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The USA Border to Puerto Morelos, Mexico
We have complied our stats from our latest drive from the US border, crossing at Columbia near Laredo,Texas to Puerto Morelos, Mexico and here is how it breaks down. You can compare these to our trip north in the spring of 2014.
Distance Covered: 3124 km or 1941 Miles
Hours behind the wheel: 39.5 (Google Maps is a little optimistic)
Number of Days Driving: 6.5 days
Camping at Mayabell
We took a total of 9 days to do this trip, taking an extra night in San Miguel de Allende and Cholua, Puebla. Our prices in gas and tolls are based on driving a truck and pulling a twenty-five foot trailer.
Cost of Gas: $10,490 pesos or $771 usd
Cost of Tolls: $4328 pesos or $318usd
Cost of Camping: $1614 pesos or $119 usd for 7 nights.
Cost of Repairs: $650 pesos or $48 usd
Road Side Service
While on the Arco Norte around Mexico city we heard a strange noise coming from the back of the trailer. We pulled over at the nearest Pemex to find that we had a broken trailer spring. This happens to us often, so we always carry spare springs. All we really needed was a mechanic who could change out the broken one. There was a mechanic where we stopped, but he was on the wrong side of the toll fence and he couldn’t cross over. We then went to a tire repair shop, they couldn’t help us, but they did have a buddy who was a mechanic. Within twenty minutes he was there replacing our broken spring. Forty-five minutes later we were all set to go…. but as we pulled out of the parking lot, we heard this terrible grinding sound. So back to the mechanic, only to discover that one of our brake assembly had fallen apart. All of the pieces were still inside the wheel so he was able to fix it and we were back on the road after only an hour and a half delay.
The first night after we cross the border, we only aim to make it to Saltillo. If you are in car or care to push it harder you could make it to Matehuala (where there is a campground) or even San Luis Potosi. With the border being stressful and the time there an unknown factor, plus the shorter fall daylight hours, we just drive to Saltillo.
Once there we stay at the Hotel La Fuente. The website make it looks much nicer than it actually is, but for one night, it is fine. If you are staying here with an RV there are a couple of tricks you should know. First the gate is always locked. When we arrive I run in and pay for the night, $200 pesos, while Rob waits in the truck on the very busy road in front. Do not try to go through the archway, it is too low. There is a large gate at the end of the hotel’s lot that, if you ask, they will open for you.
The next thing to know is that if you drive straight in, to the end of the hotel, there is a water spout on the last post of the hotel. You can fill up here before you park your unit in place. There is power on the lamp post opposite the water. Once you are done filling up, you can drive your unit into place next the the light pole and have power for the evening. When we visited here in the fall the restaurant at the hotel was out of business. There is a pizza place, pharmacy, OXXO and Bodega Aurrera within short walking distance. Also the hotel no longer offers Wi-Fi. In the morning you will have to ask them once again to open the big gates to let you out.
Also, there is a pool that you can use at this hotel. It is not heated and could be the coldest water I have ever encountered. It’s too cold swim in but you could skate on it! Here is more information on Saltillo from our trip north in the spring.
On our last day we drive from Saltillo to the border of the USA. It takes us just over 3 hours to get to the crossing at Colombia, just west of Nuevo Laredo. We cross here, instead of in Laredo because the crossing has more room for RVs.
People ask us all the time how long it takes and what it costs. So here are the states from our trip from Puerto Morelos to the US border.
Hours: 41 behind the wheel
Kilometers/Miles: 2901/1803
Average Speed: 71km/hour or 44 miles/hour
Tolls: $3484mxn ($271 USD)
Gas: $9079mxn ($706 USD)
Camping: $2028mxn ($158 USD)
Total Cost: $14591mxn ($1135 USD)
Tolls for a truck and travel trailer are about double what you would pay for a car. If you were not towing an RV you could do this trip much faster and much cheaper. Flying would be cheaper and fast again, but not as fun.
We took 11 days to do this drive in so that we could stop and visit friends and some of our favourite places along the way. Temperatures ranged from 37C (99F) to 7c (45F). We were as low as -6meters (-20feet) below sea level to as high as 2616 meters (8523feet), all in a five hour drive. This completes our 12th round trip from the US border to Puerto Morelos and back. It may be time to start flying.
We still have 3,494km (2171 miles) to go. We’re not even half way there!
