Travel Tips For Mexico

by Max Lent .  � 2003 Max Lent

Driving

Do not drive at night on Mexican highways.  Your greatest dangers driving at night are livestock, broke down vehicles, the roads, and not knowing Mexican driving customs.  You might not notice it on an air conditioned bus, but Mexican roadsides are littered with the carcasses of dead cows.  If you were in a car, especially one without air conditioning, you would smell the carcasses before you saw them, especially during the summer.  When you are next in Mexico, look closely at the bumpers on Mexican trucks.  Many of them look more like military vehicles designed to breach road blocks than commercial vehicles.  The truck bumpers are designed to impact with cows at 60+ miles per hour without damaging the trucks.  Imagine meeting two of these trucks coming at you side by side on a mountain road at night.  For some unknown reason Mexican truck drivers are always passing each other at the worst possible times and they seem to prefer to pass at night.

Health

When traveling to Mexico the most important issue is maintaining your health.  Getting traveler's diarrhea can ruin your whole trip.  Be careful of what you eat and drink.  For additional information please visit the Travel Food and Water Page.  

Insurance

If you are driving in Mexico, obtain Mexican Insurance.  If you are involved in an accident, which is more likely to happen to you in a foreign country than in the U.S., you will discover that legal systems work differently in other countries.  Sometimes the differences can become catastrophic if you aren't fully insured.  When I have traveled by car in Mexico I have used Sanborn's Insurance and they were there when I needed them. 

Country Information

• Mexico.  Government, tourist, weather, and other useful information for travelers.