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mexigrl

Sep 25, 2003, 9:36 AM

Post #1 of 13 (1043 views)

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Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Hola,

I would love advice on the drive from Texas to SMA - I will be driving from New Orleans to Texas so would want to cross the border somewhere on the eastern side of Texas.

What route would be the best - and safest?

Any recommendations for hotels to stay?

I can only drive a max of 5 hours a day so what would be logical stopping points?

Advice for a woman traveling alone?

My driving in Mexico has been limited to the Yucatan and a little between Manzanillo and PV many years ago. I am familiar with the road signs, the hazards, and am generally good with directions ;)

Thanks for your advice!

Mexigrl

Brian

Sep 25, 2003, 10:46 AM

Post #2 of 13 (1031 views)

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Re: [mexigrl] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Cross early at Laredo...stop at the Las Palmas Hotel in Matehuala..eat breakfast across the highway at La Noria Restaurant....easy drive the following morning to SMA. Stay on Highway 57 until the Dr. Mora/SMA exit..drive through Los Rodriguez for the quickest route down here.

mexigrl

Sep 25, 2003, 11:40 AM

Post #3 of 13 (1021 views)

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Re: [Brian] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Brian,

How long a drive is it (in hours and/or miles)? By crossing early at Laredo what time do you mean (before dawn?).

Thanks!

Mexigrl

esperanza

Sep 25, 2003, 12:27 PM

Post #4 of 13 (1011 views)

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Re: [mexigrl] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Matehuala might be a bit too far for you in terms of hours...it's about 6 hours and a bit from Laredo if you really MOVE. You might want to stay the first night in Saltillo, which is 4 hours into Mexico, and then go from there to San Miguel the next day using the route Brian suggested for that leg.

You won't need to leave Laredo at dawn to have a good driving day to Saltillo. I'd say cross around 7:00AM, get your car papers (if you haven't already done that), and hit the road. It's a smooth, easy drive, toll road all the way to Saltillo. Tolls will probably cost you around 250 pesos for that part of the trip.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Brian

Sep 25, 2003, 1:06 PM

Post #5 of 13 (1006 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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From Laredo to Saltillo is 189 miles

From Laredo to Matehuala is 351 miles

From Laredo to San Miguel is 600 miles

My suggestion is to stop at Matehuala or you will face a difficult second day of driving.

tabascoone

Sep 27, 2003, 8:01 AM

Post #6 of 13 (954 views)

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Re: [mexigrl] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Mexigirl,

See my reply to Caromar (Long Road Trip) posted Sept 27. May be of help. Only that I would recommend crossing via Nuevo Laredo. The 5 hour max per day restriction surely will limit your ability of having a smooth trip, it is 12 hours from New Orleans to the border (Matamoros), should be about the same to Nuevo Laredo, (2 1/2 hours from Corpus Christi, 9 hours from New Orleans to Corpus, been there done that).

Dave

mexigrl

Sep 27, 2003, 8:09 PM

Post #7 of 13 (930 views)

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Re: [tabascoone] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Dave,

I will actually be visiting friends in TX first so my real concern was where to cross the border and the length/quality of the trip from that point. I am limiting myself to 5 hrs a day so I realize I will have to stop twice on the way. I have trouble with fatigue and road fatigue in Mexico can be a dangerous thing so I am trying to be careful.

If I was to stop twice what points do you think would be best?

Mil Gracias,

Mexigrl

jennifer rose

Sep 27, 2003, 9:29 PM

Post #8 of 13 (924 views)

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Re: [mexigrl] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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If you're seriously concerned about fatigue and limiting your driving to no more than five hours per day, and if the road is new to you, I'd advise crossing over at Laredo just about any time before 3 p.m. Spend the first night in Saltillo. That means that you're not going to make much time, but after the tension a first-timer may experience crossing the aduana, you may be ready for an early break. Saltillo to San Miguel de Allende is an easy jaunt, but if you're concerned about fatigue, I'd make the next stop San Luis Potosi instead of Matehuala, just because a) it's a little farther down the road, and b) the accomodations are nicer.

My pick in Saltillo is the Hotel Camino Real.

mexigrl

Sep 28, 2003, 9:03 AM

Post #9 of 13 (907 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Thank you Jennifer - I appreciate you sharing your first hand experiences. I have crossed the border before by car but only on/off the ferry in the Yucatan. I would expect that the physical border crossing could be a little more crazy and unpredictible.

Cuidate,

Mexigrl

Carol Schmidt

Oct 4, 2003, 10:17 PM

Post #10 of 13 (846 views)

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Re: [mexigrl] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Just a thought--you're not traveling with pets, are you? Mexican hotels and motels generally do not allow pets in the room. So we cross at Laredo and drive like hell to get to SMA in one day, a horrid drive. And the tolls are sometimes more like $45 than $25 US, can't figure out why they differ each trip.

The only hotel we've found that does take a small dog is the Holiday Inn in San Luis Potosi, and even though it says it takes pets on its website, I had to cry and beg the night we had to stay there (because bad weather made it impossible for us to make it all the way to SMA that day). It was $100 a night, too!

Carol Schmidt

beckidid

Oct 5, 2003, 11:12 AM

Post #11 of 13 (820 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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What makes the drive from Laredo to SMA so horrid? I have made it many times and it is a great drive. With the cuotas being open all the way to SMA......it was snap!! However, I have not made it with pets in tow........so maybe with stopping for the dogs to have a break, would slow the process a bit.

Becki

mexigrl

Oct 5, 2003, 11:25 AM

Post #12 of 13 (816 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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I was considering bringing one of my cats. Haven't really decided on that - trying to weigh the pros and cons. The problem is that if I don't bring one I will probably return with one :) I find that I am lonely without a feline companion and have adopted one in Mexico before. I already have 3 at home so really don't need another one!

It would seem, from the info that I have, that the drive is about 10 hours. Does that sound right?

I also found info in an article Uncle Donnie wrote about a crossing on the Columbia Bridge. This sounds like a fantastic option! I certainly trust his judgement but would love to hear if anyone else has ever done this.

Thanks!

Mexigrl

pathall

Oct 5, 2003, 1:21 PM

Post #13 of 13 (804 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Driving Texas to SMA - as a woman alone - your advice please!

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Carol,

We have driven to SMA every winter for 5 years now and always with a Clumber Spaniel (which is a hefty dog!). We cross at Santa Teresa (just 10 miles or so from El Paso), go around Juárez, get our vehicle and personal papers at Km. 30, and stay the first night at Jiménez and the second night at Zacatecas. We always stay in the same hotels with reasonable rates. We drive leisurely, starting around 8:30 - 9 am and stopping around 4:30 - 5 pm. No problem with the dog. The third day we arrive rested and pretty stress-free in SMA around noon. Good roads all the way and getting better every year. If you want to know which hotels we stay in, email me.

Pat
Pat