What You MUST Know Before Visiting Mexico as an American

Travel for Americans is an interesting topic, as only 51% have a passport! There’s also the fact that it’s just as expensive to travel around the US as it would be to fly to another country. For many Americans the extent of their international travels are to one of our border sharing neighbors. Mexico is a country some Americans may have visited for a beach vacation or spring break, but there is so much more to the country! If you’re visiting soon, here’s what to know before traveling to Mexico.

International RESPECT

What to know before traveling to Mexico, or to really any other country, is to be respectful. As Americans, you need to realize that not everyone speaks English. Do NOT just assume people do. In any new country, you should assume everyone speaks only the nations language, which means it’s your responsibility to attempt speaking it.

Language

It’s general travel etiquette to know how to say hello, goodbye, thank you, please, and help at the bare minimum. Personally, I’ll always try to learn additionally, how to order food, how to ask where the bathroom is, how much is this, and some numbers. If you’re interested in learning a base level of Spanish before visiting Mexico or another Spanish speaking country, this guide I created coupled with Quizlet or flashcards can provide you a ton of information in a low cost way to learn Spanish.

When visiting a new country, it’s important to learn about their culture and what is the proper etiquette of how to act . As a international traveler, this is important to, one, be respectful of the local people, and two, to not be immediately spotted as a tourist and targeted for some kind of crime. Crime happens in every single city in world. What you can do, it be aware of your surroundings at all times and not make yourself a target

How Did You Vote?

Also, if in the most recent election, you voted for Donald Trump, you should not go to Mexico. Know that your vote directly and knowing elected someone who decided immigrants should be removed from our country. The United States is a country of immigrants, which is what makes us great. Of course, people who commit violent crimes should be deported, but anyone who “looks” Latino is being deported. People who are citizens; people who work hard and do the jobs you’d never take; people who only add to their community, have had their lives uprooted because you decided your vote was more important than their livelihood. If you voted for Trump, you don’t deserve to go to Mexico and enjoy their culture when it’s convenient for you.

About Money

What to know before traveling to Mexico is that the peso is not the strongest currency. Especially compared to USD, euro, pound, the peso is much weaker, making your money go further than it would in the US. For Americans, this can make your trip a bit more affordable than if you traveled within the US, Europe, or some Asian countries. One US dollar is about 20 pesos. The minimum daily wage in Mexico is 278.80 pesos. In US dollars, that’s not ever $2 an HOUR. Know that when you spend money in Mexico, especially at local businesses rather than a large corporation, you are making a direct positive impact in their lives and in the community. S

So when talking about money in Mexico:

• DO NOT SAY “Wow everything is sooo cheap here.” It’s not cheap for locals. You’re essentially calling another country cheap which isn’t ok. If someone came to your hometown and said it was cheap, you’d be annoyed too.
• Don’t bargain too much when in a market/situations where bargaining happens to get the best possible deal. The small amount you are arguing over probably means nothing to you. What do you care about whether you pay an extra 20 cents of 40 cents? That little amount to you could cover the cost of their next meal.

Moral of the story: you can be excited about how you aren’t breaking the bank on this trip without being rude! And know that spending money in Mexico is great when you buy from locals. Give your hard earned money to the people that need it, not a greedy corporation.

Transportation

Still with me, great! Here’s what to know before traveling to Mexico about transportation. When it comes to getting around, Uber is quite affordable (as an American) and possibly the best form of transportation. In both Cancun and Mexico City, they were reliable forms of transportation (though in Cancun they are at war with the taxi drivers so you can’t get one leaving the airport, but you can get one going to the airport). If you’re curious about traveling to Mexico City in general, check out this video about my trip about how much I spent, this post about what I did in CDMX, or my day to day vlog from my youtube!

Costs

The most I spend on an uber $20 to get to the airport. I spent $16 to get to El Nido De Quetzalquoatl from Mexico City, which was about an hour drive. But honestly, there is TONS of traffic in Mexico City, especially during rush hours. Sometimes the most reliable method of transportation is walking yourself or taking a bike! There’s also the buses and the subway, but using public transportation is not advisable during rush times (from 7 – 10am or 4-6pm). The subway or bus will be packed with people commuting to and from work. And I know from when I worked in NYC, that it made me SO mad when I couldn’t get a seat on my usual train because tons of people were going into or out of the city for fun. So I try not to subject people to that feeling when I can!

Mexico City is MASSIVE. It has 9.2 million itself, 22 million in the metropolitan area. You will not be able to see everything, unless you are staying for a while. Use whatever form of transportation that works best for you to see everything you can!

Safety

I went on a solo trip to Mexico and the most stressful part of it, was the anxiety my family had and projected onto me about MY safety. In full honesty, I felt completely safe the entirety of my time in Mexico. I have felt MUCH more scared for my life on the subways of NYC, which I never felt a fraction of in Mexico City. The touristy areas are the safest to stay in: Roma Norte, Condesa, and Polanco, but you should try to venture out and explore other neighborhoods! I LOVED Coyoacan, where the Frida Kahlo Museum is. As long as, one, you are not flaunting something expensive and, two, paying attention to your surroundings, you will be ok!

In Cancun, I felt super safe as well, but there I did stay in an all inclusive resort. Between my Chichen Itza tour and my relaxation day, I didn’t have much time to explore the area. Of course, there are parts of Mexico that aren’t safe. You can look at the travel advisory rates for each state, and many of the border states are rated very unsafe to travel to. I think Mexico City has it’s rating, for the same reason that NYC would. All large cities have crime and violence. Many parts of Mexico are safe for travelers and some parts are not. Make sure to do some research before booking your trips, but the typical locations, Los Cabos, Cancun/Tulum, and Mexico City are quite safe.

Conclusion

For me, I want to go back and explore more of the country! I had an amazing time in Mexico City and cannot wait to go back. Oaxaca has some of the best food in the WORLD, so it’s been added to my ever growing travel list. I’ve lived in Ibiza (by teaching English) and traveled throughout Spain/Europe, and truly no other country has compared!

For what else to know before traveling to Mexico, eat as much food as you can, shop in the adorable clothing boutiques and ceramics store, go to a bunch of museums, and have the most fun possible! Just be a respectful human being and you will have a great and safe trip. Then you will be jonesing to come back like I am! Safe travels!