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Rent a Car, and Drive to Sonora
So you want to visit Mexico, and would like to have the
freedom and flexibility that only driving a vehicle can offer.
But, you’re in Arizona on vacation and don’t have a car, or you
live in Arizona and aren’t so sure about taking your personal
vehicle to Mexico until you’re more familiar with the area.
The answer – rent a car to visit Sonora.
Almost all of the major rental agencies will rent you a car to
drive in the “free-trade” zone of Sonora, not more than 200
miles south of the border. That means you can drive to
popular locales like Rocky Point, as well as lesser-known gems
like Magdalena, Santa Ana, Caborca and Desemboque.
When arranging a recent car rental for a trip to Phoenix, I
asked the rental agency about the possibility of taking the
vehicle into Mexico. No problem, I was told – you’ll just need
to pay an extra daily fee.
Armed with that information I called other agencies to
compare Mexican insurance rates. The following table shows
the rates as of January 2008, as a basis of comparison.
Check with each agency for their current offerings and rates.
So you want to visit Mexico, and would like to have the
freedom and flexibility that only driving a vehicle can offer.
But, you’re in Arizona on vacation and don’t have a car, or you
live in Arizona and aren’t so sure about taking your personal
vehicle to Mexico until you’re more familiar with the area.
The answer – rent a car to visit Sonora.
Almost all of the major rental agencies will rent you a car to
drive in the “free-trade” zone of Sonora, not more than 200
miles south of the border. That means you can drive to
popular locales like Rocky Point, as well as lesser-known gems
like Magdalena, Santa Ana, Caborca and Desemboque.
When arranging a recent car rental for a trip to Phoenix, I
asked the rental agency about the possibility of taking the
vehicle into Mexico. No problem, I was told – you’ll just need
to pay an extra daily fee.
Armed with that information I called other agencies to
compare Mexican insurance rates. The following table shows
the rates as of January 2008, as a basis of comparison.
Check with each agency for their current offerings and rates.
For the trip that would take me to Caborca, Santa Ana,
Magdalena and points north I decided to cross the border at
the Lukeville point of entry, crossing into Sonoyta, Sonora. I’d
chosen that route not only because it’s probably the most
convenient from Phoenix, but also because I wasn’t sure if I’d
be able to take the car past the 21-kilometer checkpoint south
of Nogales. For commercial reasons, the Mexican free trade
zone in Caborca that was established by Mexican President
Fox a few years back requires some commercial traffic to pass
to Caborca from that port of entry.
As I stopped at the 21-km checkpoint south of Sonoyta, I
answered the routine questions (where I was coming from,
where I was going) and the only document the customs officer
asked to see was the rental contract. I asked about whether
rental cars can cross the Nogales checkpoint, and was told that
they may pass at any Sonora border checkpoint.
Another option would be to rent a car inside Mexico, in which
case you wouldn’t be limited to driving in the free trade zone.
There is a hotel in Santa Ana that rents cars, and rental cars
are also available at the Hermosillo airport. Expect to pay
more though; rental car rates in Mexico are about double the
price you would pay in the U.S.
For an extra $20-$30 a day on your rental car charges, you
may find that renting a car in Arizona to visit Sonora is not
only an economical travel option (especially for groups, when
compared with paying commercial transportation costs), but
one that allows you to explore on your schedule and terms.
Enjoy your adventure!
For more information about driving in Sonora, click here.
Magdalena and points north I decided to cross the border at
the Lukeville point of entry, crossing into Sonoyta, Sonora. I’d
chosen that route not only because it’s probably the most
convenient from Phoenix, but also because I wasn’t sure if I’d
be able to take the car past the 21-kilometer checkpoint south
of Nogales. For commercial reasons, the Mexican free trade
zone in Caborca that was established by Mexican President
Fox a few years back requires some commercial traffic to pass
to Caborca from that port of entry.
As I stopped at the 21-km checkpoint south of Sonoyta, I
answered the routine questions (where I was coming from,
where I was going) and the only document the customs officer
asked to see was the rental contract. I asked about whether
rental cars can cross the Nogales checkpoint, and was told that
they may pass at any Sonora border checkpoint.
Another option would be to rent a car inside Mexico, in which
case you wouldn’t be limited to driving in the free trade zone.
There is a hotel in Santa Ana that rents cars, and rental cars
are also available at the Hermosillo airport. Expect to pay
more though; rental car rates in Mexico are about double the
price you would pay in the U.S.
For an extra $20-$30 a day on your rental car charges, you
may find that renting a car in Arizona to visit Sonora is not
only an economical travel option (especially for groups, when
compared with paying commercial transportation costs), but
one that allows you to explore on your schedule and terms.
Enjoy your adventure!
For more information about driving in Sonora, click here.
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