Jonna
Mérida, Yucatan & Akumal, QRoo
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The route we've taken 3 times, the last time in April of 2007 going north, goes from just north of Cuernavaca through Lagos de Zempoala (sp?) to Tenango de Arista and then north to Toluca. It's not that bad, it is in Edo de Mexico and there is always the possibility of being stopped. It's happened to us on one of the 3 trips. Just don't pay them and smile and play the dumb gringo. I think it is definitely a better route than going the coast.
The toughest part is the first road going over the mountain from Cuernavaca. It's 2 lanes both directions, no shoulder and very curvy with few areas to pull out. Finding the beginning of it is a little difficult too, even though we'd done it before we couldn't find it this last trip north and stopped a transito and they guided us to it.
I've found if you ask them for help they are always helpful and nice, but if they stop you then you have a problem. One of my ploys is to start asking them for route advice as soon as I can if they stop me, I kind of pass off whatever they are trying to get from me and keep asking them for help in finding where I want to go. It just wears them down after awhile and they end up giving me the advice and letting me go. One day it may not work but so far ...
After that first mountain crossing, you are in a high mountain valley, and the road is straighter and better and the signs were pretty good.
That road comes into Toluca on a cross city boulevard. It had signs as I recall and lots of trucks and buses. We just follow the trucks when they get off on laterals and it was pretty direct to the main toll road. They do enforce the no duals on the main roads very tightly, you do have to stay on the laterals where available. The problem is that the signs are on the main road so it is difficult to see them from the lateral. Mainly we had that problem this last trip when we were heading south and into DF. I don't remember it from the year before going north from Cuernavaca.
I don't have my road log here with me so I'm afraid this may be a little vague. I would not let Toluca keep me from this route, you are still outside the Hoy No Circulo area so the plate restrictions don't count but the smog sticker is in effect in the whole state. It is exempt for foreign plates or plates from states that don't have smog requirements but that doesn't mean they won't tell you differently. As said above, from Toluca north the roads are great and the difficult section is fairly short.
I just saw that you are going to be in Taxco, even better would be to catch the road north from there to Ixtapan de la Sal and on to Toluca. I haven't done that one but my understanding is that it is a much better road. It is the same road that we take after Tenango de Arista so the drive through Toluca is the same.
Jonna
Fulltime in Tortuga (2001 Lazy Daze) towing Sapo (1997 Jeep Wrangler)
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rocmoc
Tucson, AZ/Mexico
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Joined: 09/30/2006
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Moisheh,
Toluca. I not going near Mexico City!
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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rocmoc
Tucson, AZ/Mexico
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Thank you Jonna. We had planned to take the road out of Taxco.
Again Thank you,
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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SRTchris
calgary alberta
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Joined: 03/10/2007
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The Texan wrote:chris, that information is far from current and up to date, so I would have a problem with the DF section also. The last I heard, they had exempted "foreign" plates from the restrictions.
oops!! i think this one is current as of 2007. although i did read somewhere that motorhomes are exempt of the six month only rule and they can saty up to 5 years max.http://www.focusonmexico.com/categories.php?pagid=72
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moisheh
North America
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Joined: 05/04/2002
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SRT chris:
Be cautious where you get your information. If it does not come from the Mexican Government it could be dated or wrong. Many of the websites, like this last one, are more interested in selling you a service or a book than on being accurate. Your last link is also very poor info. Mexico changes very quickly and some of the web sites change very slowly. Motorhomes get a 10 year permit.
Moisheh
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The Texan
Summer: A Cool Climate Winter: A Warm Climate
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Good blog and newsletter Chris. Thanks for the update. Just be cautious of using the infomation as it's not official.
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rocmoc
Tucson, AZ/Mexico
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George just got nailed. Since we have not traveled this part of the West Coast of Mexico, we are going to continue West and by-pass Toluca.
http://blog.vagabonders-supreme.net/2008/08/7am-rain-rain-rain.html
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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