Mexico

Mexico is a country in North and Central America. Despite its notoriety, hitchhiking in Mexico is not only possible but it can be a rather enjoyable experience. Due to its sheer size it's impossible to give a general hitchability rating for this country: the experiences vary from state to state. As anywhere, you can go fast on highways and very slow on small less used roads.

Mexico
Information
Language:	Spanish
Capital:	Mexico City
Population:	108,700,891
Currency:	Peso (MXN)
Hitchability:	Medium
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Avoid disappointment and unnecessary loss of money by keeping your proof of payment of the tourist fee when you enter the country! They will want to see it again when you leave.

Contents

License plates

Mexican license plates are very easy to interpret: The name of the issuing federal state is written on them (as you will easily notice once in the country). When traveling longer distances or in central Mexico with its many small states it can therefore be useful knowing which state your destination is in (if you have one).

Cities

• Acapulco
• Arriaga
• Campeche
• Cancun
• Ciudad Valles
• Culiacán
• Guadalajara
• Guanajuato
• Mexico City (capital)
• Oaxaca
• Palenque
• Poza Rica
• Puebla
• Querétaro
• San Cristóbal de las Casas
• San Luis Potosí
• Tehuantepec
• Toluca
• Tuxtla
• Xalapa

Hitchability and General Advice

Hitchability in Mexico varies wildly depending on the region and on the setting. by the touristic coast of Oaxaca, for example, it's extremely easy to find rides, while you might wait a few hours on low-traffic rural roads or by the overwhelmingly crowded casetas de cobro near Mexico City.

A peculiarity of Mexican hitchhiking are the ubiquitous pick-up trucks where you just jump in the back, hold onto your hat, kiss the wind and forget about communicating with the driver. Many people will offer you food and drinks, especially Coca Cola! On routes with poor public transportation, payment is sometimes expected and ordinary pickups magically turn into collectivos (shared taxis).

On the small roads, however, hitchhiking can sometimes be time-consuming – waiting times of 2–3 hours are not unheard of. Be prepared with patience, water and sun cream. Although in many places locals hitch to get home from the grocery store for instance, hitchhiking as a lifestyle or as a means of long-distance travel is not so common in Mexico and not everybody might immediately understand what you want. So, on the mountain roads for instance, your brain should be wired more to enjoy the magnificent views and eating the abundance of fruit nature has on offer rather than making a lot of progress.

As for security, most hitchhikers never encounter any major problems. Mexico is an enormous country and experiences vary a lot from state to state. If you want to avoid risks, you can avoid the states close to the border with USA - Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Chihuahua and Durango, i.e. take buses and collectivos when traveling north of the line between Tampico, San Luis Potosi and Mazatlan (the map). Apparently also the states of Guerrero and Michoacán (mostly by the coast), Sinaloa and Veracruz can be risky.

If you go hitchhiking in Mexico, being able to speak and understand at least a bit of Spanish is nearly mandatory. Apart from touristic areas, most people you encounter do not speak English, unless they have lived in the US which isn't all that infrequent. Still, if you know Spanish you can communicate way better with people and get a closer connection with them. Useful Spanish words are "ride" and "aventón", both meaning a lift. Near the Guatemalan border the word "jalón" is used. No one understands what hitchhiking or autostop means so say “busco/buscamos un ride” instead when looking for a ride.

Signs

Signs are almost always unnecessary in Mexico. However they really seem to help when you're hitching at a caseta de cobro, especially when the highway splits soon after.

If you're in an area with a lot of local traffic, it might be useful to make a sign that says "Siguiente Gasolinera" (next gas station). Then you can get a ride to a better hitchhiking spot. Similarly, signs that say "reten" (checkpoint) or "caseta" (tollbooth) can be really useful, especially when cars are passing quickly and the checkpoint or tollbooth is only 10 or 20 km away.

Where to hitchhike?

You can hitchhike pretty much everywhere, even on the highway (although pretty much no one stops at such high speeds). In general, asking at gas stations (gasolinera) or even traffic lights (semáforo), especially on bus stops and the like, can get you far pretty easily. According to Zenit, Mexicans are much more likely to stop if you can try to hitch them at low speeds; speed bumps offer themselves for this purpose. Sometimes it is better to be among the cars, in the traffic lights, and directly ask rides from people who have open windows. Sometimes you can just jump in the back of a pick-up without even telling where you are going and just tap on the window when you want to get off.

Other good places include exits from shopping centers, in truck stops or at the restaurants where truckers eat. Some petrol stations in the north don't allow people to do that, but you can try to speak with the manager. It works sometimes. Otherwise, just stay by the cashier of the petrol station or at the door (they can't forbid you that) and ask.

Mexico also has many border control and military and police checkpoints (retén) in the middle of the highways throughout the country. These can be great for hitchhiking. It's usually good practice to ask the personnel for permission beforehand, and oftentimes they'll be asking all the drivers where they're going, so they can even let you know if someone's going to your destination.

Hitching at a tope (speedbump)

You can also catch long rides at the exits of the cities when you travel on the highways. Many cities have speed bumps (tope) where the highway begins at the edge of town. Where there are police posts at the entrance or exits to towns, there are usually topes too. On smaller highways in more rural areas, there are often speed bumps at every little town, making it easy to move quickly with a number of shorter rides.

Many of the larger, faster highways operate on a toll system. It's common for there to be a free road (libre) parallel to the paid one (cuota), the former being slower and easier to catch rides, but the latter much more likely for getting longer rides. The tollbooths (caseta) can be good places too, and the ones near the cities can usually be reached by local transport. However, sometimes you might be told to stand about 100m past the tollbooth itself, so traffic has often already picked up speed by the time they get to you and it can be difficult for cars to pull over. Fortunately, there are often restrooms, gas stations and stores just past the caseta, so you can talk to drivers that stop there. Signs can come in really handy at tollbooths.

In some mid-sized cities like Tampico, Oaxaca, and Pachuca there are no transit roads and you have to cross the city. Taking a bus makes things easier.

Safety

It is even less recommendable than in other countries to take drugs or weapons with you, especially since after 2010 the Mexican government, backed by the US DEA who are actually present in Mexico (!!), have decided to crack down on drug and weapon trafficking. This has declined again since the following government of Peña Nieto seems to be more friendly towards the narcos. There still are numerous checkpoints all around the country, but in general it doesn't seem very likely that you will be checked and the soldiers hardly ever search all the way through a large back-pack, unless you answer their questions really bad. If the vehicle you're riding in does get stopped just stay calm, show your passport, say the magic words "turista" ("tourist") and "de paseo nada más" ("just passing"), and if they ask to see your stuff open you bag and show them that it's all clothes and stuff. Small quantities of marijuana are decriminalized and police officers can probably be convinced to overlook them with a small payment, although of course the Hitchwiki community endorses neither drug possession nor bribery. ;-) Be aware that knives are illegal as they are considered "lethal weapons" according to Mexican law and can theoretically be punished by up to five years of prison.

In the south, your drivers might ask you about your immigration status and advise you of immigration check points.

Single Women

my girl Ave ride beggin' in San Isidro Mazatepec, Jalisco- a pueblo harboring my favorite taco stand with the most toppings you'll ever want [two_string_sally]

One of the great things of hitchhiking in Mexico is that even if you travel alone, you rarely have to hitch-hike alone, because hitchhiking is such a common activity among locals - joining locals hitching will not only add to the fun, but also your safety. This is especially handy as in certain areas - like in the North, around Chihuahua - men might take you for a prostitute (even if you have a large bag and totally look like a foreigner).

Zenit seriously disagrees with the statement that "you rarely have to hitch-hike alone" in Mexico. In three months, between Baja California and Cancún, he only saw other hitchhikers two or three times.

two_string_sally thinks the day she hitched from San Isidro Mazatepec, Jalisco to the airport (50 km) was a fun ole time! prior to that she'd hitched 2,600 km with her male friend and received the usual creepiness of the world. she will say, however, that mexican men (and turkish, indian etc) seem to perceive us western women as free lovin' (which, relative to their culture, we are), and had the usual, 'do you want to have sex with me?,' leg touching drama you just have to deal with. nothin' dangerous, she might add. FUN TIMES!

the perils of female hitching. nothing dangerous, but annoying when the guys start touching your hair, trying to sleep on your shoulder, or making a grab for your no no zones ha! strange times but super fun hanging at the aguascalientes with them. pictured is Avery warding off a sleepy kid. [two_string_sally]

Border crossings

To/From Belize

As to 2024 Hitchhiking to the border from Mexico is quite easy.

Although most of the road is highway and most people go to Chetumal. It is still easy to stop rides and ask them to stop for you on the junction to Belize. The border crossing itself is a bit confusing. There are two different customs in different locations for entering and exiting Mexico. The locals tend to not know so well the rules because they don't apply on them the same as tourist.

Exiting Mexico was super easy. There is a white room in the middle of the road where a lady just stumped my passport with barely any questions. She did tell me that if I wish to go back to Mexico in this border crossing it will cost me 750 Mexican pesos and a flight ticket as a proof that I am leaving Mexico.

The Belizean customs are not so close to the Mexican customs. Luckily I had locals helping me, driving me around. In the Belizean customs you need to fill a standard paper stating your name, passport number etc... I was told to fill that I will stay only 30 days in Belize. They inform you that you can ask for 30 days more later and it will cost 100 US dollars. You have to state to which hotel are you going. I just filled a name I found online and no questions were asked. Later they might check your bags to see if you are smuggling anything ilegal, like fruit and veggies from Mexico.

There is a bus stop just after the customs and even the police told me I can hitchhike there. Everyone in the Belizean side seem to prefer speaking English.

To/From Guatemala

Guatemala and Mexico had 10 formal border crossings in 2004:

Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas – Ciudad Tecún Umán, San Marcos

Hitchhiking in Chiapas to the border is not so easy. Many Mistakes hitchhikers with Illegal immigrants and tend not to stop. Hitchhiking on the Guatemalan side is Much easier.

Mini buses go from Tapachula Termial De Cortos Recorridos to Ciudad hidalgo For 40 Pesos (March 2025)

The Crossing in Ciudad Hidalgo is quite close to the central park. As you enter the Immigration offices area many people will offer you to Exchange money. Careful! You will need 5 Pesos to cross the border, and if you overstayed your time the immigration will want to charge you in Mexican Pesos. There are People who will change your money on the Guatemalan side also, So don’t worry.

In the Big white building you will be asked to leave you bag while entering. It is safe to leave you stuff because there are being heavily guarded.

The Immigration workers ask if you coming or leaving Mexico. Leaving Mexico is Easier than entering. They stamp you and let you go. Without checking your bags.

Entering Mexico might be harder. Depends on your luck. Some get checked quite a lot and might get denied while others might cross with no problem.

As you continue towards Guatemala, you will face a Turn gate with a guard. Crossing costs 5 Mexican Pesos or 5 US Dollars I have no clue why. Better to keep with you a 5 Peso Coin before you start crossing because you pay the gate and not the guard through a machine coin slot.

You cross the gate and start to cross the bridge towards Guatemala. You will probably be swarmed by different type of taxis wishing to take you to the other side. The walk to the other side is about a 2 minute easy walk, So it is not really a must to take a taxi.

On the other side many people will offer you to exchange Money from Pesos to Quetzales. They Don’t offer the best ratio. The Immigration office it self is very small. It will be quite of a long wait if there are many people at the crossing when you arrive. But beside that the workers barely ask any questions and give you passage to Guatemala and 90 days with No questions at all. They Don’t check you bags either.

Talismán, Chiapas – El Carmen, San Marcos Please add information if you crossed this border.

Union Juárez, Chiapas – Toquían Grande, San Marcos Please add information if you crossed this border.

Mazapa de Madero, Chiapas – Sibinal, San Marcos Please add information if you crossed this border.

Ciudad Cuahtemoc, Chiapas – La Mesilla, Huehuetenango

This crossing is considered one of the more forgiving crossings. People who work in tourism for the last 20 years in Guatemala say that the likelihood of a person to get denied access to Mexico in La Mesilla is much lower than other crossings between Guatemala and Mexico. That being said, Many locals considered this crossing dangerous because some incidents that happen with the Mafia.

Coming from Guatemala hitchhiking to the border is relatively easy. Towards the final part it gets a little bit harder. There are many Mini-buses you can take if it takes you too long. A lot of them pass all the time on the main road.

In La mesilla the mini bus drops you a bit far for the border crossing. You can take a taxi or walk down hill on the main road for about 8 minutes.

The immigration office in Guatemala is quite ok. They just check your passport and immediately stamped it. No questions. They didn't check my bags when I crossed there.

After crossing you are in a buffer zone between Mexico and Guatemala.

And the distance is a little bit far. About 5 minutes by car. People said it is dangerous to walk it. If you prefer not to walk there are taxis waiting at the buffer zone.

They bring you straight to the Mexican immigration office.

The Mexican immigration is a bit tougher. They asked me what's my plan for Mexico and for how long. I asked for 180 days And they said they can only give me 90 days and it will cost 861 Mexican pesos (January 2025). I think they keep it always at 50 Us dollars.

All the conversation was in Spanish, and the workers seemed a little bit angry. Eventually they sent me to the building next door to pay.

In the next building there was no one. And after 10 minutes someone came to the toll booth. After paying he gave me a large paper and told me to go to where I was before.

They stamped my passport and the large paper I brought and told me to guard it well. This paper was checked many times while I was in Mexico. And they took it from me when I left Mexico. So i think it is important.

Carmen Xhán, Chiapas – Gracias a Dios, Huehuetenango Please add information if you crossed this border.

Nuevo Orizaba, Chiapas – Ingenieros, El Quiché Please add information if you crossed this border.

Frontera Corozal, Chiapas - Bethel, El Petén Please add information if you crossed this border.

El Ceibo, Tabasco – El Ceibo, El Petén Please add information if you crossed this border.

El Martillo, Tabasco – El Naranjo, El Petén Please add information if you crossed this border.

Food

Vegetarians/vegans: if you ask food carts or taco places if they have anything vegetarian, and they say no, look at the ingredients they've got in their work area and get creative! One vegetarian traveller's favourite is tomato and avocado taco.

Personal experiences

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  Hitchhikers Katja and Augustas barely fit with all their stuff in the front of this pickup.

• 

  Katja is ready to get a ride!

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  A usual ride on a back of a pickup.

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  Sometimes hitchhikers can be of help to a driver - here Lithuanian hitchhiker Augustas helping to push a truck somewhere in Mexico.

It may be extremely easy to hitch in mainland Mexico, but in the Baja California peninsula, it's a completely different story! In Baja California, there is only one road, the HWY 1, which isn't hell to hitchhike on but requires a lot of patience: there are often large distances in between cities (which are barely even cities, rather a few ranches and cactus farms) and even larger distances between petrol stations (example: El Rosario is the last one before Guerrero Negro, about 360 km further down in Baja California Sur). Getting stuck in the middle of the desert is NOT fun, and many people can only take you from town to town as it is local traffic or gringos doing one of the many races down in the Baja. Also, unless you are planning on staying in Baja and going back up towards the USA-Mexico border, you should hitchhike from Mexicali south. If you plan on heading to mainland Mexico from the Baja, you must take a ferry in either La Paz or Cabo San Lucas towards Mazatlán, which costs about 80$ USD - Narfette, April 2008

The Yucatan Peninsula (Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo), on the other hand, outshines all Mexico for its ease and amiability of hitchhiking. You might not even fall victim to Moctezuma revenge eating old papaya slushies and bean burritos out of the trash in some of those tourist strips. Hey

In 10 months and tens of thousands of km covered by thumb, my only "bad" experience was between Pto. Angel and Oaxaca City (a notorious drug route, as I later learned). The driver asked me to drive and once I was behind the wheel informed me that the van was full of Colombia's finest. I nearly shat myself, but the experience turned out to be quite interesting, as we were forced to make several detours to avoid police checkpoints, taking me through beautiful and remote parts of the Oaxacan mountains I otherwise never would have discovered. Be careful not to get set up. A very, very, rare occurance, but one that can happen.- unknown hitchhiker, July 2010

I traveled for 8 months in Mexico, all by thumb. I came down Baja California, hitched a sailboat from La Paz to Mazatlán, steamed over to Veracruz for the carnival, went up and around the Yucatán, then down into Chiapas, Guatemala, and then back to Veracruz, across to all the big central cities, and down the Pacific coast to Oaxaca and Guatemala once more. I got picked up by plenty of self-proclaimed drug dealers. Whatever. Lovely country. - Chael777, August 2011

I hitched at exits and on-ramps and speed bumps (topes) and made excellent time from Matamoros to Catemaco. As long as cars are going somewhat slow any place is really a good place to hitchhike. I rarely waited more than fifteen minutes. People were very hospitable. I was treated to lots of delicious food and given places to stay by those who picked me up. This is my favorite country to hitchhike thus far - Eripson, March 2012

The small less trafficky roads, in the mountains and in Chiapas for instance, can test your patience. If you are coming from south (Guatemala) people might be afraid to pick you up because there are so many checkpoints. Even the ones who do stop ask if you have problems with authorities, if you are smuggling drugs or if you have a passport. - Astikain (talk) 15:59, 4 June 2013 (CEST)

I hitchhiked for two months through the mainland and had a great experience. People are very friendly and willing to help. The biggest thing is getting outside the city. The good thing about the big highways is you are more likely to get a long ride, the bad thing it can be rough to have someone pull over. The small villages are easier to get rides but tend to be short. - Jason

ANDALE! México remains my favorite place to catch a ride- starting in san diego, cali and winding up in ciudad de guatemala a month later was a breeze. forget about that one 24 hour wait in Tonalà (7eleven outside Guadalajara, you were cruel to me), and hear me out when i say that topés (speed rumps) are your besties and camionetas (pick ups) are the most splendid way -and most common ride- to view méxico, especially with a cold Modelo in your hand and Chalino Sanchez serenading your ears from the front seat. got our shit checkpoint-searched HARD in southern baja, witnessed bribes in guate, were taken to unknown aguascalientes in jalisco, had too much tequlia in Tequila, got robbed in jocotepec, hitched a ride with turkeys, bread, candy and piñatas, drank the waters of canyon aguacero in chiapas. oh what a wonderful world. thumbed it solo as a chick and with a male and later female road dawg. ¡buen viaje! signing off.- two_string_sally april 2018

Links

New born turtles in the coast of Mexico, walking towards the ocean.

For general info about moneyless travels in Mexico, see this handy document.

Nomadwiki & Trashwiki

Check Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)

States of Mexico

Aguascalientes • Baja California • Baja California Sur • Campeche • Chiapas • Chihuahua • Coahuila • Colima • Durango • Guanajuato • Guerrero • Hidalgo • Jalisco • Mexico State • Michoacán • Morelos • Nayarit • Nuevo León • Oaxaca • Puebla • Querétaro • Quintana Roo • San Luis Potosí • Sinaloa • Sonora • Tabasco • Tamaulipas • Tlaxcala • Veracruz • Yucatán • Zacatecas

Federal District