Driving to Cozumel

[roadman65]

I noticed on google maps that the googlecar has made it there and captured many of the islands road system.  I tried all the website trip planners and they seem to not calculate distance from anywhere to Cozumel as it is impossible.  I know there is no bridge to the island from the Mexican Mainland, but in other cases where towns are located on an island only accessible by ferry the directions lead you to the ferry and from the ferry at the other end etc.

Is this an error of some sort?  I know there is one only ferry that transports cars and the fact that the google car was there proves it.  It even has a webpage stating the price in pescos and it is an hour trip across.  For what the price is, it would be cheaper and easier to rent a car once on the island.  You can also take a passenger ferry for less time and money, or fly in.  Nonetheless, it looks like I found a flaw in driving directions on google and all the other map sites.

[kphoger]

Upon doing a cursory search on Google Maps, it appears that their directions will route you along a ferry line only if that ferry line is labeled on Google Maps (by a blue dashed line).  The ferry to Cozumel is not labeled on Google Maps, therefore it will not direct you to use it.  I think the error you found, then, is a missing ferry line.

[1995hoo]

The ferry relocated a few years ago–it used to run from Puerto Morelos but the new one goes from somewhere south of Playa del Carmen. So perhaps they haven't updated the map data to include the new route.

The old car ferry took over two hours. The new one isn't quite as slow, but there's really no reason for anyone who doesn't live on the island and is not a deliveryman to take the car ferry unless you're going there long-term.

[Brandon]

The ferry relocated a few years ago–it used to run from Puerto Morelos but the new one goes from somewhere south of Playa del Carmen. So perhaps they haven't updated the map data to include the new route.

The old car ferry took over two hours. The new one isn't quite as slow, but there's really no reason for anyone who doesn't live on the island and is not a deliveryman to take the car ferry unless you're going there long-term.

When I've been there, I've seen many plates from other Mexican states, so I think a lot more people use the car ferry for short-term visits.

[realjd]

I'd love to make that drive from the US, although I'd be hesitant to drive through the areas bordering Texas which is where I'd cross. There are plenty of nice parts of Mexico; my understanding is that those aren't them.

[agentsteel53]

I'd love to make that drive from the US, although I'd be hesitant to drive through the areas bordering Texas which is where I'd cross. There are plenty of nice parts of Mexico; my understanding is that those aren't them.

I've heard that Presidio/Ojinaga (US-67/MX-16) ain't bad.  but yes, keep an eye on the State Department website, which will tell you fairly consistently that Juarez is bad, Reynoso and Matamoros occasionally so.  But there are lots of other crossings in Texas.  I'd recommend a rural one.

that said, I've never crossed from Texas to Mexico.  Furthest east I've ever been in Mexico is Palomas, opposite of Columbus NM.  that was a quiet little town.

[kphoger]

I would recommend staying on the U.S. side, and just take a normal trip the rest of the way.  Most violence occurs at night, nearly all of it is targeted (and not toward tourists), and very few places have worse numbers than ghetto towns in the U.S.  I always cross in rural Texas at the Colombia crossing, but I have friends who cross at Laredo in the middle of the night and never have problems.