Driving Central America & South America.
Driving for a while and then flying - experience?
April 8, 2008 - 3:27pm
I am currently in Honduras and am thinking of parking my auto somewhere and flying back to the US for up to 6 months. Is this practical? I met a couple in Tapachula, MX from Poland that keeps a motorcycle parked in Puebla MX and comes every year to drive it all kinds of places, but at the time I met them I wasn't thinking in these terms and forgot to ask if this is acceptable and where they purchased the bike. I am assuming that since Mexico gives a 6 month car permit, that it is possible to drive into Mexico with an auto, fly away and return in time to renew the car permit by driving to an adhacent country and returning to Mexico in 72 hours?
Has anyone done this? Does anyone know if any other country in Central America, more south of Honduras provides a 6 month or longer car permit? So far I have received 45 days crossing Guatemala and 90 days crossing Honduras but I am curious if there is any other country offering the same as Mexico?
I received a response on another forum that there might be problems with my idea and also a response that the CA-4 countries follow some website documented CA-4 car permit agreement, that in my experience NONE of them follow.
Thanks in advance,
Don
April 18, 2008 - 3:31pm
#2
Leaving a vehicle in Mexico
Hey Don,
My wife and I spent a couple of years driving south from the US thru Central and South America. In fact we've written a book on how to do it. The book will be available in May '08.
But to answer your question, we left our vehicle in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile and Peru for months at a time.
I would recommend driving back to Mexico and leaving your vehicle at a campground near a major city with an airport. Cancun is one such place that was good. We generally pay about $50us per month of storage.
Mexico is a good place because the vehicle permits are now good for 10 years. Your tourist card is only good for up to six months, but you get a new card each time you enter the country.
Your 6 month itinerary would prevent you from leaving your vehicle in the other CA countries. The CA-4 is only good for 90 days at a shot and CR and Panama generally only give 90 days as well.
Feel free to email with any questions.
Don Greene
[URL=http://www.AmericasOverland.net]http://www.AmericasOverland.net[/URL]
They give you a permit, and that permit needs to be renewed. You *have* to leave with the car. If they leave it there, they either imported it ($$$), or bought it there. Now, maybe they do the border shuffle. I've got tons of friends that live in Central America and do the passport shuffle. That would probably work. I don't know what would happen if you didn't leave in time. Probably just pay some cash.