{"id":496,"date":"2010-04-16T16:59:14","date_gmt":"2010-04-16T21:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/?p=496"},"modified":"2016-06-15T13:27:50","modified_gmt":"2016-06-15T18:27:50","slug":"driving-in-yucatan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/?p=496","title":{"rendered":"Driving in Yucatan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-510 alignright\" title=\"On The Road in Yucatan\" src=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/on-the-road.jpg\" alt=\"On The Road in Yucatan\" width=\"350\" height=\"254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/on-the-road.jpg 350w, https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/on-the-road-300x217.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/>The Yucatan Peninsula is full of beautiful places to see,\u00a0including colonial <em>pueblos<\/em>, the Riviera Maya, historic haciendas and, of course, the ancient cities of the Maya. The peninsula includes the states of \u00a0Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan, which can offer beautiful views, history, culture, local cuisine and folklore.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t want to miss the beautiful Malec\u00f3n and downtown of Campeche, or historic towns like Valladolid and\u00a0 Tizimin, full of old colonial buildings and delicious food, or \u00a0the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean, the ruins of Uxmal and Chichen Itz\u00e1, cenotes,\u00a0caves, and the many other things the Peninsula\u00a0 offers.\u00a0 The best way to explore is on the road because driving gives you the freedom to move around the Yucatan on your own schedule and lets you experience places and people you may not see on a bus or tour.<\/p>\n<p>But before you decide to drive either in Merida or the Yucatan, here are some things you may want to know.<\/p>\n<p>You can drive legally\u00a0in Mexico using a valid driver\u2019s license issued by other country, but if you are going to live in Mexico, it is better to carry a Mexican driver\u2019s license (<em>licencia de conducir<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>To apply for a Mexican driver&#8217;s license, you will need the following documents:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>FM3 or FM2 Visa (original and photocopy)<\/li>\n<li>Proof of address (CFE, Japay or Telmex bill less than 3 months old, original and photocopy).<\/li>\n<li>Passport signature and photo page (original and photocopy)<\/li>\n<li>Fee of $212.00 MXN.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You will also be required to do the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pass a written exam about the rules for driving in Yucatan.<\/li>\n<li>Pass a practice exam. This usually means demonstrating that you can park a car, so you will need to take a car with you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-503\" title=\"Yucatan Driving Rule Book\" src=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/REGLAMENTO-DE-TRANSITO-sm1.jpg\" alt=\"Yucatan Driving Rule Book\" width=\"150\" height=\"207\" \/>The written exam can be taken in English, but the rule book for driving in Yucatan is in Spanish. In Yucatan State, it\u2019s called, <em>Reglamento de Vialidad para el Estado de Yucat\u00e1n<\/em>. You can purchase it for $20.00 pesos (less than 2 dollars) at the same offices where you get your driver\u2019s license. \u00a0The rule book is 159 pages, so\u00a0it is a good idea to read and study it before taking the test. After you receive your driver\u2019s license, you should keep the rule book with you in your car.<\/p>\n<p>The written exam asks either trick questions or questions of common sense, so just relax and answer as if you were driving.<\/p>\n<p>This is an example of the questions you will find:<\/p>\n<p>You are driving your car through a city and in front of you is a bicycle; to the left is a solid line.\u00a0What should you do?<\/p>\n<p>a [_] Tailgate the bicycle.<br \/>\nb [_] Stay behind the bicycle.<br \/>\nc [_] Wait for a broken line to pass.<br \/>\nd [_] Honk your horn to make the bicycle move over.<\/p>\n<p>In M\u00e9rida, there are two places where you can obtain a driver\u2019s license:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Departamento de Registro y Control Vehicular<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><strong>Location<\/strong>: Calle\u00a0 61-A\u00a0 #494 x 88-A and 90 Colonia Centro<br \/>\nBig building across from the Parque Centenario Zoo<br \/>\n<strong>Hours<\/strong>:\u00a0 Mon-Fri: 8:00 to 14:00, Sat: 8:00 to 13:00<br \/>\n<strong>Phone<\/strong>: (999) 923-6540 or (999) 928-5028<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Convention Center Siglo XXI\u00a0 (in the parking lot)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><strong>Location<\/strong>: Calle 60 north Col. Revoluci\u00f3n Ex-Cordemex<br \/>\n<strong>Hours<\/strong>: Mon-Fri: 8:00 to 14:00, Sat: 8:00 to 18:00<br \/>\n<strong>Phone<\/strong>: (999) 981-6420<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-505\" title=\"Department of Vehicle Registration and Control\" src=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/office.jpg\" alt=\"Department of Vehicle Registration and Control\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/office.jpg 250w, https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/office-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/>These two are the only permanent offices in Yucatan State. For those who live in Progreso, Valladolid and other areas, the government provides a mobile office that transports all of the resources needed to obtain a driver\u2019s license to the different locations of the state.<\/p>\n<p>The mobile office has the following schedule in 2010:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Valladolid: \u00a0May 7<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0 to 11<sup>th<\/sup>, and October 3<sup>rd<\/sup>\u00a0 to 7<sup>th<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Progreso: June 20<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0 to 24<sup>th<\/sup><\/li>\n<li>Tizim\u00edn: July 20<sup>th<\/sup> to 24<sup>th<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is also very important to purchase Mexican auto insurance. U.S. or Canadian auto insurance is not valid, no matter how comprehensive your coverage is, and it will not cover your financial obligation to people or property damaged if you have an accident while driving. Mexican auto insurance is suprisingly inexpensive compared to that in the United States or Canada.<\/p>\n<p>If you are\u00a0driving between the states, especially between Yucatan and Quintana Roo, don\u2019t be surprised if you are stopped at a checkpoint (<em>punto de revisi\u00f3n<\/em>) by a military detail to inspect for narcotics and firearms. They do not inspect every car, but make random selections. If you are stopped, they will ask you to get out of the car (<em>b\u00e1jese del automovil, por favor<\/em>) and open your trunk (<em>abra su cajuela<\/em>). They can examine the contents of your car and luggage like security personnel at an airport. Don\u2019t panic. If you are not carrying drugs or firearms you have nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, like every other country, drivers are prohibited from drinking alcohol while driving a vehicle. Drunk driving is considered a major violation in M\u00e9xico. There are often random checkpoints (<em>ret\u00e9n<\/em>) at\u00a0 various locations where the police will require you to take a breathalyzer test (<em>alcohol\u00edmetros<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Another thing you should be familiar with is the gas station.\u00a0 In M\u00e9xico, PEMEX stations are the only gas stations in the entire country, and are owned by the government, which means the price of gas is the same at all the stations. You probably are used to pumping the gas yourself, but here in M\u00e9xico this is done by an attendant, who will ask you how much you want to spend (<em>cuanto?<\/em>). Then they will ask for the type of gas you want (<em>magna<\/em> or <em>premium<\/em>).\u00a0 You should check the pump to be sure it is set to $0.00 before the attendant starts filling your tank, and also be sure the correct change is returned after you pay. Most gas stations do not accept credit or debit cards. If the attendant performs any other services, such as washing the windshield, a tip of five to ten pesos\u00a0is customary.<\/p>\n<p>Should you need assistance getting on the road, YES can help you to obtain your driver\u2019s license and to purchase Mexican auto insurance. For more information please contact us at <a href=\"mailto:info@yucatanyes.com\">info@yucatanyes.com<\/a> or download our <a href=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/category\/expatriate-guides\">Insurance Guide<\/a>, which provides detailed information and advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The best way to explore Yucatan is on the road. Here is some information you many want to know, such as how to obtain a Mexican driver&#8217;s license, auto insurance and, of course, gasoline&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[139],"class_list":["post-496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resident-services","tag-resident-services"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/yucatanexpatriateservices.com\/?p=496\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Driving in Yucatan - Yucatan Expatriate Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The best way to explore Yucatan is on the road. 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