Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
between the United States and Mexico became readily apparent as soon as we crossed the
border. Another oddity was the unavailability of unleaded fuel in Mexico in 1986, which
caused ourvantomakealoudclickety-clack noiseduringourentire runthroughMexico. I
remember Guatemala felt somewhat more civilized than our northern neighbor simply be-
cause we had gas stations other than Pemex and (gasp) unleaded fuel.
Many folks make the overland trip to Guatemala. The country's location in the north-
ernmost reaches of Central America keeps border crossings to a minimum. Rest assured,
unleaded fuel is now available in Mexico. The advent of the Internet has also made it easy
to find information for planning your road trip.
Most people cross into Mexico from the United States via Brownsville and then take
the route through Mexico along the Pacific Coast. You can also travel via Mexico City
or along the Atlantic side, but the Mexican capital's traffic and the inferior roads on the
Atlantic side make the route less desirable. You'll need a tourist visa ($25) or a
trans-
migrante
visa to travel through Mexico, but many experienced road-trippers discour-
age getting the
transmigrante
visa, deeming it unnecessary and more difficult to pro-
cess. For Mexican vehicle insurance, some travelers have recommended Sanborn's Insur-
ance (
www.sanbornsinsurance.com
)
. More detailed information for planning the drive to
Guatemala is available in the
Gringo's Guide to Driving Through Mexico and Central
America
(
www.drivemeloco.com
).
In Guatemala, you will also find many people make a living from bringing used Amer-
ican cars into the country, known as
vehículos rodados
, and then selling them locally.
If you're just driving a car to Guatemala but don't plan to leave it or sell it there, you'll
need to have the following documents with you to get the car into the country:
• Passport
• Driver's license
• Vehicle registration
• Vehicle title
• Photocopies of all the above
Be aware you must leave the country with the vehicle you originally entered with. In
terms of fees and paperwork for getting your vehicle into the country, you'll need to get
a tourist permit ($1.50), a vehicle entry form (RP-131) and sticker ($5) and, sometimes,
fumigation ($3). The vehicle entry sticker is valid for 30 days (no extensions) and will be
marked “SAT,” which stands for Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria. This is
theGuatemalanequivalentofanIRS/customshybrid.Afteryou'vepresentedalltheneces-
sary paperwork, SAT agents will look through your car and you may be required to wait a
few hours while your vehicle awaits processing.
It is at this point where most foreigners have issues with the entry process, since you've
already presented all the necessary documents and are mentally ready to be on your way.
While an opening exists for corrupt government officials to collect bribes in an attempt to
