Mobile Phones In Mexico

Mobile Phones in Mexico by Mexican Insurance Store

Story by Jim Foreman

For Americans, and to a lesser extent Canadians, traveling or spending time in Mexico, a priority concern for most people is Mobile Service.

Having talked to thousands of people who are interested in traveling to Mexico, it’s clear there is a lot of confusion.  Add to that the fact that options have changed relatively recently.  This means what was a great choice a year or two ago is no longer a wise choice, now.

There are actually two questions that need answering.  The first is, “Do I use my US/Canadian based plan in Mexico?" or "Do I get a Mexican Carrier SIM Card?”

For many, a combination answer is the most reasonable choice.

The biggest determining factor for this answer is how long you plan to stay in Mexico.  If you are staying for one to three weeks, your answer may be one way.  If you are staying over 30-days, your answer is probably another.

If you are staying 30 days or less, in Mexico, in most cases, your US-based mobile carrier will function just fine.  There are exceptions, nuances, and most importantly, not all carriers have the same offerings.

If you are staying longer than 30 days, it’s probably best to get a Mexican SIM card and go on a pay-as-you-go plan.

Telcel has, by far, the best coverage and service options.  Also, Telcel offers smartphone users free use of the Facebook and WhatsApp Apps on your iPhone or Android phone.
This means you can use the two apps free of any data usage.

As long as your phone is unlocked, you can pop out your US SIM and slide your Mexican SIM in its place and be on your way.  You will have a Mexican phone number.  During this time, calls to your US-based phone will behave as if your phone is turned off.

If your US phone is locked and you don’t have another unlocked phone you can use, you can buy an inexpensive smartphone and use it primarily for Mexico.

Though most Mexican mobile plans offer free calls to the USA from Mexico, having a local number makes communication with people in Mexico much more natural.

Telcel

To get a Telcel SIM card, one can walk into any OXXO, 7-Eleven, or Telcel store and buy a SIM card and prepay any amount you wish.  The more money you prepay to your account, the more free data and minutes they include.  If you buy it at the Telcel store, you can have more choice in your number and area code.  You will have to ask before they issue the number.  Some use of Spanish helps a lot here.  At other stores, your choices in numbers are very limited.
Recharging is very simple.  Just walk into any Oxxo, 7-Eleven, or Telcel store and recharge with cash.  Reloading on the website or App may prove problematic with a non-Mexican bank credit card.  Both the App and Website are only in Spanish so that may be a limiting factor.  The Telcel app is pretty easy to use and figure out how much service you have left before needing to recharge.

There are several other mobile carriers in Mexico including Movistar and AT&T.  Their coverage and service are nowhere as good as Telcel.

Top Tier Mobile Carriers

As of January 2018, this is the current offering of the top-tier US Mobile carriers.  The companies that make up the top tier are AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.  Second tier carriers often have more limited coverage or are regional.  Some examples of these mobile carriers include Virgin Mobile,  Boost Mobile, and Cricket Wireless.

An important consideration for those who will use their US carrier in Mexico is that they all put a limit on consecutive days outside the US for their included features.  That number is generally 30 days.

For those who want a simple, “Tell me the Best one to get.” T-Mobile has the best plans, pricing, coverage, and options for regular travelers and visitors to Mexico.  As long as T-Mobile has good coverage where you live and work, it is currently the best carrier, as of this writing.

Now the breakdown of the Top-Tier US-based Mobile Carriers in ranking order based on a combination of price, features, and coverage domestically and  in Mexico.

T-Mobile One Plan

A single line is $70/month including taxes and fees, with auto pay.  Auto Pay is where the monthly charges are paid automatically from your bank or debit card account.  T-Mobile is the US Presence of Deutsche Telekom.  Deutsche Telekom is probably the biggest mobile carrier in the world.   The benefit of that is that in addition to unlimited US text, calling, and data, Canada, and Mexico calling and data,  you receive limited included phone, text, and data in 140 other countries.  All of this is yours without spending a penny more on add-on features.  If you have two or more lines, T-Mobile also includes Netflix service for free.  In the US, after 50GB of downloads in a 30 day period, service may be temporarily reduced during peak usage.

In Mexico, you are not locked to a carrier.  You can choose the carrier in your phone’s ‘Cellular Settings.’  This is important as TelCel offers 4G speeds when roaming in Mexico while Movistar only allows 2G speeds.  2G feels like dialup.  Forget media-rich sites or messages with 2G.  This is T-Mobile’s policy limitations regarding roaming in Mexico or Canada in their Terms and Conditions. “50% of your voice and/or data usage being off-net (i.e., connected to another provider’s network) for any 3 billing cycles within any 12 month period.”

AT&T Unlimited Choice or Unlimited Plus

A single line is $60/Mo plus taxes and fees, with auto pay and paperless billing.  The Unlimited Choice plan’s data speeds are limited to 3Mb/s.  4G LTE is typically 12Mb/s with burst rates up to 50Mb/s.

The Unlimited Plus for $90/mo is full-speed 4G LTE.  In the US with the Unlimited Plus Plan, after 22GB of data in a month, service will be temporarily reduced during peak hours.

Unlike T-Mobile, AT&T will, by default, lock you into a carrier in Mexico.  This means you will be forced to use AT&T Mexico (4G LTE) or Movistar at 2G speeds.  Again, 2G feels like dialup.  You may call customer service to have that restriction lifted.  According to AT&T, the usage policy in Mexico or Canada states: “Roaming feature may be removed if voice, text, or data usage in Mexico and/or Canada exceeds 50% of total voice, data or text usage for 2 consecutive months.”  AT&T offers HBO for free after 2 billing cycles.

Verizon BeyondUnlimited

A single line is $85/Month plus taxes and fees with Auto Pay.  Like AT&T, Verizon will temporarily reduce the service after 22GB domestically in a month, during peak usage.

When traveling in Mexico or Canada, phone, text, and data are included at no additional charge.  There are some restrictions.  After the first 500MB/day, speeds are reduced to 2G (dialup).  Roaming in Mexico or Canada is limited to less than 50% of your talk, text, and data usage in a 60 day period.  If those limits are exceeded, service can be interrupted or removed.
It is unclear if Verizon locks you to a particular Mexican carrier.  Best guess is that they don’t.

Sprint Unlimited Freedom Plan

Sprint has the Unlimited Freedom plan starting at $60/month plus taxes and fees with Autopay.   Sprint tiers their domestic data streaming rates depending on if your streaming video, gaming, or Music.  Generally, one won’t notice any limitations during normal operation.

In Mexico Sprint includes, according to their website, “Free LTE/4G high-speed international data roaming in Canada & Mexico. Free calling and texting while roaming in Canada & Mexico.”  Without being specific, Sprint’s terms and conditions state that “Service may be terminated or restricted for excessive roaming.”

It is unclear if Sprint locks you to a particular Mexican carrier.  Best guess is that they don’t.

Second Tier and Regional Mobile Carriers

Second Tier and regional carriers are much less consistent with their plans and roaming in Mexico policies.  While not complete, here is a general rundown of the offerings available.

Boost Mobile Unlimited Gigs and the Todo Mexico Plus add-on.

Boost Mobile offers the Unlimited Gigs Plan for $50/month including taxes and fees.  Like Sprint they also cap the datarate for video, gaming, and music streaming.

For Mexico, you will need to add the $5/Month Todo Mexico Plus which includes "Data Roaming, up to 8GB, Unlimited calls to U.S. & in Mexico, and Unlimited International text (SMS only)."  The Boost Mobile Terms and Conditions state: “Data roaming provided at 2G/3G speeds; data roaming access ends when applicable allotment depleted & restored at next plan cycle. Includes unlimited int'l. text & talk to landlines and mobiles in Mexico and Canada (excluding Northern Territories/area code 867). Not for extended int'l. use; first & primary usage must occur on our U.S. network.”

Virgin Mobile Inner Circle

Virgin Mobile’s Inner Circle is $50/month plus taxes.  Fees are included.  Virgin Mobile uses the Sprint network.  Plans are domestic only and do not offer any minutes, texts or Data when roaming in Mexico.  Doing so will be at the mercy of whatever the carriers wish to charge.

Virgin Mobile is NOT a good option to take into Mexico.  It’s best to leave that SIM at home and get a Telcel SIM or switch carriers.

Cricket Unlimited Plan

Cricket’s Unlimited plan is $55/month with autopay.  Taxes are included.

Roaming in Mexico and Canada is included.  Here are Cricket’s Terms and Conditions: “Includes calling/texting in Mexico, Canada and between the U.S., Mexico & Canada. Also includes use of the high-speed data allotment from your plan while traveling in Mexico and Canada. Actual data speeds vary by device and location. Each number of texts, number of voice minutes, and data usage sent, received or used while in Mexico and Canada cannot exceed 50% of the total number of texts or voice minutes or data usage (including domestic use) in a month for any consecutive three month period or service may be terminated. Roaming services not guaranteed, limited coverage in select markets outside the U.S. Other restrictions apply.”

Google Project Fi

Google Fi is a newcomer for personal communications.  It's got some appealing aspects including worldwide data at one rate in over 135+ countries.
The cost is $20/month for domestic only calls and texts and $10 per Gigabyte.  Any Gigabytes you prepay for and don't use get credited toward your next month's bill.
If you use 5 Gigabytes of data a month, your bill comes to $50.  If you go over and use 9 gigabytes per month, you pay $90.
Project Fi rides on top of existing major networks so coverage is usually pretty good.  The downside is that the major networks sell off their extra capacity to Google Fi or Virgin Mobile at typically reduced data rates and quality.
This service is also strictly limited to Google Pixel phones.  Forget it if you want to use your iPhone or Galaxy 8.  Use of an existing or established phone number is complicated.  Voice calls outside of the US are billed per minute.
It may be an excellent choice for some tech savvy travelers.  There is a helpful questionnaire one can use to determine if Project Fi is a good choice for them.

Conclusions

Sometimes the little details make all the difference.  This is especially true with mobile service in Mexico.

Plans and included services change often and typically get better and better for the consumer.  It wasn’t too long ago that no carrier included Mexico roaming.

Call your carrier and make sure your plan is capable and compatible with Mexico roaming and what the restrictions and limitations are.  If your phone is locked, by your carrier, you may be able to unlock it for free, legally.  Most offer to unlock the phone when your contract expires.  Contact your mobile carrier for details.

Traveling in Mexico is fun and easy.  All you need is your passport, depending on where you go, a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit, and lastly, Mexican Insurance.

Head out on adventure and discover the wonderful offerings from our great southern neighbor.

15 Rookie Mistakes To Avoid When Traveling In Mexico

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. -Saint Ambrose

Story by Jim Foreman

We’ve all been there. We’ve all made that first trip to Mexico, as green as a cucumber.

What’s more, everyone, it seems, from the news, family, and friends will try to impart some conventional wisdom. The problem is that these same people offering their advice have either never been to Mexico or went so long ago, the memories are grossly embellished.

Originally this was going to be only ‘6 Rookie Mistakes.’ As the thoughts and situations kept appearing, the number rose to 8, 10, 13 and finally 15. Truthfully, this list could have exceeded 16, 18 or 20 points. Sticking with the self-imposed limit of 15, take a moment to ponder, read, and think about what’s listed below. These can mean the difference between a ‘Meh’ trip and a wonderfully memorable journey.

The list below isn't about rules to follow such as not driving at night or taking the toll roads. Instead, these are some key details and perspectives that will make your first trip and future trips memorable and enjoyable.

1) Pay with Pesos

If I had a dime for every time some well-meaning Gringo told me to pay with US Dollars when in Mexico, I’d have a 50-gallon drum filled with dimes. Unfortunately, I would have overpaid for everything in Mexico negating the value of those dimes. When in Mexico, get Pesos and pay with Pesos.

Several things are accomplished by this. First, you are going to be most likely to pay the local price for goods, food, and services. Second, and perhaps more importantly, you show respect to Mexicans by paying in Mexican currency. If you need more details about paying for things in Mexico, take a look at this story.

2) Learn a couple of key phrases in Spanish.

This is a biggie. One doesn’t have to be fluent in Spanish to get along, but one should make an effort to know a little bit of Spanish. Starting with ‘Por Favor’ for Please and ‘Gracias’ for Thank You, it’s easy to build one’s vocabulary. Frequently used words like Baños, Cerveza, Comida, Escribe, and numbers in Spanish will help even more. There are many fun and easy ways to pick up Spanish. Some of the best are entirely free.  Duolingo, and the BBC offer great Spanish Language courses.

3) Don’t assume all police are crooked.

They’re not. Police in Mexico have taken great strides to weed out corruption and discipline those that prey on visitors. If you are stopped by the police, chances are you were speeding, blowing through a stop sign, or some other offense. Imagine all the craziness Mexican officers have to put up with from locals as well as foreigners.

Dealing with the situation is a little different than in the US or Canada, but handling oneself professionally is up to both you and the officer.  For advice on handling police encounters in Mexico read this story.

4) Don’t go in with expectations. Let Mexico unfold on you.

One of the biggest mistakes first-time visitors to Mexico make is building up a set of pre-conceived notions about the people, culture, and attitude. Many of these conclusions derive from stateside people of Mexican descent. Mexicans in Mexico are very different from Mexicans in the US. This is particularly the case of the second generation and further Americans of Mexican heritage.

Keep your politics, tasteless jokes, and other disrespectful perspectives back home and open your mind to a warm, welcoming and wonderful people.

5) When driving, pull to the right to let people pass you.

For some reason, Americans have the hardest time with this. You don’t own the road in Mexico or back home. If someone wants to pass, pull to the side and let them pass. It does nobody any good to hold up other drivers, and it’s the fastest way of building animosity anywhere you go.

6) Don’t be a slave to your GPS.

This bit is another biggie. Turn the darn thing off. Get a paper map, look at where you want to go for the day and what major cities are along the way. Then follow the signs. It is surprisingly easy to travel around in Mexico without the Sat Nav. By turning off the GPS, you will be much more inclined to see interesting sights, attractions, and towns. The GPS will only route you on the toll roads where you see remarkably little. In bigger towns, the GPS can be quite helpful but when driving distances, turn it off. You’ll notice your happiness increase by the kilometer.

7) Do Take the Libre road sometimes.

In most cases, there are at least two ways to get where you’re going. A free road and a toll road or 'cuota.' Toll roads on a map are designated with a ‘D’ after the number. Some Libre roads are much nicer than the toll roads, other times the toll road is the only practical way to go.

Simply put, be flexible. Ask locals at the café or people at the gas station if one option is better than another.

Todos Santos, BCS

8) Don’t rush your visit. Take the time to explore.

Americans are notorious for trying to cram too much into a day. Don’t. Relax. You’re in Mexico. Take the time to enjoy traveling and being in Mexico. Enjoy down time and don’t make the mistake of packing too much into a day.

9) Ask locals for interesting things to see.

Whether you are only at a luxurious resort or driving to a Mexican Hamlet by the Sea, make friends and ask locals if there are worthwhile attractions in the area. Take the time to check them out. The costs are typically minimal, and the enjoyment can be quite surprising.

10) Don’t make hotel reservations in advance.

Unless you are flying into a big resort or are traveling during a Mexican holiday period such as Semana Santa, don’t pre-plan your stops. Again, this is a very American thing, but it is absolutely the wrong way to enjoy Mexico. Drive and enjoy the land and when you feel like it, find a hotel. You will almost always find it for less that you would have paid on your fancy phone app. Asking for a promotional rate or discount is perfectly fine. It may seem very counter to the obsessive compulsive individual, but trust in this. You may want to stay the night in the Pueblo Magico rather than the bland city you initially were targeting.

11) Don’t spend too much time in hotels, ‘Gringo’ restaurants, and RV Parks.

When you arrive at the hotel and have freshened up, go into town and walk around. This is especially true for those in RVs. Get out of the RV Park. You will enjoy much better food and most likely better company by venturing out. Look for places that have a lot of Mexicans. Those places are busy for a reason. The food will certainly be much better and as a bonus, much less expensive.

Getting out of the hotel or RV Park also benefits you and the locals. Both you and they can share experiences and learn from each other. One doesn’t get that from a sweet septuagenarian New Englander escaping the brutal winters back home.

Querétero Centro

12) Do walk the city center.

Most Mexican towns are built around a church. There’s most likely a town square and some activities, restaurants, and attractions to enjoy. You won’t find out much online so just get out and pound the pavement a little bit and explore the area. Most hotels have a map for guests. If the distance is too far, hire a cab to take you and pick you up. The experiences one will gather will often be the most memorable to one’s trip.

Mariscos El Cuchupetas in Villa Union, Sinaloa is known nation wide and worth the wait.

13) Don't eat at familiar American chain restaurants like Mc Donald's or Applebee's.

You're now in a region with some of the best food in the world.  Great food may be served on a sidewalk or a surrounding street in the centro.  Look for restaurants or cafes with lots of Mexicans patronizing it.  That's where the best food and surprisingly best prices are going to be found.

Try new foods and dishes.  That's what traveling is all about.  Leave your American diet sensibilities behind.  Avoid those pesky salads which are often rinsed in tap water.  Go for the tacos, cocteles, and grilled fish.  It's surprisingly healthy and more often than not, the vegetables and fruits are locally and organically grown.

14) Don’t be loud.

Americans have this thing about being loud when they are in unfamiliar places. No matter where one goes when one hears loud voices, it’s almost certainly made by Americans. Don’t Be Loud! Relax. Talk slower and softer. People are often surprised by how much better they are received when they simply quiet down a little bit. This may seem like a subtle point, but it’s not. Next time you’re out and about in a foreign land, take a listen. You’ll spot the Americans in no time. Shhhhhh…

15) Don’t get the cheapest auto insurance.

This is critical. Yes, this story is sponsored by Mexican Insurance Store, but this bit of advice has nothing to do with that. Many policies sold at the border kiosks, especially brokers selling only one brand, in particular, are a very poor choice for travelers into Mexico. These policies are often unrated or poorly rated. Unrated means, no outside company has evaluated them to see if they are solvent enough to pay out if you have need to file a claim. More so, the 'too-cheap' policies have such minuscule coverage that they’re rarely worth the paper they are written on.

The problems with this arise when you are in a moderate to serious collision and the damage is determined to exceed the coverage limits or the insurance coverage you think you bought turns out to be non-existent.   You will be jailed, until full monetary restitution is made.  Furthermore, the fact that few Mexicans wear seat belts, despite a federal law requiring them, make your risk and exposure even greater.

The brokers that offer policies at low-ball rates have a long list of exclusions, limitations and practices that should cause one's hackles to rise.  Some exclusions include:

• Not being able to get your vehicle repaired in the US
• Ridiculously low hourly rate paid for repair services on a damaged car
• No guarantee on repair services
• A history of low-balling vehicle loss at the 'poor quality' trade-in value

When you shop, only buy policies from Ace Seguros, Mapfre, or HDI. These are all top rated (A.M. Best) insurers that will provide adequate quality coverage throughout the entire country of Mexico.  If your provider is missing from this list, it's not by accident.  Don’t skimp on this and think you're doing yourself a favor.

When traveling by car, motorcycle or RV, go to MexicanInsuranceStore.com to shop up to 7 quotes from top rated insurers. We all hope we never need to call our insurance company to file a claim. Should you ever have to, though, it’s good to know that you will be covered by honest and reputable companies who have served travelers reliably for decades.

©2017 Jim Foreman All Rights Reserved.

The Baja Ferries

Traveling Across the Sea of Cortez

Story and Photos by Jim Foreman
Sponsored by Mexican Insurance Store.com

When looking at any map of Mexico, one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the Baja California Peninsula.

This unique region of Mexico is known for phenomenal weather, excellent wines, playful resorts, and a diverse topography featuring mountains, deserts, sea, and ocean.

By this time one begins to wonder, “Now I’ve explored Baja, Now What?” Alternatively, a traveler may decide it’s more interesting to travel north back to the US or Canada via Baja California.

How does one easily get across with a vehicle?  The answer is, “Take the ferry across.”

Now, a typical Norte Americano will think, “I’ll just go online and book passage.” Quickly, if not immediately, one will become quite confused and frustrated.

Booking passage on the ferry is not terribly complicated or confusing, as long as you do it like a Mexican.

Mazatlan office of Baja Ferries

Ferry Options

Ferry Routes by Martin McGowan

Two companies operate ferry service between Baja California and mainland Mexico. The primary and biggest company is Baja Ferries. Baja Ferries operates several ships between Topolobampo (Los Mochis) and La Paz and Mazatlán and La Paz.

Alternatively, a much smaller and more infrequent ferry, Ferry Santa Rosalía operates between Guaymas, Sonora and Santa Rosalía, BCS.

Ferry Basics

It’s easy to book passage on a ferry. That said, when traveling by car, you should not book it too far in advance unless you plan on sailing during one of Mexico’s holiday celebrations.

The best and most reliable way to book passage by ferry is to go, in person, to one of the many ticket offices in the vehicle you wish to transport. If you are traveling in anything other than a standard car, the complexity skyrockets. Additionally, if you want to book a cabin, that is also fraught with confusion. Go in person. The website is helpful to know the addresses of the ticket offices and the hours and days of operation. Nine out of ten travelers who try to book passage online get it wrong and end up in a much more complicated situation.

The ferry can accommodate any vehicle that is roadworthy. Bicycles, motorcycles, cars, light trucks, box vans, recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, and semi-trucks with trailers are all welcome. If you are taking any vehicle other than a standard car, light pickup, SUV, or motorcycle, it will need to be measured. The tariff or fee is calculated based on its length, and possibly it’s width.

The ferries DO NOT run every day.  Check their respective websites to learn what days they travel from your embarkation point.

Fees

Here is where gets very confusing, very quickly. There are up to four different costs you will need to pay. The first one is for yourself. Each person traveling on the ferry must pay for transit. In most cases, the vehicle fee will include the driver, but only the driver. Any additional passengers will have to pay separately. The second fee is for the vehicle. The third fee is optional, and that is for a private cabin. The fourth and final expense is the La Paz Port Fee which ranges from $76MN to $254MN depending on the type and size of your vehicle. Motorcycles pay $76MN each. Cars pay $153MN. This fee is collected separately when arriving or departing La Paz.

Current Baja Ferries rates and Santa Rosalia Ferries rates are available on their respective websites. Again, it’s confusing.

What’s Included In Your Fare?

The standard fare includes passage, use of a comfortable airline type seat with lots of legroom, and a meal. The seats often have movies playing. It’s wise to bring earplugs if you intend to sleep.

An included meal is served at the beginning of the trip and is basic, at best.  There is also breakfast meal served on the run between Mazatlan and La Paz. Do not expect gourmet. It’s not hospital food, but it’s not awesome either.

A la carte items and snacks are available at vending machines, the lounge, and shops, on the ferry. They are priced only slightly higher than an Oxxo. They will have bottled water, sodas, candy, and snacks.

Baja Ferries California Star

What to Expect

The Baja Ferries (both Baja Ferries and Santa Rosalia Ferry) are NOT Princess Cruises. It’s best to not act like a princess with your expectations or demands. The ferries are clean and comfortable but mostly utilitarian. Most have a lounge, often with live entertainment. Usually, one or two bars are also available up until around midnight.

Baja Ferries operates mostly larger ships that once served European ferry companies. Most were built in the 1990s and 2000s.

The Santa Rosalia Ferry is rather small. Availability is quite limited. This is particularly the case for larger vehicles. It’s an older ship with much fewer amenities, also.

The voyage duration between Santa Rosalia and Guaymas is approximately 10 hours. Expect around 7 hours from Topolobampo to La Paz and 13 hours between Mazatlan and La Paz.  These are the actual voyage times and do not factor loading and unloading.

Many of the electrical outlets will be 240v and use the standard European plug. Most computer and phone chargers will work at 120v or 240v. Having a European to North American adapter will enable you to stay fully juiced while others look helplessly for North American power sockets. Use this as a great opportunity to make friends by offering use of your adapter.

Many passengers will set up bunks or mats with sleeping bags in the open passenger compartment. On warmer days, they may also set these up outside. Unless the ferry is at capacity, there is plenty of seating room. They are comfortable seats. Restrooms are a different story. It’s best to use them early. You would be wise to bring baby wipes for both the toilet and your personal needs. If you have to go, and it’s late (or early in the morning), it's ok to utilize the family or disabled restroom for a cleaner and more comfortable experience.

Earplugs and something to cover your eyes are a great idea. The movies play at loud volumes. Often, one can be a hero by turning the volume down a little, on the TV.

Are Cabins Worth the Extra Money?

This is a much more subjective question. Generally speaking, yes.  Cabins range in price from $860MN to $1560MN (as of January 2017) ranging from Estandar (Standard pictured) to Master Suite VIP.  The cabins will be quieter. You’ll have your own restroom, shower, and a comfortable bunk. Don’t expect towels folded into animal shapes. The cabin offerings may vary from ship to ship. The earlier you go and book your passage the more likely you are to get a cabin. If you don’t get a cabin, it’s not the end of the world. Just keep a sense of humor and your expectations in check.

What You Need to Do and Bring to Book a Reservation

-Bring your state driver’s license and passport of all the people who will travel.

-Vehicle registration may be asked for, so have it available.

-Temporary Vehicle Import Permit, especially if going to the mainland. You WILL be asked for this when departing La Paz. Make sure you have one.

-Bring your license plate number of your vehicle. Just write it down.

-Payment, in cash or credit card.

If you don’t speak Spanish, there is often someone available who is reasonably good at English. Ask 'Habla Ingles?' kindly. They are professional and work hard to help you out. Do not be a jerk if you don’t get your way or if cabins are not available. Whining about it will only make you look pathetic and make them less likely to help you.

Forming the line to board the ferry

How it Works On the Day of Travel

Have your ticket(s) with you at all times. They will be checked and marked several times.

You will be told to arrive a couple of hours early. You will be directed through several inspection points. Be patient and courteous. One of those checkpoints will be to confirm you have a TVIP. Make sure your sticker or paperwork is readily visible.

Trucks are loaded first. The first vehicles boarding will be the last ones off. Motorcycles can go to the front as they are usually tucked into a corner or under a staircase.

Let the staff guide you as to where to wait with your vehicle. Again, be patient.

Special Instructions for Motorcycles

If you are on a motorcycle, they often have straps there, but it’s best to have a couple of your own, especially if there are a lot of bikes traveling. Strapping points may not be ideal. Remember it’s only a gentle swaying and not the harshness of being on a trailer or pickup.

It’s advisable to center-stand your bike if you have one. Only two straps are needed. One at the front and one at the back to keep your bike from moving. You can also secure your bike with only one strap across the seat or a sturdy part of the frame. Remember, it’s a ship. There are no sudden stops or starts. Expect only gentle swaying.

Special Instructions for RVs

The ferry loading team will probably have you gather with the trucks. You will be backing your rig in. It’s best not to be distracted by family or devices during this process. You will not be allowed on your RV or to stay in your RV during the voyage.

Special Instructions for Non-Driving Passengers

Baggage will be x-rayed and checked into a cargo hold. You will not have access to any of these items during your voyage.

Bring anything you need during the voyage as carry-on.

Transporting Pets

Any pets must be in their own carrier and are taken to a special pet section. They will be kept in their carrier the entire time. While you wait to board, it’s best to give them every opportunity to run, play, and potty before boarding the ferry. No, they can’t go with you or stay in your vehicle.

Outside Food and Drink

The rules state you cannot bring alcohol or outside food. This rule is only lightly enforced. If you pack some quesadillas or burritos in your carry on bag, no biggie. Be discrete. Do not bring plates or boxes of food. They will not be allowed, and the ferry loading staff will enjoy dining on your disallowed meal.

Alcohol is another gray area. Discretion is the most important rule here. If you bring a flask or transfer your beverage into a nondescript container like a reusable water bottle, there is no problem. Do not bring bottles of alcohol. Also, do not get inebriated or become the idiot borracho.

If you need to smoke, do so on deck, at the rear of the ship.

Disembarking

Leaving the ferry is usually quite orderly. When you reach port, drivers will be allowed back to their vehicles. Personal vehicles disembark first.

Once off the ship, there is a series of checkpoints by the Military, Federal Police, and Port Authority. Be calm and patient.

That’s it. It’s simple and easy so long as you keep your expectations reasonable. Do not go out of your way to read the reviews of the Ferry. Curiously, all the negative comments are written by whiny Gringos. They clearly expected everything to be to their vaulted fantasy standards. Reading them after the voyage can be quite entertaining as it’s easy to see how they were acting like princesses.

Santa Rosalia Ferry Ticket Office at the Santa Rosalia Port

Where to Book Tickets

Ticket offices are at the ports and in some of the city centers. Again, unless you are doing a simple standard package of a car and one person only, don’t book online.

Go to a ticket office. You can’t book passage for Mazatlan to La Paz at the Topolobampo ticket office. Book the trip at the city or port you intend to embark. For example, if you are staying in La Paz, Los Mochis or Mazatlan for a few days, go to the port as soon as possible, to book your tickets. This will give you your best opportunity to get a cabin.

A list of Baja Ferries offices are found on their website.

Santa Rosalia Ferries offices are at their respective ports.

Driving in Mexico and especially taking the ferry across the Sea of Cortez is an adventure. Before you cross the border into Mexico make sure you have your Mexican Auto Insurance. Not only is it the law, but the coverage includes roadside assistance and many other valuable benefits.

It’s easy to shop, buy, and print your top rated coverage at MexicanInsuranceStore.com. Policies are available for any duration from one day to one year.
©2017 Jim Foreman  All Rights Reserved.