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What you need to go to Mexico and how/where to get it

Tourmeister said:
I still need info on obtaining Mexican insurance.

Also, anyone have recommendations for resources to learn basic Spanish?

Sanborn's has been doing the insurance stuff in Mexico for a long time. Have bought, but never had to use it.

Look for "Living Language" self-study courses at your favorite book store.

A QUICK SPANISH LESSON

Beer = Cerveza - Say "said-veh-sah"

Gasoline = gasolina - Say "Gah-sew-lean-ah"

Don't shoot = No dispare - Say "Nohh dees-pah-deh"

Where's the restroom = Adonde se encuentra el escusado - Say " Ah-thoan-deh seh ehn-quen-tdah ehl ehs-coo-sah-doh"

Hurry up buttheads = órale cabrones - Say - "Ohh-dah-leh cah-bdó-nehs"

I am not as dumb as I look = No soy tan ******* - Say - "Nohh soy tahn pehn-deh-hoe"
 
I am a little confused about crossing into Mexico. I have passport and photo id. But getting my bike across is a little confusing. I financed the bike and do not have the original title....the people who finance it have it. What do I need to show them when I cross??? I can't even find my registration papers, where do I go to find that??? i do have a title application receipt. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Welcome to the site! :wave:

If the bank has the title, you usually have a copy of the title. I can't remember what it is called specifically. You would need that and a letter from your bank giving you permission to take the bike into Mexico. Might want to make the letter specific to the dates you are going, include the VIN, plate number, etc,... When you get the registration bill in the mail from your county, there is usually a tear off piece. This constitutes your registration receipt. If you don't have it, try calling your local registration office and see what needs to be done to get proof of registration.
 
Thanks for the info. I guess I will work through the process this week. I am going to head over to the Mexican consulate later this week and see what I can work out.
 
http://www.travelyucatan.com/info-10.htm

Una mas cerveza por favor.

¿Dónde está el baño?


That oughtta do ya.

Another beer please,and where's the bathroom?

Try this one too:

Lo siento mucho, soy gringo lo sjen-to mú-cho

(I am very sorry, I am a Gringo)


pretty soon you might have to be saying that north of the border..:mrgreen:
 
Phil, welcome to the site and thanks for the additional info!
 
I saw on the news the other day that because of the overwhelming amount of passport applications it is taking very long to get your passport. Because of this, if you haven't received your passport when your big vacation comes around you can show proof that you have applied for a passport and that should work. BE WARNED YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY ON THIS.

http://coffeebreakspanish.typepad.com/ has a free podcast that teaches Spanish. IMO the best way to learn spanish is spend a few months in Mexico.
 
When I got my passport, I used their expedited service. It cost more, but I had it in two weeks. Not sure if they can still get it that fast if they have gotten that much busier in recent months. I got mine back in March of this year (07).

I agree that staying in Mexico for several months is the best way to learn Spanish, unfortunately, that means I will never learn Spanish... :doh:
 
The vehicle permit & visa can be obtained at the border or to get a head start go to:
Mexico -Consulate General
4507 San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77004
(713) 271-6800

Don't waste your time going to this **** hole, get the permit at the border, or online. Won't go into details, but after 2 attempts I gave up trying to get one at the Consulate. If you speak Spanish and are prepared to wait 4~6 hours (if you get their by 7am), then it may be an option.
I got my permit at the border within 1/2 hour.
 
Here's a bit of additional info based on many Mexico trips (100+) over the past forty years:

Trailers - proof of ownership means a title. Registration is not enough at most crossings

Number of vehicles. I've been limited to one MC at the Colombia crossing. Anyone else been successful with more?

Speaking of Colombia, it is a great place to cross. Well organized and uncrowded. Just NW of Laredo.

Insurance. It's nationalized so the base product is the same regardless of where it is bought. However, the service and claims agents are different and this is what matters. I have had excellent results with Sanborns. The one time i needed them they really came through. I was hit by a drunk who was severly injured. The Mexico-based Sanborns claims agent was a major help. Their Travel guides are good too.

Book recommendation: the People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz is a very good source of what to expect of casual travel in Mexico

Mexico and the people are our neighbors. Both are wonderful. Go without fear or prejudice and enjoy!
 
Do bikes need to be street legal on dirt roads etc in mainland Mexico? They didn't use to be in Baja, but I understand it's a different animal where requirements are concerned...
 
Just a note, if you were born in California or Texas, in order to get a passport you need a long formed one, not a short form.

Don't ask how I know......
 
Another thought: if ordering a new passport, or renewing a passport, get the passport card in addition to the book. The card is supposed to be easier at the border, and it's smaller and more durable too.
 
a title for a trailer? a homemade trailer? i guess I have to apply for one at the local tax office?

You need a license plate on your trailer if you are pulling it on public roads. Even a homemade trailer. To get a license plate, you will need to register the trailer at the tax office where you get your registration/plates for your car/truck/vehicle.
 
You need a license plate on your trailer if you are pulling it on public roads. Even a homemade trailer. To get a license plate, you will need to register the trailer at the tax office where you get your registration/plates for your car/truck/vehicle.

I already have a plate on the trailer, but I've got no title, being that's it a homemade trailer. I've been using it now for a bunch of years .......
 
I already have a plate on the trailer, but I've got no title, being that's it a homemade trailer. I've been using it now for a bunch of years .......

Hmmm... I didn't know the state would give a plate to an unregistered vehicle.

To my knowledge, you don't need a title for a homemade trailer, but to get a plate for the trailer you have to register the trailer with the state. It's been a long time since I registered a homemade trailer, but when I did I didn't have a title either. I filled out some document at the tax office to register the trailer.

The best I can suggest is go to your local tax office where you handle registering your other vehicles and speak with them about this.
 
I went by the tag/tax office and they said if it's a homemade trailer (that I already have a plate for) then to use the registration renewal receipt that I got in the mail. I gather now I'll just have to go to mexico and see if this works?
 
...to use the registration renewal receipt that I got in the mail.

The registration renewal receipt is all I have ever used to get my motorcycle into Mexico and it has been accepted every time.
 
My two cents

A voice of experience. I've pulled a few trailers into Mexico and I can say, all you need is the current, valid registration papers for said trailer. Thats the paper work you get when you renew your trailer's license plate. It's gotta have your name on the registration papers and your address that matches your other documents.

Mexico seems much less concerned about importing trailers than motorized vehicles. I've never come into Mexico with a trailer that had a title. Always registration renewal receipt, showing it's not expired.

Where I got into trouble was trying to borrow a friend's trailer, and haul it into Mexico. Even with a nice letter of permission from the owner, the Mexicanos said "no way!" What did I do? I magically produced my trailer registration receipt, for the trailer I owned back in Austin, and the only quesion I was asked was, "Is this your name?" As there is no VIN # on a trailer, they have no way of checking. I used to sweat that someone would notice that the license tag on my trailer back home (stated on the registration receipt I was using) didn't match the tag on the trailer I had at the immigration office, but no one seemed to care. They just wanted the name and address. I passed multiple check points. To reduce the pucker factor I learned to just trade trailer plates before leaving home with my friend's trailer. Even though it had Magnum Custom Trailer stamped all over it, it passed as "homemade" just 'cause I said it was.

So that's my 2 cents.
 
interesting info! thanks guys!
this past saturday I had my tag torn off my bike somewhere on my beach ride.
$6.30 was all it took to get a new tag, plus the tag renewal paperwork and my driver's license. I will have to go thru inspection again though ......

torntag.jpg
 
This is no big deal - as is stated in the narrative, U.S. citizens already need a passport when reentering the U.S. by air, and a passport or a passport card when reentering by land.

The only piece that could be clarified is the use of the passport card at the inland checkpoints that are going to ask for it as of Mar 1. A passport card should be OK, as Mexico was a signee to the Western Hemisphere Travel Intitiative (along with Canada and 17 Caribbean nations). I'll be testing this to see how it goes...
 
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I use soley my Drivers License, bike registration, bike insurance. last trip into Mexico was 5 weeks ago. Same for driving and or towing a trailer.

But times are changing so I may have to get a passport someday soon.
 
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