Texas Border Business
By Omar Guevara
As a “Hotel Guy”, I am constantly finding ways to make our city/community more attractive for folks to visit and stay in our hotels. Well, the time has come for us to be the “tourists” and travel abroad.
I know folks have been concerned about traveling into Mexico, especially with their own vehicles. My goal with this article is to give you all of the guidance needed to get your permits, insurance, travel times, and some points of interest worth visiting.
As American citizens, we are still required to get our immigration and vehicle permits to travel into Mexico. Those permits must be obtained in Reynosa at the bridge on the Mexican side. My recommendation is to get the permits ahead of time, so you don’t take away from your travel time. You are not required to travel right away when you get the permit. If at all possible, go during the week, during the day. Take your passport or driver’s license for your immigration permits. For your vehicle, take your registration paper. There is a $30 fee per person for immigration permits. For your vehicle, they will consider the value and take a “refundable deposit” minus a processing fee. I can share with you that we took our truck and we were charged $450, of which we will get all but $120 back when we turn in the permit. The $120 is the processing fee. You get this back when you turn in the permit. The permit is valid for 180 days, and can be used multiple times. No need to turn it in prior to the 180 if you are planning other trips in to Mexico. Also, keep in mind that they can ONLY refund that card, so if you lose the card or get it replaced, you will not get a refund. Both the immigration permits and vehicle permit are valid for the 180 days. Get some dollars converted in to pesos before you travel as well. Just a little easier.
As for insurance for your vehicle, Billy Pastor has an office right there at the area where you get your Mexico permits. As with all insurance, they have various plans. Again, you can purchase the insurance for the days you will travel only. You can buy ahead of time, just give them the days you will be traveling. Maybe check with your insurance carrier and see if they offer insurance into Mexico.
When you are ready to travel to Monterrey of other destinations, use the Anzalduas Bridge. This connects quickly to the “Autopista de Cuota”, or toll road as we know it. You can not get perits on the Anzalduas Bridge. Hence why you go get them at the Hidalgo/Reynosa Bridge. You end up driving a little in Reynosa, and then you can connect to the Autopista. The Autopista fees are about $40 USD one way, but very well worth it. There are clean restrooms along the way, with great little convenience stores. Use your pesos to pay for the toll booths. Again, about $2,500 pesos for your tolls round trip. Everywhere we went as far as restaurants, Norma’s shopping, all gladly took our credit cards. I used one card on both of our trips and never had a problem. I highly recommend using one card for the trip, and maybe let them know you will be traveling international, as some banks will block your card when they see an international charge.
Along the way, even in Reynosa, you will see a lot of armed local, state and national police. Do not be alarmed. They are here for everyone’s safety. I know they look intimidating. No need to worry. The “Policia Estatal” is the equivalent of our DPS State Troopers. The “Policia Municipal” are city police, and “Guardia Nacional” is their National Guard. All are the to protect and allow you to feel safe. Some of these vehicles will do normal travel with their police lights flashing. Again, just to show their presence. To let you know they are there if you need anything. You will see them driving in town and on the highway. Just like we have DPS Troopers, city police and National Guard here.
When paying with your card, they will always offer a receipt. They will also require your signature on the credit card receipt. If you’re paying at a restaurant, verify as to whether the gratuity is included or not. A lot of restaurants will ask you how much gratuity you want to add. They use percentages. I made it a point to have them add 15% before they ran the charge so that I would get one final total. That was the receipt I signed.
The hotels will offer that you “pay in full” with your credit card at check in. That is a good procedure. If later you want to get room service or charge in the restaurant or lounge, you can pay that separate with your card or cash.
Restaurants and the better hotels will have safe drinking water. You can always request bottled water at a restaurant, but they will charge you for it. In the better hotels, 2 bottled waters is standard, and they will replace them daily. For housekeeping service, let the front desk clerk know as you leave each day that you would like housekeeping service that day. Better hotels will have an in room safe. If you feel safer, place your passports in there. Keep your immigration permit with you all day, just in case you need it for any unexpected situation like a car accident. It is a small, maybe ¼ page size piece of paper. We never had to show our anywhere. They stayed in my glove compartment the whole time.
Our GPS and Navi systems on our phones and vehicles work perfectly down there. Research from here what restaurants you want to go visit. It has become VERY popular in Mexico to have buildings where there is a variety of restaurants. I truly have to brag about the restaurants we visited in Saltillo. We went to Los Compadres ALL 3 days there for breakfast. The menu is outstanding. The service is second to none. If you are a coffee lover, Have the “Café de Olla”. I know typically you don’t have your “pan dulce” until after the meal, but some folks order it as a little starter before your full breakfast meal. We ordered ours with “Nata” (that is the cream/froth created when you heat up milk) and drizzled with “Cajeta”. They will also bring you a small plate with sliced fruit, yogurt and granola mix, complimentary. There are too many restaurants to mention for dinner but the ones we visited are “Don Artmios”, which has won various Wine Spectator and TripAdvisor Awards, “La Casa del Caballo”, who’s owner also owns 2 restaurants in Houston, “El Feligez”, and a visit to “IL Mercato” allows you to choose from over 20 upscale restaurants providing a variety of dinner options with each restaurant having its’ own specialty. We ended the night on the top floor at what was called “La Cantina” where they had a live band playing mostly Tejano Music. Any of these restaurants I mentioned are very upscale, with great entrees. All with prices a lot lower than what we pay here in our fine dining restaurants.
On the drive back, we did encounter a military check point at about the Tamaulipas/Nuevo Leon state line. Again, they are there for the safety of all. The gentlemen asked if we were safe and if everything was ok. We responded yes and he waved us on. When we arrived the Anzalduas Bridge, 6 lanes were open, and it took us about an hour to cross in. We declared some medications, my tequila, some candies, and Norma’s “Cuadra” boots she bought while we were down there.
We will be going back to Saltillo soon, with the hopes of going back to Parra to Parvada, the newest vineyards in Parras. They have an amazing restaurant and wine tasting tour. So, we kept our permits, and are ready to go back very soon. I hope this offers some hope that you may once again visit our beautiful neighbor to the south. Just like we wanted them to comeback to shop, stay at our hotels, and visit our restaurants, they are ready to see us visiting their country as well. I hope to be able to continue to share these journeys with you, and know that I am here if I can offer any advice or recommendations for your travels into Mexico.
“Mexico, nos vemos pronto. Aun tienes mucho que ofrecernos”.
Omar Guevara, CHA is the General Manager at Radisson Hotel McAllen Airport
