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Cost of toll roads


palmajeank

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You must pay in pesos, so stop at an ATM at the border or in town at a bank ATM or large chain grocery. They all have ATMs. You will not need US dollars in Mexico. If they are even accepted, you will get a very poor exchange rate. Toll booths will not accept them.

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Are you able to use your debit or credit cards for the toll roads? Also, have any of you used Mexpro.com to purchase the TIP? How easy is it to get your deposit back when you recross the border? I appreciate all your tips so far! I can't wait until I have driven down there once and then I won't be so frightened of all the regulations and potential road problems. We lived in Nicaragua and drove there all the time but it seems like there is more regulations in Mexico! Thanks Again!

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You must use pesos at the toll booths; this is still a cash society. Use your debit cards at ATMs (notify your bank that you will be using them in Mexico) and avoid using your credit cards at all. The TIP (Importada Temporal) can be obtained at the border with your major credit card. Upon departure, it will be credited back to the same card when you stop and have the sticker removed and receipted by Banjercito at the border.

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i have traveled the toll roads to laredo from lakeside and back for several years now and use my debit card for fuel and tolls where they accept cards. no problems yet. i never take my eyes off of the card and check my bank account often!!! do what you feel comfortable with. from ajijic to laredo there are only 3 toll booths that dont accept debit cards. i do not use a US credit card in foreign countries.

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Credit cards certainly offer protection if something were to go irregular, where as Debit cards do not.. However, if you need pesos at a bank ATM, debit cards are the way to get them the cheapest.

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Credit cards certainly offer protection if something were to go irregular, where as Debit cards do not.. However, if you need pesos at a bank ATM, debit cards are the way to get them the cheapest.

Not long ago I got a promotional email from my bank USAA explaining that my debit card had the same protection as my credit card. Recently I had another email saying next year they're changing to VISA instead of MC for both credit and debit and the credit card would no longer have a 1% foreign transaction fee. We'll see if any of my habits change.

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Not long ago I got a promotional email from my bank USAA explaining that my debit card had the same protection as my credit card. Recently I had another email saying next year they're changing to VISA instead of MC for both credit and debit and the credit card would no longer have a 1% foreign transaction fee. We'll see if any of my habits change.

Visa gets theirs on the exchange rate when you get pesos at an ATM.

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Most debit cards issued in the USA say they provide the same protection as a credit card. This is technically true.

If your credit card is compromised, you can contact the bank and they must halt the charges you contest, you are not charged interest on those charges until the bank investigates, and makes a decision. This is federal law..

If your debit card is compromised the bank will investigate and make a decision. The BIG DIFFERENCE is they will not return any money to your account until they have terminated the investigation (which could take weeks) Until that time you have lost your money.

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While most will tell you to cross the border (at Nogales) via the Mariposa Truck route, we have always used the in-town entry point so we can get pesos at one many bank ATMs along the main drag through town. We've found this route very convenient and at least a fast as the route through Mariposa (which adds insult to injury by charging you yet another toll). There are several banks, including Bancomer, BanNorte(?) and Banamex in the first half kilometer or so on the main drag thru Nogales (Mex). Yes, there are several traffic lights, but we've run into little or no traffic congestion. Just stay on the main drag and follow the signs to Hermosillo until you eventually intersect with the main highway (15D). After you leave Nogales, there are few if any banks or supermarkets in any of the little towns you pass through (Imuris, Magdelana, Santa Ana). I'm not certain if OXXOs have ATMs. BTW if you change money at the 21 kilometer check point, you will get at very poor rate.

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oregon duck,

Does the in-town entry point have a Banjercito office that issues the Temporary Import Permit document and stickers?

If so, where is it located relative to the INM office and Aduana office?

We've only know about the 21 km entry point.

No, but you will run into the 21 km check point if you simply follow the signs to Hermasillo. You merge with the road coming from the Mariposa crossing as you leave Nogales.

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I recently drove from Lakeside to Puerto Penasco. The route is the same as going to Nogales up to Santa Ana...which is almost to Nogales. At Santa Ana you go west to get to Puerto Penasco.

My total for tolls was $1728 MXP...in a car with no trailer...one way trip.

As I recall there was one, or possibly two tolls on the road west of Santa Ana that are included...so those would not be required if going to Nogales, but then there may be one or two tolls between Santa Ana and Nogales. My guess is that it's about the same.

I did not try any alternate means of paying...just cash in pesos...so I can't comment on other acceptable means except to say that there were signs on some of the toll booths saying they did not take dollars.

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Tolls are much less when exiting through Pharr, particularly if you drive straight through San Luis Potosi. As we always drive the Mexico portion of our trips north and south on Sunday, driving through San Luis Potosi is easy and saves about 15-20 minutes plus tolls and some gas. Your toll figures suggest you are doing the same.

We start full from here, fill up twice on the way and then gas up at Costco in Pharr before going to a hotel there. Total gas cost is about 1500 pesos plus $25 in Pharr for a Honda CRV.

Lots of choices in hotels there as well at better prices than Laredo. Distance/time to Fort Worth is almost identical. It would be considerably shorter going to Houston or points east.

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  • 2 weeks later...

That's not correct to Pharr unless one is going by way of Monterrey, which is out of the way.

It is about half that much. We do it regularly. We pay tolls on cuota 80 out of GDL, the new road from Lagos to San Luis Potosi, the "corta" to Ciudad Victoria. We go through San Luis Potosi and avoid the tolls and long distance of the south and east San Luis Potosi bypasses. The south one in particular isn't worth the cost as it is a poor road and a feeding place for predatory cops.

We save both time and money and gas driving straight through San Luis Potosi but when the west side bypass is complete next year we'll probably opt for that to save time and driver fatigue.

Right now, I think our total tolls to the border are around 500 pesos. Add the south and west bypasses noted above is about another 180 pesos.

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After you come out of San Luis Potosi and the next exit after the big police checkpoint, you'll see ONE sign for "Ciudad Victoria via corta". That is actually Ruta 70. You ride down that a short ways and there is a very well marked exit for Ciudad Victoria that puts you on a toll road that connects with 101 into Ciudad Victoria further north. When you approach Ciudad Victoria, the road changes to Tamps 126, you follow that around Ciudad Victoria and rejoin 101 on the north side. Just start following the signs to Matamoros once you hit Tamps 126.

As you approach the northern border there's a turnoff marked to Reynosa. Take that until you come to the short toll road marked to the Pharr International Bridge.

This route is a piece of cake and you don't have to drive through any urban areas after you make that circle on the truly lousy Lagos de Moreno "bypass." We do go through San Luis Potosi for the reasons stated above. Late next year, the new west side bypass cuota will be complete. You can see it easily from Google Earth.

I make it to the Pharr bridge in 10.5 hours or less. Lots more choices in Pharr/McAllen for hotels and better prices than Laredo. Plus it is easy to stop by the Pharr Costco on the way in and out.

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