Traveling with caravan or not

I agree with Stan.. we too took the lapenitarvpark caravan our first time to Mexico, back in 2005. Learned enough to try the next year by our selves and have been going down to Mexico each year ever since.

The only disadvantage for you is that the lapenitarvpark caravan crosses the border at Nogalas which is a little far from Quebec.

stanbnv wrote:
The managers of the La Penita RV Park www.lapenitarvpark.com run a small one way caravan down to the RV park in La Penita Nayarit every October. The cost is one month stay in the RV park. They have ran this for several years and that is how we got started RVing in Mexico. It is designed to help first timers like you.

Very good idea, I will note this one

The managers of the La Penita RV Park www.lapenitarvpark.com run a small one way caravan down to the RV park in La Penita Nayarit every October. The cost is one month stay in the RV park. They have ran this for several years and that is how we got started RVing in Mexico. It is designed to help first timers like you.

A caravan is a good choice for your first trip. IMO there are 2 disadvantages to a caravan and 6 advantages. Speaking from a first trip point of view of course.

Disadvantages:

1) Cost
2) Lack of freedom of choice

Advantages

1) Many people, especially retirees, may not want the hassles and prefer to be taken care of. RV Parks booked, route planned, etc.
2) Security: While I believe RVing in Mexico is quite safe, all the bad publicity is bound to make people apprehensive. The feeling of safety from traveling in a group cannot be understated. Furthermore, if you do break down, you do have some level of assistance available
3) Paperwork: The paperwork involved with taking a vehicle into Mexico can be daunting the first time. Traveling with a Caravan will teach you the ropes on that one.
4) Discovering where you can, or cannot take an RV: Mexico is full of physical hazards, especially for larger rigs. A caravan will help you discover the limitations of where you should or should not take your rig.
5) Tours: Most caravans offer tours to attractions & places that can be difficult to access with your RV. Most attractions in Mexico do not come with large RV parking areas.
6) Camaraderie. Traveling alone in a country with different customs & language can be daunting, unless you have at least some Spanish.

On edit, one other point raised by Briannsue. Timeframe. If you do take a caravan, look for one that is a few months in length if you do not want all windshield time. They are out there, including several Francofone ones out of Quebec, where you live, like Caravanas de Soleil or Horizon Lussier. For Anglophone long terms, there is Caravanas de Mexico. None of those are quick up & down trips. If you want a shorter trip, look at Fantasy or Adventure. Th efact you are even questioning whether to use a caravan indicates it may be a good first trip option, unless you can find some experienced preople to tag along with. Many of us here, if not most, bit the bullet the first time down by going solo. It depends on your comfort level or more likely that of your wife.

Stay out of Michoacan state right now. Many hijackings this last season there. Mexico is, however, is perfectly safe IMO if you know what you are doing and what to avoid.

Almost forgot. As you roam around this forum you will see many posters have blogs and/or websites where you can roam around to learn lots more about all of our adventures in Mexico. Go back over the years if you have time and you will find a great deal about interesting places.

I could be a good idea to caravan on your first trip. We have never caravaned. We have been traveling all over Mexico for years. First "RV" trip in 1971. Naysayers have told me every trip that we are going to die or get into some sort of trouble. After many years - never even saw any crime - only police we have encountered were there to help us. Not saying it cannot happen. Can happen anywhere at any time. Cartels are killing other cartel members so the death rate is high but they do not kill tourists - very rare if ever. The most difficult part of travel in Mexico is figuring out where to go and where to stay. The Church book and these forums will help with that. As you travel you will meet other experienced in Mexico travel who will provide many tips.

In a caravan you will not have the freedom to go at your own pace. You will not know much more about where you are going and how to get there than what they tell you. But you have guidance and help and strength in numbers which provides a level of security - or at least the appearance thereof.

Travel solo is the adventure. You plan. You research. You study. You ask questions. You gather information. Then you set out. You do what you want when you want to do it. If you find you like a place you settle in for awhile.

Much depends on how much time you have. We are retired so spend at least several months in Mexico each winter. The more time we spend the more we learn and the more we enjoy it. A whirlwind caravan flyby will not give you that experience.

When people post on this forum that they fear Mexico due to killing etc. I often post some statistics about the US and mention some well known slaughters that have occurred in the US in recent years. I won't get into that here - just a quick note - on average 16,000 murders per year in the US - 38,000 carjackings - over 700,000 car thefts - the list goes on. I am by no means intending here to badmouth the US. My point is that there are few places you can go and be completely safe. Is Mexico more or less dangerous than other places? I do not know. A recent list done by the UN I posted a couple of months ago showed murder rates around the world - Mexico was not in the top twenty. Several of the top were well known Caribbean islands. Several cities in the US have among the highest rates in the world. I do not know about Canadian statistics.

Mexico is an amazing place with so much to see and some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. Don't let fear rule your life.

Thanks for the info, I will check on the church book. I did not find much info in the Mexico forums for caravan.

We hear some story about Mexico about cops and cartel, so it is more a question of security than anything else. Last year we walked over to Mexico from Texas and on the return, the custom officer asked me why I go to Mexico and said there are people getting killed every day, not very attractive comments for the wife.

I have to slowly convince my wife to do the trip. I even think of doing a Mexican Riviera cruise to add some convincing arguments.

To caravan or not is a personal decision, some made their first trip in a caravan, some make all their trips in caravans, and some have never been in a caravan. The only caravans that I've been in were the ones I was leading.

The vast majority of us have never had any problems; a few of us have run across the occasional cop with his hand out (including me, but I've never paid a centavo).

There is no blanket answer to whether you should stay on the toll roads. This also is a personal choice. Some free highways are just as good as the toll roads, others will destroy your coach if you drive above 10 mph. I take the free roads most of the time so I can see more of the country and people. But some free ones I wouldn't drive if you put a gun to my head.

For camping, pick up a copy of Mike & Terri Church's book "Travelers Guide to Mexican Camping" or "Travelers Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja". This will be your bible for RV'ing in Mexico. They can be bought from Amazon or the Church's website.

Spanish isn't a requirement but it makes a much better impression if you at least try to learn some.

Most people have never met a corrupt cop, some of us have. It's no big thing; just refuse to pay them (or just keep telling them that you don't speak Spanish). Insist that they actually write the ticket and that they take you to see the judge. Don't give them your drivers license. Let them look at it but don't let go. You'll probably go around and around with them but they'll back down. Remember that most traffic infractions in Mexico can be paid at the closest OXXO (think 7-11) station.

To get more detailed answers, start by using the search function on this forum. If you can't find what you're looking for, post your question.

Enjoy Mexico

Most of the crime you may encounter will be of the petty theft kind.

The area's to avoid are about the same as in the US or Canada; stay out of the drug and gang/cartel areas of the cities, especially at night. Also don't linger in the border areas, get at least 100 miles south before you decide to stop to shop, sleep, or eat.

Remember, just because you've crossed the border doesn't mean that you can leave your common sense behind.

You will see the previous posts by searching this Forum in the RVing in Mexico section for `caravan' and read on.