"Richard Ferguson" wrote in message
news:gNwif.182646$zb5.174170@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Renting a car in Mexico is rather expensive, but does enable you to get
> off the beaten path. If you drive defensively, and avoid driving at
> night, you are unlikely to have problems. However, the highways of Mexico
> are not as safe as those in the USA, for dozens of reasons. The bus
> driver knows the road, so probably safer to travel by bus.
I've only rented a car a few times and then mostly from Avis. I thought
the rates were very comparable to stateside prices. Gas is actually cheaper
in Mexico right now. Where it does get expensive is the toll roads. The last
time I drove from Cancun to Merida, for example, is was somewhere around
$20.
For one reason or another I seldom ride the inter-city buses. It looks
like it would be a good way to meet some of the locals. However, those guys
may know the way, but the way they drive can be down right scary. I've been
told that they have a motto: "Better dead than late". True or not it's easy
to believe. I always figure that the folks on the first class buses don't
have the curtins drawn because it makes it easier to see the
television--they just don't want to see what's going on around them. Due to
all that metal around them it's probably not as bad as it looks, but I'm
sure that for most people the bus is actually faster than driving yourself.
I do agree with Richard that for a number of reasons Mexican roads are
not as safe as what we have at home. Chief among them are probably lax
enforcement and roads that often have little or no shoulder. If you don't
pay close attention to the highway you can get in trouble very quickly.
While the toll roads are often comparable to our freeways, Hwy 15 up and
down the west coast, for example, often has a very sharp drop off at the
edge of the pavement.
TB
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