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 THINGS TO KNOW
Driving into Chiapas from the north is a relatively easy ride. The roads are clearly marked and are in good condition. From Palenque the roads remain in good condition however the drive from Palenque to Ocosingo is a drive that twists and turns up and down mountains. If you get carsick then this trip will make you sick for sure. The road is only two lanes and many of the hairpin turns are right next to cliffs. There is no margin for error here. The roads are used by transport trucks, buses and farm vehicles as well. From Ocosingo to San Cristobal and beyond it is pretty much the same. The roads are in good condition however they are mountain roads. As far as actually driving is concerned, if you have ever driven a car in Quebec, Canada then you will have no problem driving in Mexico. The majority of Mexicans do not speed as even a minor traffic offence can lead to more hassles dealing with police. You do not find as many people driving like maniacs as you do in Canada.
Mexican's drive differently, many are courteous. This will be a new experience for people coming from other countries. For example, if you are driving along and encounter a slower moving vehicle you will notice that the driver will pull over to the shoulder lane and turn on their left turn signal. This is a signal for you to pass them. You pass them then turn on you're right signal to say thank you. If you are driving and the person behind you puts on their turn signal and does not do anything that person is letting you know that they want to pass you. If someone in the oncoming lane flashes their lights at you it means that there is a problem up ahead and you should be aware of this and slow down or proceed with caution.
Your insurance policy and 10 pesos will get you a cup of coffee in Mexico, that's it. You MUST have Mexican auto insurance. Do NOT trust auto insurance coverage offered by you're credit card unless you have it verified in writing that you are covered driving in Mexico. When purchasing insurance your coverage SHOULD INCLUDE claims adjusters that will come to the scene of an accident and an attorney. You are not allowed to move your vehicle and the police may detain you in the event that anyone is hurt until fault can be established. If a traffic accident does occur, the police may impound your vehicle, especially if there is no one there to help you defend your rights such as an insurance adjuster and/or an attorney. In the event that someone is injured and you are found responsible, you might not only be held liable for that person's medical expenses but also for financially supporting them and their dependents until they recover. Save your self the aggravation and buy the insurance.
If you carry a weapon or even a bullet or spent cartridge into or in Mexico and a Mexican official finds this you are in big trouble. Mexico is not like the movies. Any sign of a weapon and the military will be all over you no matter where you are.
Yes there are speed limits in Mexico and the police do enforce them. You want to avoid all possibility of getting arrested. Even a speeding ticket can get problematic if other circumstances arise to escalate things. Speed limits are posted. If you are caught speeding the officer will more than likely demand payment for your fine on the spot. If you do not have the money there you may have to go to the police station and have the money sent to you somehow.
When dealing with police officers, military or any Mexican official remain calm and collected. Treat this person with the utmost respect. Be sincere and be prepared to follow all directions and answer any questions. Do not be confrontational and do not raise your voice. Remain passive at all times. You will receive no slack for being a tourist who does not know the law. Never attempt to bribe a police officer or official but be prepared to pay a fine "on-the-spot".
Described above is the means in which Mexicans communicate with each other while implementing a pass however what is not mentioned is that Mexicans do not like to wait behind slower vehicles. Mexicans will pass in conditions that would give you a heart attack. They will pass 3 cars abreast. They will pass with on-coming traffic being forced over to their shoulder. You can be in a line of 6 vehicles and the last 2 cars will attempt to pass the other 4 at the same time then jockey for position as they attempt to pass each other. You have to be prepared for this and you will know exactly what we are talking about 10 minutes after driving on the highway. Always check your mirrors to make sure there isn't a cavalcade of cars and trucks flying up on your left side just as you pull out to pass. This is about the only real radical thing that Mexican driver's seem to do.
If you rent a standard vehicle be prepared to do a lot of shifting. If you are not in good shape then you will get a sore arm and shoulder after a couple of days so you might want to consider renting an automatic instead of a standard if you need a car for more than a day.
Pemex does not accept credit cards, checks or US currency. You'll need to pay in pesos. The rule of thumb is when ever you see a gas station, fill-up. Do not enter the jungle with half a tank of gas unless you know exactly where you are going. If you stick to main highways you will encounter frequent gas stations. Sometimes the station will not have any gas [usually around Merrida or the Chiapas]. There will usually be something telling you not to bother driving in. No cars is generally a good indication that there is no gas. All gas stations have attendants. Every gas station we have ever been in has a small convenience store and you will usually find someone who speaks English if you need help or directions. Some gas stations are quite popular with the locals and is a sort of hangout. At these stations expect many peddlers. There will sometimes be a pretty young girl who will have an old blind or crippled lady with her asking for money. Hand them a few pesos which you can be assured will go to the care and feeding of their family who may be undergoing dificulties beyond you're imagination.
Gas station guys do this all over the world so this is not something only in Mexico. In fact it has never happened to us however there is always a first time and we always tell the guy exactly how many pesos to fill up. The scam is that if you say "fill er up" they can start pumping the gas without resetting the pump and have the previous sale still rung up. This means that you pay for what was already on the pumps plus your gas. There is nothing you can do and if you refuse to pay you will get arrested by the police unless you can prove what transpired. When you pull up to the pumps let the guy see that you are watching him.
If you are desperately in need of gas there are many "local" gas stations, which is a guy with a barrel of gas. What you do is drive into the nearest village or enclave of houses and ask for gas. Someone will tell you how and where to find it. If you have to, pay someone to take you to the gas guy. The guy will fill up a small gas-can and then put that in your vehicle and charge you. Obviously you need CASH and if you do not have any then be prepared to trade your Rolex for $10 worth of gas.
Driving the highways in Chiapas is nothing like driving the U.S. Interstates or TransCanada Highway. For starters there are no fast-food restaurants or gas stations every 15 minutes. There are also NO public rest stops. The closest thing is a Pemex gas station. There you will find clean bathrooms usually with toilet paper and toilet seats. Besides this you can try the local restaurant at any pueblo you happen to be passing by or simply stop at the side of the road. You should by habit always carry you're own TP. Sometimes at Pemex you will be asked for money to use the bathroom by some kid sitting at the door, usually not.
It is not recommended to drive out in the countryside at night not because of bandits but because of accidents. If you go over a cliff, nobody may notice.
Mexico is nothing like Cuba where you can basically drive anything that moves. In Mexico there are numerous laws governing vehicles. However you will still see horse drawn carriages and farm wagons. You may even pass cowboys on horses riding down a highway. You may also encounter animals like cows, sheep, horses, turkeys and lots of dogs. NOTE: If you are driving on private land and hit a cow you have to pay the farmer for the cow.
Your a tourist in a VW bug. Don't push you're luck against a Mexican truck driver. The best thing to do is always yield to the other driver and avoids any hassles!
When approaching a town of any size you will often see two arrows. One indicates "libremiento" and one indicates "centro." The libremiento bypasses around the center of town and all the big trucks and buses will be on it. In many small towns, especially in Colonial Mexico, the central streets are hundreds of years old and were built for burro traffic. You can easily get stuck and backing up can be a nightmare especially if you are in a minivan or worse a RV.
Always carry a pre-paid calling card [phone-card] in case of emergencies. Many phones do not accept coins. Most stores sell the cards.
If you take a late model VW bug into Chiapas and have a brake-down, no problem. If you are in your brand new BMW and need help, good luck. Of course you will find help in Mexico City but not as easily in the Chiapas. Parts have to be shipped there and your average mechanic, as skilled as he may be, may not have any experience on you're car, or any manuals to guide him. |
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| Archaeological Sites | Natural Beauties | Cities and Villages | |
  
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DRIVING THE MEXICAN WAY
You will quickly get the feeling that you can park anywhere you want. Do not. When you see this sign do not park. What can happen is that the police can and sometimes do take your license plates or even impound the vehicle. If it is a rental you have to pay and go through all the hassles of sorting the mess out which can totally ruin 2 days of your trip and cost you money for nothing but aggravation.
The official logo of TravelYucatan.com is a "topes". These are everywhere, even on main highways. If you drive in the Yucatan you will eventually hit one. Sometimes there is a sign warning you, sometimes there is not. The rule of thumb is that whenever you approach a small village or even a few houses you will find topes. They come in all shapes and sizes and Mexico surely must be the leading authority on speed bumps. One quickly gets the idea that there must be some kind of conspiracy between mechanics and speed-bump installers.
Pemex is the Mexican government's monopoly gasoline and diesel fuel chain. There are two grades of gasoline currently available in Mexico - Magna Sin (unleaded) at 87 octane and Premium Magna Sin at 89 octane. Prices are the same all over Mexico.
In some small towns there is a system of one way streets that grid the town. your map will not list these streets and you can easily get lost or worse go down a one way street and hit something. The way you know you are entering a one way street is through stop signs, which have arrows, indicating which way you can go at the stop sign.
An arrow pointing to the right means you must go right or straight. An arrow pointing to the left and right means the street ahead is one-way, do not enter. If the sign has no arrows then you can go in any direction. See signs for more details.
