asylum1972 Loc: Hilton Head Island, SC

My hubby and I are trying to decide on our next trip, will either be St. Lucia, or the Riviera Maya (near Playa Del Carmen). We will be traveling with our 5 year-old daughter, who travels well and has an adventurous spirit. It's really a toss-up as I want to see both places.

I really want to see and photograph the Mayan Ruins, most particularly Chitzen Itza, but I hate bus tours and would rather rent a car and go at our own pace. I've heard a lot of mixed stories about driving in Mexico, not sure about the Mexican Riviera. Has anyone done this - driven in this area?? If so, what was your experience? I want to make sure my family is safe.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

Mexico has basically NO control over the drug cartel and to travel across the border to me would be like asking to be in danger....

I would NOT advise it at all...

asylum1972 Loc: Hilton Head Island, SC

Are you saying stay away from Mexico altogether, or just don't drive in Mexico?

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

I was born in Texas at Brownsville, grandparents lived in Laredo, still have friends that live in Laredo and THEY will NOT even go across the border for a good Mex dinner...
ANY border town in Texas is NOT safe and to go gawking around in Mexio is sheer folly and actually stupid...

Of course, if you know more than I do, or what is advised, go ahead and visit...

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Read

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html

Sarge69

DigitalDon Loc: Calgary, Alberta

[quote=asylum1972]My hubby and I are trying to decide on our next trip, will either be St. Lucia, or the Riviera Maya (near Playa Del Carmen). We will be traveling with our 5 year-old daughter, who travels well and has an adventurous spirit. It's really a toss-up as I want to see both places.

When it was safer (about 10 years ago) I would not drive there. Driving itself would be a no brainer. Driving habits are very similar to Canada and US (perhaps a little more aggressive). The problem being the other driver and the condition of their vehicles (bad). If your involved in an accident I'm sure you would be in the wrong. For us Canadians Mexico is probably the best bang for your dollar. I would NOT travel there and my wife would NEVER go. We were on the Mayan side and she had a scary moment with one of the downtown vendors. Too many Canadians have perished over the last 5 years....not for me!

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Like Don says, the drug cartels are a law unto themselves, though there is more than that to consider- like kidnapping, car jacking, highway robbery, etc.

Here is a warning issued by the State Department earlier this year.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5665.html

tramsey Loc: Texas

I live seven miles from the Mexican border and haven't been there in two years. The last time I went they had armed military troops walking around, an armored car(looked like a tank) that had a machine gun with a military guy behind it, He was moving it back and forth. There were Hummer looking vehicles that were full of armed troops in the middle of all the intersections. This was all less than a block off the bridge. This was all more than two years ago and I understand that it's worse now, twice as many troops, twice as many armored vehicles. This is Nevo Progresso, just a tiny village, the business area is only about four block long on one street. I don't know the population, tiny.
People come here from up North to spend the winter. They used to go across frequently, sight seeing, dining etc. I don't hear of anybody going like that, all they do is go to the first pharmacy or dentist across the bridge and hurry back.
There was a gun battle on the main street last year. Tourists were shot at, a building was burned down, several military vehicles tipped over and burned. That evening on the news it was reported that it was a battle between two different cartel in the area. There wasn't any American killed, two were wounded and four cartel members were killed. This has been the only incident that has been reported in Nevo Progresso.
Business people that have a business in Matamoros don't drive there, they fly.
In Brownsville there is the University of Texas, Brownsville that is right on the Rio Grande River and on most of the walls that are facing south have bullet holes in them.

Take a vacation in Mexico? Good place to stay away from.

I just remembered, last year there was an American family with twin girls that were about 6 or 7. They were on their way to Mexico City. The twins were kidnapped and held for ransom. When the parents got them back they (the girls) were addicted to drugs and so abused they had to be hospitalized, yes abused in all the ways.

If you go you'll need a passport or passport card and picture identification, your birth certificate would be a good idea to take to. You'll need these things to get back into the U.S.

tlbuljac Loc: Oklahoma

I took a cruise May 2011 and we did a port o call in Cabo San Lucas...beautiful city. We found a chauffuer with a cart on the back of his bicycle and he hauled us around for better than two hours. We had no problem at all, people where nice everywhere we visited. Shop people where also nice they did not try to push their merchandise on us. We also did a stop at Puerto Vallarta...same thing...no problem and people where very friendly, I even did a scuba dive. However having said that, we where also scheduled to make a port o call in Mazathalon which was cancelled. Apparently a cruise ship passenger was touring the city earlier in the year and was shot and killed by the cartel....all major cruise lines ceased their port o call to that city from that point on. Having said this, I would agree with the other posts here and not visit Mexico near the Texas boarder.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

We are talking about the Mex-American border NOT Cabo San Lucas... That is a different world............

asylum1972 Loc: Hilton Head Island, SC

I'm not asking about Mexican border towns or Mexico City. I won't even travel to those places. I'm talking about the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, near Belize. Are the cartels and the crime as bad in that region too?

tramsey Loc: Texas

From what I understand yes. They have different cartels, they are much more established so the battles and blood shed is much more. We only hear of the bad ones. I'm not sure if they are as constant as they are on the border.

tom kf4wol

only if you don't want to die!!!

SteveR Loc: Michigan

The driving isn't dangerous. It's the not driving that's dangerous.

Jarede

We use to fly into PV, rent a car and drive 40 min up to Sayulita. One dirt road in - everyone was very welcoming and nice. We stopped going 2 years ago because we heard that the drug cartel activity was merging south into that area.
Find someplace else to vacation. Why put yourself or your family in a potentially unsafe situation?
If you do go - be prepared. Bring cash - you can exchange dollars for pesos at your local bank, carry weapons, bring diamonds (easy to hide and use a bargaining tools),
Call the American Embassy in PV and see what they have to say. They should know if you are going to be in the area anyway.
Safety first.