Excellent write up sellheim!

Some updates and additional thoughts -

Cash vs. Credit
Regarding cash vs. credit card for the required "security deposit" in Mexico, a rider told he had problems getting cash back as he was leaving Mexico and entering Guatemala. It seems the small border crossing office didn't have enough cash on hand. And they only will return cash for cash, credit for credit. Not sure how it was resolved...

Copies of Documentation
The Chetumal, Mexico side of the frontier was shiny new in the end of May 2013. It was so new they didn't have copy machines to make the require copies and there were no vendors (copy shacks.) I still have one black and white copy of my passport. Everything else they were able to make copies by running through a fax machine. Suggest taking lots of copies when you hit the road. Make more as needed. Scan your key documents, then store them on a thumb drive AND online. If you lost a critical document, a printed copy night be excepted at a border. Having a scan of your passport will make getting a replacement at an embassy easier.

Border Cambo Guys
I highly recommend getting a currency conversion app for your phone. I use Currency for my iPhone. The app was very useful when negotiating with the Cambo Guys and for every other purchase where I wanted to know/confirm the value in USD. Be sure to add all of the country currencies to the app before hand; chances are your phone won't be connected and there won't be wifi at the border. I assume there is a version of Currency for Android. Worse case, prepare a list exchange rates for each country before leaving home and take a palm sized calculator. Expect the Cambo Guys to make a little bit of money on the deal. Keep the amounts low, so you don't get wildly ripped off in the event of an exchange miscalculation. PS: If you have a Bank of America account, you can withdraw cash from Santander Bank (Mexico), without any fees.

General
Most riders dread crossing borders. It really isn't so bad. Have your key documents handy and offer them up to the officials (Passport, title, license and vehicle registration) with copies. If you approach process with a smile, it can actually be a little fun. Its just a game of fill in the blanks.

NEVER EVER give your original documents to a "helper." If you don't want to hire someone that is making a hard sell, make eye contact and say "no gracias." If they persist, say "¿Entiendes? no" (Do you understand No?) It works every time.

Heading toward Guatemala, on the south side of Tapachula, Mexico, a mile or two before the border, guys with nice, official looking shirts flagged us down and started demanding our papers and passport. These were aggressive (very) helpers. We figured out that they were not official and rode off. Sometimes its hard to tell who is official and who is not. At the border, if they have a gun or a embroidered emblem on their shirt, chance are they are with the government. If they have a cheesy ID card around their neck, which they are eager to show, then they are a service for hire. Buyer beware.

If you do decide to use a helper, set the price/tip up front. The few times I hired a helper, I would only offer $5.00, saying frankly that I am on a budget and that is all I have to spend. Worked every time and I probably over paid. Often there are several helpers standing around, so competition is stiff.

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Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Hi Dom,

Great write up! Thanks for sharing the info and helping future travelers.

I put together BorderHelper.com to be a database of border crossings around the globe (because the info tends to get lost in forums). With your permission, I'd like to repost this on the site. Thanks!

-Ben

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Motorcycle Mexico - The easiest way to prepare for your first ride south of the border.
USA to TDF Blog

Cheers for the extra info Peter, every bit helps

Hi Ben, cool site. sure feel free to add the info to your site - you can throw me and the HUBB in as a reference if you want

ta

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvros...ature=youtu.be

Done and done. Happy riding amigo!

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Motorcycle Mexico - The easiest way to prepare for your first ride south of the border.
USA to TDF Blog

A very useful guide, but important to remember that rules and regs can and do change. And you cannot beat local information.

Certain rules are more flexible than others.

Carrying spare tires and fuel across some borders may incur duty if not approached correctly.

I have travelers insurance with my job - Can I exempt myself from travelers insurance to Mexico?


Also the last time I went to Mexico I came in thru Tijuana and none of the above was asked.

I am howver told that if you travel to the souther tip of Baja and need to get on the ferry, they wont let you onto it unless you have done all the paperwork correctly. I read a blog about two canadian who came in thru Tijuana and when they got to the tip of Baja, they had to get on a plane back to the border to get thie papers in order.

So in short : How is it that they dont aks you to get all these parers when you cross in Tijuana but you still need them in a sense...

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

Not sure what you mean by traveler's insurance? Do you mean insurance for your car/motorcycle? If that's the case, you should have Mexican insurance, as foreign insurance is not recognized in Mexico. Mexico does not closely control its' borders, they leave it up to the traveler to know what the requirements are. Not very convenient, I know.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

You can ride Baja without a temporary vehicle import permit (TVIP), but you will need it for the mainland. You can buy this at the ferry terminal in La Paz without any problems.

OK, that takes care of the bike, but for you, the person, you need to get a Tourist Visa Card, if you plan to stay more than a few days and go outside the free trade zone (about 20 miles from the border). Generally, you need to secure this at the border. But you're right, you can cross the border and ride south without anyone stopping you or telling you what to do or where to go. So you must look out for yourself and do the necessary paperwork. www.BorderHelper.com has some great border crossing reviews for the Baja area with thanks to the Great Sjoerd Bakker.

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Motorcycle Mexico - The easiest way to prepare for your first ride south of the border.
USA to TDF Blog

It's true ... the Mexicans won't stop and check you when you enter from USA.
You just drive through and GO! Technically you are supposed to have a Tourist Visa if in Mexico more than 7 days or if you go more than 200 miles South of the border. They used to check at Guerrero Negro ... but no longer.
Once South of their if you don't have your Tourist Visa, you are technically in violation. Rarely enforced.

But you SHOULD stop at the border (Tijuana) and get your Tourist
visa. It says MIGRACION at the office. It's about $22 usd. Just pull over in the parking area walk in ... takes about 10 minutes.

You can also get your TVIP (for bike temporary import) at an office very near the Tijuana border entrance (a one minute ride from border entrance) ... or you can ride all the way to La Paz and get your TVIP right at the Ferry terminal. BUT ... you do need your Tourist visa BEFORE you get there ... and you may have trouble if you don't have it when you show up to get your TVIP.

Your personal travel insurance is good to have. But it is FOR YOU, not your bike. Just make sure it's valid when in Mexico or Latin America. If it's any GOOD then it should pay your flight home and pay any medical costs when in Mexico. (or reimburse you later ... so SAVE all receipts of anything you pay)

For vehicles ... ONLY Mexican insurance is valid in Mexico. Your personal insurance is of NO USE for your bike. ALL foreign insurance (for vehicles) is invalid in Mexico. (yes, it's a racket)

This mostly true for every Latin American country. In Mexico, it is now technically required to have vehicle insurance ... but proof is not yet asked for. (changing however)

It's a bit embarrassing as almost NO Mexicans carry any sort of car insurance. But IF you are in an accident ... everyone goes to jail and are held until things are sorted out. BUT ... if you have insurance, you will be let go on bond and not kept in jail. You will have to wait around until case is resolved. Hiring a lawyer is a very good idea to expedite this process.

But things are all changing fast ... so keep an eye on things and ask around.