Mexico Safer Than You Might Think
 

Interesting info about Mexico. NOw you can feel safe knowing some of the info.
Home - How Safe Is Mexico

Ssssh, don't tell every one, they will all want to go :-)

It never ceases to amaze me how sensationalist not only the press, but also first world government agencies can be.
Garry, like myself, is a long time permanent resident and rider here in Mexico.
In my case, I have been here for two decades, riding on and off road and the great majority of the time solo.
It is ludicrous to think that someone cannot ride a bike in Mexico because of safety concerns. The whole "You're gonna ride Mexico on a motorcycle"? surprise of border agents and general public in the first world is incomprehensible. Nobody ever stops to ask the question, "What do Mexican motorcyclists do"? Are we expected to stay at home out of fear? Are our numbers dwindling due to evil narco roadblocks, killer cops, cannibals, and general bad ass people at every turn?
Nonsense.
Try riding your bike through some neighborhoods in say, Chicago, for example.
Ahh, but astute Chicago residents will say, "Oh, come and visit, it is not like the news reports it, the violence is limited to certain people and certain areas".
Bingo!
But do you see the US State Department issuing a travel advisory for people heading to Chicago? No. What you do see is hypocrisy. Massive amounts of it and it is pathetic, boring, poorly thought out, and serves very little purpose other than to further a warped view of life in a neighboring country. And it isn't just the US that is guilty of this, other nations do the same thing.
Yes, there is narco violence in Mexico. To deny what has been happening for some time in Michoacan, for example, would be irresponsible. But Mexico is a fairly big country. It is like having violence in south-central LA and being told not to travel to Wisconsin.
It is also interesting that some people blame only certain news agencies for fear mongering about Mexico. Nonsense. All the major news outlets do the same thing.
Every rider that has come through here that I have had the chance to meet up with has remarked the same thing. They have all stated how different Mexico really is from how it is portrayed in the government bulletins and the news. They have all had zero problems and they have all traveled through areas that were supposedly hot zones of violence.
One of the greatest disservices is done by those motorcyclists who like to inflate their egos with tales of daring exploits south of the border, the kind of BS that impresses the cousins at the dinner table at family gatherings.
People believe the BS and spread it around, soon enough it becomes an urban legend and the cycle continues. Even some motorcycle magazines have been guilty of this warped view.
Whew! Boy do I feel better for the above little rant.:palm:

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::c lap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

In nearly 4 months of travelling Mexico the hardest part was leaving and the most dangerous part was when I nearly spilt my rum one night while really enjoying myself.

I must get that drinking disorder sorted out jeiger

Someone really need to sensationalise crime in the US so they know how it feels!!!!!

Yeh, well, as much as we enjoyed our recent three months constant travel around Mexico, most of it being on the minor roads, I must confess to a lingering hatred for those who insist on building their own DIY topes every 100 yards. Hitting them at speed on a bike must be quite exciting.

They build topes to slow you down so you don't kill their chickens, children, and grandparents. You don't like that?

It's a rare tope which can't be taken at fair speed on a bike if you weight the pegs (thus unweight the seat). The ones with the broad, flat tops and steep sides can definitely pose problems for the attention-impaired. The home-made ones are seldom difficult. I much prefer topes to the alternative: deep trenches perpendicular to the road.

In a car, truck or bus: pure torture.

Mark

.... and the ones in Mexico city are nearly RedBull stunt ramps :thumbup:

Shoulda tried a double back flip while we were there :cool4:

+1 MikeMike
Only 2weeks ago or so , I could not resist the pull of Mexico after watching the MOTO GP at Laguna Seca,and that was after a ride to Bella Coola.
Had to make it into a three-flags trip!
So headed into Tijuana via Otay Mesa and enjoyed touring the city center
And not a hair on my balding head was harmed.Then to Ensenada for the night,
Back north to Tecate for the night- yes that took me all day!, And east on Mex 2 along.... GASP! .... the " dangerous border" , through downtown Mexicali and a third night in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora .All the time friendly folks....:D. until
I got to the USA entrance and the customs agent had a bunch of snarky questions as to what I was doing""over there"
Now it is off back to Ontario and I may have to avoid the gun violence of Detroit

I will chime in and agree with Mike, Sjoerd, and Garry. I have spent a total of 15 weeks riding Mexico on 5 different occasions and have never had a problem. It has been said many times, if you are looking for problems, you can find them. If you stay away from the "night life" and behave yourself, you can enjoy the great roads, good food, and friendly people. I have never felt threatened or in any danger while riding in Mexico.


:thumbup1:

It´s good to hear positive comments. We will be touring around Mexico at the end of the year and I´m sure we will love it as we have loved every trip we´ve taken over the last 35 years of living here.
It is not as safe as it used to be if you look for trouble you will find plenty of it. we won't look for any and hopefully won't find any.

garry

Oh Yes!
 

I completely agree with the messages above this. I'm a boring middle aged fat bastard that recently travelled Mexico (4 weeks) on a KLR, enroute to Guate. The only time I was scared was 4pm every afternoon when I skyped the wife back home.

Mexico is a hospitable, safe, cheap and dignified country. :funmeteryes:

I agree with you guys as Mexico is a great place and yes you can find trouble anywhere. I road raced motorcycles for ten years (1985 to 1994) and we traveld to mexico to race 3 - 4 times a year traveling to Monterrey, San Luis Potosi and even raced in Mexico City once at Autodrome Hermanos. We were driving all over the country in a nice truck with race trailer full of bikes, tools and gear and didnt ever have anything but pleasant experiences and have some life long friends from those trips. I will be retiring within a year and an extended trip which will include Mexico is coming up soon and I cant wait !

Cheers

Steve

Steve, if you are coming through here in Veracruz, let me know.
KahlarhiG, next time stop by on your way north or south.

Nice Message
 

It is so nice to hear that the news about Mexico not being safe is not true.

I'm flying into Mexico City on Wednesday Night from Victoria BC Canada and have no idea what I will do once I arrive!!

I have a budget of $2500 or 30,000MX to find a dual sport motorcycle in the DF. Been looking on the popular online classifieds and have narrowed it down to the

1) Honda XR250 Tornado
2) Italika DM 200 *** Have they stopped making this bike? Also cannot find the price of this bike new.
3) Honda XR125L *** Little concerned that It will be under powered.

I have friends who went to Mexico on motorcycles two years ago - and were stopped, beaten, and robbed by a gang posing as police.

I think the perception that travel in Mexico is "dangerous" may be in part because the cultural differences prevent some people from discerning which areas are "safe" and which ones are not.

Being American, I know that inner cities can be unsafe, and I recognize the signs of increased criminal activity. But how would I know, for instance, if I were travelling through a Cartel's area in Mexico? How would I know where it is safe to pass through, and where it is not?

Unless you are confident that you know the area well enough, and have accurate advanced information, you would do well to be cautious.

I hear stories like the one above all the time. However, the details are always missing. Exactly where and when did it happen?

It is so good to read this! I am a girl fron Guatemala and I wanto to go to Florida in my motorcycle, everybody think I am crazy but I really looking foward to do it, any recomended route I could take ?

A few place to think about in Mexico
 

Hi MG,

Are you looking for the fastest route through Mexico? Do you have time for a few stops? Where in Guatemala will you be starting your trip?

Places I recommend:

San Christobal, Mexico - http://goo.gl/maps/1zfEL
I only spent a few hours there. A good friend spent weeks there and loved it.

Zipolite - http://goo.gl/maps/Pv6q2
Spend two nights resting in this quiet and laid back Pacific coast beach town. Popular with backpackers and surfers. The main street had basically zero traffic. Find "Posada Kiko" for the cheapest room and even cheaper camping. From there it is 6-7 hours riding to Oaxaca, north on MX 175. Fun twisty road through the mountains.

Oaxaca - http://goo.gl/maps/ZbMVF
Lots of artists and political free thinkers. Check out cathedrals, ruins not far from town (I didn't visit...), drink and eat their famous chocolate, and a snack on a deep fried cricket.

Unless there is something you want to see, you might want to avoid Mexico, DF. I got lost there for hours, on two trips, but managed to get around OK the third time.. There are lots of amazing museums in Mexico City.

At any point, blast over to the Caribbean coast and hug it all the way to Texas by taking MX 180, or from Oaxaca take the toll road to Puebla. From there go east of Mexico City (or not), ride to Pachuca then take MX 105 north, twists and turns, twists and turns for hours...then stop in Xilitla.

Xilitla, San Luis Potosi, Mexico - http://goo.gl/maps/fJCcf
Visit Las Pozas, just north of town, and see the buildings and such created by the surrealist sculptor Edward James. Very cool.

Have fun!

As Peter said above, the best route depends on your interests, and how much time you have available.

Have you investigated the procedure for taking your moto into Mexico? Be prepared to make a deposit of 200 to 400 USD depending on the year of your moto. (You get it back when you cross into the USA.)

I spent 2 months in Guatemala in 2012, and have traveled in Mexico by moto as well. You are going to have a great trip, no matter what route you take. Where in Guatemala do you live, and where will you be crossing the border to Mexico?

Since Peter brought up the TVIP security deposit it would be appropriate to add
some important details for Majo

How long are you going to be in the USA and Mexico before you return back to Guatemala? Important for you to know .
The TVIP and security deposit are good for 180 days and if you return from Mexico to Guatemala within that span but before day 181 you do not need to cancel the TVIP nor get the refund for the security deposit when leaving Mexico to go into the USA. This will save you the cost of buying a newTVIP for the return trip through Mexico and the bother of posting the security deposit a second time.
You can cancel the TVIP and get refund when you return to Guatemal
If your trip is for a much longer visit or permanent move to the USA then of course look after getting the TVIP cancelled and the refund.
For your entry point to Mexico from Guatemala you could consider the crossing at La Mesilla because the Mexican Migracion is very easy to find
4km from the actual border .
If you are going west via Tapachula , Mexico by way of CA 2 through Reu then
consider taking the border crossing at Cacahoatan which is not a hectic mess
as the southern crossing at Tecun Uman.
At Cacahoatan you can get a tourist card but it is advisable to get that and the TVIP and deposit done up at the MIGRACION and BANJERCITO office
beside Mex 200 to the west side of Tapachula at village of Viva Mexico .
This office is on North side of road at split for the south bypass to the Tecun Uman crossing and serves both crossings and can look after the cancellation and refund very easily
PS. Being clairvoyant , I see the next post mentioning $449 for the deposit =) Do not confuse the actual TVIP cost as being
part of the refundable security deposit. The $49 additional are the non refundable TVIP costs which may vary slightly over time.
The security deposit is at maximum $400 and it will be refunded when you take the trouble to seek out the border BANJERCITO kiosk to cancel the TVIP BEFORE it expires. No Mexican authorities will come to you to remind you to cancel , it is
completely up to you to start that process.

+1. I am currently slowly passing through in Mexico with the wife. We have a 2010 Yam S10 and paid $449 as a deposit. Hope they pay it back !!

Since arriving 3 weeks ago I have only found the populous friendly and accommodating. Aside from the current weather we are enjoying the visit.

In answer to the above comments about dates and people etc. Here is one problem that Nick Sanders had: He was on one of his mega trips and his support driver was kidnapped and his pickup and two bikes were stolen. I know this because he told my wife and I when we bumped into him in Monument Valley.

--- Thanks Nick, you managed to scare the f**k out of my wife --- Doh!

Bandits attack Nick Sanders expedition | Insidebikes | Carole Nash

Old news, and it was the pickup driver that was attacked because of the truck he was driving. Simple as that. In over twenty years of living here full time and riding here both on and off road, I have heard of only 2 credible incidents where motorcyclists were targeted and attacked. Other incidents I have heard about (only 3 other incidents) could never be verified by anyone.

I do know a guy who spent a couple of months riding here in Mexico, he went back to the USA and was violently robbed within a half hour of getting off his flight in Baltimore, Maryland.

Based on that, I truly hope the US State Department issues a travel warning for Baltimore. Maybe they can also do so for Colorado, Conn, NJ, NY, Ill, Fla, and about 30 other states?

I also know a rider who cris-crossed Canada, then went from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego on his Honda. The only problems he had were getting his spare gas tank stolen in Alaska and was attacked on a known bad road in Guatemala and had a few things stolen by the thieves.

Mexico? Enjoy it!:Beach:

I lived in Mexico for 4 months - never once felt threatened and Mexican people are immensely friendly and very hospitable. Only the best things to say about that country! Can't wait to go back.