We are flying out of El Paso next summer following an Arizona/New Mexico vacation. My husband wonders about getting to El Paso a little early so we could cross into Mexico "just to do it". He thinks that our boys would think it was fun to say they had done it, but I wonder about crime and the mechanics of it if the terror alert is high. He thought that there might be trolley-type tours you can do. I would just as soon wait until they are old enough for the Yucatan, but thought I would get your thoughts.

There will be some delays at the border crossing. Apparently you won't have a car. I don't know how early "a little early" is, but you'd better allow half a day at a minimum. Arriving in El Paso around noon, crossing into Mexico, then returning to El Paso to spend the night and departing the next day, would be more advisable and is probably the best way to get a sense of the shops as well as some of the tawdry night life. Good luck.

If you do decide to go into Mexico, DEFINITELY walk over or take a cab or a bus. Do NOT take your rental car (or your own car). We made this mistake thinking, "What could happen? We're only driving in a couple of blocks!" Well, once someone ran a stop sign and hit our vehicle, then convinced the Mexican police that it was our fault, we had a choice between having our car impounded and "going down to the station" or paying the guy $300 and the cop $80. It's just not worth the risk.

That said, the experience could be neat for your boys. The shops are interesting and it's fun to say you've been in another country. Just be really careful!

Thanks for the input. I hadn't gotten as far as how we would get there, but I now know it won't be in the rental car. Is walking feasible? Would there be any sort of bus tours? Do you have to worry about safety if you are on your own?

I'm not sure how old your boys are but personally we have always taken our daughter with us. I think it has made a wonderful person out of her to see the world from the best hotels to huts in the bush in Zimbabwe to border towns like El Paso. Safety needs to always be considered but for myself I have never allowed the fear of crime to hinder my exploring this wonderful world we live in.

Some people prefer the luxury of resorts, and try not to think about the rest of the world but as for our family we enjoy both.

Lily

When I was in college I went with a group of girls across the border at El Paso for a few hours one evening. In those 2-3 hours we witnessed multiple people snorting coke, a terrible car accident, and someone pulling a gun. Be VERY careful. During the daytime there are little little kids panhandling or trying to sell you gum on the street. It is eye-opening, and an image your kids would probably never forget--make sure they're prepared.

I agree with not driving--recently I went with some friends to buy a lamp and we got lost on the dirt roads coming back--scary.

There is a place to park close to the border, walking over is most likely your only choice. Very few rental companies allow you to take their cars into Mexico. Walking should not be a big deal lots of people do it. As with any questionable area, put your money credit cards in your front pockets.

Try to have fun!
Lily

I agree that you need to make the trip over the border. Just be prepared for the shocking poverty. It can be turned into a lesson for your boys of how fortunate they are since your family has the legal and monetary means to travel. My El Paso friend told me that many El Paso teens cross the border on weekends to easily drink/drug, so if your boys are teens, I wouldn't want to let them wander off by themselves... If I were to go now with my family, I would carry all of our passports (I do wherever we travel) in a pickpocket proof area, just in case something were to happen.

Ciudad Juarez (across the border from El Paso) is second only to Tijuana as the ugliest, dirtiest, most dangerous place in Mexico. I would not go there unless I had a compelling reason to do it. It will give you a very wrong impression about Mexico.

Thanks, everyone, for your advice.

Hi, I agree that its a great idea to take your kids to Mexico to experience the way the lovely, humble, generous and mostly poor, Mexican people live.

That said, the border towns are not that place. Border towns (exeptions please forgive me) are in brief the outlying gutters of Mexico and do not represent the country at all. Why give your children and yourself a false first impression of such a wonderful place?

Just so you know about problems on the border ;

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...tas.6e38d.html