We are planning our first trip to Mexico since 2006.(Our RV has been in Europe since then). We know a lot has changed re. cost, campground availability & perhaps safety. Other than cutting down on boondocking and perhaps choosing a different route here & there, these factors don't concern us.We'll be traveling in Dec/Jan.We may take either route south from the US border:1) Laredo/Columbia Crossing - Monterrey - Saltillo - Arco Norte - Villahermosa (we've crossed here multiple times - last time in 2006)or2)Pharr/Brownsville, etc - Costa Esmeralda - Veracruz - Villahermosa ( We crossed here & drove this route in both directions in 2005 - this route seems to be getting bad press compared with the Columbia crossing)We have a map at:Proposed Trip: Yucatan + Tikal Our key questions have to do with exit & entry in Belize & Guatemala. We will spend at most a week outside of Mexico on the loop to Tikal. Initially we plan to enter through Belize, drive to Tikal, then re-enter Mexico at El Ceibo.1) We will buy a 10 year motorhome sticker when we enter Mexico. Do we need to turn it in when we exit (either in Belize or Guatemala) and buy another when we re-enter Mexico? Or is the sticker valid for re-entry from the south as well?2) Same question for our tourist cards - if we specify multiple entry, do we have to turn it in upon departure from Mexico to Belize or Guatemala & re-purchase upon re-entry to Mexico?3)We will have our dog with us, with all papers up to date. Anything needed beyond what we need for Mexico?4) Any comment on the fairly new route Flores- El Ceibo?

First of all the Laredo crossing will be safer. No, you do not need to turn in the paperwork. As far as Belize is concerned I cannot answer that question but the border crossing from Belize to Guatemala is a pain in the butt, or it was. My wife & I had letters from the Guatemalan government department we we working on a research project for, and we still had a hassle. The officials wanted a bribe and we still had to give it to them. We did inform the government agency we were working for after, so maybe they have been fired. It was in 2001.Tikal is impressive, I've been to all the major ruins in the Americas. Flores is also quoite a nice place. No RV park, though that I recall.BTW, somebody I know was arrested on the street in Flores and was charged with owning a backpack on the ground that was full of drugs. He was arrested.Guess what? It was the Guatemalan version of Candid Camera. I am not kidding.

There is a "campground" at Tikal. We feel Tikal alone is worth a week.Belize is awful, especially for your dog. Start doing your homework now,it can take a long time to get things set for passing through Belize. 5 years ago, we opted to go the long way to Tikal, and went through Guatemala.Belize would let us enter with the dog, but would inspect her down the road and possibly/probably impound her. Not a chance!!!

Thanks for the Belize dog info - we take no chances with him, so if the Belizean situation is still as you describe, we might enter & exit through El Ceibo, which is actually shortest (other than eliminating the "loop" factor.Belize was just going to be a transit.I've been doing a lot of research. There is a rudimentary campground right at Tikal, but dogs are not allowed. Found one, maybe 2 possibilities at El Remate on the lake, and another at Yaxha.

Get passports not the border crossing cards, those are only good in Mexico and Canada and the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Belize and Guatemala require the book passport, do not surrender the 10 year permit for the RV, that is good to go out and in to Mexico.As for boondocking the state of Tamaulipas and Veracruz are not that safe anymore, I would suggest travelling the inland route, less problems.navegator

Sorry I keep forgetting that folks from Canada also travel to Mexico, I will assume that Canada still issues passports, the above comment is for persons from the USA.The FMM will have to be surrendered at the border and a new one obtained upon reentry to Mexico.navegator

Projected Trip - Yucatan + Tikal | Good Sam Community

coloradotallman
Explorer
Sep 17, 2015
We plan to drive down the west coast 200/190 to Guatemala, El Salvador in November and plan to use iOverlander.com to locate our campsites. We've done several trips in the past and this one, going into March and April will bring us back up through the middle highlands, San Cristobal, Oaxaca, Puebla to avoid the heat at that time. I think you should be fine coming north on the coast in January.
JeffersonCamper
Explorer III
Sep 17, 2015
coloradotallman wrote:
Check out AJKatandDog.com where AJ, Kat and their dog Alex are currently traveling through south america and recently through central america. It may be a lot of reading but they do try to detail any problems crossing the borders with the dog. If I run across some others I will post those also.

Thanks - I notice that they did have issues, albeit minor, going into Belize, which reinforced our decision not to enter that way. We don't mind red tape, but don't like uncertainty when it comes to our dog & bureaucracy. The Belize paperwork is very similar to what we need when we take him to Europe, but the time frames aren't traveller friendly. We've revised the route to spend more time in Guatemala- Now we think we'll enter at El Ceibo, then loop through Tikal, Rio Dulce,Antigua,Atitlan and back either up to San Cristobal (CA1-> Mex 190) or along the coast (CA2-> Mex 200).

Any comments on our alternate return routes (CA1-> Mex 190) or along the coast (CA2-> Mex 200)?

Frank, Taylor & Odin in Toronto
04 Rialta HD – The “Jefferson Campervan”
http://travel.jeffersoncampervan.com/
Fly Jefferson Campervan…Get You There On Time…
coloradotallman
Explorer
Sep 17, 2015
Check out AJKatandDog.com where AJ, Kat and their dog Alex are currently traveling through south america and recently through central america. It may be a lot of reading but they do try to detail any problems crossing the borders with the dog. If I run across some others I will post those also.
JeffersonCamper
Explorer III
Sep 09, 2015
Thanks John - your blogs formed a good bit of my research to date. Thanks for all your efforts!
keelhauler1
Explorer
Sep 09, 2015
I don't believe you have to turn in your FMM entering Guatemala through El Ceibo. Try not to. For sure the 10 yr TIP stays on your RV.

Everyone talks about the dangers going south through Tamaupolis, however I never have had any problems going in either direction for past 7 years in a row.

Check out my blogs and driving miles and descriptions in the link in my signature.

Have fun, get a Garmin GPS, it helps but don't route your trip with it/
peterth
Explorer
Sep 08, 2015
By the way, DW and I are now residents of Mexico and live in our motor home in the Chapla area and travel Mexico by car or motor home, so if you are in the area let us know.
JeffersonCamper
Explorer III
Sep 07, 2015
Thanks Chris - IIRC we tried to rendezvous with you at Neptuno maybe 10 years ago, but missed you by a day or so!

Purely from a best-trip loop perspective, we'd like to go down Natchez Trace-Corpus Christi- Costa Esmeralda & back San Cristobal-Oaxaca-Arco Norte-San Miguel-Saltillo-Monterrey-Laredo-Austin (everything subject to revision on the fly, of course). Some of what we have read re. the east coast route has given us pause, but you are living right there, so we may reconsider that.

And thank you mariaelena - yes I read your El Ceibo account a few weeks ago - and had in fact pasted it into my OneNote files :)

I guess Yaxha is out - our standard poodle Odin would be too tempting a tasty morsel for the crocs!- increasingly it's looking like El Muelle in El Remate . Gringo Perdido hasn't responded to my info request, but their site no longer mentions camping. La Casa De Don David could be a contender - we'd book a room if we could park the Rialta in the secure area, but it only holds 6 cars, so I expect that's unlikely.

peter - good info - Belize we're resisting due to their dog regs. BTW I'm originally from out west- when growing up I lived in Saskatoon,P.A.,Semans & Wakaw.

Frank, Taylor & Odin in Toronto
04 Rialta HD – The “Jefferson Campervan”
http://travel.jeffersoncampervan.com/
Fly Jefferson Campervan…Get You There On Time…
peterth
Explorer
Sep 07, 2015
When we spent the winter season of 2008 and 2009 in Central America we crossed the border at Chetumal into Belize and we asked for a double entry and they stamped our tourist visas with the double entry stamp, the 10 year sticker on the motor home we left on at the Mexican border and that all went well when we crossed back into Mexico. We traveled all the countries all the way to Panama and had a great time. The only daunting part is all the paper work at the borders. But all is do able and have a great trip, you can opt to hire the many guides at the borders to guide you through the whole process. We parked our motor home at a parking lot next to the Balboa Yacht club in Panama City, Panama and stayed there for two weeks and were able to help on a sail boat as linesmen and got to travel the Panama Canal through the locks on the sail boat, great trip, check it out when you get there.
mariaelena
Explorer
Sep 07, 2015
I posted some details here about the El Ceibo crossing back in April or so. The trip from Palenque to Tikal is an easy day trip through El Ceibo. Border took us an hour, partly because we had failed to check out of Mexico. Absolutely no hassles from the Guatemalans. On our return the Mexican officials confiscated just about all of our food and took 6 of our beers because we were over the limit......... We have residente permanente cards and a nationalized truck so our situation crossing the border was different than yours will be.
You mentioned the campground at Yaxha. There is space there for a couple of campers, no hookups, but no dogs are allowed. It is a national park. Lots of wildlife in the jungle. And crocodiles in the lake on whose shore you would be parked. Dogs would not be a good idea.
qtla9111
Nomad
Sep 07, 2015
South of Ciudad Victoria and Veracruz along the Costa Esmeralda is wonderful boondocking. I wouldn't hesitate. We are headed there this fall. Tamuin (in SLP but only 70 kms from Tampico) has a small set of ruins that are worth the visit and great boondocking there in the town which has a small tourist office. Tamiahua, Veracruz you can take the bridge over to the sandbar where there are palapas and restaurants where you can spend the night. We love Costa Esmeralda and be sure to visit San Rafael which is a French colony even today. Lots to see and do in this area.

Your trip sounds exciting. I can't wait until we have time to go that far.

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