San Pancho Transportation and Driving in Mexico
by Bus, Taxi, Water Taxi, Car Rentals
& Limousine / VIP Service

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Taxi...info coming soon
 

Airlines
Aeromar
Aeroton
Aeromexico
Alaska
America West
American
Delta
Canada 3000
Continental
Mexicana
Mexicana Aviacion
Sun Trips

Airport Transfers and Day Trips
Puerto Vallarta Tours
Best Days
 

Bus / Autobus

Puerto Vallarta to San Pancho via Sayulita
Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita from the airport you need to cross over the highway on the pedestrian bridge. Sayulita will be displayed on the windshield of the bus, normal schedule is every 1/2 hour. From other areas in PV you can catch a bus at any bus stop starting at Gigante, which is across from the Sherton Hotel.

Or Go to "Central Camionera" ( bus station). All the buses will read the destination in the windshield. i.e. The main bus station is called the  "Central Camionera". Pronounced "Central Cam-ee-o-NAIR--ah".

You can take a bus to Sayulita and then a taxi to San Pancho, approximately 3 miles further north.

Cost : $20 pesos
Time: approx 1 hour

From Sayulita to Puerto Vallarta catch the bus at the baseball field.
 

Water Taxi ... info coming soon
 

Car Rentals
Advantage
Alamo 800-327-9633 (toll free US & Canada)
Dollar
Gecko 011-52-329-298-0339
Magno Car 01 - 800 - 5226 - 070  (within Mexico)
National (322) 209-0390 (322) 209-0352
Thrifty 800-847-4389 (toll free US & Canada)
Hertz 800-654-3131 (toll free US & Canada)

Golf Carts & Cars
Golf carts for sale or rent in San Pancho and Sayulita
Pacific Coast Golf Cars
email

Limousine ...info coming soon

Green Angels  Click here for a map of roads patrolled by the Green Angels

The Green Angels can be reached by dialing 01-55-5250-8221 anywhere in Mexico (hours of attention: 8am-8pm). Baja California Highways Emergency Toll Free Numbers:
• 01 800 990 3900: Tijuana – Ensenada & El Hongo – La Rumorosa Toll Roads
• 01 800 888 0911: Tijuana – Tecate Toll Road

If you don’t speak any Spanish, you can phone Infotur at 01-55-5250-8221 for assistance. They are available 24hrs and generally have English-speaking staff available.

You can dial this numbers from any conventional or cell phone; they will direct emergency assistance to you including towing services to the nearest tollgate or mechanic in the area.

To help motorists on major highways, the Mexican Tourism Ministry operates a fleet of more than 275 pickup trucks, known as the Angeles Verdes, or Green Angels. The green Angels are similar to the AAA in the U.S. The Green Angels are a government paid bilingual crew that patrol the toll roads throughout Mexico every day in green trucks, carrying tools and spare parts, looking for motorists in trouble. Every major highway in the country has at least one truck that passes by a location at least twice a day.

The Angeles Verdes will provide mechanical assistance, first aid, basic supplies, and towing. In addition They also have a communication network with different government offices and offer basic tourist information. The services they provide are FREE of charge unless your vehicle needs parts or fuel.

Even though the services are free tipping is extremely appreciated, however don’t be offended if they do not except it. If for some reason you need assistance call “060” (Mexico’s version of 911) or pull to the side of the road and lift your hood, this will signal the Green Angels that you need assistance or contact them Toll Free 24 hours seven days a week at:

If you require the help of the Green Angels, be prepared to direct them to your approximate spot, i.e. 20 kilometers south of Puerto Vallarta on highway 200 on the way to Manzanillo.

The Green Angels charge for parts, oil or gas but not service. You will be expected to pay in cash. For your safety, pack an extra fan belt, fuses and an auto first-aid kit. Also, bring a flexible funnel as some gas stations have nozzles too large to fit unleaded tanks.

The fabled "Green Angels" has befriended many an RVer over the years. The personnel are mechanically inclined and familiar with repair, tow truck and medical service throughout their patrol area. Although personnel are limited to emergency or temporary repairs (like changing a flat or fuel pump) they can radio for assistance. Because of Mexico`s massive number of trucks, a heavy-duty tow truck is never far away.

Service trucks carry spare gasoline, diesel fuel, some generic radiator and heater hoses, wire and cable etc. Car owners are required to pay for parts and material used. Service is free, but a tip is appreciated---the last flat tire I had I slipped them a hundred pesos (around nine dollars) after the job was done. A gringo mechanic makes about ten times the wage of a Green Angel, and I feel that adequately compensated personnel make for *really* eager helpers, day or night, rain or shine.

Service trucks were painted an obvious (chartreuse?) shade of green for many years. These days, newer model trucks are painted mostly white with a green stripe down the sides. Better yet the emergency lights atop the cab (called a light bar) are lensed GREEN---a real standout color on the shoulder of the road.

Despite your problem, lifting your hood on your car or RV will let them know you are  in need of assistance.

Roads and Highways

Driving in Mexico by Kathleen Crislip

1. Avoid driving at night. I can't cite the source for this statistic, but I remember reading that road fatalities are three times higher at night in Mexico than by day. There are a lot of animals, alive and dead, pedestrians and plenty of vehicles without taillights on the road at night.
There are very, very few overhead lights on most Mexican roads, meaning you can't see broken glass, potholes or topes (frequent speed bumps - sometimes signs warn of them, sometimes not). And if you break down in a remote area, you're probably stuck for the night -- in the dark dark.

2. Stick to the main roads if you're alone. As said, bandidos are few and far between, but road conditions can be very iffy off the beaten track. If you're adventurous or with a group, by all means, hit those back roads! That's where you'll see the real country -- really local cafes, kids flagging you down to sell you Chiclets (buy them) and traffic adventures: no shoulders, sharp curves and roads that gradually become little more than goat tracks.
Mexico toll roads, or cuota roads, kept in excellent condition, do exist, but are expensive. You'll speed right along but, just as happens in the US on a freeway, you'll miss some lovely country.

3. Turn signals are not what they seem. Generally, a left turn signal is an invitation for you to pass, not an indication of the driver's intention to turn left... if you don't see a road ahead to the left, then it's a signal for you to pass. I love this example of Mexico's inherently courteous people's ways.

4. If you're on a road with a shoulder with an oncoming vehicle in the other lane, and another oncoming vehicle appears in your lane, you're expected to drive on the shoulder while they pass. You can also pass cars on the right shoulder; just make it snappy. Mexico drivers use every inch of the roadbed in order to keep moving.

5. Don't drive drunk or drugged. Ever. You don't want to make friends in a sweaty jail cell.

6. Do not offer to bribe a policeman if pulled over. If you're pulled over and think you're being asked for a bribe, ask to be taken to the jefe (chief) - if the officer just wants money from you, he will probably back off at that request. If you do try to bribe a cop, keep in mind that many Mexican policeman are honest, and you may get in hot water for offering a bribe.
Pay traffic fines at the local police station.

More about driving RV's in Mexico

Directions to San Pancho

From Puerto Vallarta
Take Hwy 200 North, the drive is approximately 1 hour depending on traffic, as Hwy 200 once you pass the town of Bucerias turns into a two lane curvy mountain road and traffic is often slowed by trucks along the way. Be alert on this road, there are no shoulders in many areas and the local cars and buses drive very fast and pass on blind curves. If a shoulder is available and there is an oncoming vehicle in your lane, you will be expected to drive on the shoulder.

From Guadalajara to San Pancho
The route is visibly marked with  public road signs to Puerto Vallarta. Head west on the toll hwy towards Tequila. Continue for approximately 2 hours until the turnoff to Compestela. Continue for an hour on hwy MEX 200 down the extremely windy/curvy road to Las Varas and on ahead for approx 40 minutes to San Pancho.

 

 

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