Thinking about traveling to Mexico? Whether you're dreaming of the beaches of Cancún, the vibrant streets of Mexico City, or the ancient ruins of Chichén Itzá, knowing the right Mexico travel tips can make or break your trip.
I’ve explored this incredible country extensively, and I’m here to share essential travel advice to help you stay safe, save money, and experience Mexico like a pro.
First, let's talk about safety in Mexico—a common concern for travelers. While some areas have security risks, most tourist destinations are perfectly safe if you follow basic precautions, like avoiding isolated areas at night and using official transportation services. Speaking of getting around, knowing how to navigate Mexico’s public transportation—from colectivos (shared vans) to first-class buses—can save you time and money.
Then there's the food—oh, the food! While Mexican street food is legendary, you’ll want to know how to enjoy it without getting sick. A good rule? Eat where the locals eat, and always choose vendors with a long line. And let’s not forget currency exchange tips—understanding the best ways to get pesos without losing money on bad rates is key.
From Mexico packing essentials to cultural etiquette, I’ve got you covered. Keep reading for a deep dive into everything you need to know before your Mexico vacation.
Essentials Tips for traveling to Mexico
What is the best time to travel to Mexico? Do you need a visa? What are the must-see places? We answer these and a few more questions below with our best tips for traveling to Mexico… but first we have to say something: Viva Mexico, guys! What a great trip awaits you.
1. Before the trip to Mexico
Don't travel without first reading about the country's history. This is recommended for any destination, knowing its past is understanding its present and its customs, but for Mexico in particular it seems basic to us. So as not to drive you too crazy, here is a (not so) brief summary of the history of Mexico.
Another thing we recommend doing before traveling to Mexico is scanning your documents (passport, travel insurance, reservations, etc.) and uploading them to Drive or sending them by email. If you lose the originals (knock on wood), at least you will have a copy always accessible.
2. Visa and legal procedures to enter Mexico
Do you need a visa to travel to Mexico ? It depends on your nationality, obviously. Spaniards and Italians do not have to do anything: upon arrival, if our passport is valid for at least 6 months, we will be granted entry to the country for 90 days. Here is a map with the visa policies depending on your nationality:
Before landing in Mexico, on the same plane, you will be given the immigration form.
It is divided into two parts, the top one is torn off and given to the authorities upon arrival, but the bottom one you have to keep throughout your trip, because when you leave the country they will ask for it. We understand that if you do not have it you will have to request a duplicate and it is not something that they give you in 2 minutes... better to take care of it and not lose it!
Important: If you have to stop over in the United States to get to Mexico (or leave the country), you must have an ESTA . Yes, even if you only have a stopover for a few hours and do not leave the airport. Here we tell you how to get an ESTA for the United States.
Travel Gifts & Gear
Best travel gifts under $50 | Top Unique Travel Souvenirs | Best Travel Humidors | Best Double Strollers for Travel | Best Travel Gifts for Mothers | Best Travel Gifts for Women | Best Travel Gifts for Men | Best Travel Toiletry Bottles | Best Trolley Sleeve Travel Bags | Best Travel Backpacks | Osprey Transporter Backpack Review | Bose Soundlink Micro Review | Sony WF-1000XM3 Review | Best Travel Soap Kit | Gravel Layover Blanket Review
3. Security in Mexico
The question we received the most during this trip was, without a doubt: Is it safe to travel to Mexico? It is clear that there are areas (especially border areas) that suffer from various problems that are not a matter of analyzing here… But as for the Yucatan Peninsula, we can tell you that we did not feel unsafe even once.
It is a very touristy area and the government itself is the first to be interested in keeping it safe. There were lots of police patrols around and the people in general were very friendly. Here you can read more about whether it is safe to travel to Mexico .
› Don't travel without travel insurance
Another essential tip for traveling to Mexico is to take out good travel insurance . We always have Iati insurance (you already know that we offer a 5% discount ). On this occasion (luckily) we didn't have to use it, but traveling covered is essential, don't skimp on this! In Mexico there are very good private hospitals, with your travel insurance you will be covered with guarantees for any mishap.
4. Best time to travel to Mexico
Mexico is a huge country, so don't be surprised to find it very hot and humid in the Caribbean area and cold in the highlands (here you have more information about the weather in Mexico ). A good website to check the forecasts is Accuweather .
So, what is the best time to travel to Mexico ? Although, as we say, Mexico is huge, there are two different seasons: the rainy season , which runs from May to October, and the dry season , which runs from November to April , which would be the best time to visit Mexico.
The most important thing is to make sure that there are no cyclones in sight: hurricane season is from early June to late November .
And what about the sargassum? The sargassum (algae plague) is something that can be a bit annoying, especially if you imagine hours and hours lying on white sand beaches and turquoise waters. We found quite a lot of algae in Tulum , Playa del Carmen and especially in Holbox . But remember that it is a natural phenomenon and it is us who have to adapt to the environment.
5. How to get around Mexico: transportation guide
You essentially have two options: rent a car or rely on public transportation.
› Rent a car in Mexico
An easy area to explore and full of places to visit is the Yucatan Peninsula , which occupies three states: Quintana Roo (in the east), Yucatan (in the north and center) and Campeche (in the west).
To travel around here it is very common to rent a car , we booked with Auto Europe (with the company America ) and paid about 250€ for 23 days (plus another 220€ for insurance). Renting a car seems to us to be a very good option to visit Mexico, at least the Yucatan Peninsula.
In principle, an international driving license is not necessary , but considering that it is an easy and cheap procedure, we get one anyway.
Apparently, bribes are quite common in the Mexican traffic police . We were never stopped for them, but we know of people who have suffered from this reprehensible practice.
If you obey the signs and do not commit any infractions, you have nothing to worry about: so watch out for traffic lights, stop signs, no-go signs... And if you are caught breaking the rules, it is advisable to act normally and pay the fine that is legally required. There are those who prefer to go with the flow and collaborate with police corruption to avoid further problems (they usually carry a wallet with a handful of bills in their car and if they ask for money you show them, saying that it is the only cash you have).
› Getting around by public transport in Mexico
If you don't want to drive, the cheapest and most common option is to alternate internal flights with buses (Ado and/or Omnibus). We didn't try them since we traveled exclusively by car, but on our next trip (we plan to visit the CDMX area and the center/south of the country) we will definitely do them. Internal flights are also a good alternative and from what we saw, they are usually very convenient.
If you want to compare several bus companies for a route, we recommend these websites, where you can also book your ticket:
- Busbud
- Bookaway
- Checkmybus
Family All Inclusive Resorts
Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Bahamas | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts with Villa Caribbean | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Caribbean | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Mexico | Best Family All Inclusive Resorts Colombia | Best Luxury All-inclusive Family Resorts East Coast
6. Withdraw money without commissions in Mexico
The official currency of Mexico is the Mexican peso (MXN) . You already know that you have the option of carrying money in € and exchanging it there, or getting it from your bank before travelling, although these two options are not interesting. The best thing is to directly withdraw what you need from the ATMs there. For this you need a card that does not charge commissions, we have chosen to carry several on all trips.
Tip : Use ATMs in safe areas , such as shopping malls, rather than those on the streets. And check your card transactions in your bank app from time to time. There are more and more cases of card cloning around the world.
And be careful not to be handed counterfeit bills ! Apparently this is more common than you would expect and is usually done with 500 peso bills. Here is a video that explains how to detect counterfeit bills.
7. Internet in Mexico: SIM and/or eSIM cards
We bought an AT&T SIM just to use it at the airport (we had read that it had very poor coverage outside of big cities), but that was not the case: it is the SIM we used throughout the trip and, except on a few occasions, it always worked well for us.
You will also have the option to buy an eSIM before leaving on your trip , so you don't have to worry about the paperwork and you can be connected from the first minute. If you are interested, we recommend this Holafly eSIM , which also comes with a 5% discount already applied in the link.
→ In this post we tell you more about which SIM cards to buy in Mexico .
8. Mexican food
One thing we were a little worried about was the food . It's no secret that Mexicans are very spicy , but will everything be that spicy? Not at all: in fact, we didn't eat a single 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 really enjoyable!
Important: do not drink the tap water . In Yucatan in particular we were told that it was not drinkable, although we believe this applies to the whole of Mexico. It is best to buy bottles, or better yet, carafes, and carry them in the car so that you do not run out.
› Tipping in Mexico
Something that struck us quite a bit is that tips are practically an unwritten law . In other words, they are not obligatory, but they are so common that it is as if they were. Especially in restaurants and cafes, but drivers, receptionists, guides also expect them… and they are not shy about asking for them.
To give you an idea, in restaurants it is common to leave 10-15% of the bill (we usually quickly calculated 10% and left a little more). In some cases, it is already included in the total bill, so check it to avoid paying twice.
9. Places to visit in Mexico without fail
Do you want to know the must-sees in Mexico ? Here we tell you the best 20 things to see and do in Mexico . One of the things we enjoyed the most was feeling like little Laros Crofts 😉 exploring Mayan ruins.
Before visiting an archaeological site, look for information on the official Inah (National Institute of Archaeology and History) website , where you can find up-to-date information on prices, opening hours and, of course, you will find a few glimpses of the site's history. These are the best Mayan ruins in Mexico .
On the day you visit, get up early ! You will be almost alone early in the morning, normally the first tours start arriving at 10 am and at 12 pm it will already seem like a Lady Gaga concert XD. All archaeological parks usually open at 8 am.
And if you are going to travel around the Yucatan Peninsula and the Riviera Maya, we leave you two recommended itineraries :
- 1-week route through the Riviera Maya
- 3-week route through the Yucatan Peninsula
More Mexico Travel Tips
Here are a few more small recommendations:
- The plug in Mexico is type A (two flat pins). The voltage is 110 V with a frequency of 60 Hz. Check the chargers for your devices, if you see that under “INPUT” it says 100-240V, 50/60 Hz, then you can use them. Just don’t forget to bring your travel adapter .
- Download the map of Mexico from the maps.me app , this way you will have access to the map even without an internet connection. In addition, the detail in the archaeological sites is much better than Google Maps.
- Don't forget 2 things: sunscreen (the sun is strong and it's very hot, preferably biodegradable so as not to damage the cenotes) and mosquito repellent (we went in November and the truth is that we hardly saw any mosquitoes, but they have a reputation for being terrible). Don't forget your snorkeling goggles at home , or at least some swimming goggles , which take up less space and are light. We missed them in some places, and in others the rental of the equipment was excessive!
- If you have the opportunity to travel to Mexico to experience the Day of the Dead , don't 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 it is experienced in an even more intense way, we really enjoyed being able to experience the Mayan version of this festival.
As we said, we hope to expand this post with more tips and recommendations for traveling to Mexico ! If you think we have forgotten something essential, leave us a comment… we would really appreciate it.
Top All-inclusive Resorts
Best All Inclusive Resorts Brazil | Best All Inclusive Resorts Turks & Caicos | Best All Inclusive Resorts Cartagena | Popular All-inclusive Resort Destinations
Foodie Resorts
Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Cancun | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Caribbean | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Punta Cana | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Jamaica | Best All Inclusive Resorts for Foodies Mexico | Best All-inclusive Resorts for Foodie Cabo
Couples & Adult Only Resorts
Best Adult Only All Inclusive Resorts Cabo | Best Adult All Inclusive Resorts Mexico | Best Adults All Inclusive Resorts Europe | Best Place to Visit for Couples Colombia | Best Couple All-inclusive Resorts Maldives
