Guatemala Bound

[angrychicken]

Hello!

In August of this year, I'm planning on leaving Washington state and work my way down the coast line.
1st stop will be in Eureka, CA and later San Diego.
I've driven through Baja and I"m probably going to do this again.
I'll grab a ferry to mainland Mexico and venture my way over to San Cristobal. From there, I'll head over to Momostenango, Guatemala.
I've never driven through mainland Mexico or driven into Guatemala.
So I'm looking for travel and legal tips.
I'll bring vehicle registration and insurance for Mexico.
I'll be hauling some medical equipment, computers, and some higher end mountain bikes to a small clinic where I'll be staying in Guatemala. I'll have the appropriate documents for the border cross in Guatemala so I'm not taxed.
I'm fairly concerned about customs and security in Mexico.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[elizer]

I don't like the idea of having your expensive bikes hanging off the back for everyone to see.

Make sure your insurance covers you in those countries. Also check to see if your credit card covers you in those countries. Worse case you can purchase insurance in the areas you will be.

Check to make sure you have all the road hazard equipment (triangles and such) some countries require them and police can make you show it to them.

Im not 100% sure with Guatemala but depending how long you are there you may have to get one of those AAA international driving permits.

[angrychicken]

I'm actually considering buying/towing a small inclosed trailer. Not sure if that makes me more of a "target though".

[rfoubi]

Awesome trip, would love to go that far one day. My experience travelling mainland and baja mexico with expensive mountain bikes is that most people do not realize bikes are worth much. They think bikes are for poor people to ride around on. Unlike Canada/US where people know mtn bikes can be worth 10grand. That being said, out of sight is of course way better. We had ours up on the roof which kept them a bit further out of the way, and we had them very well locked.

As for going baja to mainland, make sure you read up on the vehicle permits and tourist cards (FMM). You do not need a card for <7 days in baja/northern sonora, but you do further south. Its a bit hard to find the permits at the border, especially in baja (eg tijuana) since so few people get them. So just be sure to pull over and park after you cross into mex and find the right place to buy them. Same goes for the vehicle importation permit, which is not needed in baja but is needed for mainland. Since you will need it for the ferry and beyond. ALso FYI you cant sleep in your vehicle on the ferry. Its a bummer that caught us off guard!

Not sure if you are familiar with expedition portal website,

www.expeditionportal.com but there is a wealth of info on travelling baja and beyond.
They also have a central america subforum:


http://forum.expeditionportal.com/forums/115-Latin-America

Other websites like



www.bajanomad.com

are useful for up to date road info, etc


Also, from the few times I've been down with the van, we have had good experiences with

https://www.bajabound.com/

for insurance.


Anyway have fun! And don't forget to post a trip report!

[img]

[/img]

[Tobias Duncan]

I may be doing the same trip in november.
Download ioverlander.
It works even offline

[ThankYouJerry]

[gbrandt]

We did this in 2015. We went from Mexico in Belize then into Guatemala. Border crossing was relatively simple from Belize in Guatemala. You can see more info on the crossing on our blog here: http://livetravelplay.marionette.ca/2015/06/09/border-crossing-belize-to-guatemala/
_________________
'Lucky' our 1987 Red Westy, ASV 1.9 TDI ~130HP, Peloquin differential (had a GW 2.3 that we loved, but it died, we drove it hard!)
We've driven in 49 countries and 5 continents to date
Canada to Argentina and back, 2015 to 2017.
Canada to Europe and back (including Turkey, Morocco and Iceland), 2017 to 2019
Mexico 2022-2023
https://www.instagram.com/live.travel.play/
http://livetravelplay.ca

[angrychicken]

Thanks for the responses!
I downloaded ioverlander, thanks for that tip.
I probably won't go through Belize this time as I need to be in NW Guatemala for "work".
I believe I need a temporary vehicle import permit to get through mainland Mexico. I'm not sure how to get this nullified if needed before entering Guatemala.
Any advise on that?

[gbrandt]

[angrychicken]

Good to know! Thanks again!
Any travel tips to get through Mexico? We would consider mainland Mexico if the route is safe and cooler! Heading through Baja during the heat of August with my dog is not appealing.

[Farf]

[gbrandt]

[gbrandt]

[Theslowdutchman]

We are now 16 months in our trip from New York to Argentina. We spend 6 months in the USA and 10 months so far in Mexico. And we still have a lot of road to cover. When you enter Mexico you have to stop to get a FMM and a TIP (for your car). Both are valid for 6 months. It's your responsibility to get it! there are no signs. This paperwork will get checked when you enter the Ferry at La Paz (Baja). You can take 2 kinds of ferry. Baja Ferry and the other one (forget the name). Baja Ferry is a little bit more expensive but also more comfort. You can't sleep in your car. In the other one you can sleep in your car. We choose Baja Ferry...after a month of boon docking on the beaches we needed a good shower
People in Mexico are great. So far we haven't been stopped once.
In La Paz you have a pretty good VW shop called Geraldo's. It's a good spot to get some work done. If you need work done on the mainland it's good to know that you always can go to a regular VW dealer. They can help you for reasonable prices. Always (!) stay there when they work on your vehicle. They don't have any/much experience with these vehicles.

Also....never drive at night! You won't see the holes in the road, the animals, and the thieves.

A lot of details on border crossing you can find here:
http://wikioverland.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/panamtravelers/
www.facebook.com/OverlandSphere

If you want to follow our journey you can find us here: www.facebook.com/theslowdutchman

Enjoy your trip and safe travels!

[Farf]

[angrychicken]

I agree that most latins are pleasant (hence the trip).
I've traveled through Baja before, parts of Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
Just never did a road trip of this magnitude.
The van is going to Eion's Automotive in Seattle on Monday. I have a undiagnosed parasitic draw that they will look at in addition to making sure the van is road worthy.
From what I gather, I need to obtain a temporary vehicle permit at the Mexican border. This will be discontinued when exiting.
At the Guatemalan border, they will spray for bugs and seeds if I recall. There will be an associated fee. The vehicle can stay in Guatemala for 3 months, up to 6 months with an extension.
I do have some other concerns though, I'm transferring some medicines and supplies to Guatemala. I've done this dozens of times and gotten through customs without any problem with necessary documents.
However, those documents don't pertain to Mexico.
Ideas?

[gbrandt]

Odds are very good they won't even search the van, but I would think the same paperwork for Guatemala would work.

[angrychicken]

I've had vehicles gone through during routine check points where they are looking for guns/drugs. Never had an issue with those.
But during those times I wasn't packing boxes filled with vials and bottles of medications.
Hopefully my Guatemalan documents will work.

[angrychicken]

We will take the ferry from La Paz into mainland Mexico.

Any recommendations for the route? Must see places?
We aren't attracted to tourist hubs and are budget minded.
Also considering hitting Belize before Guatemala and looking for travel tips in Belize.

Thanks!

[figborg]