Route One: Mexico City to the Bajío and Back
From Mexico City, leave on the Mexico-Querétaro toll road (México 57D) rather than the free highway. The toll stretch runs about two hours to San Juan del Río and roughly two and a half to Querétaro, and the difference in fatigue is real when children are aboard. Gas stations with clean bathrooms cluster around Tepotzotlán and Palmillas; the latter is a sensible first break, about ninety minutes out. Best months are November to March for dry roads and cooler afternoons. Avoid leaving the capital on Friday afternoons, when traffic on the Periférico northbound can add an hour before you reach Cuautitlán.
Querétaro makes a good first night because the historic centre is compact and walkable after a drive, with the aqueduct and the Jardín Zenea giving children room to run. From there, San Miguel de Allende is about an hour on México 57, while Guanajuato takes closer to two hours via Silao. I would book in Querétaro for the first night and Guanajuato for the second, keeping drives under three hours so the trip stays a holiday rather than a transfer. Hotels in both cities fill on weekends with domestic visitors, so reserving ahead matters more than choosing between them.
Route Two: Tijuana, the Coast and the Valle
Tijuana is often the arrival point rather than the destination, and the road south on México 1 to Ensenada takes about ninety minutes when the Rosarito and Puerto Nuevo stretches are clear. Leave before eight in the morning to beat the northbound border queues on the return, which can run two hours on Sunday afternoons at San Ysidro. The toll road is well maintained and cheaper than most travellers expect, but carry pesos for the booths; card payment is inconsistent. October to April is the pleasant window; July and August bring coastal fog that slows the cliffside sections near Salsipuedes.
Ensenada works as a base for two or three nights, with the malecón, the fish market and the beaches at Estero and El Faro within easy reach. From Ensenada, the Valle de Guadalupe wine route is thirty to forty minutes inland on México 3, but it is a grown-up destination; families do better to treat it as a lunch stop rather than an overnight. I would book a hotel in Ensenada rather than Rosarito, which is convenient but thinner on things to do with children beyond the beach. On the return, a stop at Puerto Nuevo for a late lunch breaks the drive neatly.
Rest Stops, Tolls and the Practical Bits
Mexican toll roads (cuotas) are generally faster and safer than the libre alternatives, and the cost is worth absorbing on family drives. Budget for tolls as a real line in the trip rather than an afterthought, and keep small notes for the booths. Fuel is widely available on both routes, but fill up before leaving the cities, since stretches between exits can run forty minutes without a station. Carry drinking water, a cooler for snacks and a roll of paper for bathroom stops, because the cleanliness of service areas varies. A children's car seat is legally required and best brought from home rather than rented.
Driving in Mexico City itself is a matter of timing and permits. The Hoy No Circula programme restricts some vehicles on certain weekdays, so check your hire car's plate and any exemption before you plan a day of city driving. In practice, many families base themselves in neighbourhoods such as Coyoacán or Roma Norte and use the metro for sightseeing, saving the car for leaving the city. I would collect the car on the morning of departure rather than at the start of the stay. In Tijuana, park once at the hotel and walk or use ride-hailing for short trips.
What I Would Book, and What to Skip
For a first family road trip, the Mexico City to Querétaro and Guanajuato loop is the easier introduction: shorter drives, better road surfaces, more hotel choice and plenty of indoor options if it rains. Book the capital for two nights, Querétaro for one and Guanajuato for two. Skip the free highways unless you have time to spare, and skip trying to add San Miguel de Allende as a day trip from Mexico City — it is too far to enjoy. For coastal driving, the Tijuana to Ensenada run suits families who want the sea without long distances.
In both regions, book hotels with parking included, confirmed in writing, because city-centre parking in Querétaro and Guanajuato is tight and paid lots near the centre add avoidable stress. Reserve the first and last nights before you travel and leave the middle flexible, since weather and children's energy will reshape any plan. Skip the temptation to chain three long driving days together. Two to three hours behind the wheel, a proper lunch stop and an afternoon arrival is the rhythm that works, and it leaves the trip memorable for the right reasons.