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OVERALL TIPS
Since one of the most often cited tips is not to drive at night, I broke my trip up into two days. Almost exactly halfway between Nogales and Mazatlan is a city called Navojoa. During my two day drive to Mazatlan, I drove 382 miles the first day and 352 miles on the second day. It came out to around 5.5 hours each day. If you are on the road by 10AM you will be at your destinations with plenty of daylight to spare.
Always take roads with “D” in them, it means it is a toll road (or "Cuota"). I took 15D the whole way. At one point (after Navojoa) it turns into 1D, but that is okay, it turns right back into 15D! There was one “libremente” road that we had to take in that route. Never ever ever take “libre” roads - they take you straight through the towns on roads with poor conditions. They’re free, but not worth it. So, in the hierarchy of roads these are your go tos: First choice - Cuotas, Second choice - Librementes, Last choice (don't do it!) - Libres.
BE AWARE that because of Libro Transito about 2/3 of the tolls are free, BUT they have all been taken over by townspeople requesting donations. Some were fine and relaxed, others made me feel extremely uncomfortable with aggressive people trying to physically prevent cars from passing without "donating". This also occurred in the small towns with topes. They would stop people *cold*. Their obtrusive sales pitch was that they would give you a ticket if you paid them and it would save you money down the road. Don’t fall for it! There is nothing down the road. I saw people give money and then not even get the "ticket". I didn’t give money to anyone in the towns because I was not rolling down my window unnecessarily during the time of COVID. Only for real tolls.
All Mexican cars have license tags in the front AND the back. From my experience, this did not have any impact from a police standpoint; I was never targeted and pulled over because I did not have a front tag. I *did* feel, however, that the only disadvantage that not having a license plate on the front of the car has was that I was targeted by the townspeople at the “donation” stops because they knew I was an out-of-towner.
Don’t let your gas tank get lower than half a tank. You never know where the next gas station will be!
If you are on the Cuotas and you break down, there is a small army called the "Green Angels" that are state-employed mechanics that help stranded vehicles. All along the way there are emergency phone boxes to call them if needed. There are also signs posted with their phone number. I never caught it because I always blew by it at too high a speed, but it's there! Make sure you hang on to your toll receipts to show them you are paying your dues!
TIPS for the drive
Which entrance to take - I took the Decocini entrance. I went at 6:30AM, there was no line and they just waved all of us right through. I crossed the border in two minutes. One minute I was in Nogales,AZ and the next minute I was in Nogales,MX. I liked going through Nogales MX. I was able to exchange money and get introduced to what it was like on the other side of the border! Great pics and friendly people!!!! If you want to skip driving through the town of Nogales and are eager to just get on your way, use the Mariposa entrance as it skirts the town and all of its lights and traffic. Other considerations: Decocini - has 3 lanes operating 24 hours a day Mariposa - has 1 lane operating from 08:00-20:00
Banjercito - Don’t forget to get your TIP (your temporary vehicle permit to make your car legal) at KM21. Be on the lookout for it (use your odometer) because if you blink you WILL miss it! Go to the government building first, take that paper, and all of your other documents to the Copy booth where they will make copies for a small fee. Then take those copies to the Banjercito in the back. See my blog on TIP and TIP Extension. Also, bathrooms are 50 pesos to use.
Where to stay overnight - In Navojoa, I stayed at the Best western “Hotel del Rios” which accepted my dog for a nominal fee. It was clean, pretty, and has a security guard at night, which was great since my SUV was packed with all my worldly possessions. It has a lovely and delicious restaurant called Los Arcos. Breakfast is included, but not worth it honestly. They gave us toast, yogurt, coffee and the most amazing orange juice I have ever tasted. You know what? I take it back - go to breakfast just for the juice and take it to go. :) That said, I have spoken with others who have enjoyed the Hacienda (also accepts pets). They’ve told me they prefer it to the Hotel Del Rios. I have no basis of comparison, but I just wanted to put that out there.
How are the roads - The roads are very good until you get to Sinaloa. Then things get a bit bumpy - literally. The left lane is consistently in better shape than the right lane. If you are alone on the road, pick the left lane.
Are there any government stops for random checks? Yes, I encountered one government stop in Los Mochis where a policeman reviewed my TIP and auto insurance. He was very pleasant, tolerated my attempts at Spanish with patience and amusement, welcomed me to my new home country, and sent me on my way in no time flat.
Police stops - I was so nervous about this. I read all sorts of things such as if you are pulled over by the federal police, do not try to bribe them - just pay the fine, but if you get pulled over by the municipal police you can try to bribe them. Um, no thank you - I am a law-abiding citizen, I will not try to bribe anyone and will just take the ticket. I also read that if you are stopped by anybody and they want to search your vehicle to get out of the car and do it with them. Open the door, watch them search, and after each section lock and close the door to ensure that everything is on the up and up. Now, I don't know if you have ever seen their police, but they are all very intimidating looking. All black outfits that cover head to toe with gear and massive assault weapons. These are not people you want to provoke or tangle with... ever. My strategy was super simple. Just don't speed. Do absolutely nothing to warrant getting pulled over. And, luckily, I don't have a flashy car! So, I didn’t press my luck. I followed all speed limits and I never got stopped by anyone, Phew!
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is a long drive, but it is so wonderful. Enjoy the drive, relish the sights, and cherish the time you are with your loved ones! You'll be home in no time :)
Until next time!
Take a leap; choose JOY!