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davebland

Dec 7, 2012, 9:23 PM

Post #1 of 9 (3546 views)

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Reynosa- chapala

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Hello:
I've been invited to spend christmas/new years in lake chapala by my expat friend. I have already got my "permiso de importacion temporal" for my 2012 white chevy tahoe. My other vehicle is a 2008 black f-150 supercrew and my friend told me not to take that truck under any circumstances. Well to make the long story short I will be traveling on dec. 21 to get there hopefully by sunday 23 via reynosa. I did the permit online so it asked for a port of entry and now the permit comes stamped with reynosa. I did not know any better so I thought that was the best route. I am a bit concerned because i've been told my tahoe is a narco magnet. I saw that Nuevo leon deployed something called carretera segura that may help with safety. I've been also told I should have taken laredo- monterrey so now I am trying to go from reynosa to monterrey to take the highway 57 down to jalisco. I will travel only by day and in cuota roads as much as possible. My questions are the following
1) how safe is it to travel during the holiday season to mexico given the extra security? I am going with my family of 3 kids and wife so it's important to guarantee their safety (yes the safest would be probably to turn down my friend but I guess I don't really want to do that)
2) are tahoes really that much of a "narco magnet"? i heard black ones are the preferred ones but still late models catch the eye of a few people over there
3)how safe is it to enter thru reynosa and head toward monterrey? I wonder if I could enter through nuevo laredo rather than reynosa but I am afraid they will give me headaches because I said I was going through reynosa.

Any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks for your time

dave

Rolly

Dec 7, 2012, 9:55 PM

Post #2 of 9 (3540 views)

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Re: [davebland] Reynosa- chapala

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It is very unlikely that you will encounter any problems at all.
Take the toll road and enjoy your trip.

Rolly Pirate

RickS

Dec 8, 2012, 9:58 AM

Post #3 of 9 (3507 views)

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Re: [davebland] Reynosa- chapala

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"...the permit comes stamped with Reynosa."

I think this has been addressed before. Although the online permitting process does ask for a entry point, one is not confined to only that crossing. Personally I would cross at Laredo but the statistics say one would not have a problem crossing anywhere.

Your biggest problem will probably be the traffic.... the multitudes (think in terms of 10's of thousands) will be crossing and traveling down the cuotas across the nation. That scene becomes the ultimate in 'caravan-ing'. Plan on spending a lot of time in line no matter where you cross. Having your TIP will help some but.....

davebland

Dec 8, 2012, 10:54 AM

Post #4 of 9 (3493 views)

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Re: [RickS] Reynosa- chapala

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Well now that I got some reassuring replies I can elaborate. Choosing reynosa was not really too random. I was told by another friend from monterrey that the crossing at laredo may be a nightmare and reynosa is a bit less crowded to enter since laredo is the most direct route to monterrey. You guys are making me feel more secure in doing this trip. Really I figured the trip would not be by myself since that is the 1st day of the holidays relatively speaking since a lot of people take Friday off to get a leg up on the thousands of travelers who will start the trek on saturday. Of course I am figuring the travel will not be on a lone highway but I am not sure how heavy the traffic will be in those days and if so I think that bodes well for my travel plans. Thanks for the response

davebland

Dec 8, 2012, 1:09 PM

Post #5 of 9 (3478 views)

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Re: [RickS] Reynosa- chapala

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What thread did you discuss this before? the more I think about it the more I believe I'd like to head via laredo. If anyone has experienced this before (crossing at a different port of entry that the one specified in the TIP receipt) please let me know

(This post was edited by davebland on Dec 8, 2012, 1:11 PM)

RickS

Dec 8, 2012, 1:36 PM

Post #6 of 9 (3472 views)

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Re: [davebland] Reynosa- chapala

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Thinking more about this, it may be that I am remembering not a previous post here but my own experiences when I have gotten the TIP online rather than at a border ( I have done both).

I do remember distinctly on one occasion when I already had my TIP from online..... when crossing at Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras and at the Aduana station below there at Allende: I went in the building to get my (then) FM-T. At the end of that process and after paying and starting to walk away, the agent said something to the effect of "do you need to get your temporary vehicle permit"? I stopped and said something like "I already got it online". He waved and said "OK", and I left the building.

The point is, my online TIP could have had any border crossing written on it. It was already firmly attached to my windshield and the paperwork was in my glovebox. No one came out/asked to see if I was crossing at the 'correct' border. Like I said, I've gotten a TIP online twice and no one has asked me to corroborate that I was crossing at the designated border.

I realize that this is not definitive proof that you can cross anywhere but.....

Altahabana

Dec 8, 2012, 7:39 PM

Post #7 of 9 (3451 views)

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Re: [davebland] Reynosa- chapala

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Your friend from Monterrey is absolutely correct about trying to cross at Laredo/Nuevo Laredo on December 21. That is the last Friday before Christmas and it will be absolute hell---at least in terms of the volume of vehicles. The Reynosa crossings will however be jam packed. All crossings in Texas will have long delays except perhaps the small crossings in the Kandahar region of Tamaulipas---Falcon Dam/Nuevo Guerrero, Roma/C. Miguel Aleman and Rio Grande City/Camargo.

Having your vehicle permit and your FMM will limit your wait to the actual vehicle crossing. You need to cross at Anzalduas Bridge which is just west of McAllen near the City of Mission. After you clear Aduanas you will take the bridge road out to the highway and hang a left onto the Periferico/Ring road. About four miles down you will come to the exit to the right for Highway 40 which becomes the autopista to Monterrey. TAKE THE AUTOPISTA.

I wouldn't worry too much about the make of your vehicle. If you stay on the autopistas you will be okay. The only areas you might run into problems are on the rural, non-cuota highways in northern Mexico.

davebland

Dec 8, 2012, 7:50 PM

Post #8 of 9 (3447 views)

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Re: [Altahabana] Reynosa- chapala

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Thanks for your responses. The only concern is now should I just show up in laredo even though I kind of declared that I was going to enter thru reynosa? I think I'd rather be with the "heavy" crowd if anything for the "strength in numbers" thing. So pretty much what I'd like to clear is if I try to cross via laredo now I can't because the receipt for the TIP says "nombre de aduana: reynosa"? it kind of doesn't make sense to me considering you can return the sticker at any entry port of choice. So please forgive this pest for being extra cautious but I think I shall try to enter through laredo so if anyone has had that issue in the past (order the TIP online and then change their minds about the port of entry and show up to a different place) please let me know if that will be ok with the mexican officials.

(This post was edited by davebland on Dec 8, 2012, 7:59 PM)

Altahabana

Dec 9, 2012, 5:17 AM

Post #9 of 9 (3428 views)

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Re: [davebland] Reynosa- chapala

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I don't know the answer to your question about the vehicle permit. One of the Mexican consulates might be able to give you some advice, although I don't know that you could totally rely on the answer.

Reynosa/Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo/Monterrey are roughly equidistant so any extra distance you would drive would be in Texas getting to either McAllen/Mission or Laredo. There are not security issues on either autopista so "strength in numbers" shouldn't be a consideration. Besides there will be plenty of vehicles on the Reynosa/Monterrey autopista.