Message Board

Melissa on April 10, 2009

My (Panamanian) fiance and I are planning to drive his Honda CRV from Panama to the States next June-ish, and are wondering about costs from Panama-United States (and not the other way around, if they are different). If someone could e-mail me at melissa_m@me.com regarding costs, measures we need to take, and whether or not we'll get jumped in El Salvador/Guatemala, I would appreciate it (he is hesitant to stop in both countries).

Thanks!

ariteo on April 4, 2009

Hello there, We are a family who is driving from Canada to Uruguay and are looking for someone who would like to share a shipping container in order to ship thier vehicle frpm Central America to South America (panama to Cartagena, Colombia) by the end of April, 2009. Please email us at ariteo@hotmail.com if you are interested! thanks, A + G

Dovi & Zee on February 23, 2009

Hi! :)
To Juampa: Motorhome will work fine for your trip. However you should be careful about a couple things: if you plan to ship motor-home across the Darien gap to North/Central America it may be too big to fit inside a container. Check dimensions first. If it does not fit inside the container, your only option would be RoRo service (there is info about it in the message archive). You will be fine on all major roads, but you will have difficulty accessing destinations that are further from the beaten path, for example traversing Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Simply get the latest maps, talk to locals and you will be fine. We would not recommend leaving the vehicle unattended anywhere in Central America. As for sleeping by the road, we would probably do it in Argentina and Chile only. In all other countries we would look for motels, hotels or campings that have gated parking.

To Eric: Thanx for the kind comments :) We did not feel threatened in any of the countries. Neither in terms of being robbed nor kidnapped. We had our backpacks cut up while riding a public bus in Quito: pickpockets were "checking" for valuables. Also we nearly escaped an assault with a knife in Quito as well: however it was our fault because we walked in a notoriously unsafe neighborhood at night. However this may happen in any country around the world. You basically have to be very aware of how you look, where you go and try to prevent the problems. Each time an "incident" happened to us it was because we relaxed too much and did not take enough care.

Juampa on February 10, 2009

Hello. Great Site. Congratulations!!!
I live in Argentina, and I’m planning to travel through the Panamericana with my wife and our two daughters of 4 and 2 years old.
And we are thinking on traveling with a Motorhome vehicle.
Do you think this vehicle is appropriate for the roads? Do you think it is safe to sleep by the road?
Many thanks in advance for any comments, and please let me know if you need anything in Argentina.
My email:
juanpablobradley@yahoo.com.ar

Buen Viaje!!!!

Eric on February 4, 2009

What a great site! I'm about to retire from active duty military life in about four years and I'm looking forward to traveling the Pan-American route (and then some) before I reacquaint myself with the so called real world. I'll seeking out answers to questions as they pop in my mind, but so far I have none, as your site provides great info. I especially like the trip statistics and the road information.

These days the U.S. Department of State is warning about express kidnappings, and it seems that this has created a sense of paranoia about South and Central America. Aside from the two break-ins to your car, did you ever experience any danger?

I anticipate traveling alone and I don't see myself falling in the "worth-kidnapping" demographic, but it's still very interesting to get the first hand experience to counterbalance the hype.

Again, thanks for the great public service your site provides. Are you back in Vilnius, or still in Argentina?

Regards,
Eric

P.S. you can check out my travel blog on myspace.com/lostineurope72

JEINNER ROBLES on January 5, 2009

LET’S C O N V O Y TO COSTA RICA

My family and I are looking for a few brave souls to CONVOY with us late July 2009.

So far we have 2 other vehicles coming with us.

If you are interested please email me at jeinner@gmail.com . SUBJECT LINE: CONVOY TO COSTA RICA

Thank you,
Jeinner Robles
Phoenix, Arizona

Z&D on December 8, 2008

To Dean:
Nicaragua and Salvador seamed to very quite safe and relaxed, unlike Guatemala. In most cases we stayed in placed recommended by Lonely Panet. The book indicates hotels/motels that have secure parking areas. Nicaragua (especially the capital) was a bit difficult to navigate due to the lack of road signs. Make sure you purchase road maps before leaving home. If you want more control over the situation, you may get a GPS as well, but we have not found a model that includes city maps. However main roads are shown and it gives you a better sense of direction.

Also take a look at this link: http://www.go-panamerican.com/road-tips.php

Many travelers have great experiences in Guatemala, but we did not feel too welcome there. There are too many armed people on the streets and too many robery reports (or at least there were in 2005). Also we heard mixed reports from other travelers that we met: some traveled safe and sound for months there and some got robbed on their first days in the country. Maybe it would be wise to leave your car locked up in some reliable hotel parking and explore the country using public transportation, dressed up as if you were a very poor backpacker, without flashing your foreign license plates... :))) Just an idea :)

Z&D on December 8, 2008

To: Gary
Re: Cats & dogs
See our post in the go-panamerican message board dated "August 16, 2007"

Gary on December 6, 2008

Penny,
Contact William at: wrbflboy@yahoo he may be able to help you find storage for your motorcycles in Panama.

Gary on November 29, 2008

I will be driving from Brownsburg, TX to retire in Panama March/April 2009. Any problems bringing my black lab dog? I will have papers with her current shots. Thanks!
Please contact at: ice@sccoast.net with any information about the trip you would like to share. Gary