Border Crossing USA to Mexico - In this case Presidio/Ojinaga:


Throughout our travels in the US we have been warned of the dangers of Mexico, been offered prayers for our safety, and been constantly told how we are likely to be kidnapped, robbed or murdered.

Even as we drove through the USA exit border post towards Mexico we were stopped and the US Border Patrol official said, and I quote “Do you know you are driving into Mexico?”


However when speaking to other overlanders, and now that we have travelled extensively, we have found Mexico is very friendly and the level of ‘risk’ is no more than driving say the metropolis of New York


There are a number of border crossings from the USA into Mexico. 

It would seem should there be any trouble it is normally related to the drug cartels and mostly around the border areas. Taking all the advice, it is best not to delay your exit from the border towns and plan for a morning entry so you have daylight hours travelling 200 or 300 km away from the border areas. 

From all reports the crossing of EL Paso/Ciudad Juarez seems to be the worst for incidents. See also our Mexico border crossing into Baja at USA into Baja Mexico


However taking all the advice we chose the smaller Presidio/Ojinaga crossing as being the lease problematical.


Allow about 2 hours







For travel through Mexico (other than Baja) a Temporary Importation of Vehicle Permit is required.  For US and Canadian registered vehicles this can be done on line at the BANJERCITO (Mexican Army Bank) web page at www.banjercito.com. However this is not applicable for foreign registered vehicles and the process can only be done at the border crossing.

In brief you need:

  1. • Passport

  2. • Vehicle Registration Certificate - it must be an original document, copies are NOT acceptable

  3. • Drivers License

  4. • Mexican 3rd Party Vehicle Insurance



  1. 1.The Presidio exit from the USA is well sign posted and apart from being stopped and asked “Do you know you are driving into Mexico?” it is simply a drive through.  The official did not remove our Visa arrival forms from our passports as we were flying back into Los Angles in about 3 months enroute home.




  1. 2.On the Mexican side is the town of Ojinaga and we were pointed to the red ‘items to be declared’ vehicle lane. Here the officer apologised for speaking only little english but was helpful and gave the vehicle a ‘light’ inspection, then ushering us to the parking area to the right and behind the customs building.






  1. 3.Immigration: We found the immigration desk and here we completed the entry (visa) forms. The all spanish forms were called an FMM - FORMA MIGRATORIA MULTIPLE. We filled in Nombre (Name) Apellido (Christian name) Nacionalidad (Nationality) Fechs de nacimiento (DOB) Sexo, Num Pasaporte (Passport No). The rest the officer filled in.

  2. IMPORTANT: The officer needed to know for how long we were staying in Mexico (in our case 1 month) and from what town that we were departing Mexico ( in our case Chetumal on the Belize Border). I showed him a map and the town was written onto our visa forms.

  3. We were then directed to the Banjercito (Bank) at the end of the same building.


  5. 4.At the Banjercito, they require passport (of driver & passenger), vehicle registration papers - ORIGINAL ONLY, and International Drivers License.

  6. The first payment was for the visa - MXP 294 (US$ 22) / person in Cash or credit card.

  7. The second payment was the processing charge for the Temporary Import Vehicle Permit - MXP660 (US$50)

  8. There is then a deposit you must pay as a security for the import of the vehicle. This is returned to you when you exit Mexico. You can done either by Credit Card or Cash.

  9. If you use a credit card the amount is held as one does at a hotel reception and is used only if you do not cancel the permit when departing Mexico. They would not accept our Visa Debit Travel Card only our Mastercard or Visa. We did not try Amex.   The bond amount depends on the age of the vehicle 2007+ is US$400, 2006-2007 - US$ 300, 1999 - 2006 US$200.


  1. There was some discussion as the Australian Vehicle Registration Papers are very ordinary and not a government looking piece of paper. The fact also that the 3 vehicles are similar ( 2 Fuso & 1 Isuzu all ‘camper trucks’) however one is listed as a motorhome & commercial, one a tray truck and private, and one as truck van and commercial confusing them somewhat. In the end it was accepted as OK.


  3. There was also a small US$1 charge for photocopying the documents at the window on      the left.


  1. 5.We also had to complete a ‘Register Form for Accessories & Equipment for the motor home’ Quite simply a tick box for CB Radio, Computer, Dryer Dish etc.


  1. 6.Third Party Vehicle Liability Insurance: 

  2. Within the border process there was no check if we had insurance but in the car park there were a few dealers offering 3rd Party Vehicle Liability Insurance. If you are involved in a accident the consequences are serious if you do not have this 3rd Party Insurance cover. We had pre-organise ours using Sanborn’s Mexican Auto Insurance, who are, and because they are, regular suppliers to travellers in the area.


  1. Quotes we received from Sanborn’s for Mexico (2012) for 30 days were as follows:  


  3. •$150,000 combined single limit bodily injury & property damage

  4. $20,000 per person/$100,000 medical payments for you and the occupants of your vehicle

  5. The legal aid & bailbond - keeps you out of jail should you be involved in an accident

  6. The vehicle road assistance which covers a multitude of services, but by far the most important is air evacuation either to Houston, Tx.  or San Diego, Ca. should you become ill or injured in Mexico and you cannot be treated there. The total cost for a 30 day policy is $212.38 per vehicle.


  8. •If you would like less coverage -

  9. $100,000 liability/$10,000-$50,000 medical payments/the legal aid & bailbond and the vehicle road assistance the total cost is $181.40


  11. •and if you want the very minimum we write:

  12. $50,000 liability/$2,000-$10,000 medical payments/ legal aid & bailbond & the vehicle road assistance the total charge would be $113.72.


  14. We elected the latter.

  15. The cover note was e-mailed to us and we printed out a few copies.



  2. Sanborn’s Insurance – Headquarters

  3. Travco Services, Inc.

  4. 800.222.0158 Customer Service

  5. 888.215.6324 Agent Services

  6. 956.686.3601

  7. PO Box 310

  8. 2009 S 10th St

  9. McAllen TX 78505-0310

  10. www.sanbornsinsurance.com

  11. jgatton@sanbornsinsurance.com

  12. Our Contact was Johnny Ginn at brownsvillejohn@sanbornsinsurance.com


    Application Form: Sanborn’s Mexico Insurance Application.pdf


  1. Sanborn can also offer 3rd party Cover for the rest of Central America and South America however  we found it was expensive particularly as some Cent. American countries do not have a requirement for 3rd party Insurance, the others you can buy at the borders for a just few $$$’s. It is a 12 months policy and we would not be into South America within the 12 months.   Mexico/Central and South America Application.pdf


We also enquired with Assurantiekantoor Alessie

  1. Eliotplaats 174

  2. 3068 VL Rotterdam

  3. The Netherlands

  4. Tel. +31-10-4555946

  5. Fax. +31-10-4555948

  6.  

  7. Mrs. Maria M. Alessie

  8. E-mail: alessie@alessie.com

  9. http://www.alessie.com/oldsite/index.html

They offered 3rd party Insurance for Central and South America for a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 12 months.  Depending on the tyre of vehicle and the drivers age the cost was between US$800 and US$1,000. However this excluded Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia for liability cover. You can cover comprehensive/collision cover for all central and South American countries including the above five.


  2. 6.We now have our Temporary Vehicle Import Papers, and in our case it was issued for 10 years and allowed multiply entries. See: Mexican Temp Vehicle Import.jpg


  1. The back of the form has to be signed as a promise to export the vehicles within the prescribed time.


  3. The centre part of the form is then detached and placed on the windscreen.


7. There is a bank with an ATM in the main Ojinaga town square. I did not see money changers at the border.




Travel in Mexico:

Mexico is not all desert and cactus, actually most is heavily timbered rain forest.

The western coastal fringe is used for coconut, mango, banana, and avocado cropping.


Driving Mexico is easy. Although judging by the number of road side memorials and black skid marks on the highways one should, be vigilant.  Two lane bitumen roads are sometimes narrow and the sharp bitumen edge to be avoided. Some of the older bitumen roads are beginning to break up with pot holes scattered across the road. Generally speaking the main highways are well maintained.


Travelling the mountains and costal areas work on 200 km / day maximim. We travelled an average of 50 to 70kph because of twisting roads, roadworks, slow moving buses and trucks, and the numerous small towns.


Major towns are connected by very good four-lane Toll roads ( Cuota ) MXP 25 - 125 depending on distance travelled.

Normally cash only accepted.

The toll receipt you receive is also your insurance certificate. Should you be involved in an accident that damages the toll road this is your cover, so hang on to it.

We paid a total of MXP1,279 or US$97 for our 1 month toll road use in Mexico.


The alternative is the free (Libre) road, but we found them arduous and time consuming.


There are also bypass roads around towns known as Limramiento




The roads and highways are well signposted and the Garmin Nth America, and Nuvi street map had most of the roads except when in remote areas.


In these remote areas the Garmin topo map had roads shown but did not exist, or where there was a road it was not shown. 

Here you have to resort to asking the locals.


Lesser mountain tracks in some places are barely wide enough for a standard vehicle. This is particularly so in the Copper Canyon area. 


This is a trip log printout of one of the roads in the Copper Canyon. It is only 10kms long and took an hour with very narrow tracks and numerous switchbacks requiring sometimes 3 or 4 point turns !



We carried a couple of reasonable maps incl the ITMB Mexico map

International Travellers maps - www.itmb.com



Stop signs (Alto) aline the main roads through towns and are not on the side roads. Most locals don’t stop, but one should give way to side roads. Where there are 4 stop signs at an intersection, the first to stop is the first to go. We hear that the police do like to target  travellers, although we were never had this experience.


There are also ‘Tope’ or ‘Reductors’, these are serious speed bumps into, out of, and throughout the towns and villages. Some are quite severe and the signage, if present, should not to be ignored. Crossing speed varies between 5-25 km/hr. Get used to these as they are all the way south to Panama!




Trucks and buses tend to indicate with a left hand flasher to advise you it is OK to pass.    But we do not all drive a Ferrari so it is important to make your own call.  

Mexicans tend to use their hazard lights when travelling slow.


Military / Police check points are on most roads and in some towns and cities.

All heavily armed, but we felt very comfortable with their presence.  When stopped they wanted to know where we had come from, and where we were going to.  Some wanted to inspect our passports and the Temporary Vehicle Papers. All were friendly and interested in our travels.  Occasionally a quick search of the vehicle.


Camping:

Apart from the major towns like Mazatian and Acapulco we free camped everywhere and never had a problem. 


Deserted beaches are difficult to find and at popular tourist beaches you are lucky to get near water because of shops and restaurants. The beaches are actually government and not private property, so theoretically available to camp however most are fenced off, and if it looks like private property it is best to ask.. There may be a nominal charge.


On a couple of occasions we found locals posing as owners of the property and asking for a fee.  This just has to be taken in your stride and assessed at the time.

In fact all the locals we met were very friendly, and pleased of our visit.


Food:

The larger towns have the usual large western style air-conditioned supermarkets that offer just about everything. Some of the major stores are Ley Supermarkets, AlSuper, Superama and sometimes Walmart, they all accept major credit cards. 


Most spirits are under US$10 per litre and Mexican, Spanish and Chilean wines from M$80 to M$250 per bottle.(US$6 to 20)


Fresh bread and milk avail everywhere...UHT milk is available in supermarkets.


In the smaller towns the grocery store is the Mercado and is about 20% more expensive than the supermarkets above. Their selection is limited.

A bakery is a Panaderia, but the bread will only last one or two days.

Fresh meat is sold from a Caniceria (Butcher) and sometimes difficult to find.

Oxxo is everywhere and are small ‘7-11’ type stores.

Mini Marts sell only drinks, canned  food and snacks, and occasionally vegetables.

 

Roadside stalls are best for fresh tropical fruit and vegetables.


Eating out is cheap at roadside and beach restaurants where a lunch will be about MXP 60 ($4.50) / person including a soft drink.  

Corona Beer..MXP 15 ( $1.00)


Banks.....Bamex main bank and ATM’s are in most towns and supermarkets. It is easy to draw down MXP  from credit or travel card.  Transaction fee varies from MXP20-50.



Fuel:

Pemex is the state run fuel company that universally sells Diesel and Petrol. The smaller Pemex stations do not necessarily carry diesel, and in very small villages do not rely on the fact that a fuel station actually exists.

In 2012 the prices were universally the same across Mexico at M$10.90/litre (US$0.81) for Diesel, and you pay the attendant at the pump. The diesel pumps are black, and normally fast fill with big nozzles. The petrol red or green depending on the grade.

Some travellers report that the attendants do not zero the pumps before your fill so check this and also be clear of the notes you hand over before they disappear into the attendants bag.

We found in 2012 that Credit Cards are accepted in all but small towns. 

Toilets are free and clean.


Water:

Water (Aqua) was easily available at all Pemex fuel stations and there is air at the pumps.


See also for lots of information: http://www.drivetheamericas.com/mexico


For our actual Travel Diary through Mexico see: GoannaTracks Across Mexico

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Overland Mexico and the Border Crossing from the USA