Hi all, this winter I am planning a 6 week trip into Mexico, single female traveling with big dog. This trip will be baby steps for me and I have learned that forewarned is the best way to go. I have traveled extensively around the world so I am used to being on my own and am wise about solo travel (Belize, Turkey, Jordan, Israel to name a few.My question is really about where I should go for my first trip to get my sea legs. I am looking at Baja and West area but not knowing the towns and cities is making it hard to decide. I also would like hook ups for this first trip as I am not set up for solar yet. Having access to a larger city would be nice too. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Lynn

Hi Lynn....I would recomend San Carlos Sonora, it is about 240 Mls. south of Nogales, the Totonaka RV Park has full Hooh-ups, wifi and is very close to Guaymas a city that has a Walmart and Sam Club......it is a easy one day drive from Nogales just start early from Nogales to get your TIP.....temporary importation permit at Km. 21....Kino Bay 60 miles west of Hermosillo same distance as San Carlos many RV Parks with full Hook-ups this is a mall town but greas slow easy going place with a beautiful beach....Rocky Point will be your other destination there are plenaty of information on this place on this forum, many RV Parks.....closer of all to Arizona and requires no TIP.....So I recomend to get on the web and check....San Carlos Sonora Kino Bay Sonora Puerto Peniasco Sonora.

Lynn, We did our first trip to Baja because we didn't need the TIP and that made things simpler. We were also coming from the west coast and having grown up in San Diego, I was more familiar with the border crossings for Baja as well as some of the towns.We like staying at the Thousand Trails RV park in Jamul (just east of San Diego) the night before we cross (or sometimes a few days) and then crossing a Tecate and going through the wine country toward Ensenada.You can get the Church's book on traveling the Baja and they have a lot of the campgrounds in it with information about hookups.We like camping on the beach and don't really care if we have hookups for a few days because we have a generator. After Ensenada, you won't come to any very big towns on the Baja until you get to La Paz. There are some towns that have decent services like Loreto, Guerrero Negro, etc. all of which are wonderful towns to visit, stroll through, etc.We prefer the Sea of Cortez for kayaking, snorkeling, etc. but others prefer different parts of Mexico for equally valid reasons. There is a lot to do and see no matter where you choose to go.My husband and I actually made La Paz our permanent home after our first trip down the Baja - so we actually live here in Mexico now and love it.I'm glad you have a big dog and that will give you greater security. If you want details of some of our favorite places to stay - should you decide the Baja is where you want to go, PM me and I'll be glad to share our entire list of RV parks, restaurants, sites, etc. with you.

Good for you. We have a good friend who travelled in Mexico in a motorhome as a single woman without a large dog for many years--into her 70s. She had to stop driving when her eyesight gave out.We don't know Baja, but we know the mainland very well and wintered in Mexico without major issue until last year. I won't get into that here. Here is a link to our blog Don't dwell on last seasons problems. Go back and browse previous posts.An absolute must is A Travelers Guide to Mexican Camping by Mike and Terri Church. Available at major book stores and Amazon. Here is a link. http://www.rollinghomes.com/You should also get a good Mexican Road Atlas. Guia Roji's Por Lass Carretrras de Mexico is the best one. Also Garmin has a good Mexico map. SOME of their new ones (the RV one for example) include Mexico maps with the rest of the North America City Navigator map.I think you might prefer the mainland west coast. The roads are a little wider it think and there are a lot more larger cities.For the first few days there will be LOTS of driving. You can make Nogales to San Carlos in a day--a long one though. San Carlos is a pleasant place, lots of Gringos too.:)San Carlos to Mazatlan is really long--10 to 12 hours depending on your driving speed. There are a couple of options for overnight stops but they are an hour or so out out the way.Mazatlan is a good place to settle for a while though not our cup of tea. Same goes for Puerto Vallarta, which we prefer for the climate--hotter.Our first trip 13 or 14 years ago was to PV. We travelled in company of friends to Mazanlan then ventured on our own to PV.For us, from the border to San Carlos was a White Knuckle drive, getting used to there being NO shoulders on the road and how close the oncoming trucks were. The lanes aren't always as wide as we are used to. On to Mazatlan we fared a little better and by the time we got to PV we felt quite comfortable.I am sure that you will get lots more encouragement here. O course there will be a few idiots who will tell you how dangerous it is. We envy you, perhaps will see you next season--we are not going this year because of an ill dog. After paying out all that money getting the new Jeep set up for towing. :(

You might PM "MEXICOWANDERER" & get some tips on safety etc. I would think he'd be more than willing to advise you.

We like what Canadian Rainbirds said. Take it slow, do the mainland. Baja got nailed with a hurricane and the southern tip won't be at it's best for a while. We recommend a leisurely trip down the toll roads, with the Guide to Mexican Camping in hand, and the on line updates, and making Mazatlan your goal. Maybe you'll go further, maybe not.Get your TIP on line, all of the instructions are on this forum site. Maybe we'll see you on the road with our two weimaraners!

First trip into Mexico | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

edbehnke
Explorer
Oct 22, 2014
baja winters a sort of caravan company is something that you might want to looked into....they take groups down the baja and it is very basic...good learning experience.

we are going into mexico at nogales to mazatlan on nov 7,8 or 9th. come on down and join up.
coloradotallman
Explorer
Oct 18, 2014
I'm looking at crossing at Mexicali into the Baja the first week of December for a 2 month trip - not planning to travel together for the whole 2 months but have been down there before and can show you some of the ropes. PM me if you might be interested.
Talleyho69
Moderator
Oct 13, 2014
Well said, David.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Oct 13, 2014
Baja California is to Mexico like Alaska is to the 48 United States. It is different. It has positive points and it has negative points as compared to the mainland especially from Mazatlan south. My home is in Michoacan but Medical forces me closer to stay on the peninsula for awhile. But between the two it is like comparing Florida to Montana. The customs are different, the food is different, and different does not means better or worse, it means different. Being homesick I have to choose how I present this carefully.

Baja California presents one face. The mainland presents many. May I suggest you study some travel guides? Satisfy yourself as to what you would like to experience in six weeks. By the way the only "Big City" away from the border is La Paz, and La Paz is a small town with a small town atmosphere. Lots of people and big box stores but La Paz cannot be compared to Mazatlan or even Guaymas.

There are no traditional open air markets here with local crafts. Baja California is significantly more expensive to live or vacation in. But read guide books to try and get a feel for the ambiance between the two. Many gringo expats have never seen the mainland so keep this in mind when listening to tales of paradise. Same applies for the mainland.

I have a saying for the peninsula. OK you are here, for better or worse this is where you must stay (unless you cross to the mainland on the transbordador (ferry) ).

There are hundreds and hundreds piled atop hundreds more miles where there is absolutely nothing but desert scenery. Tomorrow I continue southbound. I enter the rugged part of the peninsula where a barbed wire fence is rare. Off the highway things have not changed much in fifty years. They will not change much in 500 years more...
Lynn0527
Explorer
Oct 12, 2014
Wow, thank you very much for all your valuable suggestions. This is so great! I will read all with great interest and be back later with more questions.

Lynn
Tequila
Explorer
Oct 12, 2014
dkilley wrote:
Where ever you decide to go, try and hook up with someone the first trip. You can go to the walmart in Nogalies and probably meet up with someone there to travel down with. Lots of great places to go here. The caravan down to La Penita is a great choice and you will meet a lot of great people. La Penita is a great place to spend a month or two.

I much prefer melaque to be honest.
briansue
Explorer
Oct 12, 2014
I know you mention west coast and Baja but you don't say where you are in Canada or what route you might take to the border. It would also help to know what you like to do and see. We have done almost all of Mexico but will never claim to be experts. What we like most is the ancient ruins and the history there. And we love the colonial cities in central Mexico. We have done the beaches but prefer the mountains. We spend a little time here and a little time there - we don't just go to stay in one place - though we do return to some of the same places each year. So are you a wanderer or a sitter?

Above the Church book is recommended - DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!!

We use a Garmin GPS for navigation as well as a Microsoft program called Streets & Trips for planning our trips - a million times better than any map we know of. Here . . . http://www.sct.gob.mx/informacion-general/planeacion/cartografia/mapa-por-estado/ . . . you will find the MX Gov't maps of each state in .pdf format that can be downloaded to your computer. These are overview maps that do not have city street type details. This is where places like Guia Roji get their maps. But these Gov't maps are the size of road maps - about 2 or 3 feet by about 3 or 4 feet. Obviously you cannot clearly see the entire map at one time on your computer but you can use your computer to zoom in and move the map around. You can use your computer Snipping Tool if you want to print a section of the map - you can do the same with Streets & Trips at a city street level - great detail.

This forum is a great source of info if you take the time to go back and search. Be sure to read the Sticky info at the top to learn about paperwork and insurance you will need to know. Tell us more about yourself and what you like and what you want to see and do and people here can better direct their advice to help you custom tailor your trip.

We have met single women RVing in Mexico. We have a dog and find she is a great help as many Mexicans bring their children up to fear dogs and this fear stays with them the rest of their lives. Don't get me wrong - the Mexican people are some of the nicest people you will ever meet - strict Catholic upbringing and strong family ties - very polite and hospitable - great people and one of the things we like most about Mexico. But their are also bad people so some caution and common sense should be used. We have traveled on and off in Mexico over the last 40 years or so - spending winters the past 8 years - and have never experienced any crime or corruption - not to say it does not exist but it is probably not as prevalent as many make it out to be.

Keep asking questions here.
Linda_from_Cana
Explorer
Oct 12, 2014
La Penita- thanks for mentioning there. We stayed there for a couple of months during our first 2 winters RVing in Mexico. After that we started taking a different route each year. Now we live here in Zihuatanejo. Great years...those RV winters. Absolutely great.
dkilley
Explorer
Oct 12, 2014
Where ever you decide to go, try and hook up with someone the first trip. You can go to the walmart in Nogalies and probably meet up with someone there to travel down with. Lots of great places to go here. The caravan down to La Penita is a great choice and you will meet a lot of great people. La Penita is a great place to spend a month or two.
tepetapan
Explorer
Oct 12, 2014
' Belize, Turkey, Jordan, Israel to name a few.' If you have done these and more, Mexico will be a cake walk. Buy a good travel book, pick out a few places and enjoy Mexico