Mexico [1] is a country in North America, lying between the United States of America to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast. Its extensive coastlines include the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Mexico has nice and warm people, unique food, art and archeology, pyramids, museums, Haciendas, 6,000 miles of shores, superb architecture and cities, weather from snow mountains in the Sierras, to rainy jungles in the Southeast and desert in the Northwest, more than 50 golf courses, excellent fishing, world top destinations like Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Patzcuaro, among others amenities. Mexico is ranked 8th major destination for foreigner visitors, according to WTO.
See also: List of Mexican states
Mexico has many touristy cities; these are some of the most traveled (in alphabetical order):
Archaeological Sites:
Varies from desertic on the north side of the country (and cities like Hermosillo, Juarez, Torreon or Los Cabos); semiarid on the Bajio region (cities like Aguascalientes, Leon and Zacatecas); temperate forest in the middle part of the country (Mexico City) and tropical rainforest in the south and southeast regions (Chiapas, Cancun).
High, rugged mountains; low coastal plains; high plateaus; desert; tropical rainforests in the south and Yucatán Peninsula.
Keep your visa documents when leaving the United States of America
No passengers trains available at this time.
American automobile insurance is not accepted in Mexico, therefore the Department of Transportation advises traveling to Mexico by air, sea, or walking where possible. Should you decide to drive to Mexico despite the advisory, the Transport and Communications Secretariat website [2] has free downloadable road maps.
There are many bus companies based in Mexico with branch offices in major U.S. cities. A ticket to a major Mexican city from the U.S. can be bought for as little as $60 roundtrip. These compaines however, do cater to mostly Hispanics or Mexican Nationals living in the U.S. and operate mostly in Spanish.
Travelling in Mexico is most practical by bus, car, or air. Passenger transport by train is almost nonexistent.
Due to a government scheme in the early 90's to create infrastructure, the best roads are toll roads. Toll roads can be relatively costly, 400-800 pesos is not uncommon on longer trips, but are much faster and better maintained. Buses generally travel by toll roads (and the toll is obviously included in the ticket price).
When travelling on Mexican roads, especially near the borders with the United States and Guatemala, one will probably encounter several checkpoints operated by the Mexican Army searching for illegal weapons and drugs. If you are coming from the United States, you may not be used to this, and it can be intimidating. However, these are rarely a problem for honest people. Simply do what the soldiers tell you to do, and treat them with respect. The best way to show respect when entering a checkpoint is to turn your music down, lift sunglasses from your face, and be prepared to roll your window down. They should treat you with respect as well, and they usually do.
The Secretariat of Communication and Transport recently set up a new mapping tool similar to those in the U.S. like Mapquest, its name is Traza Tu Ruta and is very helpful to find how to get to your destination using Mexico's roads. It is in spanish but can be used with basic knowledge of the language.
Foreign driver's licenses are recognized and recommended. Speeding tickets are common, and to ensure your presence at the hearing, the officer may choose to keep your license. He is within his rights to do so.
Domestic air travel will be via a Mexican airline or private plane, as international airlines are prohibited from operating domestic flights.
Mexicana [3] and AeroMexico are the two main carriers along with Aviacsa and Aerolineas Aztecas. Many discount airlines launched in late 2005 and the number keeps growing. Due to a lack of space at Mexico City's main airport, several of these new carriers are based in nearby Toluca, including Interjet and Volaris. Avolar mainly flies from Tijuana and Alma de Mexico from Guadalajara.
If travelling by bus, be sure to take the express buses, if available (they are called directo). Other buses often stop at many smaller stations along the way, making the trip a lot longer. If you have experience with Greyhound buses in the US, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Book direct travel within Mexico on ejecutivo buses departing in the evening. You'll be able to sleep on luxury buses with as few as 18 seats. Some even have complimentary beer. With the advent of NAFTA, some bus companies are now offering service from US cities.
On the other side if travelling within a city you won't find a pleasant surprise. You will find one of the most chaotic public transport systems full of the popular "peseros". "Peseros" are small buses with varying color codes depending on the city you are. Usually the route taken is written in a cardboard attached to the windshield. Unlike many countries you can make a stop wherever you want but it's not recommended as you put in danger your safety and the safety of the nearby drivers who can get suddenly stopped. Try to make stops at the assigned points; you will rarely find a stop button in a pesero, just shout the word "bajan" for it to stop. Fares are cheap and vary from 2 to 7 pesos aproximately.
Hitchhiking possibilities vary according to region. Mexican culture is often accepting of hitchhiking and it's a common practice among Mexican youngsters going to the beach in Easter vacations, though in some cases a money contribution is expected for gas because of its relatively high prices. You should make it clear that you have no money to offer before accepting the ride, if this is the case. Hitchhiking is considered fairly safe and easy in the Yucatan Peninsula. The region near Mexico City should be more difficult to obtain a free hitchhike, as private cars don't stop to help hitchhickers for security reasons and buses that do stop expect a fee for the ride.
Over Tenosique, La Palma, by boat on the river Rio San Pedro to Naranja (Guatemala). This route is not used by many and still has a touch of adventure. Stay firm when negotiating over the price. Absolutely important! Make sure you get your passport stamped before you leave Naranja or you might catch one of the rare buses back and take a walk through the jungle as the emigrations office is part up the river between the Mexican border and the village.
Spanish is the main language. You can get by with English in most major cities or tourist destinations, but much of the country is monolingual.
Mexican Spanish is slightly different from both the Castilian Spanish spoken in most of Spain and the Spanish spoken in South American countries. All three are mutually intelligible -- it's about the same as the differences in English spoken in various countries -- but you can expect some funny looks if you speak only Castilian. (In particular, unlike Castilian, the z and the soft c should be pronounced like an s.) Mexican Spanish is the variant most often taught in the United States of America, so if you learned Spanish there, you should be OK.
In some regions, native languages such as Mayan or Nahuatl are still widely spoken.
There are Spanish languages schools throughout Mexico. The city with the most schools is Cuernavaca, with more than 50 schools. Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato also offer a number schools to choose from. Prices vary, however, most schools are very reasonably priced. Many schools can arrange homestays with local Mexican families.
See also: Spanish phrasebook
The currency of Mexico is the peso (MXN). The symbol for pesos is the same as for US dollars, which can be slightly confusing. Prices in dollars (in tourist areas) are labeled "US$" or sport an S with a double stroke. As of October 2006 the exchange rate hovers around $11 MXN to $1 USD.
ATMs are easy to come by. Bank of America customers can avoid ATM fees by using Santander Serfin ATMs. Other banks may have similar policies, check with your respective institution. Otherwise, do not be surprised to find yourself with a $5 fee for each withdrawal.
Merchants can be picky about the state of your paper money, they may scrutinize it and reject anything with rips. Try to keep it in as pristine condition as possible. Reputably, this is more the case the further South you go.
Traditional Mexican food can often be very spicy; if you are not used to peppers, always ask if your food includes it. (¿Esto tiene chile?).
There are many food carts on the streets of Mexican cities and towns. Travelers are advised to eat from these carts with caution, as hygienic preparation practices are not always reliable.
You can measure the quality of food by popularity, do not eat on lonely places, even if they are restaurants or hotels.
Ask for the "platillo tipico" of the town, this is a local speciality not found elsewhere, a variation, or the bornplace of a recipe, also consider that most of the recipies change from place to place, like tamales, in the south are made with the banana plant leaves, and in the Huasteca region tamales are very big, one is Ok for a complete family.
There are also several Mexican beers, several of which are available outside Mexico, these include:
In some places you will find beer served as a prepared drink called "michelada". The formula varies depending on the place, but it's usually beer mixed with lime juice. Other variation called "cubana" includes Clamato cocktail, soybean sauce, salt and a little bit of hot sauce.
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18, but not strictly enforced. In many places, consumption of alcohol in public ("open container") is illegal and usually punishable by a day in jail. Be aware of waitresses and barmen, specially at night clubs. If you are not aware of your consumption and how much you already spent, they can add a few more drinks to your account. Some do this, not all.
Alcoholimeters are widely used in driving roads If drinking, always have a designated driver. Driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage can give you up to 3 days in jail.
Some Mexican universities are very important, such as UNAM (ranked 95° worldwide, and one of the best in Latin America), and most of them have programs for foreigners. Foreigners can take a course to learn Spanish, or even study a whole career. Also, there are some other courses where you can learn traditional Mexican activities such as handcrafts.
Most of the the goverment funded universities on mayor cities (state capital) have short courses on history, gastronomy and cultural subjects, most of them are almost free. Other places are the "Casa de la Cultura", (house of culture) this are historical buildings used for cultural related activities (music concerts, teather, paint and other exibits, they also have "talleres" (workshops).
Many excellent private universities exist in the larger cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, etc.) and provide excellent education
Another important university is ITESM (Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey), located in Monterrey but in many other mexican cities, too.
The EGADE Master Business School in Monterrey is ranked No.68 of MBA schools worldwide, the first in Latin America.
Working may require a work visa, which is difficult to get if you just want to freelance for a short time.
Many important headquarters are located throughout the main cities of Mexico. Mexican top corporations like Televisa, Bimbo, Cemex, Telmex, Vitro, are often willing to hire professionals who speak English as their native language as most of the business scene is developed with North American corporations.
Native English speakers can pick up work, as always, as English teachers. The upside is that English speakers with no knowledge of Spanish are sought after, because they will force their students to practice English. The downside is that salaries are very low.
A number of hotel chains are available throughout Mexico, including Best Western, Holiday Inn, Fiesta Inn, Fairmont, Hilton, Ritz, Camino Real, Starwood (Sheraton, W, Westin, Four Points) and many others. All offer reasonable rates, and mostly clean accomodations, good for business travelers, but not necessarily for those wanting to experience Mexico itself. Smaller hotels and motels along the roadside may not be safe or comfortable. Boutique hotels are found all over the country; price range varies but all of them are rich in Mexican traditions, elegance and charm, the perfect way to experience the cultural heritage of each state. A great source of information is Melba Levick's book Mexicasa, found in many libraries and online bookstores. There are also many all-inclusive resorts for those visiting the major beach destinations.
If you are going to be in cooler areas in the winter consider bringing an electric blanket - as there is power, but no heat in the cheaper hotels. And although it may get quite hot by afternoon outside, adobe and cement are like fridges. An electric tea kettle is also a good idea, hot water might not be available when you want it.
If you're traveling with children, use a plastic case (with wheels and a handle) as luggage, and it can be used as a bathtub for the kids if necessary. Budget hotels rarely, if ever, have tubs.
In most of the cities, location is very important, security change from place to place, areas close to downtown (centro) are safer to walk at night specialy on the "Plaza", "Zocalo" o "Jardin" (main square) and areas nearby, stay on populated areas, avoid poor living conditions neighborhood specialy at night, dont walk there at anytime if you are alone.
Some Mexican border towns could be dangerous, for someone who is unaware, especially at night. In contrast, Mexican northern -non-border- cities are very safe; such as Monterrey, Saltillo, Chihuahua, etc.
Never drive above the speed limit or run stop signs/red lights as Mexican police will use any excuse to pull over tourists and give you a ticket as in everywhere, or demand a bribe. If pulled over by a police officer soliciting a bribe, do not pay the amount requested, but pull out US$30 or 300 pesos, and explain that it is all you have. This technique has worked in the past, but is corruption. The fine for a over speed limit could be of some US$100 depending of the city.
When in major cities – especially Mexico City – play it safe with taxis. Never pick up a cab in the street unless the locals have told you they can be trusted; always request that your hotel or restaurant call a taxi for you.
Carry money in multiple locations, especially when driving a car. As in any city, do not wave cash or credit cards around. Use them discreetly and put them away as quickly as possible.
The Mexican legal system is under Napoleonic code, meaning suspects can be considered guilty until proven innocent (the reverse of the USA). Keep that in mind before contemplating flouting the law.
Beggars are not usually a threat but you will find lots in urban areas. Avoid being surrounded by them as some can pickpocket your goods. Giving away two pesos quickly can get you out of such troubles. If driving you will mostly find beggars and windshield cleaners at any red light; have your windows closed at all times. The windshield cleaners will try to clean yours in spite of any negative- a strong and firm "NO" is suggested.
If driving in from the USA, always purchase Mexican liability insurance before crossing the border. Even if your American (or Canadian, etc.) insurance covers your vehicle in Mexico, it cannot (by Mexican law) cover liability (i.e. hitting something or injuring someone). You will probably spend time in a Mexican jail if you have an accident without it. And even if your own insurance does (in theory) provide liability coverage in Mexico -- you'll be filing your claim from behind bars! Don't risk it, get Mexican auto insurance.
Jellyfish stings: vinegar on the skin, take some to the beach with you.
Stingray stings: water as hot as you can bear - the heat deactivates the poison.
Mexico is so notorious for traveler's diarrhea that it is often called "Montezuma's Revenge". The reason for this is not so much the spicy food but the contamination of the water supply. In most cities, only the poorest Mexicans will drink tap water. Drinking water out of the tap is generally a bad idea. The best policy is to only drink bottled or purified water, both of which are readily available. In most restaurants, the only water that will be served to you comes from large jugs of purified water. Mexico is one of the main bottled water consumers in the world so its recommended to buy some whenever it's possible.
Likewise, avoid raw vegetables and fruits unless they have been washed in an iodine or other disinfecting solution. In addition to diseases that could be picked up from the soil where they are grown, some of the pesticides in use in Mexico are considered unsafe. If your body is not used to these chemicals, will rebel.
If you start to show symptoms of food poisoning, visit a doctor as soon as possible. There is medicine available that will counter the bacteria and save you much suffering.
Medicine in urban areas is highly developed, but it's recommended going to private hospitals.
You can call from public phones using prepaid tel. cards tarjetas ladatel, bought at magazine stalls. Cards can be purchased in 30, 50 or 100 peso denominations. The rate to call the US is roughly equivalent to $0.50 USD per minute. Beware these are different than tarjetas amigo, viva, or unefon: they are for cellphones.
Some areas have only a few internet cafes; in others, they are plentiful. Common fees vary from 8 pesos/hour to 20 pesos/hour. Currently, most of the internet cafes are offering calls to US for a better rate than a payphone.