Guide - Mérida Driving Guide
Driving in another country can be particularly daunting. You’ll find driving in Mérida will be quite different than driving in other parts of the Yucatan Peninsula.
If you’ve ever driven in other parts of Mexico, you’ll know driving in the Yucatan is a luxury with well-maintained highways.
Not surprisingly, smaller streets can have their share of potholes. While larger potholes seem to appear after periods of harsh rainy storms, they eventually get filled.
Go slow, watch the streets, and look out for the numerous vehicles and pedestrians. You’ll also want to pay careful attention to cars stopping in front of you to allow their passengers to get out of the car. Drivers are notorious for stopping quickly on both the left and the right-hand sides of the street.
If you find you would like a driving lesson, Angel (my husband) offers driving lessons. Pricing is $1,000 MX ($50 U.S.) per hour with a 1 hour minimum. Additional time is billed in 15 minute increments. All payments are made via PayPal in U.S. dollars OR you can pay cash (dollars or pesos) to Angel at the time of your lesson.
Send me an email for availability: amy@lifeinmerida.com
OR if you want help obtaining your state of Yucatan driver's license, you can find more information here: https://lifeinmerida.gumroad.com/l/mnfgb
If you need a rental car, contact Mayan Drive Rental Car (Mayan Drive +52 999.134.6263 (Fluent English)
This guide includes the following information:
- City Layout and Addresses
- One-Way Streets
- Speed Limits
- Alto (Stop)
- Lane Marking
- Passing
- Street Parking
- Parking Lots or Garages
- Drive the “Mexican Way”
- Mexican Speed Bumps
- Rules for Pedestrians
- Right on Red
- Car Insurance
- Busses
- Accidents
- Tickets
- Other Methods of Personal Transportation
- Pumping Gas
- Rules for Roundabouts
- Drive During the Day First
- Highway Assistance
- Respect the Police
- Common Driving Signs
- FAQ's & Tips
After spending countless hours speaking to locals, expats, travelers, and business owners and scouring Facebook groups, I started compiling all the information on my website blog, other guides I’ve published and what you’ll find here. My husband, Angel Rodriguez, has lived in Mérida since 1993. He’s an exceptional resource to obtain and verify information; chatting with other locals and other expats and learning all he can about the magical city we live in. As a waiter at La Tratto in Santa Lucia Park for many years, he had the great opportunity to receive feedback from a variety of people. When I wasn’t sure about something, Angel would take the driver’s seat to research more thoroughly. His wisdom, dedication, and persistence is much appreciated. If you know him or have the chance to get to know him, you’ll quickly understand what I’m talking about. His contribution and participation in this project is evident in the information you’ll find here.
Enjoy!
Amy Jones & Angel Rodriguez - Mérida Ambassadors
a trusted resource for visitors & residents of the beautiful city of Mérida Mexico
Website: www.LifeInMerida.com
Email: amy@lifeinmerida.com
U.S. Phone: +1 901.257.9209
Mexico Phone: +52 999.192.6197