The Drive
It is beautiful. It is safe as long as you are aware of your surroundings and take our advice. The drive confirmed that we were not making a mistake. The end of our adventure turned the surreal into real. We were so excited to get to our new home but the journey, itself, was stunning, pristine, and perfect.
Andy was a bit nervous while driving, even though almost all traffic laws are pretty much the same as the U.S. so he practiced his Lamaze breathing to keep calm and focus on the task at hand.
¡¡¡Fun Fact: Bring baby wipes and toilet paper with you because gas station pit stops don’t usually have them on this country journey!!!
Traveling with a Partner(s)
Being in a car with somebody for days can be daunting for some people. We work together, live together (obviously), and sleep together (unless Andy’s snoring is too much). Other than showering we are always together. Our experience is probably different than most because we are constantly together, 24-7. If you are not used to this you might need to get into the mindset that you’ll be in a car with one another for days. A wise person once said “always pick your battles” because arguments will happen, or tiffs as we call them. Always remember and remind yourself of the end goal. GETTING TO PARADISE!!! Also, going to the bathroom at the same time makes for less stops.
Bathrooms at Gas Stations
Again, bring your own toilet paper and antibacterial wipes because the bathrooms won’t have it. Don’t be alarmed, ladies, but they usually don’t have a toilet seat either. This seem strange but it is a part of the culture in some places.
Only Drive During the Day
We have spoken before about planning your drive. It is extremely important so we are revisiting this idea. It is not safe to drive at night. There are Topes (Speedbumps on steroids), lol, that are not visible at night. Always stay on the toll roads because they are better maintained than the free roads.
Topes – defined as speedbumps in Mexico that are the equivalent of metal Whack-a-moles in a line across the entire street. These will F&%# your car up if you don’t slow down for them. Sometimes they are painted different than the street and sometimes they blend right in. So, to be safe, drive only during the day.
There will be Security Stops (Checkpoints)
Don’t be alarmed. Have your paperwork ready, including Temporary Import Permit, Registration, ID, and Visa. It shows the police a sign of respect and preparedness. We had our binder ready to show at all times. If you haven’t read Everything You Need to Plan Before Moving to Mexico but we always had our paperwork easily accessible so we had zero problems.
¡¡¡Fun Fact: It is illegal not have a license plate on the front of your car. So if you are driving from a state that does not require a front license plate get one!!!
In Alabama we only get one for the back of our car. We saw on Etsy that they offer vanity plates whose backgrounds look almost the same as our state issued plates. We purchased one for less than $20 that had the same letters and numbers as our state issued plate, a front license plate bracket and some toggle bolts. We haven’t had an issue since.
Picking Your Hotels to Spend the Night
We found that the best way to decide where to stay was to plan each day’s route, knowing where we should be stopping once the sun went down. It is crucial to be organized and have your map planned out. From the border, Nuevo Laredo we knew we had enough time to get to Monterrey before the sun went down. Once we approached the city, Mandy took the GPS and searched for hotels in the area. We found a Hampton Inn that was fantastic. They had a restaurant in the building so we ordered Chicken Mole and Poached Salmon. We know that things happen and don’t go the way you plan so it is always good to know you will have to roll with the punches at some point.
Our second night stopping was earlier than we had planned because there was a huge rainstorm that made it pitch black about an hour or two earlier than we had anticipated, so we called an audible and looked for a hotel in the nearest town that had a name we recognized. We were planning on stopping in Puebla but ended up stopping in San Juan del Rio and stayed at a Hampton Inn that had a delightful Steak night for dinner.
Our third night was planned for Villahermosa and we made it, as scheduled, and stayed at a Marriott. We got McDonald’s for the first time in Mexico and it was delicious.
For our fourth night we were about an hour away from our condo when the sun went down. We pulled over at a gas station and looked at the GPS to search for a hotel in the area. There was none in our direction. While debating if we should turn around and head to the nearest one in the opposite direction, about 30 minutes away, or sleep in our car until the morning, we noticed some cars driving toward Playa del Carmen and decided to follow one of them. While Andy was driving he stared at their tail lights for signs of Topes or potholes and drove around 20-30 mph at a safe distance should either the car in front or us had to slam on our brakes. Luckily, there were no Topes or potholes and it was smooth sailing to our condo where we spent the night relaxed and thankful for making such a pleasant journey.
You should look for a hotel that has 24 hour security around the parking lot because you can never be too safe. We found that franchised chains worked for us. Pay attention to your surroundings. This is new territory so if there is something that doesn’t feel right move on toward one that does. You can go online to book your hotel, Priceline hotels and etc. which we did not do but it is possible and you could probably save money too.
We looked at our trip more like a preplanned adventure. Always remember that this trip is special, you are starting your new life. It is one to go into the books of your relationship. It is the best decision you will ever make so enjoy every moment.
To Sum This Up…
Every life experience is different, that is why we started this blog. We learned valuable information of what to do and what not to do to help everyone capture every moment, save money and enjoy their journey. This experience has taught us a lot more than we could have imagined. Even today, we’re still amazed that we completed this journey five years ago. Some people go on vacation to hotels and experience the hotel life, which is awesome and that used to be us. When you choose to pack up your house and move to Mexico it can be overwhelming and we wish we could have had a step by step guide for everything. We are so blessed to have been able to go on this voyage and humbled to have met such nice, lovely people along the way. You stay classy, future expats, there will be more to come soon…