE - if you are going into Guatemala or Belize for a short time and returning to Mexico before the TVIP expires you may hold onto it .
TWO - if the TVIP will expire while you are out of Mexico and in Central America then you should cancel it and collect your security deposit refund

Ah you caught that did you....

Thanks, we will be leaving MX and spending the rest of the time over the year(s) south of MX given we hope to use the Guatemala Hostel as a hub and storage after we get there during that time.

Also, any idea what we need to do (if anything) for keeping bikes in Guatemala? Do they have the same mandatory 3rd party insurance thingy like MX for example and do they have a TVIP thingy with expirey dates or....?

Ps: can someone point me to info about what our options are if we can't get back within the 180 days and get out of MX so we can go into this ride idea "eyes wide open"?

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Guy,
Okay ,now that you reveal all the routes you have already done in Mexico I would make a change in suggested routing .
With PUERTO VALLARTA as the goal you have freed up at least two days for a less hectic pace .
I figure that travellers beginning Mexico , or anywhere new, should try to do DIFFERENT roads each trip as long as possible . That is, don't immediately get into the rut of retracing the same roads on a second visit just because you might feel comfortable with them ; before you realize it you will be be like a rat running a familiar maze to the same resort year after year. Repeats should be saved for later and for special segments that you can incorporate as short bits joining new roads.
So it looks as if your #2. idea of doing the 10 south and via Chihuahua and the 24 to Parral is actually a very good plan . Doesn't matter if it is not as curvy as expected , you'll make up for that elsewhere. It will get you to Durango a bit faster so that you can take the 23 south at a more relaxed pace.
But don't feel as if you are obligated to follow the numbered federal highways that you see on your ROJI or googlemaps . These sources can be incomplete or out of date as you discovered with the 23 south out of Durango.
In Chihuahua state there are plenty of other paved new state highways south of Nvo Casas Grandes ( via Madera or Gomez Farias or Namiquipa or Las Murallas) which offer variety and scenery to get you to Cuauhtemoc and the start of Mex 24 . You don't even need to stick to 24 if it is too bland ( not likely) for you because at Valerio you can turn off west onto the side road labelled to BALLEZA (but you later turn east to Parral via Huejotitan and only repeat 30km of Mex 24) mostly paved with some construction and a nice easy adventure ride .

I would even go so far as to suggest you race down from PG along the east front of the Rockies and head straight for the border crossing in El Paso- CD JUAREZ and put together some routes south from there It surely will be new to you.

Yes that road Mex 23 from Durango south is now paved to Jesus Maria ( it's in your guidebook. with a hotel ; ) and BEYOND .
South of JM there was still about 20 km of unpaved two years ago going down the mountain , but that may be less or gone by now as construction was progressing actively from the south . In any case the entire road south to Mex 15 can easily be done in comfort on your KLR and 650 VStrom ... but WHAT is a ULY ?( Ural ? Unlimited Yamaha ?)

The road is really nice very mountainous and forested with lots of lower desert , a lot of very thinly populated back country .It runs to Estacion Ruiz which is 5km or so east of the Mex 15 Libre ( where do you locate San Lorenzo ? I can't find it on my ROJI)
Then you can put your time to use to have a look at Mexcaltitan and down the coast via San Blas.
If you think you are going to get to PV too soon there are some scenic mountain roads you can explore east of that resort .

As for bike storage in PV- not a problem as long as you get to remove them from Mexico before TVIP expires . If that is not possible be prepared to forfeit the security deposit, contact BANJERCITO and arrange your permit for exit future extraction .( see related posts under this thread here on HU this same forum
Long term parking for my motorbike near Cancun. )

Re: insurance for Guatemala - it is hard to impossible to buy for tourists in GT . Arrange it via internet sources before you travel there.
In Mexico if you get to the south border it is possible to cancel the TVIP , then store the bike inside Mexico eg in Tapachula area or Chetumal , one of the border towns in that southern frontier zone of Chiapas or Quintana Roo . You have your deposit back and on paper the bike is out of Mexico . Return and go straight out of Mexico with the bike or buy a new TVIP for another 180 days . You might even consider that as an alternate storage method between your GT visits if their TVIP process makes leaving it behind too difficult .

[scharfg]

Howdy Sjoerd, thank you very much for the info, without it we'd be sunk.


I have a '06 Wee lined up to purchase but I won't be pulling the trigger until I get this idea figured out.


BTW "ULY" = Buell Ulysses


The fellow that rides that beast puts TKC80's on it and muscles that bike through stuff way worse that what I would try on the Wee, he has ridden it down the Baja already and has quite the skill riding off the pavement with it.


Thanks for the alternate route suggestions, I agree the more roads we can travel that are new and fun the better.


I'd prefer to ride a few nice roads through the states and cross over at Aqua Prieta (is that a reasonable border xing?) I plan it to take ~7 days from Prince George, so we don't have to head east through the deserts of Texas to get to El Paso. If we do cross at AP then we can ride the 17 south to the 16 and head east from there to just south of Chihuahua as I would not mind riding twisty 16 again as we'd be going the opposite way this time, unless you think the 17 south is not that good a road (would the 14 to the east be a better idea)?


Great to hear about the 23 south of Durango, score!


San Lorenzo is just east of where the 23 meets the 15D to the southwest of Durango (at the end of the 23).


To get to the coast once he hit the 15D what is a nicer twisty/scenic road to ride the 74 or the 76 to the south? The 74 will let us ride more distance along the coast though.


Yes I was in a bus ride on a twisty MTN road south east of PV when I took a trip up to the longest Zip line in the area a couple of years ago (~1km long at speed near 100km/hr it was awesome!), so I'd like to ride that road again.


In terms of storage options I'm not sure we'll be able to meet the 180 day TVIP limit to come back (in discussions with ride partners), so we may be heading to Mazatlan instead and taking the ferry to La Paz and storing the bikes there as there is no TVIP requirement, which gives us the freedom to come back whenever.


So when we do come back we would take the ferry back to the mainland, get the TVIP and head to Guatemala, cancelling the MX TVIP and getting a 90 day TVIP for Guatemala.


Would we have to get the Guatemala TVIP if we are coming back to MX in ~1 week? What are the risks? Or is it easier just to the thing and cancel when we leave for MX?


Is there any point getting insurance for Guatemala, is it required like Mexico?


We'd ride around Guatemala for about a week as we would take us about a week to get from Cabo to the Guatemala border and then bring the bikes back into MX for storage near one of the border towns you suggested so we are not on the TVIP clock. Then we'd fly back and ride them out of MX (would they check for a TVIP when we leave MX into Guatemala?) and explore Guatemala, Belize and perhaps the east coast of MX, then storing them in say Quintana Roo again and repeat.


That strategy would give us probably ~5 years of riding around MX, Guatemala, and Belize.


Is there anything required to ride around Belize for paperwork (ie: TVIP, insurance)?


Would we want to explore El Salvador and Honduras or are they just places to ride through really fast to get Nicaragua and further south?


Thanks again, with a little bit more info I think we will be able to make this happen!

[Sjoerd Bakker]

I found your San Lorenzo, forget about it , it is a nondescript no- services ,village close to the tollroad and east of Estacion Ruiz There is NO entry onto the 15D toll road from mex 23

Sounds like the Ulyses rider has everything under control and he will have a great time if you can ride the route . None of it will be motocrossing in mudtrails. Unless you try riding the shortcut from Mex 17 to Mex 16 and it rains, as in desert thunderstorm.

Agua Prieta is a perfectly accepteble crossing . But if you are going south on 17 you will be zigzagging back west then east again to get to Chihuahua.
No matter how you look at it you will be going east to the equivalent of Juarez and that is why I could recommend going via El Paso. Taking 7days from PG to the border is really eating into your two weeks ( or was that 2 weeks IN MEXICO , additional to the transit to the border ?) I would have thought you guys would want to do a high speed run across the US , out of BC and Alberta and a cross the states on the fastest possible freeway route in about 3 or 4 days . Leave the scenic touring in US and CDN territory for later if Mexico is the objective.Decide on your priorities.


Going into GT with a bike there is no escaping the requirement to get a GT TVIP , but it is cheap and there is no big security bond involved.
Insurance for public liability is a legal requirement but it is really not enforced and most rural Guatemalans drive completely uninsured. The problem is if you get involved in any accident. It is for your own peace of mind and financial protection. Also being a gringo may make you an attractive target, perceived as potential big pay out for compensating a for local for a minor dent .With bikes it is unlikely , but in a car some jerk may actually provoke a small -ding contact and try to get you to pay out big to avoid getting the police involved , I have had that experience. If you are insured it may help you , but get the police involved anyway.If you know you are not responsible and can demonstrate you were not at fault the police may actually agree with you. If not the insurance will be worth it .
During my little event the paint in the small dent on the other car did not match the colour,( in fact contact on my car was with the headlight lens!) of MY car and the cop told the other guy to shake hands and buzz off. And the cop did not even ask for my insurance number !


For Belize there is an absolutely compulsory liability insurance required for each vehicle , it is very cheap and sold directly at the border, and they DO INSPECT along the roadside , random checks to see if yo have insurance. There is a 30 BZ$ exit tourist tax too.

Would you want to explore El Salvador and Honduras? Would YOU ? WHY would you NOT want to ?

OF course you would, or should want to !

[scharfg]

Hey Sjoerd, thanks for the additional intel, just a few more tidbits requests.


I'm a bit confused about the 23 road south of Durango route option (which I'd like to take), according to Google Maps and my 2014 Guia Roji map book, it does connect to 15D just south of Ruiz (I used the town of San Lorenzo just as a locational reference), so if doesn't, then where does the 23 come out and connect for our travels to continue south?


I also noticed in your reply from yesterday you said "Yes that road Mex 23 from Durango south is now paved to Jesus Maria ( it's in your guidebook. with a hotel ; ) and BEYOND .

South of JM there was still about 20 km of unpaved two years ago going down the mountain , but that may be less or gone by now as construction was progressing actively from the south . In any case the entire road south to Mex 15 can easily be done in comfort on your KLR and 650 Vstrom".


Regarding 17 south of Aqua Prieta, I'm okay with the zig zagging and then heading east on 16 and the 17 as they both look twisty versus droning east on the Interstate to El Paso.


Have you ridden the 14 east of the 17, it looks more twisty than the 17, is the 14 all paved and if not doable on our bikes (ie: how much gravel and how is it)? In the Baja we road from San Felipe past Coco's Corner back to the MX 1 HWY south and that was okay for us.


When you say the "the shortcut from Mex 17 to Mex 16 and it rains, as in desert thunderstorm" are you talking about the 20 south from the 17/14 at Moctezuma, then south to Tepache, then El Limbo then Guisamopo then Santa Rosa at the 16? On Google Maps and in my 2014 Guia Roji map book it shows it connecting and paved the entire way, how is it to ride as I'd like to do that versus heading southwest to Hermosillo then east on the 16 to Santa Rosa.


To clarify, we only have the two weeks from BC to where we will park our bikes in Central America (probably Cabos - if we can't make the 180 day TVIP or Peurta Vallarta - if we can make it back in time).


We would rather take some nice roads through the US and spend a little less time in MX than droning on Interstates (especially with a KLR!!). This is a multi year plan so we are okay with the limited time in MX this trip if it means staying away from the Interstates etc. I've been riding the western US for the last 12 years (120K+ kms) and have many awesome road and routes highlighted on my mapping records to choose from. This is what we did on our Baja ride last year south and north through the States and it worked well.


Thanks to your advice we'll be getting 3rd party liability for MX and GT via the internet.


For Belize, besides the 3rd party insurance does one need a TVIP?


My comments regarding El Salvador and Honduras are solely based on hearsay, so I'm glad to hear your positive comments as you are doing what we want to do regarding riding the areas.


Mucho Gracious!

[scharfg]

Hi folks, an update for you regarding TVIP "Free" zones along the south MX borders.


Both insurance companies said the only option is Quintana Roo north of Belize which does not work with our plan so, hmmmm......


We may be able to chance it in Chiapas given the checkpoints are so far north of the border....? This is what
Hi folks, an update for you regarding TVIP "Free" zones along the south MX borders.


Both said the only option is Quintana Roo north of Belize which does not work with our plan so, hmmmm......


We may be able to chance it via storage in Chiapas given the checkpoints are so far north of the border....? This is what Sjoerd has suggested we could consider.


I've pasted their replies below for your info:


1)


Then in southern Mexico, the latest we heard from Banjercito is that
the only state that is permit free is Quintana Roo.

Otherwise, all other states in Mexico will require you to carry a TIP.

Another thing we did hear a few years ago, is that you are not supposed to leave your vehicle in Mexico unattended, and leave the country. You are supposed to stay with your motorcycle.

Maybe that is something you would like to check with Banjercito or the Immigration office when you cross into Guatemala. You mentioned it would be in storage, so it might be fine, but I think this would be something that I recommend checking. I'm not sure if the rules have changed in that aspect.

If you need to contact Banjercito's office their main number is 011.52.555.328.2329

2)


Thanks for contacting Adventure Mexican Insurance. We’ve been spending most of the morning looking into an answer for your question. After speaking with 2 different Banjercito offices (they issue the vehicle permits), we have found that there is no free or border zone along the southern Mexican border like there is along the United States border. There are some areas where you can go as far as 80 kilometers without hitting a checkpoint, but technically you are required to have a vehicle permit anywhere within the state of Chiapas. If you were traveling through to Belize, the entire state of Quintana Roo is a free zone where no vehicle permits are necessary. But all other southern states in Mexico require you to have the TVIP for your bikes. If you would like to confirm for yourself and you speak spanish, here is the phone number for the Banjercito office in Chiapas: 011-52-963-631-4166

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Going down your list of querries;

Mex 23 passes the toll Mex 15 east side of Estacion Ruiz and the railroad, passes through town, west 5km , then has a junction with Mex 15 LIBRE which connects north to Nogales and south to the Tepic, Guadalajara and DF. And there are lots of other road conncetions from there.

I have done the Mex 17 several times most recent was a number of years ago, took the 14 east of Moctezuma ,but it turned north while I wanted to go south . Also the pavement came to an end and judging by googlemaps satelite photo views it is still mostly a gravel road with (dry) steam crossings and some villages and farms. Should be feasable on your assortment of bikes .Maybe Turkeycreek who lives in Sonora has more current info on how far pavement goes to Agua Prieta and the other roads.

Yes the "shortcut" is what you are listing. It may be newish paved from Moctezuma to Sahuaripa , but it was dirt last time I did it. From Sahuaripa south to Mex 16 it was old busted up pavement with lots of holes and numerous small landslides where the deep road cut sides had washed onto the road making for slow going in dry weather and really difficult riding if you happen to hit a summer thunderstorm or hurricane rain with flash floods.

The two weeks to get to PV FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA VIA SLOWER USA ROUTES are really not going to do Mexico justice It could easily take two weeks to get from the border to PV alone if you are getting into the scenic back road mode.. You are going to have to make some choices. Either bust out of BC in a blinders -on run for the border or maybe get an arrangement from work over a long weekend to let you off an extra day or two just to ferry the bikes to an Arizona border point, and fly back home util another flight south to actually start Mexico. Or quit work and get rehired after you come back Ive done that quitting thing to go traveling. It will be possible to go from PG to PV in two weeks but it will be a rush job. Your 2 week limit certainly makes any thought of further points an impossibility.

For Belize you get a personal stamp in the passport and a paper for the bike , no costs. Yes it counts as a TVIP but it is insignificant easy bit of paper to pick up at the border. Tourist tax as described is paid when you leave BZ

El Salvador and Honduras are their own countries , differ significantly from their neighbours. There is a bit more crime in the big cities but a vigilant cautious traveller minding his affairs and watching his back can have an interesting visit. Only because these countries are small don't succumb to the idea of racing through in a half day. Stay in smaller towns and you will be fine.

What they mean by QR being a " free zone' is , I think a reference to them permitting you to travel widely in THAT state from the Belize border entry without needing to get the Mexican TVIP for the limited time of the visit. It is the same case as Baja California, and Sonora with that state's Solo Sonora program.
This is different from coming from the north into the border free-zone and locking the bikes up in secure storage and not riding them at all, then returning to get the bikes and going directly to the border and riding out of Mexico.You are allowed to keep the Mex TVIP when you cross out so they really do not check , and don't care if you do not cancel
I would venture that you could cancel the TVIP, in Chiapas at the facility near HUIXTLA it is then OUT OF THE COUNTRY .Then ride to Tapachula , store the bikes securely and get a plane connection home.
Okay, it is unattended by you but nobody needs to know.

[scharfg]

Thank you so much Sjoerd, you have provided us with the intel that will allow us to make our pre-retirement dream riding plans a reality

Funny how Google Earth shows the 14 paved south of the border when in fact that is definitely not the case.

That "short cut" does sound interesting and I'm thinking we will put that on the list to ask Mr. Turkey Creek about south of Sahuaripa.

Yes we will try to get a few extra days off to provide the slower riding that MX deserves, but we don't have the type of jobs where we can do the "take this job n shove it" routine.

We are looking forward to riding in Belize and the State of Quintana Roo as part of this multi year adventure.

I will suggest to the crew we look into your idea of "canceling the TVIP, in Chiapas at the facility near HUIXTLA it is then OUT OF THE COUNTRY. Then riding to Tapachula , store the bikes securely and get a plane connection home."

Figuring out how to get a plane ride home from that neck of the woods may be an interesting exercise though.

Question:

Can we extend our TVIP and Tourist Card past the 180 days while we are down there in case we need to go a bit longer or do we have to make sure that we are out of MX by the 180 days during the original TVIP when we come back the second time?

Also, if we wanted to we could end our ride in Quintana Roo state and leave the bikes there without any TVIP expiry concerns correct?

Cheers, mi amigo.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Actually I never did the" Take this job and shove it " technique .
What I did was to have a job of a somewhat seasonal nature which was not concerned with a "career path" , promotions, tenure, seniority, no debts, mortgages, dependents . I had an amicable relationship with my employers and did my job well with never any sick days and they clearly understood what I was aiming at. We then agreed upon the times I would be away and I was let go off the payroll, officially unemployed.Quit. Then after my travel I would be rehired to resume working in the same capacity. This worked well for the employer and me- I got the free time I wanted and the employer was rid of me during times when work slowed down and did not need to hire a replacement nor spend time and money training a new person .
I didn't get rich from doing that but we all make our own choices.
A variant on my approach is now very common for the folks who working the information technology field . they can drag their computer with them and still work while on the road from anywhere with an internet connection.


Flying from Tapachula should be as easy as cake . They have an international Airport south of the city and simply asking for flight connections on Google from Tapachula easily brings up a number of finds for cheap flights to Nvo Laredo,Tijuana, Matamoros -- you name it .
I have read that flights inside Mexico can be very inexpensive so if you go via Tijuana you are very close, a taxi and bus ride to San Diego and more connections to home .

Never having tried to " extend " a Mexican TVIP I cannot vouch for it 100% , but I do think you can NOT EXTEND a TVIP in interior Mexico.
( again see the posts by Leinweber referenced earlier)
You need to go with the bikes to an actual border exit processing point and cancel a TVIP and collect the refund for the deposit--
You CAN then immediately buy a NEW TVIP for a further 180 days.
If you have a TVIP from the ride south from the USA and it will expire during the time of your absence then it will mean loss of your deposit and a problem when trying to renew or cancel it when you return ( see Leinweber)

Similarly , not having done storage anywhere, I am of course working from hearsay and applying what I do know about the border. In QR , ,if you HAVE NO TVIP after cancelling it at the border exit it means the bike is either out of Mexico or legally inside that QR territory and the authorities do not have it in their books. So in practical terms it is off their radar and if you keep it locked in a storage shed it does not exist .
You can indeed cancel the TVIP and get refund and then turn back to
spend time inside QR, just as well as you can enter Mexico from the USA and not get a TVIP for the border zone. In Chiapas the Huixtla border paperwork terminal stands 60km inside Mexico which gives you a good bit of territory to find storage.
Always cancel the TVIP before it expires.