Safe Mexican Border Towns to visit? (Brownsville, Weslaco: how much, shoppers, food)

[Lakewooder]

" this year alone more than 500 people have been killed in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. The city is home to the powerful Juarez drug cartel and has been among the hardest-hit cities in an explosion of violence across Mexico."

I've had good times in Juarez but this is worrisome.

[hellpaso]

when i lived in el paso, we used to go to juarez all the time--for lunch, shopping, etc. half our family lived there. it was a little dicey back then (10-15 years ago)--hello--serial killers, but there is noooo waaaaay i would advise anyone to go there now. not worth it!!! what a shame!!! sad when the mercado burned.

[arbucle]

I can say that going to Cancun ,Cozumel which I have been to maybe 10 times each I have never had any problems.I would advise staying in an upper level hotel.I rent a car each time and can always count on being pulled over by crooked mexican cops and forking over 20 bucks in broken Spanish and get an adios from the cop.You will be pulled over for doing nothing wrong ,they just want money, its one of the highest paid jobs in Mexico.I was in Big ben state park last summer and scooted accross the border there for a day and had no problems.I dont like the idea of being there at night anymore.The state park is the one of the best places in the USA in september or october no other place in Texas like it.Roam around and catch snakes ,scorpions and check out all the wildlife.

[catman]

Cancun and Cozumel aren't exactly border towns. Well, I take that back; they do border the Gulf of Mexico. Sure, they're safe, but they are an entirely different deal from towns that border the Rio Grande.

[arbucle]

The original poster asked again if it was safe to go to cancun and I gave a reply to that question.The last time I went to Nuevo Laredo was boys town with 20 guys and that was 25 years ago had a grat time Is it still there?Like I said I went accross the border near Big Bend last summer and had lunch with my wife and kids and had no problems.My thoughts are dont stay around at night and you should be ok.I live in Houston and half the city is a no go zone at night.The same scumbags now live here, just like they do there, and they all are not mexicans.

[antgar]

If you go in a daylight only to lunch or buy some crafts any border city is Ok..Any way, both sides border cities in US or Mexico have so little to offer... I recommend go more south of the border for a really charming cities like monterrey, saltillo, monclova, 4cienegas, bustamante, etc.

Regards!

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by arbucle

I can say that going to Cancun ,Cozumel which I have been to maybe 10 times each I have never had any problems.I would advise staying in an upper level hotel.I rent a car each time and can always count on being pulled over by crooked Mexican cops and forking over 20 bucks in broken Spanish and get an adios from the cop.You will be pulled over for doing nothing wrong ,they just want money, its one of the highest paid jobs in Mexico.I was in Big Ben state park last summer and scooted across the border there for a day and had no problems.I don't like the idea of being there at night anymore.The state park is the one of the best places in the USA in September or October no other place in Texas like it.Roam around and catch snakes ,scorpions and check out all the wildlife.

BOARDER.. BOARDER.. what about the word did you not understand? And Why do you feel a need to scream at everyone? Caps lock and/or Bold Letters should be a punishable offense. I fixed it for you this time..

[case44]

Despite what we've been hearing about in Ciudad Juarez, I believe that El Paso is still a reasonably safe place for people to visit. I would not cross the border to Juarez these days, and I'd rather stay in EP.

[jtur88]

When driving down, I always cross at a place like Rio Grande City/Camrgo or Roma/Miguel Aleman. No lines at the border, and the Mexican towns on the other side and nice and easy to get through, and they look safe. I prefer Camargo, because it is so easy to drive through, with no complicated turns and a decent road right to Gral. Bravo, but Camargo is about 5 mies from the river. Just for the day, it's better from Roma to Miguel Aleman, because on the Mexico side, you are right in the center of the town. You can probably leave your car in on the US side and just walk across to downtown MA. Nuevo Progreso is like being in a Mexican Branson, with more fat old gringo shoppers than Mexicans on the other side. Although its only about 10 miles from Donna.

[Big G]

When I was in Big Bend a few years back, we went to Ojinaga for the day with our then 7-year-old son. We had an enjoyable time and did not feel unsafe at all. In fact, Ojinaga seemed to be a much more prosperous and happening place than the broken-down US town of Presidio across the river.