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Driving from Ajijic/Chapala to McAllen, Texas


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While the thread mentioned gives some insight to how to get through Lagos de Moreno and Aguascaliente, it doesn't seem to address the OPs desire to go to McAllen.

There are actually are about 3 ways to get to McAllen.... through Ciudad Victoria, through Aguas/Zacatecas and up 57D through 'Matehuala'. In my opinion nonr can be made in one day's travel (Coons may suggest that he drives to McAllen through Victoria in one day but.....), so one of the challenges is to where to stay overnight.

The OP suggests that he is 'new to the area' so I'm going to suggest a route that is mostly toll, has a good mid-stop point or two and doesn't present one with a challenge for the first-timer getting through a city.  I would leave Guadalajara and go up 80D, through Lagos de Moreno (see that other thread for a easy way to get through Lagos), bypass San Luis Potosi on the 'new' western bypass and stay the night at the Las Palmas Midway Inn right in Matehuala on highway 57. If one gets to Matehaula with time to spare, one can continue on up 57D another 65 miles to Hotel San Pedro Express at the Parador Turístico San Pedro. The latter cannot be missed as it sits right in the middle of highway 57D and has a Pemex station also. Both hotels have restaurants.

The next day continue north on 57D to the NE outskirts of Saltillo and take toll 40D east to Monterrey; take the NW 100 bypass there and continue on it to the eastern side of Monterrey picking up highway 40D again over to Reynosa and thus into McAllen.

YMMV

P.S.  Google Maps sheds a lot of 'visual-ness' when trying to understand a route....

 

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With thanks to Mainecoons:

 

I'm assuming you know how to go towards Lagos de Moreno using the new Macrolibremiento.

THE RUN TO PHARR
 
Shortly after you cross the Leon toll road just outside of Lagos, you will go up a long hill, at the top of which on the LEFT hand side is a very big Pemex full of trucks.  Just past that, you'll see a sign directing you to turn left in order to go to San Luis Potosi.  Take this left, this is what passes for a ring road around San Luis Potosi that will bring you out on the other side of town and back to Mex 80.  This road is pretty bad, some say it is better to go through Lagos but you need a GPS to guide you through there.  I've never done it but may try it next time.
 
You'll cross a railroad track and wind around a bit before coming to a big intersection.  You will notice that most of the traffic will angle across this slightly to the right.  Do this, keep going.  After this you always go straight as you slowly circle around to your right.  At the end, you come to a traffic circle.  Follow the signs to San Luis Potosi.  You do a right hand turn followed by an immediate left across the bridge and then just go straight.
 
From here, you are on the new toll road between Lagos and San Luis Potosi (SLP).  Just keep going straight.   Eventually you will end up on the new west side bypass cuota for San Luis Potosi.  Follow signs to Matehuala to the exit on the north side of San Luis Potosi.  That puts you back on Mexico 57 the main road to Laredo.  You could go there to turn in the TIP as well.
 
 Go on this road for a ways, you come to a big police checkpoint.  Just before it is a good gas and food stop on your left,  "La Estacion" which you'll see railroad cars around it.
 
Right past the police checkpoint, first major exit, you are going to exit right onto Mex 75, follow the signs for Ciudad Victoria via corta (cuota).  You'll go a ways on this and approach a very big cement plant on your left, just past an exit for it.  This is a speed trap area, slow down as you approach the bridge and past it.  Cop sits under the bridge.
 
Not far from the cement plant is the exit for Mex 101 north clearly marked to Ciudad Victoria.  Take this right hand exit onto this toll road.  You are going to ride on a long stretch of 101 to just outside of C. Victoria.  Right past the big military checkpoint, you cross a bridge over a river and come to a junction.  Stay RIGHT onto Tamps 126, this is the C. Victoria bypass.
 
You take this all the way in a straight line until you come to the end of Tamps 126 which exits for a short stretch onto Mex 70 headed east.  This is a right hand exit and is signed towards Matamoros, I believe and maybe San Fernando. 
 
You will come to an overpass in a couple miles and there's a big Pemex and restaurant on the left.  Cross the bridge, turn left onto the ramp.  At the end of the ramp you can make a left into the Pemex but be careful.  We generally stop at the Pemex to gas up and potty break.
 
You will go north on Mex 70 a few miles and see a right hand exit for Route 101 again, which you will rejoin at that point.  Definitely signed towards Matamoros.
 
You're going to ride a long time on Mex 101 until you finally come to an exit signed to Reynosa and Mex 97.  This is a right hand exit onto an overpass over the 101, take it.  You're now pointed straight north.
 
Now it is almost a straight shot to just outside of Reynosa.  You will pass the old and now closed Aduana checkpoint at KM 19(19 klicks south of the border) and go maybe 6-8 klicks more where you'll see a big Pemex on your left just before an overpass.  Take the right hand exit before the overpass onto the Pharr shortcut.  It will bring you directly to the bridge.  Stay in the far left lane as you approach and circle around to the left following signs to turn in your car permit.
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I would definitely not go via Laredo to go to Pharr/McAllen.  More time,  more tolls.  However, if the upriver, eastern crossing of McAllen is not jammed up it might make sense to go that way at this time.  I'd definitely take 2 days for that.  My usual run is one day.

I leave here around 6AM and arrive at the Pharr bridge crossing around 4:30PM.  The short part of the drive in the dark is well known to us and a very short stretch before you are on the macrolibremiento.  After crossing the bridge get on Military highway and go to either 2nd or 10th in McAllen very quickly.  A word of warning, I am reading the Pharr crossing is very slow right now.  Don't know about the Reynosa crossing, we stopped using it because of the predatory cops and the general cartel danger there.  Using this route including the Pharr crossing avoids all urban areas except for Lagos de Moreno.

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I use the map feature of my IPhone NOB. Does it function in Mexico. Is it reliable?

i come to McAllen through Monterrey. Once you pass Monterrey on the toll road I find that the road signs are terrible to nonexistent. You have to ask directions on every toll booth that you pass. There is a pay station around Cadereyta where you have to take the far left booth or else you end up going into Cadereyta. And there is no sign that tells you that.

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I find the road signs in Texas just as bad.

To answer your question, I try to use the map feature all the time here, after realizing up north what an excellent tool it is. Unfortunately it does not compare here. It does give you a good overall image, and of course your actual location is well-noted. Trouble is, it gets addresses wrong all the time, and due to the odd nature of many Mexican streets/boulevards, it can place you on the wrong side of a wall or ramp. So you just have to pay extra attention. My own home, here in Riberas, is shown to be on the next street over. Which means that while my actual car location is correct, the mapping is wrong.

I'm guessing part of this is the out-of-sync street address numbering. The software expects house at #2 to be beside house at #4, when half the time it's #318 or something else completely not logical.

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The signage on the route I described is good with one exception.  After you leave La Estacion and pass through the police checkpoint there is only ONE sign telling you to take the next exit onto Ruta 75 to get to Ruta 101 towards Ciudad Victoria.  Just remember to take the first major exit north of the police checkpoint if you miss that sign.  

 

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12 hours ago, rsjanisse said:

My wife and I are new to the area and as a Vietnam Vet, I have to drive to the VA Medical Clinic in McAllen on Sunday. Can anyone provide info on the best route and any other information that would be helpful.

I will email you a turn by turn log for north to Laredo and you can use it as far as San Pedro or further depending on how you choose to go. Just PM me for the log with your email address. 

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3 hours ago, Jreboll said:

....Once you pass Monterrey on the toll road I find that the road signs are terrible to nonexistent. You have to ask directions on every toll booth that you pass. There is a pay station around Cadereyta where you have to take the far left booth or else you end up going into Cadereyta. And there is no sign that tells you that.

There is a similar situation on the western side of Monterrey coming in on 40D from Saltillo. To take the Hwy 100 NW bypass of Monterry one must be in the second-to-right-most lane (Carril 2) at the last toll booth in order to get on 100. If there is a long line-up at the toll booth one would not know this soon enough to stay right. If one misses this, one must continue right into S. Monterrey on 40D.

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Maincoons always drives straight through to McAllen via Ciudad Victoria but if one wanted to have a stop-over on that route there are a couple of alternatives. Note, I have not stayed in these but they look very nice and reasonable on web booking sites:

Ciudad Victoria:  As one gets to the northern most side of the City, and not far (couple of miles) from where one would continue north on Hwy. 101, there are several hotels including a Hampton Inn by Hilton ($50). 

Farther north in San Fernando right where one would take Hwy 97 north to Reynosa/McAllen:  Hotel Rancho Viejo (>$50) Looks very secure w/restaurant and Pemex right there.

 

 

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That used to be my favorite route.  Good roads.  No tolls. But then the narco trade increased and that road became desolate and with long stretches with little traffic.   some towns along the way like Valle Hermoso would have shooting skirmishes. So we switched to taking ETN bus that has overnight service GDL-Reynosa until Reynosa also started having problems. Now we use the Anzalduas bridge.

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4 hours ago, RickS said:

Maincoons always drives straight through to McAllen via Ciudad Victoria but if one wanted to have a stop-over on that route there are a couple of alternatives. Note, I have not stayed in these but they look very nice and reasonable on web booking sites:

Ciudad Victoria:  As one gets to the northern most side of the City, and not far (couple of miles) from where one would continue north on Hwy. 101, there are several hotels including a Hampton Inn by Hilton ($50). 

Farther north in San Fernando right where one would take Hwy 97 north to Reynosa/McAllen:  Hotel Rancho Viejo (>$50) Looks very secure w/restaurant and Pemex right there.

 

 

Correct on both counts.  That Hampton is very nice, we stayed there when we took the alternate, mountain route, into town after RV Gringo recommended it..  Definitely a worth while side trip.

Rancho Viejo looks very secure and that is where the Federales stay.  But by the time you get there, you are only an hour and a half out.

There's also a nice Ramada in C.V.

Also several Mexican hotels on the south side of town.

 

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4 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Plenty of traffic on Ruta 101.  There isn't a part of this route that isn't busy during the day.

Any more there is just a lot of traffic even on Mexico secondary roads period. I remember way back the first few times I took Hwy 57 from Saltillo up to Monclova heading to Eagle Pass Tx., a distance of about 115 miles. I did not see more than 5 cars.... mostly old beat up pickup trucks.... the entire distance.  Fast forward to today and one will see that many vehicles every 3-5 minutes. Same was true on the road from Camargo Chihuahua to Presidio Tx. a distance of 160 miles. Used to be 3 cars the whole distance, now 50-75. 

 

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  • 2 months later...
On 5/8/2019 at 9:27 PM, rsjanisse said:

My wife and I are new to the area and as a Vietnam Vet, I have to drive to the VA Medical Clinic in McAllen on Sunday. Can anyone provide info on the best route and any other information that would be helpful.

How did it go? Did you overnight along the way? Which route did you take and where did you cross?

We're two female vets who will be making the drive soon. Opinions on the current troubles in Tamaulipas and if they would be an issue we should consider?  

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I wouldn't hold my breath to get an answer. That Post was a couple of months ago and was the ONLY post ever made by the OP. 

Short of somehow getting some 'local' Tamaulipas news, or having someone who just recently drove through there, it's going to be doubtful that one can answer your "current troubles" question. Thousands of folks take the route through Tam daily. Most 'problems' that come up are short-lived... as in a few hours.... so predicting how it will be on any date-certain is a crap-shoot at best.

 

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I have driven back and forth on 101 through Ciudad Victoria to Matamoros several times in the last 6 months; no problems other than road repairs / paving; easy 10 hour drive to Brownsville Texas. I wouldn't do it in the dark but no issues in daylight; lots of fast moving traffic etc. Don't know about the highway 97 cut-off towards Reynosa other than the Pharr bridge is closed most of the time except it is open late afternoon/evenings on weekends.

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7 hours ago, chapalence said:

How did it go? Did you overnight along the way? Which route did you take and where did you cross?

We're two female vets who will be making the drive soon. Opinions on the current troubles in Tamaulipas and if they would be an issue we should consider?  

I just took that route 2 months ago. I was hesitant to do it but I was pleasantly surprised that there is a heavy police presence throughout that route. I crossed at the free-trade bridge and there was little wait time. 

Last week I crossed at Progreso(Las Flores) and the lines there were very, very long.  This was on a Saturday. 

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