Why the cooler months, and where to start
The northern desert is a high plateau, not a beach. Most towns on this loop sit between 1,800 and 2,500 metres, so November to March brings clear skies, cold nights near freezing and daytime highs around 18 to 24 degrees Celsius. That is walking weather. Rain concentrates from June to September, and May afternoons regularly pass 30 degrees. If you fly in, Mexico City is the practical gateway: pick up a car at Benito Juárez and take Federal Highway 57 north, or connect by air to Durango or Zacatecas and rent locally.
Book the first two nights in Mexico City even if the desert is the goal. Roma Norte and Condesa give you a base near Chapultepec and good rental offices, and demand there is the strongest on the whole corridor, so availability tightens on weekends and around public holidays. Rates for mid-range city hotels commonly run 1,500 to 2,800 pesos a night; in the desert towns you will usually pay less for more space. Reserve the car before you fly, and confirm it allows the toll roads.
Zacatecas, Durango and the road between
From Mexico City, Highway 57 to Zacatecas is about 630 kilometres, roughly seven hours with a stop in Aguascalientes. Zacatecas itself is the architectural highlight of the north: the pink-stone cathedral, the Bufa hill reached by cable car, and the Mina El Edén mine tour. Stay in the historic centre within walking distance of the cathedral rather than out by the ring road; the cobbled streets are steep, and parking is limited, so pick a hotel advertising its own garage. Two nights is right. Budget a half day for the drive out to the Guadalupe monastery, six kilometres east.
West of Zacatecas, Highway 45 runs to Durango, about 300 kilometres and four hours, crossing dry scrub and low passes. Durango's centre is compact, with the Plaza de Armas and the baroque cathedral, and the state's scorpion-and-mezcal reputation is genuine. Use it as a staging point rather than a long stay: one full day, perhaps two. The road east from Durango toward Torreón is long and lightly serviced, so fill the tank in Durango city and carry water. Avoid driving this stretch after dark; stray livestock on the shoulder is the real hazard.
San Luis Potosí and the Huasteca edge
East from Zacatecas, Highway 49 reaches San Luis Potosí in about two and a half hours. The colonial centre is a UNESCO-listed ensemble of plazas, and the city makes a comfortable three-night base. From there, the Sierra de Álvarez and the edge of the Huasteca Potosina are a two-hour drive east, with the spring-fed pools at Tamasopo and the waterfalls near Ciudad Valles. Be honest about ambition: the Huasteca deserves its own trip. A day-trip version means long hours in the car for a short swim, and the mountain roads are slow.
If you want canyons without the Huasteca crowds, head north from San Luis Potosí toward Real de Catorce, roughly four hours via Matehuala. The last stretch is a cobbled road through a tunnel, and the town sits above 2,700 metres, so nights are genuinely cold in January. Rooms are simple and cost well under city rates. I would book two nights there and one in Matehuala rather than pushing back the same day. Return the car in San Luis Potosí or Mexico City; one-way fees are usually high, so a loop is cheaper.
Coahuila oases and what to skip
North of San Luis Potosí, Highway 57 continues to Saltillo, about five hours, then west to Parras de la Fuente, roughly an hour and a half more. Parras is the oasis worth the detour: a valley of walnut groves and the oldest winery in the Americas, with cool evenings and clear stars. Stay in the town centre, where guesthouses outnumber chain hotels. Saltillo itself is a working city with a fine cathedral and good museums, useful for a single overnight, not more. From Parras, return south or continue to Monterrey for flights.
Skip the temptation to add Copper Canyon to this loop. Creel and the Divisadero rim are a separate trip from Chihuahua or Los Mochis, with their own train schedules, and bolting them on means two ten-hour drives. Also skip the desert hot springs in July and August; they are pleasant only in the shoulder months. For this plan, book November or early December, or February into March, and reserve Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí first, since they fill fastest. The rest can wait until a week out.