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Road Trip from Canada to Mexico (Playa Del Carmen) Day 8 of 9 (11)

1,956 views · Published 16 January 2017 · 7:05 · Indexed 6 October 2026

Channel: Dori & Mena · 2017 · People & Blogs

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Day 8 covers the Xalapa, Veracruz to Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche leg of the trip.

One SUV, one cat, one dog, and two adventure seekers traveling 6350 km/3945 miles over 9 days. This road trip from Montreal Canada to Playa del Carmen Mexico is a first for us. Driving to Mexico has its advantages over flying. We will be in Playa for 4 months with 2 pets so it seemed like the best option. 

We truly believe that life begins at the end of your comfort zone and stretches you in ways you never would have thought possible. Follow us on our journey down south. 

Things to consider before heading out:
 1. Travel/Health Insurance. We used Securiglobe and you can obtain an online quote. We shopped around a bit and Securiglobe had the best price. They are brokers so you will have the option between several different providers. https://www.securiglobe.com/en/
 2. Car Insurance. Rolly Brook lists a few car insurance companies on his website. Many of them provide online quotes. http://www.rollybrook.com/auto-insurance.htm#list
 3. Mailbox and Mail Forwarding. You may opt to forward your mail to your location if you are staying for a while. What is great about this service is that they can scan and email you your mail or they can courier it to you. https://www.theupsstore.com/mailboxes/personal-mailboxes
 4. Fuel Cost. We used roadtrippers.com to map out the trip along with google maps. Roadtrippers estimated our fuel cost at $425 and it ended up being CAD$485. https://roadtrippers.com/
 5. Mexican Vehicle Permit for extended stays. The permit is good for 6 months and cost 1236.44 pesos. The security deposit is payable in cash or on your credit card and was 8360 pesos. 
 6. Tourist Visa cost 390 pesos. Keep this! You will need it when exiting the country. Exit fee is 500 pesos. If you lose the visa card, you will be charged 1000 pesos.
 7. Toll Highways "Cuotas". The Mexican toll highways cost us 2237 pesos. Even some of the toll roads were in very poor shape. It can be taxing on your vehicle. I personally would not attempt this road trip without a truck or SUV. Our Honda Civic would not have made it. 
 8. Speed Bumps "Topes". You would be amazed at where you find speed bumps in Mexico. Besides that, there is usually not much warning. Try to stick to the speed limit and keep your focus on the road ahead.
9. In some areas, you will find two lane highways with a dotted line on the right hand side of the road and a large paved shoulder. Vehicles on these roads drive partially in the shoulder, giving traffic in both directions a narrow amount of room to pass in the middle. Be careful when passing vehicles since an oncoming cars may try to pass at the same time.

Some helpful resources:

Google Translate - Download the offline translator
https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/googl...

Google Maps - Can be used offline to situate yourself
https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/googl...

Entering Mexico through Laredo, Nuevo Laredo and obtaining a vehicle permit
https://shilango.com/blogs/news/98368390-driving-from-toronto-canada-to-queretaro-mexico?comment=2867840390#comments
http://panamrace.blogspot.mx/2013/09/entering-mexico-via-nuevo-laredo.html
http://www.drivetheamericas.com/wiki/mexico-border-crossing

Safe Route Through Mexico
http://www.drivetheamericas.com/forum...

Safe Driving Tips for Mexico
http://wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_Mexico
http://www.drivetheamericas.com/wiki/mexico-roads-and-driving
https://travelyucatan.com/things-to-know-driving-in-mexico/

Useful Info Living in Mexico
http://www.rollybrook.com/Page%20Dire…

Mexico is as safe as you want it to be: Mali Mish Video
https://youtu.be/cxhhoL8LQ1M

Hotel Day 8: Holiday Inn Cd. Del Carmen, Campeche
Pet Friendly/Free breakfast if paid for as part of the package/Free Outdoor Parking/Great Service/Excellent Ravioli and Happy Hour.
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/ciudad-del-carmen/cmemx/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=GoogleMaps-_-HI-_-MEX-_-CMEMX

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