Is it possible to drive from Mexico to Colombia?

Question

How dangerous is it?Any idea how much buying and sustaining a van would be.

Answer 1

Unfortunately it is not possible to drive the entire distance from Mexico City to Bogota.   from where it follows Colombia Highway 52 to Medellín. Only some 240 miles (400 km) in the Panama-Colombia border area remain uncompleted.

From Mexico City to Panama City though is around 2250 miles (3600km).

Answer 2

You can drive all the way into Panama without much trouble if you are prudent and have a dependable vehicle.  But there is an area near the border of Panama and Colombia called the Darien Gap where there is no road.  A few Land Rovers  and Jeeps have made the fifty some mile crossing, but it would be impossible for a regular van.

Answer 3

You cannot drive through Panama as there is no road through the darien gap.  It used to be possible to get through with a four wheel drive but now it is really not safe, the area is controlled by guerillas.  You can however get your car sent by cargo boat from Colon in Panama to Cartegena in Colombia and continue the trip from there, but cargo boats are few and far between and it costs about $1000 to ship a car.

Once you're in South America it is a logistical nightmare to cross borders etc with your own van.  Realistically it is much easier and overall cheaper to get the bus.

Answer 4

sure why not

Answer 5

The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads nearly 48,000 kilometers (29,800 miles) in total length. Except for an 87 kilometer (54 mi) rain forest gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "drivable road".

The Pan-American Highway system is mostly complete and extends from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in North America to the lower reaches of South America. Several highway termini are claimed to exist, including the cities of Puerto Montt and Quellón in Chile and Ushuaia in Argentina. No comprehensive route is officially defined in Canada and the United States, though several highways there are called "Pan-American". The notable stretch that keeps the highway from being completely connected is a section of land between the Panama Canal in Panama and the Colombian border called the Darién Gap, which is an 87 km (54 mile) stretch of rainforest. The gap has been crossed by adventurers on bicycle, motorbike, all-terrain vehicle, and foot, dealing with jungle, swamp, insects, and other hazards.

So it would be possible to drive from the NYC all the way to Patagonia, including driving over the Panama Canal, except for the Darien Gap.

If you get yourself a good 4x4, preferable diesel, it could be done...even over the Darien Gap.  It's been done by other adventurers.  The cost of fuel is getting kind of prohibitive.  It would be a costly trip.