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Planning our first trip to Mexico this Fall, probably Laredo to Chapala. We will be traveling in a 40' coach with toad. We do have the Church book. On Google Earth it looks like virtually the whole tr...
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I am going to try to map you using the route we would take to the places you mention. I cannot help with any caravan or buddy advice. We have been roaming around Mexico for years and have never done any kind of group thing. If you are prepared you will do fine. Be sure the read the STICKY stuff at the top of this forum to learn about all the paperwork and permits etc. you will need to get. Also learn about insurance and check with your current insurance in the US – we have Progressive and they do cover our motorhome for comprehensive in Mexico but they do not cover our car. We buy Mexican comp for the car and Mexican liability for both vehicles. Opinions vary on insurance but we think have more is better. You must have Mexican liability. If you get in an accident in Mexico without Mexican liability you could be detained until any disputes are settled even if the accident was clearly not your fault.
To start with – we do cross at Laredo but we use what is known as the Columbia Crossing which avoids both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo traffic etc. We have stayed at the Texas Welcome Center north of Laredo just off I-35 by Botines quite a few times. We get an early start from here and beat the border rush. We have also stayed here on our return to the states. There is a big rig parking area and trucks stay here at night. I include GPS Lat Lon on my maps.
If we get through the Laredo crossing early enough and get to Monterrey early enough we continue to a Pemex truck stop in the middle of the highway called San Pedro. This makes for about a 300 mile day which is more than enough in Mexico miles.
From there it is about another 300 miles to San Miguel de Allende. They recently upgraded a road we started taking last year. It takes you near San Diego de la Union. Your map or GPS may not show this as a big road but it is now. Widened and paved a couple years ago. And it gets you off 15D just over the border into the state of Guanajuato where the road suddenly gets very rough. This takes you over near Dolores Hidalgo and then down to San Miguel. We stay and San Ramon.
We have become very fond of the city of Guanajuato in recent years. A very interesting place to visit. But the place is very confusing due to hills all around. The city also has a network of tunnels running in all directions under the city. This is not a town for motorhomes. Do not attempt to take an RV into or through Guanajuato unless you know exactly what you are doing. The easiest way to get from San Miguel to Guanajuato is through the old train station in San Miguel. This takes you to a relatively new back road over to Guanajuato. You might check it out in a car before taking the RV.
Here is the rest of the route showing the RV park near Guanajuato…..
From Guanajuato we take some back roads to Chapala. These roads have all been widened and repaved in recent years. There are also new bypass loop roads around these towns so it is much easier to take this route than it used to be. We use Open Street Maps . . . . https://www.openstreetmap.org . . . for maps to see the newest changes in roads. Many other mapping websites use maps from Open Street Maps. We download maps from the Microsoft Website – MSN maps I think – maps you can download to use in your computer when you cannot get on the internet – which will happen often in Mexico.
Irapuato bypass
The rest of the back road route – La Piedad – Yurecuaro…….
Open Street Maps new La Piedad bypass
Open Street Maps new Yurecuaro Libramiento…
Ocotlan – be sure to take 15D to the MX12 exit to avoid most of Ocotlan
The only real RV park in the Chapala area is Roca Azul and the far west end of the lake…DO NOT let your GPS or whatever tell you to go through town to get to Roca Azul – take the new Libramiento Bypass north of Jocotepec over to 15 and then down to the road into Roca Azul. The Roca Azul road is cobblestone and very bumpy but you will eventually get to the resort. It is a resort with swimming pools and other stuff.
Here is the newer Open Street Maps showing the new Libramiento around Jocotepec…
That is the basics of how we would do this trip. We have driven all these roads quite a few times. Mexico does take some getting used to but if you hang out on this forum and ask questions you will be prepared. Be sure to read the STICKY stuff and know all about permits and insurance. You can do this. Lots of people do.
Sorry - I should have made these maps clickable to a larger size. This will give you an overview but if you cannot see exactly where the route is I can do it again with clickable maps.
To start with – we do cross at Laredo but we use what is known as the Columbia Crossing which avoids both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo traffic etc. We have stayed at the Texas Welcome Center north of Laredo just off I-35 by Botines quite a few times. We get an early start from here and beat the border rush. We have also stayed here on our return to the states. There is a big rig parking area and trucks stay here at night. I include GPS Lat Lon on my maps.
If we get through the Laredo crossing early enough and get to Monterrey early enough we continue to a Pemex truck stop in the middle of the highway called San Pedro. This makes for about a 300 mile day which is more than enough in Mexico miles.
From there it is about another 300 miles to San Miguel de Allende. They recently upgraded a road we started taking last year. It takes you near San Diego de la Union. Your map or GPS may not show this as a big road but it is now. Widened and paved a couple years ago. And it gets you off 15D just over the border into the state of Guanajuato where the road suddenly gets very rough. This takes you over near Dolores Hidalgo and then down to San Miguel. We stay and San Ramon.
We have become very fond of the city of Guanajuato in recent years. A very interesting place to visit. But the place is very confusing due to hills all around. The city also has a network of tunnels running in all directions under the city. This is not a town for motorhomes. Do not attempt to take an RV into or through Guanajuato unless you know exactly what you are doing. The easiest way to get from San Miguel to Guanajuato is through the old train station in San Miguel. This takes you to a relatively new back road over to Guanajuato. You might check it out in a car before taking the RV.
Here is the rest of the route showing the RV park near Guanajuato…..
From Guanajuato we take some back roads to Chapala. These roads have all been widened and repaved in recent years. There are also new bypass loop roads around these towns so it is much easier to take this route than it used to be. We use Open Street Maps . . . . https://www.openstreetmap.org . . . for maps to see the newest changes in roads. Many other mapping websites use maps from Open Street Maps. We download maps from the Microsoft Website – MSN maps I think – maps you can download to use in your computer when you cannot get on the internet – which will happen often in Mexico.
Irapuato bypass
The rest of the back road route – La Piedad – Yurecuaro…….
Open Street Maps new La Piedad bypass
Open Street Maps new Yurecuaro Libramiento…
Ocotlan – be sure to take 15D to the MX12 exit to avoid most of Ocotlan
The only real RV park in the Chapala area is Roca Azul and the far west end of the lake…DO NOT let your GPS or whatever tell you to go through town to get to Roca Azul – take the new Libramiento Bypass north of Jocotepec over to 15 and then down to the road into Roca Azul. The Roca Azul road is cobblestone and very bumpy but you will eventually get to the resort. It is a resort with swimming pools and other stuff.
Here is the newer Open Street Maps showing the new Libramiento around Jocotepec…
That is the basics of how we would do this trip. We have driven all these roads quite a few times. Mexico does take some getting used to but if you hang out on this forum and ask questions you will be prepared. Be sure to read the STICKY stuff and know all about permits and insurance. You can do this. Lots of people do.
Sorry - I should have made these maps clickable to a larger size. This will give you an overview but if you cannot see exactly where the route is I can do it again with clickable maps.
