Mexico: In the Country

Accommodation

Motels: Geared towards short-term stays. Most are located close to highways and have their own garages.
Executive Hotels: Typically located in downtown areas of the major cities, near shopping centres and business quarters. This type of accommodation is oriented towards businesspeople but can be selected by tourists as well.
Booking.com
Spa Resorts: These hotels are geared towards high end tourists and are located in relaxing tourist centres. They offer luxurious accommodations, restaurants, bars, golf courses, gyms, spas, boutiques and other amenities.
Playa Resorts and Hotels- México
Timeshare Properties: Condominiums located in major tourist areas and occupied year-round. Families or groups of friends can use them several days or weeks, depending on the timeshare agreement. They have fully-equipped kitchens, swimming pools and each unit typically has several rooms.
Timeshares in Mexico
Hotel Rules: Prices are per night and per room. In general, check in time is around 2:00 p.m. and the check out time starts around 11:00 a.m.
For Further Information: Visit Mexico

Price Indications

Economy Room	MXN 400
Medium Price Room	MXN 900
Good Quality Room	More than MXN 2,000

Source: Lonely Planet

Eating Out

Categories of Restaurant
Fondas: Also known as 'inexpensive cuisine', they offer a three course meal at a reasonable price: soup is usually served as a starter along with a side dish (rice or pasta) and a stew. Dessert is sometimes included. They also sell typical regional dishes.
Taquerias: Place where the famous 'tacos' and other snacks are sold. They are generally open until late hours and allow one to fill up at a reasonable price.
Fast food restaurants: Due to American influence, it is very easy to find hamburgers, pizzas and other fast food meals.
Typical food restaurants: These restaurants propose real Mexican cuisine with a more complex elaboration. Their menus may offer specialties from all over the country or only from a specified region.
International restaurants: International restaurants offer French, Italian, Japanese and other cuisines
Rules For Eating Out: A tip of 15% is recommeneded unless the service was dreadful.

Price Indications

Economy Meal	MXN 50 - 100
Medium Price Meal	MXN 100 - 300
Good Quality Meal	More than MXN 300

Food Specialties: Recognised all over the world for its cultural wealth and its flavour blending, Mexican cuisine draws upon indigenous and European culinary traditions. The large size of the country and the rich diversity of regional culinary styles ensures a great range of food options. Two staples include chili peppers and corn, which are utilised in a variety of ways throughout the country. Corn products such as tortillas, tamales, sopes and chiles can be found at nearly every meal.
Some typical dishes are:
- Tacos: tortillas with a filling of choice, typically served with cilantro, onions, lime wedges and a variety of salsas. Taco fillings vary considerably by region and range from pork to beef tongue.
- Mole poblano: known as the national dish of Mexico, mole poblano is a sauce containing 20 or so ingredients (including chiles and chocolate).
- Tamales: corn flour filled with chicken or vegetables, cooked inside plantain or corn leaves.
Drinks: Aguas frescas are popular non-alcoholic drinks that consist of fruit, cereals, flowers or seeds and water and sugar. These drinks are staples of street vendors, with some examples including horchata, melon and tamarind. Typical Mexican alcoholic beverages include tequila, mezcal and pulque, all of which are based on agave. Meals are usually accompanied with beer.
Dietary Restrictions: There are no dietary restrictions in the country.
Table Manners: In Mexico relationships are based on respect and gratitude not only to table companions but also to restaurant personnel. If you are invited to a home, thank your host and compliment the hostess on the meal.

Getting Around

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Recommendation: Traffic circulation in major cities, especially Mexico City, is very heavy. Many roads are undergoing improvements, so it is common to experience delays related to road-work.
Public transportation is recommended, but the conditions of city buses may be dissatisfying to some. The subway, called Metro, circulates throughout the city and is very inexpensive. There is also a suburban train which connects the main cities in the state of Mexico with the capital (D.F.). It travels 20 kms. in 15 minutes.
Taxis are available in all major avenues. It is advised to hire an authorised taxi in order to have a safe ride at a fair price. A directory can be found here.
Maps of Urban Networks: Mexico City Metro System: Maps
Maps of Mexico (UT Library)
Urban Transport Agencies: Passenger transportation agencies directory
Find an Itinerary: Turista.com.mx
Taxi Companies: Taxi Mexico

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Mexico City Intl (MEX)	12 km / 7 miles	USD 17-25 / 45 min	USD 0.20 / 40 min	-	Available
Guadalajara (GDL)	17 km / 12 miles	USD 12-18	USD 10 / 35 min	-	Available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Recommendation: The bus is the most popular type of transportation for travel around Mexico. Prices are inexpensive and conditions are generally good.
Rapid travelling throughout Mexico's large territory is facilitated by dozens of international airports. Air transit has rapidly increased in recent years, fuelled by low cost airlines. Fifteen companies operate within the airline market and offer several itineraries, including frequent flight connections in between the capital and the major cities. It is important to make reservations in advance in order to secure low fares.
Rail Companies: Ferromex

Airlines

Name	Type	Domestic Flights	International Flights
Aeromexico	Major	Yes	Yes
Volaris	Low Cost	Yes	No
Aeromar	Major	Yes	No
Aviacsa	Low Cost	Yes	Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelling By Yourself

Recommendation: Roads are asphalted, well kept and functional in most parts of the country. International insurance policies are not accepted, so it is necessary to obtain auto insurance in Mexico. In Mexico City, an alternating traffic system has been established in order to fight environmental pollution- vehicles with a foreign license plate cannot circulate on Fridays. Drivers should be cautious when driving at night on highways - roaming livestock and frequent speed bumps may pose a challenge for drivers.
Driver's License: Tourists with foreign driver's licences are authorised to drive in Mexico.
Conditions For Renting a Vehicle: The minimum age to rent a car is 21 years old.
In Mexico City, a driver has to comply with the No Driving Today programme.
Rental Agencies: Avis
Tolls or Taxes: There are toll highways and free highways. However, road and safety conditions are better in toll highways. Tolls are paid when entering each highway.
Road Maps: Guia-Roji: Maps of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey
Find an Itinerary: Map24
Traffic Conditions Online: Traffic alert - El Universal
Parking Facilities: It is very difficult to find a parking place in the business areas of the major cities. It is advised to use parking lots, which are usually underground.
There are also parking meters in the downtown areas of major cities.
If a car is parked in a street where there is not a parking meter, chances are there will be a young guy who will 'watch' the car and expect some coins in return.

Rules of the Road

Minimum Driving Age: A driver's licence can be requested from the age of 16 and 17.
Side of the Road For Driving: Right side.
Speed Limits: 30-40 km per hour in the city and 100 km per hour in the highway.
Safety Belts: The use of safety seat belts is mandatory.
Permitted Amount of Alcohol in the Blood: 0.40 mg of alcohol per liter of exhaled air.
National Roads Organizations: Ministry of Roads and Transportation D.F.
Ministry of Communications and Transportation

Time and Time Difference

Current Local Time: It is %T:%M %A In Mexico City
It is %T:%M %A In Culiacán
It is %T:%M %A In Tijuana
Summer Time: Summer season is from April to October.

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

Climate

Type of Climate: Mexico is a very large state and thus presents a wide diversity in climate. In the north, the weather is extreme and dry (-20ºC in winter, 45ºC in summer). In the central zone, the temperature is fair, it can range from 10ºC up to 25ºC during the day. In the southern area, weather is humid and tropical with strong precipitations and temperature that can range from 16ºC and 45ºC. The best time to visit the country is from April to June.
For Further Information: National Meteorological Service

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

Climate

Electrical Standards and Measurement Systems

System of Measurement Used: Metric decimal system
Unit of Measurement of Temperature: Centigrade degrees

Use our service Measurement converter.

Electricity
Voltage: 127 volts
Frequency: 60 Hz
Type of Electric Socket: A & B
Type of Telephone Socket: US RJ-11
DVD Zoning: Zone 4

Paying

Domestic Currency: Mexican Peso
ISO Code: MXN
To Obtain Domestic Currency: The currency is the Mexican peso which is issued in 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 peso bills. You can obtain Mexican pesos at exchange desks in international airports or through your bank.
Possible Means of Payment: Though the national currency is the Mexican peso, U.S. dollars and euros are often accepted as a means of payment in shops in tourist areas. Credit cards are frequently used (Visa, MasterCard) throughout the country.

To Find a Cash Machine Where You Need, Use the ATM locator

Speaking

Official Language: Spanish
Other Languages Spoken: Many Mexicans also speak English. Indigenous languages are also spoken throughout the country by hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Business Language: Spanish and English
Getting Some Knowledge: Some helpful websites include Duolingo.
Free Translation Tools: Systran : Free English-Spanish-English translation of texts and web pages
Dictionarios.com :
Babel Fish : Free English-Spanish-English traduction of texts and web pages
Dictionarios.com : Free Spanish-Catalan-English-French Dictionary

Emergency Numbers

Emergencies (Police, Fire Department, Ambulances, Civil Protection)	066
Fire Department	068
Mexican Red Cross	065
Tourist Assistance	3002-6300

Communications

Quality of Communications: Telecommunication systems with countrywide coverage is available but expensive.
Rural areas can be problematic for Internet connection or cell phones.
Telephone Codes: To Make a Call From Mexico, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in Mexico, Dial +52
Number of Digits of National Telephone Numbers: 10 digits: state code + 8 digits.
Mobile Telephone Standards: GSM, TDMA, CDMA, 3G, Trunking Services (Nextel)
National Mobile Phone Operators: Telcel, Telefonica Movistar, Iusacell, Unefon and Nextel

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix: .mx
National Internet Access Providers: Telcel, Telmex, Terra, Iusacell and Cablevision.
Access in Public Places: There are cyber cafes in the cities. Some restaurants and shopping centres offer free Internet.
Access in Hotels: Most of the executive hotels and major tourist centers offer free Wifi connection or business center with a fee schedule.

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