Belize by land

[1BryNelson]

I was hoping that someone out there has made the overland trip south to Belize?

If so I'd appreciate some tales of the trip (s).

[navegator]

It is best not ot take any weapons in to Mexico at all, no ammo either even spent cartriges are prohibited.

Do not create a hardship for something so simple, Mexican jails are not nice at all, the inmates are the ones that run them, and it will cost a lot of money from the family of the incarcerated to be left alone in one from the rulling gang lord.

Go down as a simple TURISTA behave obey the laws do not get to drunk and be respectfull of the people and you will have very good and nice time.

I agree with briansue about the dumb coments at the begining of the post.

navegator

[reed_cundiff]

The roads in Belize are fairly good to the Guatemalan border near San Ignacio. The Guatemalan roads to Tikal are good for all but 30 or 40 km. We would take our 34' 5th wheel to Tikal but have to get insurance before leaving US. You can get insurance at Florence but by then you are already 100 km into Guatemala and things may have already not gone well. We spent 12 weeks taking bus and shuttle bus through Guatemala and Honduras this last winter and loved it. We have a lot of friends who do go with their RV's there but they have truck campers.

The Federal Police have been invariably helpful as have been those in Yucatan. Tampico has had a bad reputation for a number of years due to a couple of police that hang out at one intersection. My wife just handed them the piece of paper the Mexican Government hands out requesting badge number etc. They conferred and just said "have a good day"
Reed and Elaine

[briansue]

I think this thread was probably posted in the wrong place originally. Now on the correct place in the Mexico forum. Other than John & Angela and a couple others I have never see so much misinformation at any time in all the years on this forum.

I have been driving by RV in Mexico since 1971 if that makes me anymore qualified than those who posted here. They have been building new roads like mad all over Mexico. The economy is booming. The drug cartels mostly only kill other drug people. The police and military have been systematically killing off the cartels. The toll roads are expensive but very good roads for the most part.

If this thread has now taken you to the Mexico forum you are in the correct place to ask questions of people who have been there and done that. Not those who read yellow journalism or watch the misinformation found on certain TV so-called news which I won't mention but rhymes with ox.

For the past 8 years we have been roaming all over Mexico every winter in our 40 foot motorhome with our car towed behind. We have been to 28 of the 31 states. We have been to beaches and mountains - big cities and small towns. We have never paid any kind of bribe or even been asked to pay one. The only police we have encountered have been very helpful. We now know where must of the RV parks are located and where to park if we can't find one.

Many Mexican mechanics can fix almost anything.

Go on the Churches' www.rollinghomes.com website and buy their Guide to Mexican Camping and then look at their online updates for all the updates to the book for the latest on travel in Mexico.

DO NOT take guns of any kind into Mexico without all the necessary permits or whatever - I have no idea what that may be or how to get it. There is a former Marine in prison there (at least he was) for getting caught at the Tijuana border trying to smuggle 3 fully loaded guns carried in the driver's area into Mexico. There are all kinds of claims online about how this guy made a mistake. But anyone who takes time to research the facts will find he knew exactly what he was doing and he got caught. They even have video. He had been across this crossing many times and had a girlfriend in Tijuana - and had crossed on foot earlier the same day he was caught with the guns - he had a hotel room and receipts for all his crossings and hotel stays have been posted online. His passport record shows his many crossings. He went to prison because he broke a very strict law - with huge signs saying this at every border crossing. If you do not break serious laws in Mexico you will have no problem with law enforcement authorities.

Now that you have hopefully found the correct forum you can begin to ask specific questions. Although we have been all over Mexico by RV we have only been to Belize by airplane. We have heard that once you leave Mexico the roads can get rough. But there are others who visit this forum who have been further south than we have so you may get some help from them.

We do not spend any time anywhere near the border so cannot help you there. We go at least 1,000 miles south - and more. We do walk across the border at some locations for medical, dental, eyecare reasons.

[reed_cundiff]

Do not go down the east coast on 185 from the border to Yucatan. Most of our friends from eastern US and Canada go down this way and have not had problems but others have. We know one couple that asked a number of folks how best to go down to Belize with their pickup (they have a home near Corazal) and everyone told them not to go that way. They did and were hijacked by three guys with submachine guns (the guy is an ex-Marine from RVN days and noted they were H&Ks). They lucked out. A friend was shipping equipment from Belize to US and they paid him to truck their packup back to USA. Hundreds of tourists go down `185 from Brownsville without problem but we would advise against doing it.
Reed and Elaine

[robatthelake]

I'm with John and Angela 100% !

[guardrail53]

I rented a house in Mx. just across the border in the town of Los Algodones, just into Ca. from Az. on I-8, Turn left at the casino exit, and go 1 mile south. Some of you know it quite well, cheap dental, perscriptions, eye glasses! It was just fine for the first three years or so, but then everything started to change! We got broke into twice, and the second time they intended on taking everything! We just happened to come back before they got everything loaded up! Now days, I would say NO!!! Five years ago, I would have said , go for it!! Just say'n!!

[reed_cundiff]

Put the below in the wrong thread

f you hook up to line power in southern Mexico and Yucatan, it is probably a good idea to:
1. Use surge protector since we have burned out micro-waves in Baja and Yucatan
2. Better, have a 1.5 kW battery charger and run all 110 V through battery and inverter.

The only way we would go to Mexico is that suggested on another post: Cross the Columbia Bridge above Laredo and take the toll road (cuota) down past Satillo, Mahual (Palms Motel has good spots to spend the night and excellent restaurant), San Miguel (great place to spend a few days), Arco Norte around Mexico City, Puebla (a good RV Park and we have friends), Orizaba (spend the night or two at the main Pemex station as we have friends there), Villahermosa (think Rancho Hermanos Grahm is closed - lots of nesting Oropendela), Pemex at the Palenque cutoff or at the Bar Familiar restaurant (see Church's book).
Reed and Elaine

There are only two RV spots in Belize that we know of. One is near Corazol and on the ocean. This is only half an hour or so from border. The other is Inglewood near San Ignacio. It is about two hours to Tikal from there on decent roads (about 20 km are not so decent). The border crossing should not be a problem but you cannot get insurance at the border. Need to get it before you go into Guatemala. You cannot drive into Belize without insurance, just like Mexico. Church's book gives good directions on crossing the border. It is crowded and hectic. But once you are over the border, there is just not much hastle or crowd.

Inglewood (Church's does not do it justice) is excellent with a water point and good 30 amp (110 V) power. Birding caravans spend several weeks there since there are excellent sites within a few hours. The owner is great. We screwed up due to bad signage transiting San Ignacio. Wound up with Chief of Police directing us through town and assigning two police officers to guide us.

Yucatan is really sparse for campgrounds except near Palenque. We have stayed at a few archaeological sites after asking the guards for permission and giving a tip.

Reed and Elaine

[1BryNelson]

More than good advise Mark. I had called several days ago and I spoke with an a Mexican National Attorney General lawyer, called me this a.m. He told there is no permit available for the transportation of weapons or firearm ammuniction in Mexico by a private citizen or a foreign national.
So no guns or bullets past the US border,
I'm former military. Big deal for me. But doable, not a roadblock.
DDoesn't look like J&A needed them. Wouldn't take them on a cruise ship, although I'd never do a cruise.

[John___Angela]

I found a few pictures from Angelas site that brought back good memories of our trips. Some of these are 5 years old. Funny how the food always brings back the best memories.

In Monterrey the Cola de Caballo falls park.





The river walk same city.







San Miguel de allende. More than 20,000 Americans have moved here and more arriving daily.

















Lots of amazing architecture. Kinda cool being able to visit 400 year perfectly preserved spanish cities in North America.



















All the taxis dressed up for the Lady of Guadalupe festivities.



All of us headed for the church for the festivities, many in period costume and many on horseback. Needless to say the next day involved a big clean up...including shovels. 🙂







On to Puebla, I think its now the auto building capital on North America.

















Headed to Veracruz on route to Cancun.

Interstates are comparable to the US







Funky lookin church, yah that was intentional



Typical toll booth, you will see lots of these



Campground in Catemaco











Downtown Catemaco



and more food



Local market



We took a tour on the lake.





Exploring an indigenous village and Angela taking advantage of a mud facial, right off the ground.







Arriving in the Yucatan



and of course chichen itza





Don't worry about getting through Mexico, worry about missing any of it. We have done three major trips of 3 to 4 months and two minor trips of shorter duration and we haven't scratched the surface. Be informed of where you want to go, travel early in the day so if you have break downs there is plenty of time to sort things out without a flashlight. Get a cheap Mexico cell phone so you can call for assistance if needed. You may not be able to speak the language but the people are helpful and friendly, will call on your behalf and will generally get you on your way. We are taking a break from Mexico for a couple of years as we cross a few other destinations off our list. We managed to squeeze in 9 countries in europe this summer. This winter we are kicking back on our property in Palm Springs but next year we hope to take in Chile Peru and Ecuador. We do all this on a budget but find that keeps us off the tourist track a bit. We avoid the "cruise ship experience" of a country as much as we can. We eat where the locals eat and never buy junkie souvenir type stuff. Fuel and food are the majority of our budget.

There are many other more qualified Mexican travelers on this board. Don't be afraid to ask for specific and possibly more up to date info on campgrounds and route info. I always hesitate to comment on security info as I am simply not qualified to do so. However I can tell you that we have never seen a violent act in Mexico, never dealt with a bad cop, never paid a bribe or had occasion to and never had a bad experience at a security check point. As a matter of fact we have dry camped at a few with permission and assistance of the post comandante.

Our tag line in our signature block pretty much describes our philosophy in life.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but rather by the moments that take our breath away.

Hope this helps.

[1BryNelson]

Just wondering how old your info is?? I've heard of that, but mostly from folks that traveled south in the 80' and early to mid 90's. Since the Toll Roads, established in the mid to late 90's it's less expensive and safe to travel the private toll roads. Still checking info and still open to new info.

[J-Rooster]

Bry, this might not be the way you want to travel thru Mexico, but many RV travel clubs go thru Mexico by train! They rent flat bed rail cars and load there RV's onto the rail cars! Have a great trip sounds like fun!

[1BryNelson]

427435. Thank you for that info. Very helpful.
And to J&A: sure you don't want to do some more RV'ing with us?

Bry.

[1BryNelson]

Wow, wow, wow J&A. What photos. Getting me geared up. I have one other ACE. My 74 yr old brother was a Mechanical Enginner on the Panamal Canal for 25 years until the Noriaga thing. He bailed from Panama bout 3 yrs after Noriaga. Lives near Dan Antonio now in TX now, single again, so hoping he'll go down with me.

[427435]

While we haven't driven a MH through Mexico, we have been flying to Cancun for the last dozen years and then driving a rental car 240 miles south to Xcalak. The place we stay at does their shopping at Chetumal. All the roads from Cancun to Chetumal (and likely the Belize border) are good paved roads. No banditos, but an occasional check points that rarely stop a tourist. Never been stopped by the federales or had a bribe sought. You do need to be alert at the gas stations as the pump operators try to pull some fast ones on occasion.

If I were younger and had a newer MH, I would consider it. However, we see no reason to go beyond the Yucatan Peninsula. By the way, there is an RV park at Paamul between Cancun and Tulum.