Safety in South America

[Diesel YJ]

I was searching around hoping to find this subject covered somewhere and if I missed it somewhere please point me in the right direction. I am not sure when a south of the border expedition is in the works as for now we are looking North towards Alaska and visiting family there and along the way. How safe is it to travel through Mexico? Are there certain routs to stay on as to avoid hassle or attention? With a expedition vehicle of any size or type would draw the attention of someone looking for a easy target since we have either money, electronics or other valued items. Any insight would be great as my research ability is currently limited as I am a US Soldier currently deployed overseas.

PS, Merry Christmas!

Mike

 

[haven]

Hello Mike, and welcome to ExPo. While there are well publicized security issues in parts of Mexico, most overland travelers never have problems. If you drive south from Texas on the toll roads to Mexico City, you'll certainly be safe from violence. (Avoiding traffic police looking to supplement their paychecks is a separate issue.). Any advice about areas to avoid will be out of date by the time you're ready to travel, so ask again when your departure is close.

What sort of vehicle do you plan to use? How many traveling with you? Any specific goals for your journey?

 

[roboter]

FYI... Mexico is not South America. We (Family of Three) lived and worked in Mexico for 5 months before embarking on our 6 month stroll through South America. We are in Ecuador now waiting for our rig to be delivered via Ocean freight. Do yourself a favor and skip Mexico and Central America. Ship directly to South America and get ready for the adventure of your life!

Is it as safe as the US? Certainly NOT! If you are worried about the language barrier and your GPS stolen, then head North. But if you are street smart and stay off the beaten path (big cities), you'll be perfectly fine!

Good Luck!

www.knowledgetrot.com

 

[roboter]

Safety in south America for single, solo female traveler?

I can only speak about Ecuador and Mexico, as I have not been through Peru, Chile, and beyond yet. Driving through solo as a female..... we can not say. We met single females traveling solo pack packing through hostels. For instance a tall blonde German girl just the other day, but she kept to taxi's and hostels and sometimes other back packers. Driving through in my opinion might not be such a good idea unless you speak fluent Spanish and travel with another person.

Good luck

 

[Bdiddy11]

Knowing the language would help a TON. Foreigners get taken advantage of a lot by not knowing the language. Do your research on areas you might be travelling to. Perhaps post in the international sub forums and get advice from people who have lived/traveled there.

I served a church mission in Nicaragua and had companions from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador... I heard some pretty messed up stuff.