Travel in Mexico, drug wars, motels, etc.

[canadian redwing]

Have been hearing a lot about the drug wars, expecially around Ciudad de Juarez, how many other areas are having problems, we are thinking of crossing in Nogales, and driving down to Barra de Navidad on the main highway.

[RVGRINGO]

People cross every day by the thousands. Just travel in the daytime, mind your own business and don't even think about guns or drugs and you should be just fine. If there should be trouble in some specific area, you will learn about it or only be delayed briefly. The stories you hear are about the cartels fighting each other, occasional police or politicians and hardly ever innocent civilians. Tourists are not involved if they keep their noses clean and their eyes open.

[mexliving]

nogales is great for crossing into mexico... you can enter through the truck entrance and avoid going through the city.... you enter and your on the highway..... 30 kilometers later you arrive at the visa/car permit area.

i always enter at 6 to 7 am....... and as i drive down i like to stay at those drive in motels.... you have a garage and you dont have to unload all your belongings....

as i drive down, if i see a tow truck.. i take down the number just in case i break down ....
i do recomend you purchase a mex cell phone such as a tel cell ... you can find them at the OXXO (24 hour market)

[HolyMole]

Originally Posted by mexliving

nogales is great for crossing into mexico... you can enter through the truck entrance and avoid going through the city.... you enter and your on the highway..... 30 kilometers later you arrive at the visa/car permit area.

i always enter at 6 to 7 am....... and as i drive down i like to stay at those drive in motels.... you have a garage and you dont have to unload all your belongings....

as i drive down, if i see a tow truck.. i take down the number just in case i break down ....
i do recomend you purchase a mex cell phone such as a tel cell ... you can find them at the OXXO (24 hour market)

The truck crossing at Nogales is called the Mariposa crossing....the best one to avoid downtown Nogales traffic.

Most "motels" in Mexico advertise their rates either by the hour....or 3 hours, for the very active.....and are designed in such a way that customer's vehicles cannot be seen from the street. For that reason....and their reputation..... we've always avoided them. But I've heard from other travellers that they can be a good deal.

Do they normally offer those low 1 hour "quickie" rates if you actually intend to stay all night? is it necessary to make it clear to the front desk that you do intend to spend the night? We've also heard that, once you check in, you can't leave to go to a restaurant, for example. True? False?

(Is that where the Eagles lyric...."You can check in but you can never leave" came from?)

[RVGRINGO]

Many frequent travelers in Mexico swear by the 'no tell motels' for security and economy. They also swear that they never turn on the TV. There are no keys because you aren't expected to leave and need to re-enter. Yes, your car will be out of sight in your very own closed garage, from which you discreetly enter your room. Those who travel with pets (not popular among Mexicans) say that if they walk their pet and have dinner before checking in, all is well; except that 12 hours seems to be the maximum stay. All of this is, of course, rumor. I swear that I've never stayed in one. Oh yes; some of them have a lazy susan in the wall and you can order a meal or snacks that way.

[mexliving]

i have to tell my story of how i came to know about those motels....
having traveled around mexico for 5+ years, i was down in cancun and driving back to the states..... i left at 9 am and did not want to stop in mexico city since on the way down 7 transit cops lined up in front of my truck and stopped me and got 3,000 pesos out of me....................
so i just continued and though i would stop in guadalajara at the meson ejecutivo where i always end up.... i arrived around 1 or 2 am and found out no rooms..... transportation association in town at the convention.... went next door to quinta real..... special prices.. 350.00 dollars to 750 per night.........no rooms....... i was glad since i was not going to pay those fees to sleep..

valet told me that on my way out of zapopan to look on the right hand side and i would find the _______..... i thought "oh ..great... i have stayed at that one in mexico city...." he said "no senor no es un hotel" es auto motel"

i drove up to this palm tree lined building with lots of nice lights.... pulled in the driveway and there was a mechanical gate with a big electronic sign........ it said 242........ so i drove in .........looked like townhomes with garages..... pulled into 242 and door begin to shut half way...

i got out and i could see some feet on the other side of the door..... lady said 240 or 340 pesos for 8 hours ......... i said "what???????? 8 hours?" si senor.... aqui se renta por 8 horas"
then i asked what if i stay longer then 8 hours.. i am very tired and i think i will sleep for 15 hours.... she said " you have to pay for 16 hours.. i said "ok and payed"

then she said, "will you need a senorita?" i said " WHAT???????????" "what do you mean a senorita????"
she said if i needed company they could have some ladies come to my room and i can choose........

i cant tell you how shocked i was........ since i was super tired, i was half thinking and laughing at the same time..

i told the lady i would be the first person in the history of this place to come in and sleep alone..

she also asked if i needed some liquor...?????????

anyhow..
went in and found myself in a marble kind a luxury place.... very shocked... a/c music/ cable

i felt a little stupid having been in mexico so many times and not knowing about these places....

and your time is up when you leave the place...

i have stayed at these places a couple of times and some have jacuzzi/tubs wich i always have my bathtub cleaner just in case... and some have lap top computers bolted to the desks.. with free internet access..

[mexliving]

2 types of auto motels...... nice ones/ regular.... you can tell from the way they look outside.
because of the current economic problems in mexico, i would not sleep overnight at a pemex....... you might become a victim...............

[RVGRINGO]

For a more enjoyable place to stay, we prefer to head for 'Centro' in whatever city we choose to stop. There will always be hotels on, or near the main plaza and there will usually be a choice. Most have secure parking lots, restaurants and easy access to shopping and entertainment. After a day of driving, it is nice to get out and exercise our legs, explore a new town and to take the time to survey the choices of restaurants for the evening meal and to inquire about opening times for breakfast, if we are to have an early start the next morning. Except at Easter or Christmas, we never travel with reservations and have always found economical and comfortable accommodations.

[bigmutt]

The "no-tell motel" is definitely my preferred overnight stay when traveling in Mexico.
I've stayed at many, and I DO turn on the TV !! Also I often check in, go out to dinner, and return with no problem.
I have found that approx. half of them have 8-hour rates (or even shorter times) and half have just a plain overnight rate. Oh, and some have 8-hour rates only on Fri & Sat nights and normal overnight stays the rest of the week.
Usually they are on the outskirts of town and that makes it harder to walk to a place for dinner, but it also makes them quiet and I think more safe than in the Centro.
There's a very nice one in Guadalajara, though, that's very central.
I've also stayed in many, many hotels in the Centros, but few of them have the kind of security (private locked attached garage) that these motels offer.
One thing I can say for sure: they are normally the CLEANEST suites you'll ever find, including comparing to U.S., Canada and Europe. Every inch scrubbed down daily with lye or bleach or something .....

So the downside? It's a little tougher if you're staying for a few days: like, no closets or dressers of course, and like I said, they're often on the outskirts.
But for example when I go to Puebla, there's a great one that's pretty convenient because it's right between Cholula and Puebla, the best of both worlds. Even has easy bus service into either town, and some nice restaurants very close walking distance.

I've tossed around the idea of doing a guide book for these motels: I don't think anyone's done one before. It'd be a great research project, traveling through Mexico for a year or so and trying out as many of these unique motels as one could find. By the way, the correct name for them is Hotel de Paso.

[HolyMole]

Originally Posted by bigmutt

The "no-tell motel" is definitely my preferred overnight stay when traveling in Mexico.
I've stayed at many, and I DO turn on the TV !! Also I often check in, go out to dinner, and return with no problem.
I have found that approx. half of them have 8-hour rates (or even shorter times) and half have just a plain overnight rate. Oh, and some have 8-hour rates only on Fri & Sat nights and normal overnight stays the rest of the week.
Usually they are on the outskirts of town and that makes it harder to walk to a place for dinner, but it also makes them quiet and I think more safe than in the Centro.
There's a very nice one in Guadalajara, though, that's very central.
I've also stayed in many, many hotels in the Centros, but few of them have the kind of security (private locked attached garage) that these motels offer.
One thing I can say for sure: they are normally the CLEANEST suites you'll ever find, including comparing to U.S., Canada and Europe. Every inch scrubbed down daily with lye or bleach or something .....

So the downside? It's a little tougher if you're staying for a few days: like, no closets or dressers of course, and like I said, they're often on the outskirts.
But for example when I go to Puebla, there's a great one that's pretty convenient because it's right between Cholula and Puebla, the best of both worlds. Even has easy bus service into either town, and some nice restaurants very close walking distance.

I've tossed around the idea of doing a guide book for these motels: I don't think anyone's done one before. It'd be a great research project, traveling through Mexico for a year or so and trying out as many of these unique motels as one could find. By the way, the correct name for them is Hotel de Paso.

Besides our curiousity, I've always wanted to know more about "the system" for using these "hoteles de paso" ....many of which, especially up around Culiacan, LOOK very upscale. As noted, some apparently have enclosed garages for your car, while at others they quickly pull a cloth curtain around your car, (like in a hospital ward), which doesn't provide any security, except from prying eyes.
I love saving money and have always wondered about the motel on Highway 200 just outside Ixtapa that advertises rooms for 180 pesos.....for 3 hours. Some time I'll park out front, (which will immediately make me stick out like a sore thumb), and check their all-night rates.
I've heard of a few Canadians who travelled all over Mexico and used these places wherever and whenever they could.
I certainly agree with RVGRINGO's comments about the desireability of staying in or close to El Centro. But I'll file this No-Tell Motel info away just in case we find ourselves in a position where we would be happy to find any place to stay.

I love bigmutt's comment about these places being "scrubbed down daily with lye or bleach or something...." and the suggestion to put out a "Hotel de Paso" guidebook.

Using a ballpark 400 - 500 peso rate for many smaller places in or near El Centro, how do the rates at Hoteles de Paso compare?.....for a full night's sleep, that is.