Is it safe for single woman to drive to Mexico?

I've reduced your road signs to a more manageable size also eliminating the ones I have never seen in many years of driving in Mexico.

ALTO Stop
AREA DE DESCANSO Rest Area
CARRIL IZQUIERDO SOLO PARA REBASAR Left lane Only for Passing
CASETA DE COBRO Toll Booth
PEATONES Pedestrians, usually a yellow triangle
DISMINUYA SU VELOCIDAD Reduce Your Speed
CON NiEBLA ENCIENDA SUS LUCES In Fog Turn on Lights
CONCEDA CAMBIO DE LUCES Dim Your Lights Approaching Traffic
CONSERVE LIMPIO Keep Clean Any name ???
CONSERVE SU DISTANCIA Keep Your Distance
CONSERVE SU DERECHA Keep to Your Right
CRUCE DE ESCOLARES School Crossing

CRUCE DE PEATONES Pedestrian Crossing
CUANDO TOME NO MANEJE When You Drink Don’t Drive
CURVA PELIGROSO Dangerous Curve
DESPACIO Slow
DEPOSITO DE BASURA Deposit Trash
DESVIACION A 500 MTS Detour in 500 Meters

DISMINUYA SU VELOCIDAD Slow Down
DISMINUYA SU VELOCIDAD Reduce Your Speed
CASETA DE COBRO A 1Km Toll booth in 1 km
EL CINTURON DE SEGURIDAD OBLIGATORIO Seatbelts Are Mandatory
ENTRADA Entrance
ENTRADA Y SALIDA DE CAMIONES Trucks Entering and Exiting
ENTRONQUE PROXIMO Intersection Near
ENTRONQUE PELIGROSO Dangerous Intersection
ESTA CARRETERA NO ES DE ALTA VELOCIDAD This is Not a High Speed Road
ESTACIONAMIENTO SOLO PARA EMERGENCIAS Emergency Parking Only
ESTE CAMINO NO ES DE ALTA VELOCIDAD Not a High-Speed Road
EVITE ACCIDENTES Avoid Accidents
FELIZ VIAJE Have a Good Trip
GRAVA SUELTA Loose Gravel
GUARDE SU DISTANCIA Keep Your Distance
HOMBRES TRABAJANDO Men at Work
LUCES Lights
MANEJE CON PRECAUCION Drive with Caution
MANEJE CON PRECAUCION SU FAMILIA LE ESPERA Drive with Caution Your Family Waits For You
NO CIRCULAR POR EL ACOTAMIENTO No Driving On the Shoulders
NO ENTRADA No Entry
NO DEJE PIEDRAS EL ACOTAMIENTO Do not leave rocks on the highway
(This goes back to olden times when Mexicans had car troubles and put piles of rocks on the road, sometimes they lit fires too)
NO ESTACIONARSE EN ACOTAMIENTO No Parking On Shoulders
NO MALTRATE LAS SENALES Don’t Disregard the Signs
NO MANEJE CANSADO Don’t Drive Tired
NO REBASE CON RAYA CONTINUA No Passing on a Continuous Line
NO REBASE No Passing
NO TIRE BASURA Don’t Throw Trash
OBEDEZCA LAS SENALES Obey the Signs

PARA VUELTA IZQUIERDA ESPERE SU LUZ Turing Left on Light
PARADERO Bus Stop
PLAZA DE COBRO Toll Both
POBLADO PROXIMO Town Near
PELIGROSO Dangerous
PRECUACION CRUCE DE PEATONES Caution Pedestrian Crossing
PRECAUCION ZONA ESCOLAR Caution School Zone
PRECAUCION ZONA DE TOLVANERAS Precaution Wind Devils Zone
PRINCIPIA TRAMO EN REPARACION Main Highway Under Repair
PRINCIPIA ZONA DE RUMBES Begin Rockslide Area
PROHIBIDO ESTACIONARSE No Parking
PROHIBIDO TIRAR BASURA Throwing Thrash Prohibited
PUENTE ANGOSTO Narrow Bridge
RADAR EN OPERACION Radar in Operation
REDUCCION DE ACOTAMIENTO Reduction of Shoulders
REDUCCION A DOS CARRILES Reduction to Two Lanes
REDUCTOR DE VELOCIDAD Speed Bumps
RESPETE LIMITE DE VELOCIDAD Obey the Speed Limit
RETURNO A 2KM CARRIL IZQUIERDO U-Turn In 2km Left Lane
SALIDA Exit
RAMPA DE SEGURIDAD VEHULOS SIN FRENOS Ramp for Vehicles without Brakes
SEMAFORO EN OPERACION Stop Light In Operation
SE USARA GRUA Tow-Away Zone
SI TOMA, NO MANEJE Don’t Drink and Drive
TERMINA ZONA DE DERRUMBES End Rockslide Area
TOPES Speed Bumps
TRAMO EN REPARACION Road Repairs
TRANSITO LENTO CARRIL DERECHO Slow Traffic Keep Right
UN SOLO CARRIL Single Lane
ZONA URBANA Urban Zone Slow Dow

I'm sure your info is good rgm, but don't pretend driving around Mexico is safe and easy for someone who speaks no Spanish at all. What if OP gets lost? She could be putting herself in serious danger of ending up in the wrong neighborhood. Or if she has an accident, good luck not getting completely taken advantage of once they see she doesn't speak a word of Spanish. What if her car breaks down in a place you really don't want to be a single female. So stop pretending it's all nice and good. Mexico is not a safe country, and yes I've been there.

It isn't nice and good and it was a few years before I drove around by myself. I suggest she fly down on a short trip to see what she is getting into before she attempts this. I never suggested she leave her dog for six months. Driving in an unknown area is never a walk in the park and if you dont speak the language worse. There are places that you just dont drive period and you have to know them.

I'm sure your info is good rgm, but don't pretend driving around Mexico is safe and easy for someone who speaks no Spanish at all. What if OP gets lost? She could be putting herself in serious danger of ending up in the wrong neighborhood. Or if she has an accident, good luck not getting completely taken advantage of once they see she doesn't speak a word of Spanish. What if her car breaks down in a place you really don't want to be a single female. So stop pretending it's all nice and good. Mexico is not a safe country, and yes I've been there.
How long? 2 weeks?

A lot of "IF's' and "when's"

Let me say that since 2001 I have spent close to 7 years in Mexico all time totaled up and have extensive driving experience. By no means would I call myself a fluent Spanish speaker, but I can get by NOW.

ACCIDENT? That's why I suggested San Xavier insurance. you call the 800 number and an ENGLISH speaking agent is sent out to take care of the situation.

"Getting lost"?. Before setting out get a Garmin GPS (maybe $ 150.00) with the complete North America map which includes detailed streets for even some of the smallest towns within Mexico.

Also as I said in most cases I use the CUOTAS (Toll roads) which are covered frequently by "Los angelos verde", The green angels. They are English speaking and are there to assist motorists including gas.ll. Additionally by virtue of paying the toll there is a limited insurance that covers you on the toll roads. Something on the toll road cuts your tire by fault of the toll road operator that is covered. Something falls off a bridge, that's covered..

My very first drive into Mexico I barely knew how to say "? Donde esta el banjo?" and "gracias". I used hand gestures to have my tank filled!

TALKING about getting the tank filled. For the OP, when you pull up to a pump, THERE ARE NO self serve pumps in Mexico. Get OUT of your car and check that the pump is reset to ZERO!!! When you see the amount shown when full make a show of giving the money as close to the actual amount.If 650 pesos give 700 and get your change of 50 pesos. It happened often in the past, though not as often now where the attendant pretended you gave them 100 pesos whereas in reality you gave the attendant 500 pesos. At most PEMEX stations (The ONLY filling stations) it is CASH only though in certain areas credit cards are accepted.
On the Toll roads pay with the largest peso notes, they have change, at the toll booth I have not heard of cheating going on.

I'll reiterate, don't let the nay Sayers spook you.

BTW: I do know a number of single women who have driven to and within Mexico with absolutely no problems !

Buena suerta y buen viaje (Good luck and a good trip)

At most PEMEX stations (The ONLY filling stations)...

I've seen a few old PEMEX stations which have been converted to private brands (but forget the names). Competition is finally re arriving in Mexico (no idea if the service is any different).

RGM ~ THANK YOU so much for the reduced list! I was planning on trying to do that but then realized that I may take some out that show up a lot!

I have done quite a bit of research but haven't figured out my exact route yet mainly because I am unsure exactly where I will be coming in. I would like to sidetrack over to Nevada but haven't decided as of yet. The green angels were honestly what made me feel it was safe to drive because that is a fear. I can change my oil and change a flat but that is about where my car fixing skills end. Thank you about the San Xavier insurance. I feel like having someone speak english to me when I call is worth it's weight in gold.

The only place I will disagree is with the Garmin. I used to love my Garmin until we used it to move across Canada. It kept giving us routes that had roads that had been closed down for years and it was newly updated before we left. I stick to Google maps now as it hasn't let me down (knock on everything)

The same gf who spooked me enough to ask this question introduced me to someone yesterday who has driven down quite a few times. She is ummm....a party girl in every sense of the word. If she has never had an issue I doubt very much that my potato looking, married too long, frumpy self will run into too many issues. I am pretty anal about having a planned route and sticking to it when I go somewhere so I will have much less chance of getting sidetracked and getting lost. I also have not been "alone" since I was 15 and will not do anything to jeopardize the awesome freedom I am about to experience.

I stick to Google maps now as it hasn't let me down

I have been using Google Maps for my Mexican travels (by public transport, and walking) for years now, and find it very helpful.

Thank you mclarjh! I think what I love most about it is that even if there are no street numbers posted I can see a photo of what the place looks like. It is off by a house or 2 sometimes but that is rare

It is only in LARGER Mexican cities where they have meaningful house numbers. In my small town on the same street where it starts with # 25 then 2 doors down is 88, next block 333, there is no rhyme nor reason to it.

I've been using Garmins since 2002 and have no problems, having said that there are times where I had to override the suggested route. I spent 3 weeks in Europe and took my older NUVI 850 and used it as a handheld device. (I had Europe maps installed on a SD card)
BTW: I have also driven from one end of Canada to the other with my Garmin. In fact on PEI the performance of how the Garmin redirected us, so impressed my friend who had no use for a GPS, it made him run out and buy a Garmin.

Additionally I have the same map Garmin North America 2018.2 in both GPS's I own as well as on my computer. I can lay out a route on my laptop and transfer it to the GPS.

Remember GOOGLE maps require CELL PHONE coverage and use up the allotted usage space. You should hear people with TomToms complain. I am a member of an online GPS club.

My Garmin map on my laptop suggests this route from Edmonton to near the airport in Puerto Vallarta:

Downtown Edmonton use Hwy 2 and then Hwy 4 from Lethbridge to Coutts on the USA border.
From thereon I-15 S to Great Falls, Montana
Then staying on I-15 S to Idaho Falls
Staying on I-15 S to Salt Lake City
On I-15 S to Las Vegas
From Las Vegas south on Hwy - 93 to Kingman
From Kingman on I-40 E to Flagstaff
Flagstaff south on I-17 S to Phoenix
From Phoenix south on I-10 S to Tuscon
Tuscon south to Nogales on I-10 S

I also suggest to stay overnight on the USA side of Nogales. Only motel I know is a Motel-6.
Actually San Xavier Insurance has an office in Nogales.
DO NOT USE the downtown border crossing in Nogales. USE THE TRUCK crossing !!!!!!!
In about 15 Km you will get to the place where you get all your documents to enter Mexico with your car.

From there just follow Mex -15 and Mex-15D to Puerto Vallarta, via Santa Ana, Hermosillo, Empalme, Ciudad Obregon, Mazatlan, Navojoa, El Rosario, BY-PASS TEPIC !!!!! then Puerto Vallarta.

From Nogales you should be able for an overnight stop make Mazatlan but if you can make Navajoa there is a Best Western as you drive in to the small town. Your next stop should be Roasario, there is a clean motel where the dog is no problem I heard.
A Mexican highway with a " D " behind the number means it's a toll road.
You'll probably need about 1,400 pesos for tolls and maybe a similar amount for gas. Regular gas will be about 16 peso per liter, premium or Diesel 2 more pesos.
For overnight stops in Mexico I stay in No-Tell-Motels. Very clean, secure with a garage you park in and a garage door which shuts behind you. Not like a hotel, NO-IN-OUT possibility. Usually less than 500 peso per night, huge King size bed. But you need to tell them you're staying for the whole night by saying "** La noche entero por favor**" !!!!! If you DO NOT tell them they may/will tell you to leave after 6 hours !!! If you have a small QUIET dog you may be able to sneak it in CASH ONLY !!!

YOU SHOULD also have a debit card to withdraw pesos from an ATM (BUT ONLY AT A BANK). Always withdraw the maximum amount, usually 6,000 pesos. There is a service charge and it's the same for 100 pesos or 6,000 pesos. Maybe your own bank has a charge too and the same applies.

I suggest you have at least 5,000 pesos before you enter Mexico.

The same gf who spooked me enough to ask this question introduced me to someone yesterday who has driven down quite a few times. She is ummm....a party girl in every sense of the word. If she has never had an issue I doubt very much that my potato looking, married too long, frumpy self will run into too many issues.

Your girlfriend was looking out for your best interest...so are the posters here on this forum who have warned you. Is it more dangerous to drive in Mexico than Canada? Everything I've read tells me that yes, it is. I don't know what the chances would be, of you having no problems driving your own vehicle for a six-month trip to Mexico. I think the majority of foreigners who drive their own vehicles in Mexico do so without serious problems. Still, I believe there is an increased risk in Mexico.

From what I've read, the Guia Roji Atlas is a recommended road and city street atlas for people driving in Mexico...found online for purchase at a number of places.