Mexico/South America
Discussion
For the last 7+ years I’ve spent a lot of time in Texas - now I’m thinking of going further south when I drop my son off in January. I can fly from DFW to Cancun for around £130 return. I’d originally want to stay in that area for 10-14 days and have a total of around 8-10 weeks away.
Any suggestions on how easy it is to get around? I’d like to see Peru if possible but can’t see any flights. Is it relatively safe? Any must see places?
Any suggestions on how easy it is to get around? I’d like to see Peru if possible but can’t see any flights. Is it relatively safe? Any must see places?
Petrus1983 said:
For the last 7+ years I’ve spent a lot of time in Texas - now I’m thinking of going further south when I drop my son off in January. I can fly from DFW to Cancun for around £130 return. I’d originally want to stay in that area for 10-14 days and have a total of around 8-10 weeks away.
Any suggestions on how easy it is to get around? I’d like to see Peru if possible but can’t see any flights. Is it relatively safe? Any must see places?
If sitting on the beach or pool is your thing, then Cancun fits the bill. But if it isn't there is plenty to do, get a car, which costs around £20 or so a day give take depending if you want something bigger/smaller, from decent rental companies - I've used Avis out of Cancun and CDMX. I found Yucatan very interesting, with a load of Mayan sites dotted around the place, a lot of the smaller/free stuff is closed. I'm not sure if they have re opened, but last year Quintana Roo was pretty normal restrictions wise, as they want American tourist money, whilst the rest of Mexico was getting more restricted, with venue restrictions/reduced hours. As of last week, many States have restrictions, although they are now Green on their traffic light system, but the last 18 months means some areas that rely on tourism are decimated, with shops/bars/restaurants closed down. They just had their Day of the Dead calibrations at the start of the week, Mexico City had their parade, which was the first time in 2 years, but the participants had to wear masks instead of the traditional face paint.Any suggestions on how easy it is to get around? I’d like to see Peru if possible but can’t see any flights. Is it relatively safe? Any must see places?
I wouldn't rate Cancun as totally safe, there is a load of the drug trade going on there thanks to tourists who go there for drug fueled partying, so there is turf wars going on, and anywhere that attracts the a typical stupid Americans tourist (just like Benidorm, Bali for other nationalities) attracts the type of people that are going to prey on them. The shootings usually happen in local Mexican area's, but if tourists are in the wrong place at the wrong time, they get mixed up in it all. Basically the American hunger for drugs is the fuel for the violence, and other states that don't have have that local drug demand, or the northern border states, don't have the problems. The big problem at the moment is people trafficking, and the Mexican Government/Law Enforcement are cracking down on foreigners passing through Mexico trying to get into the US, which is causing big problems, and the population isn't happy about it.
Driving in Mexico ranges from alright, to highly hazardous. Some roads like toll roads are pretty good, but outside the well off cities it goes downhill, with most roads being car breakers. The rules of the road, in most of the country is anything goes, so expect the unexpected. The general advice is to stick to toll roads, and don't drive at night. For most people, I would agree with that, although I don't follow that myself! I just got back from just under 3 weeks in Mexico, mainly around the Gulf Coast, doing 2200km in a rental car, visiting 4 States + CDMX, and once leaving the Capital, I saw pretty much no Westerners or not a single menu in English, and only a handful of people who were fluent in English once I had run out of Spanish, which was getting better by the day in that environment.
As I gave back my hire car, it was relief, I hadn't broken it, although I launched it landing hard on the bump stops, as I no longer had to deal with f
king Topes, and this sums up driving in Mexico:https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexicolife/topes-try-t...
smack said:
If sitting on the beach or pool is your thing, then Cancun fits the bill. But if it isn't there is plenty to do, get a car, which costs around £20 or so a day give take depending if you want something bigger/smaller, from decent rental companies - I've used Avis out of Cancun and CDMX. I found Yucatan very interesting, with a load of Mayan sites dotted around the place, a lot of the smaller/free stuff is closed. I'm not sure if they have re opened, but last year Quintana Roo was pretty normal restrictions wise, as they want American tourist money, whilst the rest of Mexico was getting more restricted, with venue restrictions/reduced hours. As of last week, many States have restrictions, although they are now Green on their traffic light system, but the last 18 months means some areas that rely on tourism are decimated, with shops/bars/restaurants closed down. They just had their Day of the Dead calibrations at the start of the week, Mexico City had their parade, which was the first time in 2 years, but the participants had to wear masks instead of the traditional face paint.
I wouldn't rate Cancun as totally safe, there is a load of the drug trade going on there thanks to tourists who go there for drug fueled partying, so there is turf wars going on, and anywhere that attracts the a typical stupid Americans tourist (just like Benidorm, Bali for other nationalities) attracts the type of people that are going to prey on them. The shootings usually happen in local Mexican area's, but if tourists are in the wrong place at the wrong time, they get mixed up in it all. Basically the American hunger for drugs is the fuel for the violence, and other states that don't have have that local drug demand, or the northern border states, don't have the problems. The big problem at the moment is people trafficking, and the Mexican Government/Law Enforcement are cracking down on foreigners passing through Mexico trying to get into the US, which is causing big problems, and the population isn't happy about it.
Driving in Mexico ranges from alright, to highly hazardous. Some roads like toll roads are pretty good, but outside the well off cities it goes downhill, with most roads being car breakers. The rules of the road, in most of the country is anything goes, so expect the unexpected. The general advice is to stick to toll roads, and don't drive at night. For most people, I would agree with that, although I don't follow that myself! I just got back from just under 3 weeks in Mexico, mainly around the Gulf Coast, doing 2200km in a rental car, visiting 4 States + CDMX, and once leaving the Capital, I saw pretty much no Westerners or not a single menu in English, and only a handful of people who were fluent in English once I had run out of Spanish, which was getting better by the day in that environment.
As I gave back my hire car, it was relief, I hadn't broken it, although I launched it landing hard on the bump stops, as I no longer had to deal with fking Topes, and this sums up driving in Mexico:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexicolife/topes-try-t...
Thanks for taking the time to write that up. I think it’s going to be the wrong destination for me. I’ll see where I can fly to from Dallas (which should be a lot) and find somewhere more suitable. Thanks again.I wouldn't rate Cancun as totally safe, there is a load of the drug trade going on there thanks to tourists who go there for drug fueled partying, so there is turf wars going on, and anywhere that attracts the a typical stupid Americans tourist (just like Benidorm, Bali for other nationalities) attracts the type of people that are going to prey on them. The shootings usually happen in local Mexican area's, but if tourists are in the wrong place at the wrong time, they get mixed up in it all. Basically the American hunger for drugs is the fuel for the violence, and other states that don't have have that local drug demand, or the northern border states, don't have the problems. The big problem at the moment is people trafficking, and the Mexican Government/Law Enforcement are cracking down on foreigners passing through Mexico trying to get into the US, which is causing big problems, and the population isn't happy about it.
Driving in Mexico ranges from alright, to highly hazardous. Some roads like toll roads are pretty good, but outside the well off cities it goes downhill, with most roads being car breakers. The rules of the road, in most of the country is anything goes, so expect the unexpected. The general advice is to stick to toll roads, and don't drive at night. For most people, I would agree with that, although I don't follow that myself! I just got back from just under 3 weeks in Mexico, mainly around the Gulf Coast, doing 2200km in a rental car, visiting 4 States + CDMX, and once leaving the Capital, I saw pretty much no Westerners or not a single menu in English, and only a handful of people who were fluent in English once I had run out of Spanish, which was getting better by the day in that environment.
As I gave back my hire car, it was relief, I hadn't broken it, although I launched it landing hard on the bump stops, as I no longer had to deal with f
king Topes, and this sums up driving in Mexico:https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexicolife/topes-try-t...
NMNeil said:
It just got worse.
https://abc7chicago.com/cancun-shooting-hyatt-ziva...
Eek, some friends of mine spend most winters in Puerto Morelos!https://abc7chicago.com/cancun-shooting-hyatt-ziva...
Petrus1983 said:
Thanks for taking the time to write that up. I think it’s going to be the wrong destination for me. I’ll see where I can fly to from Dallas (which should be a lot) and find somewhere more suitable. Thanks again.
Keith, have a think about Panama. Easy to get to from the US, and I really loved Bocas Del Toro, islands in the Caribbean where it’s very easy to lose yourself for a couple of weeks, plus you’ve got the highland coffee areas like Boquete which give a change of scene. carreauchompeur said:
Petrus1983 said:
Thanks for taking the time to write that up. I think it’s going to be the wrong destination for me. I’ll see where I can fly to from Dallas (which should be a lot) and find somewhere more suitable. Thanks again.
Keith, have a think about Panama. Easy to get to from the US, and I really loved Bocas Del Toro, islands in the Caribbean where it’s very easy to lose yourself for a couple of weeks, plus you’ve got the highland coffee areas like Boquete which give a change of scene. 
abzmike said:
Good luck and will look out for that thread. Looking for somewhere a little different for a jaunt next year and CR is interesting. Thinking of maybe a split between coast and hills/nature - looks a beautiful and relatively unspoilt place.
I will start a thread. It really is entering the unknown and think it will be far from perfect a lot of the time. Costa Rica is on the CDC's list of places to avoid. Better have really good health insurance.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/traveler...
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/traveler...
Swift93 said:
Costa Rica is on the CDC's list of places to avoid. Better have really good health insurance.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/traveler...
It hardly looks consistent in terms of categorisation! So bit of an OTT reaction methinkshttps://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/traveler...
Swift93 said:
Costa Rica is on the CDC's list of places to avoid. Better have really good health insurance.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/traveler...
Ah damn - thanks for the heads up. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/traveler...
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