Has anyone been to Mexico and is it safe to walk over? we are Irish visitors to the USA and under the visa waver program we have to officially exit the US every 90 days, last time we drove into Canada and after two weeks we came back to the US border and were issued new Visas for 90 days, this process is straightforward being citizens of a country who's in the visa waver program, but we wonder if going into Mexico is going to be the same? we don't want to drive over because our insurance doesn't allow, are there RV Parks to leave your vehicle and walk into Mexico and return the same day? we would be very interested to know if anyone has experience of Mexico border crossing. B)
QUOTE(Shamrockexpress @ Oct 28 2007, 08:18 AM) [snapback]8878[/snapback] Has anyone been to Mexico and is it safe to walk over? we are Irish visitors to the USA and under the visa waver program we have to officially exit the US every 90 days, last time we drove into Canada and after two weeks we came back to the US border and were issued new Visas for 90 days, this process is straightforward being citizens of a country who's in the visa waver program, but we wonder if going into Mexico is going to be the same? we don't want to drive over because our insurance doesn't allow, are there RV Parks to leave your vehicle and walk into Mexico and return the same day? we would be very interested to know if anyone has experience of Mexico border crossing. B)
Sorry about the goof above!We walked across the border a couple times last year in the town of Progress. It is a typical border town with lots of tourists. We had a great time and felt perfectly safe. We were staying at a nearby RV park. That's what I suggest you do. Don't know anything about the Visa program you mentioned, but there was a customs, etc office right on the border (US side that you could check with). We were advised by several people to be careful all along the Mexican border because certain areas are plaqued with drug wars and illegals crossing over. I would suggest you check out the locals of the area you are traveling to, and ask lots of questions if you have any doubts. Use common sense--when in doubt--don't do it. There are several small border towns in the valley area of Texas and have been told they are pretty much the same. Good luck!
Shamrock, Welcome to the US. I am a wee bit Irish myself. My mother's maiden name was Malone which was O'Malone way back when. But to answer your question. The US Mexico border is very long, and you did not say where you were. I only know about the Texas-Mexico border and then only about a few cities. We used to cross over a lot because we lived in the Texas valley. That is the area at the very southern tip, around Brownsville. I hesitate to tell you anything about our experience from back then because that was 30 years ago, and I know things have really changed. We went many times to the town stonybirch mentioned, but I think it is called Progreso on the US side and Nuevo Progreso on the Mexico side. It was a very small sleepy little town when we were there. I do know that there are many beautiful RV parks in this area, but I do not know if any are close enough to the border to walk. My guess would be not many. In most cases you would drive to the border in your car, park and then walk across. There will be parking lots on the US side and lots of shopping and restaurants on the Mexico side well within walking distance. However, you did not mention if you have a tow car so you may have to find a way to get from that RV park to the border. When you look for an RV park, ask about a shuttle. Some parks might have one. The last time we crossed was two years ago at Del Rio. We felt safe, but you do have to be careful. Always stay together, don't wander away from the tourist area, stay in well lit open areas where there are lots of other people, don't wear tons of flashy jewelry, and keep an eye on your wallet and purse--but then these are things you would do in any big city. Once you know where you will be crossing find out where things are so that you won't accidentally get into an unsafe area, and stony is absolutely right about talking to locals. They will know it all. We hear about trouble in border towns once in a while, but If you just follow the normal precautions you should be just fine, and you will have a great time.
Thanks to both of you for your information, right now we are in Alabama and have two weeks to make the border, that should give us the time to travel slowly to Progresso, we don't tow a car so we will check out the campsites and see if there is a shuttle as you suggested Texasrver, at least now we know we don't have to fly up to Canada this time, Mexico seems a nice place for a day trip and possibly longer, I have to add this website has been a great source of information about campsites, much more honest and better description than any books we have read, we will continue to use it and post anything we come across on our travels.
PS Before you go into Mexico find out about what you can bring back into the US. There used to be a limit on some things--liquor for one--so you may not be able to get as much Irish whiskey as you would like. :lol:
Shamrockexpress, Welcome to the U.S. We had the pleasure of touring your beautiful Island a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We crossed into Mexico twice last year, once at Nogales (with our rig) and once at Tijuana (on foot). The Nogales crossing were quick and painless. The crossing into Tijuana from San Ysidro was also quick and easy. The return into the U.S. through the pedestrian gate took over an hour. It was a royal PITA! To make matters worse, stuff in Mexico costs about as much as it does in the U.S. Just take a look at all the Mexican Nationals crossing the border to do their full range of shopping at border town WalMarts. From a safety perspective, I was impressed with how much the authorities in Tijuana have cleaned up the city. The last time I was there was in 2000 and it was a mess! I am a retired U.S. Customs Special Agent, and my buddies who still live along the border report one of the most dangerous border towns is Matamoros, Mexico (across from Brownsville, TX). My sense is that if you cross during mid-day, stay in the tourist areas, and exercise due caution and common sense you will be OK. Crossing time will probably be quicker at the smaller ports.
