Don't mean to be a bother, but.......

I need to know what yall think about driving instead of flying? Airfare is pretty high right now, well at least for 3 people altogether... We would be driving from Central Mississippi, yeah I know long drive!!! I need suggestions so I can discuss it with my parents... I know it would probably be uncomrtable on the ride back My Dad was trying to see if we would save more money driving compared to flying, what do yall think??? Sorry I really don't mean to flood the board with questions it's just that now I know I have a date, it all seems real to me!!!

We have one gal from the Austin area who actually took a Greyhound bus from San Antonio to San Diego, then the bus down to Ensenada. Not my idea of a good time! The only thing you will need to be careful about is making sure that you stop every hour and a half or two hours and walk around on the way back - Too much time in one position, particularly with your legs bent (as in sitting) can cause blood clots. Also, make sure there's enough room for you to lay down and take a nap. You're not going to have too much energy the first week or two and even little things will probably wear you out pretty quickly. You might remind your dad that gas in California right now is very high. When I was there in February it was over $2.20 per gallon and has gone up since then. It's even higher in Mexico. Charlotte

I am scared out of my mind of flying, so I considered driving from Florida. After I calculated the cost of fuel, lodging for the nights we'd be on the road, a rental car or van, meals on the road... The airfare turned out to be a better bargain, better investment of time, and statistically safer than driving 2500 miles Would it be possible to leave one parent at home? Driving home I would worry about pulmonary embolisms (bloodclots).

I am flying out of atlanta,ga and It is costing $265.00 a ticket. Try flying out of houston or Dallas. That way it will not be such a long drive.

If you don't mind me asking what airline are you using?

I am going to tell you that driving in Mexico is very different. Also, you need special car insurance once you cross the border. I drive to Mexcio every year but I am from there. I really don't want to discourage you but I live in Washington State (much closer than you), I speak the language, have driven much farther into Mexcio and I have decided to fly because I want to return quickly and riding in a car just doesn't sound very comfortable. Sorry to be nagative!!!!! PS If you calculate the cost I am sure you will find flying the same of maybe even less than driving.

I don't know what your surgery date is, but I got airfare roundtrip from Tampa, FL for $280 total per person flying with American Airlines. (May 12-18) And please don't worry about asking questions. You don't know who else can benefit from the answers you receive. You might be asking a question that others haven't even thought of yet! We're all here to learn as much as we can and support eachother. Dianna

I saw your dates on your other post and looked at a few airlines... American 349.40 per person Continental 349.40 per person United 349.40 per person Southwest 380.10 per person Ted 349.40 per person I'm definitely seeing a trend I would definitely travel with only one parent and fly before I tried to ride home in a car.

Yeah they are all $340 and up that may be pocket change to some, but I had to finance the money for surgery so with having to stay in Ensenada as long as we are required it makes it hard, $300 for Bambi, 6 nights at the apartment $420, Food for My Mom or Dad it adds up quick... I'm 22 and torn between who should go with me My Mom who could help with showers and all that, or My Dad who has been to Mexico and can take care of himself, I just worry about my Mom being alone or going somewhere by herself... Thanks to all of you who posted replys and for trying to help me figure things out, yall are a GodSend...

Everyone has excellent points. I think maybe if you want to try one thing - you could drive down and fly back. You could maybe rent a car for that or something - or maybe if your parents want to drive the whole way while you fly back home it would be cheaper. But like they said - gas is expensive, and add motels and food into it - you're probably better off flying. I wanted to comment on what Canela said about driving in Mexico. I can vouch for the fact that it is very different there. I work as a police dispatcher and I have to relate an interesting (to me at least) phenomenon that I finally have an explanation for. I will preface that by saying that from what I saw, lines were suggestions only down there. Indicators are used differently and sometimes turning your left indicator on to pass a car is perceived by others as a direction to speed up and pass you. Anyway - the whole thing about staying in one's lane that is imperative in the US is merely a suggestion there. And this is why I find it interesting. We frequently receive reports of drunk drivers out on the road that aren't drunk drivers. We will get reports from numerous motorists on the road regarding the same exact car and when we finally get an officer in position to stop them, we find out they aren't drunk. Invariably the largest percentage of folks we get complaints like that about are Mexican. Our officers are familiar with the differences in driving, so they almost always are let off with a warning unless they've observed some very dangerous behavior, but the thing is - that is how they drive in Mexico. They aren't drunk but based on how we drive in the US, they look that way. I never understood why this happened all the time....I had no concept of what was normal in Mexico though. Heck, I remember in one taxi we took, the driver was at a 4 way stop and another vehicle was to our right and going straight through the intersection while we were taking a left to go right behind them. Well, that car started pulling out and our driver started pulling out at the same time! He just kept creeping out there and it felt like he was going to actually touch bumpers at times as it felt like he was pushing the other driver along! What a weird experience! I also asked Bamby what happens if you get into an auto accident. He said pretty much what happens in the US and went on to explain that if you were found at fault that you might spend a night or two in jail. JAIL? I know of only some select cir****tances in the US where you go to jail for being at fault in an accident and those all are from criminal acts. But from what Bamby was saying, if someone is seriously injured or killed, you will go to jail! That was enough to convince me that I was happy I didn't rent a car for down there! Probably sounds worse than it is, but still - I don't need to be in jail after surgery. Oh yeah - and one other thing I found shocking about the driving down there was about child carseats. I saw more than once a woman holding an infant in the front passenger seat of a car. I asked the taxi driver if it wasn't a law in Mexico. He said it was, but that it wasn't strictly enforced. I was blown away by that. Yikes! Anyway - don't want to scare you too much, but I think it's different enough that it would be worth a second thought about! Dina