Mexico travel guide for first time visitors

When I think of Mexico, I imagine myself chilling by the pool and sipping Margarita in a dreamy resort. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why my husband and I planned our trip to Mexico in the first place. We wanted a relaxing and luxurious getaway and given that Mexico has so much of that to offer, we decided to give it a try. Having said that, we didn’t really spend our entire trip just chilling in our resort. We did plan a few day trips here and there so we did our best to read up and be prepared on all the important things to keep in mind before our trip. So, here I’ll share an important travel guide for Mexico.

Whether you’re going to be spending most of your time in your resort or you plan to take the off beaten paths, there’s a few things you always need to keep in mind when in this country. While google has a lot of helpful tips and you’ll find many blogs around this topic, I want to weigh in on all of that based on my personal experience. So let’s dive right in!

Is it safe to travel to Mexico?

A big question on my mind when I was planning this trip was if it’s safe to travel to Mexico. And now that I have been there, I can tell you confidently that it’s a completely safe place for tourists. Also, we were mostly in the hotel zone in Cancun which is the safest spot to be in. But we did do a few day trips around the city and felt absolutely safe for the most part. However, we did get a few tips from the locals on always being aware of our surroundings, not flashing our credit cards or cash in public, not engaging in any conversations with strangers until spoken to and not going off the beaten paths in the night. As long as you follow these tips, you should be totally safe.

Where to stay?

When in Cancun, prefer to book your resort in the hotel zone because like I said, that’s the safest place to be in. It is also closest to the nightclubs that I am sure you will plan on checking out. Also, plan on booking an all-inclusive resort to make the most of your experience. Believe me, it was a true retreat! Here’s the one we stayed in and I would totally recommend it.

How to travel around?

For your transit from airport to hotel and back, most resorts provide shuttles for free. However, we booked a private taxi because our resort was charging us an additional fee for an airport shuttle. And since the fare was similar for the shuttle and a private taxi, we chose to go with the private taxi option. Private taxis are a big mode of transport in and around Cancun so as long as you book with a company that has good ratings and reviews, you should be fine. But be sure to confirm the rates in advance to avoid being overcharged later.

What currency to use?

In terms of most accepted currencies, both USD and Pesos are widely accepted so you should be fine using USD. However, we did take Pesos with us as we had a few excursions planned where it was better to pay in cash, like Chichen Itza. Also, we didn’t want to use our credit card everywhere so we limited its use to only within our resort and good restaurants. For all local activities, we carried Pesos.

Should you book group tours or private tours?

One big mistake we made when booking our day trip to Chichen Itza was signing up for a big group tour. We thought it would be fun to travel in a group and would also be safer. However, since our group was around 15-20 people, it took longer than normal tours in picking up and dropping off everyone to their hotels. So, I would highly recommend you doing a private tour for all your day trips or going with a smaller group. But I’d definitely say that make sure you do a guided tour to get all the rich history of this country.

What to pack for Mexico?

We went in April so weather wise, it was super hot. The heat was scorching which made it harder for us to do outdoor activities. Having said that, Mexico is always hot from what I have heard so based on my experience, I would highly recommend you carrying your sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and water bottle. Especially, when you know that you’re going to be out in the sun a lot. For more information on how to dress, what to pack, what not to pack etc., read my blog here.

Do you need a travel visa?

In terms of travel visa, you do not need to pre-apply for a visa as long as you have a valid passport that doesn’t expire within 6 months of your arrival date in Mexico. My husband and I are on H-1B visas and we currently reside in the United States. So for us, the process was fairly simple. We didn’t have to apply for the visa in advance and we just got it on arrival. The immigration process was also fairly smooth. Just make sure to keep your passport safe at all times because that’s going to be your key to in and out of the country.

Do you need a travel insurance?

I had read several articles about it when planning the trip and I found mixed reviews. So it’s not mandatory to have travel insurance when traveling to Mexico. But if you’re planning a longer trip and you think you’ll feel safer having insurance, then you can always get one. We were there for only 5 days so we didn’t feel the need for it.

Here’s a few more blogs to read through if you’re planning a trip to Mexico,

• A detailed 5-day itinerary for Mexico – Here
• Travel guide for Chichen Itza – Here
• Travel guide for Cozumel island – Here

Hope you found this Mexico travel guide helpful!