Traveling to mexico what should i know

The CDC advises travelers to be fully vaccinated before traveling to Mexico. Travelers to the country must complete a health declaration form and scan the QR code it generates on arrival. There is no need to take a test before departure or undertake any form of quarantine. Those concerned they may have symptoms should ask for the Sanidad Internacional health organization.

The land border with the United States remains shut to all but essential travel, but it is slated to reopen to nonessential travel on November 8. People trying to enter through the southern border with Guatemala and Belize may also be denied entry for nonessential travel. Mexico has had around 3. Restrictions have not been far reaching and life has gone on as normal for many, which critics say has led to high death and infection rates. As of November 7, Mexico had administered more than million doses of vaccine , or about 97 doses per people.

If you have a drone and are anything like me, you dream of taking some aerial shots of the eye-catchy Tulum beaches, cenotes or ancient ruins in the forest. First of all, flying over archaeological sites like Uxmal or Chichen Itza is strictly forbidden. And it gets worse. A recent law explicitly says that 1 you have to be a Mexican citizen to fly a drone in Mexico 2 it has to be registered.

M is for mujeres! Even after living in Barcelona for years, I may or may not entered the women bathroom by mistake more than once. This means the place is not connected to the public sewage so flushing your toilet paper can cause clogs. Deposit your used toilet paper in the basket.

Firstly, watch out for the hurricane season. Between June and November, hurricanes and tropical storms can impact the weather on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Gulf Coast, and even the Pacific coast. If you decide on taking a vacation during hurricane season — great travel deals to be made, as crowds are fewer — consider purchasing a travel insurance policy.

Be fast. The other thing to consider are seaweed aka sargassum or sargasso. I learned about this the hard way! I visited in March and many beaches in Tulum were covered in seaweed! If you want to keep your beach time sargasso-free, stay in a place which has staff constantly monitoring and managing the situation in front of the hotel.

This is usually the case with high-end hotels and resorts. Traveling independently through Mexico is easier than you think. You can buy tickets online only some foreign credit cards accepted or at the nearest terminal de autobuses bus terminal. Mexico City is the elephant in the room when it comes to Mexico. Adding it to your trip to Mexico will make it much more diverse and truly feel like a complete overview of this beautiful country. I suggest at least three full days. In that department, Mexico is a respectable competitor to Vietnam , where I tasted the best street food ever.

Pay attention to how they wash the utensils, if the meat is well cooked and if the food has been sitting in the sun for too long. The best tip though is to head for the stalls where locals queue up the most. As a tourist, you could be an easy target, especially if you are visiting Mexico for the first time and not yet used to things here. For example, you could try to lower the price a bit while getting a taxi or buying a souvenir at a popular tourist site such as Chichen Itza.

When it comes to taking a taxi in Mexico, negotiate a price upfront. Many taxi drivers in Mexico are willing to haggle at least somewhat, so if a price seems a bit too high, ask to lower it a little bit before agreeing on the final rate. Mexico might be famous for its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Caribbean, but the country is not all warm and balmy. For example, the Pacific Coast of Mexico has a dry climate and the middle has more mountainous and desert areas where temperatures can fluctuate significantly.

And if you are high in the mountains, you might even see snow. In short, if you plan to hop around the country, one of my tips for Mexico is to bring more than just beachy clothes!

Mexico is a huge country with a population of , million people. Just to give you an idea, the north of the country near the border with U.

In Mexico, you are expected to leave from 10 to 20 percent of your total bill in tips. Similar to the United States, waiters and waitresses in Mexico make very low hourly wages, so your gratuity goes a long way. When you pay with a credit card, you could be asked how much you are going to leave in tips after swiping your credit card, and to do that you will need to hit the right button.

Unless the service was horrible, you should leave a gratuity. Also, if you are traveling to Mexico from the United States, you might notice that service here is generally slower compared to America.

And when the time comes to pay your bill, it might take a bit longer. One of my top tips for Mexico travel is to carry local currency! While many businesses accept credit cards or tarjetas in Spanish in touristy areas, you should always carry Mexican Pesos with you. Also, souvenir vendors and local artisans in Mexican mercados or markets accept only cash.

Tours can be expensive, and you have to walk along with a group of other people which can take a lot longer than visiting a place by yourself. However, certain places in Mexico are great for taking a guided tour to learn the history and culture of the region.

Guided tours are great for the ancient Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza , Uxmal , and Ek Balam as well as colonial Mexican cities such as Merida and Valladolid that have a rich heritage.

As a true lover of Mexican Mayan ruins, I feel obligated to encourage you to visit at least one of them! Mexico is a true heaven for history buffs as it boasts thousands of ancient Mayan ruins, some which date as many as 2,, years back. Learn about best Mayn ruins in Mexico here. Muyil — A small but a very cool archaeological area near Tulum that sees very few tourists compared to the famous Tulum ruins. Uxmal — A Mayan ruins site near Merida, that is also part of the Puuc Route that has other ruins and cenotes.

Palenque — An impressive Mayan ruin site and a tourist favorite in the state of Chiapas. While some of the cenotes are open and above the ground, others are completely underground and even have stalactites and stalagmites.

Many of them also offer lockers and snorkeling equipment for a nominal fee. For better experience, I recommend arriving early in the morning. Always ask for bottled water while you travel around the country or go to a restaurant. Luckily, some hotels in Mexico offer free water in their lobbies, so make sure to bring your water bottle.

Most Mexican people are very friendly when they see that you are a foreigner visiting their country. Yes, they might be pitching tours or trying to sell you stuff when you walk along a busy thoroughfare in Playa Del Carmen or Cancun, however, besides this seemingly pushy attitude, they are mostly nice and will answer any question you have.

While Mexican people are relaxed and informal, manners and politeness play a big role in their culture. For example, strangers will always address to you as Usted a polite form of you in Spanish , and service staff will always greet you in stores and restaurants. To make things a bit easier, I put together a list of useful travel phrases and expressions in Spanish.

Please let me know if you have any questions or want to know something else about traveling in Mexico:. La cuenta, por favor — Can I have a bill please? This applies to both men and women. Larger Mexican cities located inland have a more conservative ways of dressing, so you might want to bring some jeans, medium-length dresses and other clothes that would cover your legs and shoulders to avoid strange looks and unwanted attention.

For the very same reason, even the ice is made with purified water. Now you can have it without worrying. However, not all of them are good, and not all of them offer good quality meat and hygiene practice. That also goes for the fruit vendors.

Some wet wipes to keep with you all the time can come in handy. To travel to Mexico, there are no vaccine requirements. The local currency is Mexican Pesos MXN , which you can exchange in the Casa de Cambio or banks, although the first ones usually have a better exchange rate. Almost everywhere, credit and debit cards are accepted, except in Tulum in many restaurants and hotels or in remote towns where there are still many places that only accept cash. So keep it in mind if you plan to visit the area which I heartily recommend.

If you want to withdraw from the ATM, please be aware that if you get dollars, you will be asked to pay a commission of 50 USD per each withdrawal, which is insane. I would rather get a small amount in Mexican pesos check with your bank how much they charge for the withdrawal or bring some cash with you and exchange it here for local expenses on the road. Bear in mind that if you rent a car. You should better ask before getting gas.

I see this question coming repeatedly, and although it is complicated to quantify, let me give you some examples. Local restaurants in the non-touristic areas might charge as low as 6 USD for enough tacos and 3 for a glass of wine and a steak, or a ceviche can go from 12 to 15 USD.

In the hotel zone, a full meal with wine can start from 40 USD onward. A bottle of purified water 1l 75c. A bus ride from the hotel zone to the town of 60c 12 pesos.

A car rental from 30 USD per day without insurance. However, some restaurants do not accept cards, and they usually make sure to let you know before you order. So if you are out of cash, always make sure you ask first. Especially in markets and small non-touristic towns, it is less common to use credit cards, so always take some cash with you. You will be avoiding annoying situations if you have change or notes of low value, like or pesos.

Also, remember the tipping tips. You will always need to be ready to tip, so make sure you carry some 10 or 5 pesos coins with you. So keep in mind that the ATMs will be crowded with long lines the following two or three days. If you are anything like me, and hate waiting in line, avoid those days for withdrawing. There is a very well organize net of bus lines that cover the major cities in Mexico.

To travel around Mexico is very easy and comfortable. Some of them, such as ETN, are real luxury busses. Besides a good choice of airlines, you also have the options of many bus lines, local and national, that connect the main cities and towns. Traveler Alert: Although traveling by bus is quite safe, please do not leave your personal belonging see money, camera, laptop in the overhead compartment.

That would not be smart. Please keep it on your lap or under your legs. This website is an aggregator and can help you to find your connection. There is this myth that driving in Mexico is dangerous.