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TomH

Jun 10, 2012, 12:09 AM

Post #1 of 10 (2742 views)

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Reynosa to Belize

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I've read all of the travel posts for 2012. I am retiring in Belize in September and plan on driving my car (SUV with OK license plates) through Mexico from Reynosa along the east coat to Chetumal. I figure two days with a stop in vera Cruz. Any comments or warnings?

Thanks

Altahabana

Jun 10, 2012, 9:57 AM

Post #2 of 10 (2709 views)

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Re: [TomH] Reynosa to Belize

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My only comment is that there are other crossings in South Texas that do not require you to travel through central/southern Tamaulipas. There are things happening there now that most people would choose to avoid if they are simply in transit and reasonable options are available. Crossing at Nuevo Laredo adds a couple of hundred miles to the trip and will put you on more toll/cuota roads, but driving time should be about the same.

RickS

Jun 10, 2012, 10:22 AM

Post #3 of 10 (2699 views)

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Re: [TomH] Reynosa to Belize

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Although I have not driven the first part of the trip you propose, I have researched it. If adhering to the widely held 'rule' of driving in Mexico..... don't drive during the night..... I think you may be hard pressed to make that trip in just 2 days. To get from Reynosa to Veracruz City is about 650 miles but there is very little 4-lane toll roads on that leg and it takes at least 12 hours if just blasting through. The remaining leg (to Belize) is even longer although much easier to drive.

If you can't make Veracruz in one day, you might want to stop about 2 hours short of it around the "Costa Esmeralda".
See: http://johntoddjr.com/98%20Costa/costa.htm

And, if it were me, I'd want to spend some time around Veracruz City taking in the sites but you may just be interested in the destination and not the journey. If you do decide to take a look, the above website is a jewel. That home page is: http://johntoddjr.com/ . Also there are some nice articles about Veracruz state/city here on Mexconnect at: http://www.mexconnect.com/search?search[text]=catemaco&commit=Search

As to warnings..... Reynosa and south into the state of Tamaulipas has been a particular 'hot spot' for bad things happening over the last few years. These 'bad things' are mainly directed to the Mexican population and not tourists, but.... The hiway 97 south from Reynosa down to and including San Fernando and even farther south is especially troublesome. And to add insult to injury, there have been some disconcerting events in the state and city of Veracruz this year. For that reason my research of the area (mentioned above) has led to my decision to not travel there. Having said that, the laws of statistics and probability suggest that on any one trip on any given day(s) for any given person, the chance of having a negative situation arise should be remote. Should be.

NOTE: Altahabana posted while I was composing. You may want to listen to his advice. I'm sure he won't mind me saying that he lives and works along that border and is privy to much information that the rest of us can only hear second hand.

(This post was edited by RickS on Jun 10, 2012, 10:33 AM)

sfmacaws

Jun 10, 2012, 11:26 AM

Post #4 of 10 (2688 views)

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Re: [TomH] Reynosa to Belize

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Two days is not just optimistic, I don't think it is doable. There are some stretches of slow, bad roads in there.

I would also advise using the central route, bypassing Mexico DF on the Arco Norte and coming down to the cuota to Villahermosa. Driving non stop, you could get to the Yucatan in 3 days, perhaps even all the way to Chetumal if really motivated. You won't save any time by going along the east coast even if it is safe, the roads are much worse, the traffic cops much more corrupt and there are a lot more towns and cities to get through. You would save some kilometers and tolls but that could be negated by the delays and the bribes.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

TomH

Jun 10, 2012, 11:31 AM

Post #5 of 10 (2685 views)

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Re: [Altahabana] Reynosa to Belize

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Thank you for taking the time to respond. I've read many of both you and RickS's posts. They are very helpful.

I lived in Mexico (Manzanillo and Mexico City) for about 6 years in the early '90's when I owned a franchise business in Mexico. We had franchisees in Monterrey, Saltillo, Vera Cruz, Merida, Cancun, Cozumel and Mexico City. So I've travelled around Mexico a lot. But that was about 20 years ago. Things have changed since then.

Yes, I am "blasting through" Mexico, primarily getting from OKC to Hopkins in Belize where we are building a retirement home in Sanctuary Belize.

So you recommend entering Mexico at Nuevo Laredo. It looks like all the border entries have been having a lot of cartel violance lately. I looked at http://stanford.edu/~dkronick/mexico_crime/ and it looks like once past the border area, much of the random violence drops off.

So the track I've laid out is Nuevo Laredo south on 85 (toll rd?) to swing past Monterrey to the northwest and then east of Saltillo on 57D. 57D past San Louis Potasi and then on to Quetero. Then stay east of Ciudad de Mexico on 57 D through Puebla (is the big VW factory still there?) Heading easterly on 150 D through Orizaba and Cordoba to pick up 145D to Coatzacoalcos on the coast. Then picking up 180 through Villahermosa and on to Chetumal where I turn in my TIP papers and get my deposit back. Spend the night in Corozal in Belize and then on to my new home next to the Sittee River in Stann Creek. Does that sound reasonable?

From your comments, it looks like I should plan on averaging 500 miles a day at around 50 mph rather than planning of the more aggressive 600 to 700 miles a day.

Thanks again for sharing your experience and advice. I will do the same when I complete the trip. The development that I am moving to will have 500 to 1,000 new residents over the next few years and many of them will want to bring their car down also.

Tom

TomH

Jun 10, 2012, 11:34 AM

Post #6 of 10 (2682 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Reynosa to Belize

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Thanks very much for your advice. see my post below for the new route.

sfmacaws

Jun 10, 2012, 11:45 AM

Post #7 of 10 (2679 views)

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Re: [TomH] Reynosa to Belize

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That's how I would do it, and yes, the VW plant is still there :) 145D from Cordoba to Coatzacoalcos may be a toll road but the surface is usually in very bad shape. They may repair it after the rainy season but it doesn't last long. We did that drive 2x a year for 6 years and it was usually a little better in the spring but horrible in the fall, so I'm guessing the summer rainy season was the culprit.

I'll have to look on a map for Sanctuary Belize, I don't recognize the name. We've spent quite a bit of time in Belize in the past, mostly on the western side around the Cayo district. I like that part of the country although I'm not fond of the coastal areas to the east. Still, it is a country with incredible natural beauty and we have some good friends living there. Not much culture, not much interesting food unless you can live on stew beans and rice for ever. The diversity of languages and cultures are really interesting in such a small area, I enjoy that aspect of the country a lot.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

TomH

Jun 10, 2012, 12:02 PM

Post #8 of 10 (2675 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Reynosa to Belize

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Jonna,

See www.sanctuarybelize.com we bought a lot 2 years ago and are building our retirement home there. It will be finished in September. Yes, it is quiet but very beautiful. And as with most places in that part of the world, the people are very friendly and good. We are able to bring our household goods and our car in duty free as part of their approved retirement program. It is also a common law country so we have fee title to our property.

sfmacaws

Jun 10, 2012, 7:54 PM

Post #9 of 10 (2631 views)

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Re: [TomH] Reynosa to Belize

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Nice display site, interesting that it is in German and English. My friends in Belize are German nationals as well. I had missed before that you mentioned Hopkins, so I found the area on Google, you're in Stann Creek. It is a gorgeous area. Glad you are living your dream.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

robt65

Jun 12, 2012, 9:56 PM

Post #10 of 10 (2558 views)

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Re: [TomH] Reynosa to Belize

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Hello,

You might wish to take this same route I replyed to another poster a few minutes ago.

(previous post to another OP)

I am robt65. I take that route to the Anzalduas International Bridge fairly frequently. I have made three round trips in the past four months. I am leaving again later this week for another round trip due to my need for medical care at the VA in McAllen, TX. There are a lot of $50 to $60 dollar clean hotels on the US side of the border

I travel all the time in a recent model Tahoe with and without, a 16 foot enclosed cargo trailer. I have so far (past two and a half years) had very uneventful trips. I can tell you that the drive between the west end of Reynosa (Anzalduas International Bridge) across from Mission, TX is a really easy and so far a very safe route for myself. There are a lot of Federal Police patrolling. They (Federal Police) are also very helpful if you need directions, including one time an escort for me at a particular turn-off, to reach the Monterrey Periferico in the beginning when I wasn’t sure of the direction.

I will also suggest that once past the second toll booth going west, you want to make sure that you gas up at every Pemex you see. There a few spots between the Monterrey Periferico (first toll booth coming east from the west) and entering Reynosa that are a long distance without gas stations. I now will always gas up at every station I see before entering the Monterrey Periferico going east and also coming from the west towards 57 south to Mexico.

As far as the necessary) car permit, immigration and aduana offices, all are on one easy site. You park and take care of business all in one building. I would suggest an early start as that would get you from Mission, Texas to Matahuala for an overnight stay. You would probably arrive around three to four PM. It gets dark there around 7:45 PM, and not light until around 7:15 AM (two weeks ago). I would really discourage you trying to go farther than Matahuala on the first day. The trip to Queretaro can be made in a long (and after dark) arrival to San Luis Potosí and on to Queretaro in about 12 to 13 hours, but it is a very tiring trip. It is far safer to overnight in Matahuala.

If you do overnight there in Matahuala, let me suggest the La Noria restaurant . . . . right across from the Las Palmas Hotel for one of the finest meals you can get in Mexico at a really fair price. The place is also extremely clean and the service second to none . . . anywhere . . . including NOB. That includes all three meals. When is the last time you were greeted at the door by a waiter? Beware that in the morning at the Las Palmas eggs and sausage means actually eggs and Hotdogs! . . . . . . . as in wieners!!!! Over easy eggs aren’t understood but they sure are across the street. No I do not have any financial interest in the La Noria . . . . . . . wish I did! (smiling)

Have a good and safe trip.

robt65