If you stay in Mexico for longer than 72 hours, you must have an FM-T tourist permit. Such permits now cost 170 Mexican pesos, valid for up to six months, and can be obtained at a Mexican Consulate, at the border or at the airport.

If it is determined that the consumption of alcohol or drugs contributed to a traffic crash, your Mexican insurance will not be valid. Don't drive while even slightly "under the influence"
HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER.

It is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN to bring firearms or ammunition into Mexico. If you do so, and you are caught, you will go to jail. If you plan to hunt in Mexico, visit the Mexican Consulate to obtain necessary permits.

Life in the slow lane…

For those of who have not been to Mexico or a third world country (Tijuana doesn’t count) we have a few tips.

“Foreign countries are not designed with your comfort in mind, they are designed for the comfort of their own people.”

Things move slower…

Money
American Dollars work at most places, but you lose on the exchange rate, and you’re a dead ringer for an Americano tourist.
Pesos work best.
Traveler’s Checks are useless
You can get money at banks, but it may take up to 3-4 hours to do so…if they are open.
ATM cards work best, but bring at least 2 from different banks and be sure to notify your bank that you will be in Mexico.

Documentation
Passports, Registration, license, insurance documents, title. It is a really good idea to make good color copies of all your documents.

Tourist Card, as of January all visitors to Baja need a tourist card. We will get these at the border, you should have a passport which will make this process quicker. If you do not have a passport, you will need a notarized copy of your birth certificate.

Toilets and toilet paper
Mexican bathrooms (El Bano),
Septic systems are quite fragile in Mexico, you find that most toilet have a small waste receptacle next to the toilet (which may or may not have a seat or toilet paper) this is for your toilet paper,  do not flush any paper down the toilet

Cell Phones:
They may work, but your roaming charges will be astronomical!. The local pay phones are very reasonable when you can find one. Other options are purchasing Mexican Cell coverage for a short period, but note that coverage is still quite limited.
We may have on board a Satellite phone

Calls from Baja California to any part of the world can be made from any telephone that can access "lada" or the country phone code.
To call local numbers, you only have to dial the last seven digits.
For example:

• U.S.A.: 001 + area code + 6 or 7 digit number
• Mexico: 01 + area code + 7 digit number
• Rest of the world: 001 + country code + number

Packing:
Pack your bags a couple of times before we leave, so you know the routine. On our first day, although the mileage is not very much, getting across the border, getting papers in line, getting pesos all takes time. We need to be on the road at 8:00 am.

Clothing:
The weather can cover the full spectrum, 20-90 degrees. While riding conditions will be much like the Fall here. Cool and comfortable. Evenings can be cool to cold. Not say you won’t have the chance to swim in the Sea of Cortez, but plan on enough layers to keep warm.

What can I bring back to the USA?
Persons buying goods in the Mexican border zone are entitled to take up to US$400.00 worth of goods free of customs duties, including one liter (aprox. above ¼ gallon) of alcohol per person, this is 1 per returning resident, quota is also cumulative within a family, with respect to father, mother and children. Mexican arts and crafts are duty-free and don't count toward your $400 limit. This is also cumulative within a family.

If traveling by common carrier (cruise ship, plane or train), more than one liter of alcohol is allowed, however, only the first one is duty free.

The following items are legal in Mexico and readily available everywhere in the border area, but cannot be brought into the United States: Cuban cigars, turtle products, switchblades, butterfly knives and fireworks.