Travel Holiday Hotel Guide

Entry requirements and customs

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Ok, you want to drive to Mexico (good for you!) and now you need to know what it will take to get you and your vehicle into the country. Here is the straight scoop.

Immigration and Car Permits

A friend of mine got in with a student ID and a smile, but she was much prettier than I am. All minors (under 18) need either both parents with them, or notarized permission from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian.

MEXICO ENTRY REQUIREMENTS (the official version).

1. Vehicle Title or Registration Receipt.

Owner is considered the name(s) on title only. For example: a wife cannot take the car if the title is only in the husband’s name. If names of both husband and wife appear on title, either one may take the car.

2. Birth certificate, passport or notarized proof of citizenship, or voter’s registration card.

3. Visa, MasterCard, Diner’s, or American Express card with the same name as on title.

4. Valid driver’s license (with photo and same name as on title).

5. Notarized letter of permission from the bank or lienholder is required on financed cars, rental cars, leased cars, or company cars (on company stationary).

6. No borrowed cars or borrowed credit cards are accepted.

7. You must sign an affidavit of promise to return vehicle back to the United States.

Failure to turn in your vehicle permit before the expiration date may result in fines.

* This is subject to change without notice.

In order to get your vehicle permit, you will pay an approximately $10-11 fee with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. If you do not have a credit card, you will have to post a bond (much of which you will get back on your return). Your permit is good for multiple entries, but you MUST turn it in at border BEFORE it expires.

Back to table of contents.

Customs niceties.

We might as well warn you about customs before it is too late to do anything about it. Technically, both foreigners and Mexicans who are driving are only allowed to bring $50 worth of “merchandise” (mercancia, a word you will soon learn). Since nobody takes long trips to Mexico with only $50 worth of stuff, this is obviously impossible to enforce. What customs is looking for is new items that could be sold. The secret is not to have new-looking items with you. For example, if you have new clothes, take the tags off. If you have new camping gear, take it out of the shiny boxes and throw some dirt on them to make the boxes look old. Get the idea?

One thing that will get you into trouble is a lot of stuff in Wal-Mart etc. sacks. If you bought a lot of items for your trip, take them out of the sacks, remove the price tags and distribute them among your baggage. I was once delayed for having too much film. I am a photographer and regularly take fifty rolls of film. Technically that is illegal, but I only had a problem once. That was when the rolls were still in a plastic bag from the store. From then on, I spread them out and haven’t had a problem since.

Computers

Laptop computers are never (a dangerous phrase to use in Mexico, but I will go out on a limb here) a problem. Desktops can usually be brought in. A journalist friend of mine was moving to Mexico and had a lot of stuff, including a desktop computer. The customs inspector wanted to do his job, but he was a practical man. “Your computer,” he asked, “it is small, no?” “Si,” the scribe replied, “muy pequeño.” Be honest and friendly and things will work out. Be arrogant and you will have trouble.

When to cross

Allow at least 30 minutes for customs clearing. Early in the AM (6-7:30) is best. After 9:00 AM, it could take 30 minutes up to an hour. Weekends are the worst time, especially holidays. If you got a late start, please spend the night in a border town.

Latin America Travel Travel & Business Report is different.

Latin America Travel & Business Report has articles about Mexico, Central America, Belize and South America that are written by people who live there or who regularly travel to the countries they write about.

It is filled with more than slick travel articles about beautiful beaches and resorts. There are articles on living in many of the countries covered, nightlife, hard news, out-of-the-way spots, RV tips and destinations, music, spas, hot springs and, of course, interesting new travel destinations.

It is for intrepid travelers from 19 to 90 who want to know more than what a typical travel book can tell them. Mexico & Latin America Travel Newsletter will keep you up-to-date and informed.

The editor, “Mexico” Mike Nelson, wrote the Sanborn’s Travelog Series guidebooks for drivers to Mexico and Central America for a decade.

His expertise has been recognized by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Washington Post, Texas Monthly, Manchester (England) Guardian, Denver Post, Orange County Register, Texas Monthly and many more publications. He is the author of a dozen books on Mexico and Central America.

Sample Articles

I recently (August, 1998) had the had duty of re-visiting and rating three of Mexico’s world-class spas. While there are about a dozen of them throughout the country, I was in the neighborhood of Cuernavaca on my last trip. Unfortunately, I had to downgrade one of them.

The Hosteria Las Quintas was my first stop and still my favorite. They have added new facilities since my last visit and are still excellent. I’ve known this spa since they first started and it is still one of my favorites. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, it has the unique advantage of being close enough to Cuernavaca that one could get away and visit the many historical sites via a short taxi ride.

Their facilities are first-class and complete. Most of the spa services you would expect are available: massages (Swedish, Shiatsu, relaxing and sports); mud wraps, seaweed wraps, exfoliating body scrubs, facials, manicures and pedicures. They also have a public jacuzzi and private whirlpool baths, as well as sauna and steam rooms. The latter are segregated by sex.

They use only the highest quality European and Middle-Eastern products, including mud from the Dead Sea.

Like most Mexican spas, they are considerably more laid-back than their European or American counterparts. This is a plus and a minus. You certainly won’t miss the towel Nazis common in European spas. These are women who make dadgummed sure that you don’t put your bare feet or any other bare part of your anatomy down in the steam rooms and other common areas. You also won’t have an exercise dominatrix who will force you to do more calisthenics than you like.

The downside of this more casual approach is that you don’t get as much of the “spa experience” as you do in the States. One young woman who was there on the spa program complained to me that she missed the “spa experience,” which she defined as being together with a group that took classes and exercises together and bonded. I have to admit that she was right. That is an integral part of spa-ing. I have had the experience at other spas and it generally leads to lifelong friendships and the sharing of the most intimate details of your private life.

The management has made efforts to create a group experience by having a special table set up for those on the spa program in the dining room and giving the spa-goers name tags. With time, I am sure that they will get the hang of it.

Meanwhile, this is a great place to get de-stressed and rejuvenated.

My second stop on this grueling tour was the Mision del Sol, only a half-hour from the city. Sadly, this New Age style spa has not gotten their act together. I no longer recommend it.

The Hacienda Cocoyoc was my last stop. It is the most organized of the group. Everything was still top-notch there and I heartilly recommend it for those who want to be left alone and enjoy the spa services without a group experience. The facilities are world-class and besides the usual services, they offer Swiss showers and the alpha-jet capsule. It is a space-age device that look like a large egg. You lie down in it and the air pressure in the capsule is regulated, along with the temperature. An attendant puts goggles on your eyes which emit a series of flashing lights. Meanwhile soft jazz comes through the headphones built into the unit. Before long, you are in an alpha level sleep. I was properly skeptical at first, but they had to awaken me when my time was up. I don’t know where I had gone during my thirty minutes, but I swear I visited other planets. I was weak as a kitten and had to be led by the hand back to the dressing room. You might say I was relaxed.

Costs at all of thses spas run from about $1,200 to $2,000 a week. For reservations, write an email to spas or call Spa World Reservations at 1-800-321-5605.