TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO MEXICO (AND NOT SHIT)

Send

We have just returned from our first contact with Mexico, a country that we really wanted to know and that we can say ... We knew how to dazzle with its food stalls, its streets full of colonial houses and the friendliness of a town that welcomed us with open arms. But before the trip we had a thousand and one doubts around our head, so we decided to write this article where we told a few tips for traveling to Mexico (and not screw it up). Here we go:

Before let us clarify that our first trip took place exclusively in the Yucatan Peninsula, so our experience is relative to that area and we are far from being experts in the country. Of course, we believe that we can help you with some doubts and we hope to return soon to expand this article (and cram ourselves with tacos, even as we miss them).

¿You need a visa to travel to Mexico? It depends on your nationality, obviously. The Spaniards and Italians do not have to process anything: upon arrival, if our passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months, they will grant us entry to the country for 90 days. Here we leave you a map with visa policies depending on your nationality:

Wikipedia

We always recommend scan your documents (passport, travel insurance, reservations ...) and upload them to drive or send them by email. If you lose the originals (we touch wood), at least you will have a copy always accessible. Well, it is best not to lose them!

Before arriving in Mexico, on the same plane they will deliver theimmigration form. It is divided into two parts, the upper one starts and is handed over to the authorities upon arrival, but the one below you must keep it during your entire trip, because when you leave the country you will be asked. We understand that if you do not have it, you should request a duplicate and it is not something that they give you in 2 minutes ... better take care of it and not lose it! You can see the form here.

The question we receive most times during this trip is, without a doubt:Is it safe to travel to Mexico? It is clear that there are areas (especially border) that suffer several problems that is not a matter of analyzing now ... But as for the Yucatan Peninsula we can tell you that we do not feel insecure even once. It is a very tourist area and the government itself is the first one interested in keeping it safe. There were many police patrols around and people in general were very friendly. Here you can read the recommendations of the foreign ministry.

Travel to Mexico with a good travel insurance. We always have the one of Iati, (you know we offer 5% discount, see more details). This time (luckily) we did not have to use it but traveling covered is essential, do not save on this! In Mexico there are very good private hospitals, with your travel insurance you will be covered with guarantees for any mishap.

The Mexico's official currency is the Mexican peso (MXN). You already know that you have the option to bring money in € and exchange it there, or get them in your bank before traveling, although they are two options that do not interest. It is best to get what you need directly at the ATMs there. For this you need a card that does not charge commissions, we have chosen to carry on all trips the Bnext card that we complement with the N26 card. They are free and will allow you to save money on commissions. If you decide to change the euros, try not to do it at the airport: exchange houses in cities usually give better exchange rates than those at airports.

Use the ATMs that are in safe areas, as shopping centers, better than those on the streets. Y check the movements of the card in your bank app, every so often. There are more and more cases of cloning cards worldwide.

Something that worried us a bit was the food theme. It's not a secret that Mexicans give hard to hot spicyBut will everything be so spicy? For na-da: what's more, we didn't eat a spicy thing ... If you don't want to burn your tongue just don't add sauces and avoid dishes like the dreaded enchiladas haha. Seriously, the food is very much enjoyed!

Do not drink tap water. Particularly in Yucatan they told us that it was not drinkable, although we believe it extends to the entire territory of Mexico. It is best to buy bottles, or better, bottles, and take them in the car so that it is not missing.

Find out about the climate of the areas you are going to visit: Mexico is a huge country, so don't be surprised to find hot and humid calorazo in the Caribbean area and cold in the highlands (here you have more info about the weather in Mexico). A good website to look at forecasts is Accuweather.

So, what is the best time to travel to Mexico? Although, as we say, Mexico is huge, there are two different stations: rains, which runs from May to October, and the dry, which runs from November to April. The important thing is to make sure that there are no cyclones in sight: the hurricane season It is from the beginning of June to the end of November. Here you have more info about hurricane forecasts.

Something that shocked us a lot is that tips are practically an unwritten law. That is, they are not mandatory, but they are so common that it is as if they were. Especially in restaurants and cafeterias, but also drivers, receptionists, guides ... And they do not cut themselves in ordering them. To give you an idea, 10-15% of the bill is usually left in restaurants (we usually calculated 10% quickly and left a little more). In some cases, it is already included in the total of the account, review it to not pay twice.

An easy area to visit and full of places to visit, is the Yucatan Peninsula, which occupies three states: Quintana Roo (in the east), Yucatán (in the north and center) and Campeche (in the west). To travel here is very common rent a car, we booked with Rentalcars (with the company America) and paid about € 250 for 23 days (plus another € 220 of insurance).

If you don't want to drive, the cheapest and most common option is alternate internal flights with buses (Ado and / or Omnibus). We did not test them since we moved exclusively by car, but on our next trip (we plan to do the CDMX area and the center / south of the country) we will surely take them. Internal flights are also a good alternative and from what we saw are usually very convenient.

Apparently, the bites (bribes) it's quite common in the traffic cop Mexican We were never stopped to ask for it, but a friend the first day he took the car in Playa del Carmen skipped a traffic light and the policeman on duty took a good tip. If you comply with the signs and do not commit infractions, you do not have to worry: so watch out for traffic lights, stops, prohibited addresses ... And if you are caught, an idea is to carry a purse in the car with a handful of bills (bites) They range from € 10 to even € 50!), and when you are asked for the money you show it saying that it is the only thing you have in cash, maybe they will conform ... Always calm and kindness.

If something we did not like about our trip was not being able to spend a few days in the capital of the country, Mexico City. We think that any trip to Mexico is somewhat lame without knowing its most important city. If you can, include in your itinerary CDMX (from Cancun there are flights pulled from price).

Upon arrival (or before leaving) get a SIM. While it is true that the vast majority of hotels and restaurants have WiFi, it does not hurt to have a mobile connection, especially if we decide to rent a car and explore an area at your leisure. We bought an AT&T SIM simply to use it at the airport (we had read that it had very bad coverage outside the big cities), but it was not like that: it is the SIM that we use throughout the trip and, except in rare cases, we always It works well. In this post we tell you more about sim cards from Mexico.

At the time of book accommodation, we pull a lot of Airbnb (here you have € 25 discount) and booking.com. If you do not have your own car, it is best to find accommodation in central locations, as urban transport is no wonder.

The plug in Mexico is type A (with two flat legs). And the voltage is 110 V with frequency: 60 Hz. Check the chargers of your devices, if you see that "INPUT" puts 100-240V, 50/60 Hz, then you can use them. Just don't forget to take your travel adapter.

Download the map of Mexico in the appmaps.me, in this way you will have access to the map even without an internet connection. In addition the detail is the archaeological sites is much better than google maps.

Before visiting one archaeological area Look for information on the official website of Inah (National Institute of Archeology and History), where you will be able to know the updated information on prices, schedules and, of course, you will find a few strokes of the history of the site.

And the day you visit them,early morning! In the first hour you will be almost alone, usually from 10 am the first tours begin to arrive and at 12 that will already look like a Lady Gaga XD concert. All archaeological parks usually open at 08 am.

Do not forget 2 things: sunscreen (the sun hits and makes it strong, if possible biodegradable so as not to damage the cenotes) and mosquito repellent (We went in November and the truth is that we hardly found any mosquitoes but they have a reputation for being terrible).

If you have the opportunity to travel to Mexico to live the Day of the Dead, do not hesitate (). It was one of the best experiences we had. We enjoyed this celebration in Mérida (Yucatán) and, although there are other areas such as Michoacán where you live in an even more intense way, we really enjoyed being able to know the Mayan version of this party.

Do not leave at home the snorkeling glasses, or at least some swimming glasses, which occupy less and are light. We miss them in some places, and in others the rental of equipment was excessive!

The Mexico history It is long and exciting, visiting the country without knowing it is a mistake, so we have made a post that summarizes the main historical landmarks.

The sargasso (plague of algae) is something that can ruin your trip, especially if you imagine hours and hours lying on white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. We find quite a lot of algae in Tulum, Carmen beach and especially in Holbox.

If to get to Mexico (or when leaving the country) you do United States scale, you have to have the ESTA. Yes, even if you only do a few hours stopover and do not leave the airport (we tell you from experience ...) Here we tell you how to get the ESTA out of the United States.

That said: we hope to expand this post with more tips and recommendations for traveling to Mexico! If you think we have forgotten something fundamental, leave us a comment ... we would appreciate it very much.