Driving is the best way to explore out-of-the-way places in Mexico. Today, it's easier to drive in Mexico since a $5-billion highway improvement program has added thousands of miles of new highways called autopistas (freeways) and autopistas de cuota (toll roads), which connect Mexico's cities with each other and the beach resorts. However, you'll miss a lot if you drive these exclusively. Also, these roads usually have no shoulders or places to pull off if you have an emergency. Be aware that rural roads may be in poor condition with ruts and deep potholes. Remember to drive at a slower speed than at home and always with caution, no matter what kind of road you're traveling.

One thing you will run into or over in Mexico are topes (speed control bumps). You'll find them on many two-lane highways in a variety of sizes, from slight to gigantic. The Mexicans use these “silent policemen” to slow down traffic before and in towns and villages. Unfortunately, many aren't marked with warning signs. They're a part of driving in Mexico, and you won't go far without experiencing them. If traveling by car, bring the following along:

• Your driver's license

• Car title

• Vehicle registration

• Insurance card

• Maps

• Flashlight with extra batteries

• Tire jack and pump

• Spare tire

• Spare radiator hoses

• Spare fan belts

• Emergency flasher

• Gallon gas can

• Tire pressure gauge

• Jumper cables

• First-aid kit

• Extra car keys

• Sunglasses (plus an extra pair)

• Extra water

Never drive at night in Mexico, except on four-lane toll roads and then with extreme caution. Mexicans often drive with broken headlamps or forget to turn them on. Animals stray onto the roads. Also, rural roads are poorly marked and badly lit, if at all.

If you're in a serious accident, contact the local police and file a report with your Mexican insurance company. You and your car will be held by the Mexican police, whether you're guilty or not, until payment of claims and damages is received.

Taking Your Car

Before driving your vehicle into Mexico, you must obtain a free temporary car importation permit and purchase auto insurance from a Mexican company. You may be delayed if you don't adhere to these simple entry requirements:

• Bring along proof of U.S. citizenship, such as your passport or birth certificate.

• Obtain a Mexican tourist card (a form all travelers to Mexico must fill out before entering Mexico) and get it stamped at immigration.

• Provide U.S. proof of vehicle ownership, such as your car's original title or registration. Photocopies aren't sufficient.

• You'll also need an international credit card such as Visa, Mastercard, or American Express, in the name of the car owner, along with a valid driver's license. A $27 fee will be charged on your card to the Banco Nacional del Ejercito.

• If you lease or finance your car, you must also bring a notarized letter from the bank or finance company giving you permission to take your car into Mexico.

A slip for your credit card will be filled out in the amount of a bond — as much as $400 — in case you fail to return your car to the United States within the specified time period. You need to present all these documents at the Mexican customs office at the border, where you'll be given a temporary permit, valid for up to six months. Your driver's license is valid in Mexico as long as you drive your own or a rented car.

Though you can take two vehicles into Mexico, such as a car and a motorhome, a separate permit and charge is required for each vehicle. If you need assistance in preparing your materials to enter Mexico by car, you can stop into any AAA office in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, or California. Finally, you must leave Mexico with your car and turn in your permit at the end of your trip. Leaving the country without your car, should you have an emergency, is difficult.

Insurance

Even though your auto insurance is not valid in Mexico, Mexican law requires you to carry your insurance card or a copy of the declaration page of your policy with you. In addition, you'll have to purchase special insurance from a Mexican insurance company at the border or a company that can write a Mexican policy covering the length of your stay in Mexico (such as Sanborn's Mexico Insurance Service of McAllen, Texas; 800-222-0158 or on the Web at www.sanbornsinsurance.com). Make sure you're covered for liability and property damage, as well as theft, at a minimum. Though this insurance is more expensive than in the United States, get as much as you can afford. Most policies come with instructions in case you have an accident.

FAST FACT

Special car insurance is essential for driving in Mexico because the country bases its laws on the Napoleonic Code — guilty until proven innocent.

If you have an accident, you could spend time in jail until the police establish whose fault it is. If you have this insurance, damages will be paid regardless of whose fault it is. Above all, don't stop to assist if you witness an accident. Instead, contact the nearest Green Angel patrol. Red tape in Mexico can tie you up for a long time.

Taking Your RV

More and more families are taking their RVs or campers to Mexico. It's possible to pull off the road and camp just about anywhere. Steep, narrow mountain roads and sharp curves can present problems for large trailers. However, a well-equipped camper like a Winnebago, complete with a portable toilet, propane stove and refrigerator, bed, and two five-gallon water containers will let you travel independently anywhere in the country. It also helps to install oversized tires on your vehicle for better traction and shocks to handle heavy loads when driving over rough roads. If you're towing a small car behind your rig, you'll need to get a separate permit for it.