Travel Tips

What To Be Aware Of If You Drive While Vacationing In Mexico

Driving your own vehicle through Mexico or renting one to drive while on vacation can provide a wonderful, go-at-your-own-pace type of experience. That being said there are several things you should be aware off if you drive while on vacation in Mexico.

Getting insurance for driving in Mexico is a must, whether it is for your own car or a rental. An accident, even if you are not at fault, will not be just an inconvenience, but could affect the rest of your vacation. Most companies exclude coverage in a foreign country and a policy supplied by your insurance company may not be valid in Mexico. There are insurance vendors on both sides of the border, but it is wise to obtain it before you enter, as it will be quite cheaper.

If you drive your own vehicle across the border you will need to be aware of regulations regarding bringing more than $50 of merchandise into the country. What the border guards are looking for are items that are being brought in that could be sold. You can avoid most trouble if you take the tags off of new clothing, anything in a box should be opened and taken out and the packaging discarded, and don’t have any new supplies in shopping bags. Distribute anything new among your baggage and you should be fine.

Driving on the highway systems will probably remind you of many roads back home as they are, for the most part, modern and well signed. Most of the roads are toll roads, because, in Mexico, tolls pay to keep the roads maintained instead of taxes. It is prudent to have a hefty handful of small bills for this “pay as you go” system. But the cost of tolls is definitely worth it because the highway roads are much better than the pothole ridden two lane roads you would have otherwise used.

It is advisable to avoid driving at night in Mexico. Many of the smaller two-lane roads will have livestock issues that could be dangerous and most assaults that would happen on the roads would certainly happen at night. Be aware that most tourist deaths that happen in Mexico involve automobile accidents.

Above all, practice defensive driving while in Mexico. Mexican drivers, especially truck drivers and bus drivers, are very polite and will let you pull out or pass them. But other drivers, especially in the cities can be aggressive. You don’t want to get into an accident if you can avoid it because, if an accident causes an injury, all cars will be impounded until the situation can have a complete accounting. This could turn into quite an ordeal, even if you are innocent in the matter.

Make sure that you obtain insurance that will protect you while driving in Mexico. Try to stay on the main toll roads and avoid rural areas where livestock might be a dangerous hindrance. Avoid driving at night whenever possible for safe driving and for security from possible assaults. And practicing defensive driving at all times. All these tips will help make your vacation safer and easier while on vacation in Mexico.

Planning a Cheap Summer Vacation: Lower the Cost of Lodging

If you are planning a summer vacation on a budget, you are not alone. In fact, many American families are completely foregoing summer vacations. You do not have to give up your yearly trip. Instead, just focus on ways to reduce the cost. A great place to start is with your overnight accommodations.

So, how can you lower the cost of lodging when planning a summer vacation on a budget?

Try to stay with friends and family. If you are traveling to a destination where you have friends and family in the area, ask if you can stay with them. This is ideal if your family is small, as it wont be seen as a big inconvenience. If dealing with family, most will let you stay free of charge. Still, even if you offer to pay $20 a night, it is much cheaper than a $100 a night hotel room.

Consider camping instead. This alternative is cheap and perfect if you have a large family or do not know anyone in the area. State parks and campgrounds are your best and safest camping options. If you dont already own a tent or two, buy them. You can get great deals at department stores or sporting goods store. To save money, consider buying used or ask to borrow supplies from friends and family. Nightly camping rates vary greatly across the country, but you should pay no more than $50 a night, which is still cheaper than a hotel.

Compare hotels to find the best deal. Most popular vacation destinations have hundreds of hotels to choose from within a reasonable distance. Visit an online travel website. They are nice because they let you compare the cost of multiple hotels in a matter of minutes. Look to find the best deal or the best value for your money. For example, most families are willing to pay more for a hotel with an onsite swimming pool and fitness center. If you arent necessarily aiming for the best cost, aim for the best value for your money.

Dont discount smaller hotels, motels, or even bed and breakfast inns. Sometimes, they charge lower rates, especially if there is a lot of competition nearby. Americans automatically think of well-known hotels, like Holiday Inn. These smaller establishments need to draw attention to themselves and most usually do so with affordable rates.

Avoid traveling during holidays. If you are planning a summer vacation, you are already vacationing in a peak travel season. However, you should try to avoid holidays and weekends. You can expect to pay more for a hotel the weekend of July 4th than the last week in July. Speaking of which, experiment with travel dates. If your plans arent set in stone, test out a few different dates. Are the hotel rates different? If so, opt for the cheapest.

Avoid traveling during convention times. Once again, if your travel plans arent set, look at what is happening around the area. Is there a popular concert, big sporting event, or business convention hosted that same weekend? If so, the hotels may already be filled. If not, they are likely to charger higher rates.

Bring your own snacks and drinks. Many hotels have onsite restaurants. These are nice, but you arent likely to find the lowest prices. They are designed more for convenience than anything else. At the very least, opt for affordable fast food or casual restaurants nearby. However, bring your own snacks and drinks. They are more expensive at convenience stores and in hotel lobbies. For extended trips, it may be wise to pay the extra costs for a suite upgrade that gives you access to a working kitchen. For extended trips, such as 5 days or longer, you will save a lot of money by preparing your own meals.

Staying with friends, at a hotel, or camping are your three cheapest options in terms of overnight accommodations. However, if you have your heart set on a private vacation rental, compare prices, look for discounts, or make it like a double date. Plan your family vacation with another family and spilt the cost of a private rental.

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In most of the states of the country, the rental companies can not refuse to rent a car if the consumers do not purchase insurance.

However, many companies try to charge an insurance amount from the clients. This coverage is optional. One may not feel the need for a separate insurance cover due to other insurance policies, like the car or life insurance.

The insurance coverage that companies try to sell is of four types- collision damage waiver, personal accident insurance, personal effect coverage and supplemental liability protection.

It is the need of the hour to have an insurance policy for the rented car. One may be trying to save on auto insurance and may not want to pay for the coverage.

However, insurance on rented cars is quite important. The most important reason of having insurance on a rented car is to reduce the accumulated cost and time with regard to the rented car. In case of breakdown, you might take it to a body shop for repairs and higher quality maintenance.

This process may turn out to be extremely time consuming and may cause a lot of inconvenience. The process of car repairing takes sometime as one cant predict the damage, just by looking at the car externally.

All these issues can be addressed, if one has an insurance cover that allows one to have a complete replacement if the car is damaged beyond repair.

In case of opting in for insurance, the rental companies provide coverage for any damage occurred or inefficiency encountered.