Driving from Phoenix to Puerto Penasco

[smarbrit]

We have a trip planned for the end of Feb - 1st week of March down to Phoenix and driving to Puerto Penasco, then driving back to Phoenix.

I am hearing driving down is ridiculously dangerous and we shouldn't do it, or have loads of cash with us if we do get pulled over. We would be going through the Sonoyta border crossing.

Can anyone provide some insight into this? Have you done it, would you do it? How safe is it? Precautions??

[kevint]

Learn some Spanish, familiarize yourself with local emergency phone numbers, customs, etc. Keep an eye on the news.

And DO NOT carry weapons across the border(s) without following the correct procedures.

[GretchenGotGrowl]

Originally Posted by smarbrit

We have a trip planned for the end of Feb - 1st week of March down to Phoenix and driving to Puerto Penasco, then driving back to Phoenix.

I am hearing driving down is ridiculously dangerous and we shouldn't do it, or have loads of cash with us if we do get pulled over. We would be going through the Sonoyta border crossing.

Can anyone provide some insight into this? Have you done it, would you do it? How safe is it? Precautions??

I haven't done it in about 20 years, so the experience may have changed a lot since then. However, once we got past the border towns it was a very nice drive with very little traffic. I never carry much cash when travelling to avoid losing it.

[ShnOmac]

Originally Posted by smarbrit

We have a trip planned for the end of Feb - 1st week of March down to Phoenix and driving to Puerto Penasco, then driving back to Phoenix.

I am hearing driving down is ridiculously dangerous and we shouldn't do it, or have loads of cash with us if we do get pulled over. We would be going through the Sonoyta border crossing.

Can anyone provide some insight into this? Have you done it, would you do it? How safe is it? Precautions??

We used to take trips down there quite often..... Lots has changed and I don't think I will ever be going back.

You may want to check out this link for more info..... Puerto Penasco is about 3/4 of the way down.

http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...l-warning.html

[2ss-booya]

Originally Posted by ShnOmac

We used to take trips down there quite often..... Lots has changed and I don't think I will ever be going back.

You may want to check out this link for more info..... Puerto Penasco is about 3/4 of the way down.

http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...l-warning.html

Especially this:

Sonora: Nogales, Puerto Peñasco, Hermosillo, and San Carlos are major cities/travel destinations in Sonora - Sonora is a key region in the international drug and human trafficking trades and can be extremely dangerous for travelers. Travelers throughout Sonora are encouraged to limit travel to main roads during daylight hours. The region west of Nogales, east of Sonoyta, and from Caborca north, including the towns of Saric, Tubutama, and Altar, and the eastern edge of Sonora bordering Chihuahua, are known centers of illegal activity, and non-essential travel between these cities should be avoided. Travelers should also defer non-essential travel to the eastern edge of the state of Sonora, which borders the state of Chihuahua (all points along that border east of the northern city of Agua Prieta and the southern town of Alamos), and defer non-essential travel within the city of Ciudad Obregon and south of the city of Navojoa. You should exercise caution while transiting Vicam in southern Sonora due to roadblocks that can be instituted ad hoc by local indigenous and environmental groups. U.S. citizens visiting Puerto Peñasco should use the Lukeville, Arizona/Sonoyta, Sonora border crossing, and limit driving to daylight hours.

[smarbrit]

Originally Posted by 2ss-booya

Especially this:

Sonora: Nogales, Puerto Peñasco, Hermosillo, and San Carlos are major cities/travel destinations in Sonora - Sonora is a key region in the international drug and human trafficking trades and can be extremely dangerous for travelers. Travelers throughout Sonora are encouraged to limit travel to main roads during daylight hours. The region west of Nogales, east of Sonoyta, and from Caborca north, including the towns of Saric, Tubutama, and Altar, and the eastern edge of Sonora bordering Chihuahua, are known centers of illegal activity, and non-essential travel between these cities should be avoided. Travelers should also defer non-essential travel to the eastern edge of the state of Sonora, which borders the state of Chihuahua (all points along that border east of the northern city of Agua Prieta and the southern town of Alamos), and defer non-essential travel within the city of Ciudad Obregon and south of the city of Navojoa. You should exercise caution while transiting Vicam in southern Sonora due to roadblocks that can be instituted ad hoc by local indigenous and environmental groups. U.S. citizens visiting Puerto Peñasco should use the Lukeville, Arizona/Sonoyta, Sonora border crossing, and limit driving to daylight hours.

This is what we are being told. We do plan on using at the Lukeville/sonoyta crossing, travelling by day, likely on the Monday as we'll be going to the NASCAR races over the weekend. My husband's boss says they go all the time, but a guy in my office is scaring the crap out of me....

[Tenring]

Wouldn't get me to go along that is for sure.

[christianmotox]

Don't sweat it, you'll be fine. I've been to puerto penasco at least 5 times, the last time I drove my 1LE down there.
As long as you follow the speed limit no one will pull you over, the road to penasco is mostly tourist and locals.
I have a coworker who even owns a place down there, it's a really calm city.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[2ss-booya]

Originally Posted by smarbrit

This is what we are being told. We do plan on using at the Lukeville/sonoyta crossing, travelling by day, likely on the Monday as we'll be going to the NASCAR races over the weekend. My husband's boss says they go all the time, but a guy in my office is scaring the crap out of me....

Its like Russian Roulette...You'll hear from some people that go to Mexico dozens of times and never have a problem...but then you'll hear a story like I had from family where they went and got stopped by Federales and boarded their RV and inspected every cabinet for no reason.

[DesertCamaro]

Make sure your car's gassed up before you cross the border (Lukeville I assume?) I have the skinny on intel in and around the border and I haven't driven through in a few years, but I have friends that have houses down there that go once a month with no issues.

It's a roll of the dice but you'll probably be ok. The violence is mainly limited to cartel/human smuggling operations near the border. Mexican government/Policia want your $$$ and for the most part protects tourism.