Visiting México

Fizzy Duck

Hi

I have never went travelling alone before. I am going to México in January for 5 months for a holiday. I have checked online and it says I can visit there for up to 180 days. I have my passport and I have got my travel vaccinations.

Is there anything I am overlooking? I'm new to this and I don't want to mess it up or get over there an be turned away or something.

Darren

jt_dublin

Hi Darren,

Do you speak some Spanish? I travelled around Central America for 4 months and definitely needed the language outside of the tourist places. I spent the first few weeks in Guatemala in language school which was great fun. I also met loads of people there, travelled some of my journey with them and strangely bumped in to more of them during different parts of the trip.

Buen viaje!

JT.

thegreengoblin

If you intend to travel around just make sure you know exactly where you're going, don't go too far off the beaten track. Like most places, Mexico has its share of no go areas but as you will probably know from just reading the news Mexico has a big problem with drugs and crime and there are certain areas which you will be advised to stay well clear of. Foreigners are generally not caught up in it but at the same time it's always advisable to keep your wits about you.

Although I didn't travel around the country I did spend a short time in Mexico City and had a great time. The people I met were so friendly and welcoming. It's a great shame that so much we read and hear about Mexico is to do with drugs and killings but remember the vast majority of people have nothing to do with that stuff. The country has so much amazing history, you are very fortunate to have the chance to be able to spend that amount of time there. And the food and drink is fantastic!

And like the previous poster said, a little bit of Spanish goes a long way. If you have the time to get a few lessons in before you go I would urge you to do it. If not, look into doing a few when you get there. It's a great language and it's relatively easy to pick up a fair bit of it in a short space of time.

Enjoy!

InTheTrees

Maybe this is a slightly different perspective as I'm in Seattle.

The stories we get up here from Mexico make the old violence in NI look like disneyland. You're safe if you're in a resort type setting but otherwise you're really taking your life in your own hands. Maybe thats an exaggeration as the media usually makes things seem a little worse but there's no escaping the fact that Fifty Thousand people have died in the violence since 2006. Thats 50,000.

And it includes tourists, locals, police, even embassy personnel. And tourists are a target as they're a valuable source of kidnap cash.

I dont want to be too negative but at least google it. And check www.tripadvisor.com

Here's the US State dept travel Warning on Mexico:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5665.html

InTheTrees

And here's the brit Foreign Office advice on Mexico:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/north-central-america/mexico1

FouxDaFaFa

Hi Fizzy,
Good for you, solo travel is a great experience and I'm sure you're going to have a great time. Learn as much basic Spanish as you can, it will serve you well. Brush up on areas that you should avoid. (I don't usually say "just blanket avoid X" but there are some areas worth noting).

Ciudad Juarez is the most obvious one. Tourists aren't usually targeted but at the same time, the cartels won't give you special treatment because you're not mexican. I had a bad experience in Tijuana so I wouldn't recommend there either. Mazatlan is experiencing a bit of a surge in violence at the moment.

It's worth checking Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor's forums and talking to Mexicans who can give you realistic accounts of where to go and to avoid.

Other than that, you sound pretty organised. It's unlikely you'll be "turned away". Scan a photo of your passport so you have a record of it if it is stolen or lost. This will speed up the process should you need a new one while over there. Leave a copy of it at home and keep another with you. Same with your health insurance details and visa information.

Fizzy Duck

Thank you all for the advice. I know a little bit of basic Spanish. I will be meeting up with my girlfriend when I get there. I will be flying into Guadalajara and will probably spend the majority of my first few weeks between there, Zamora and Morelia. Would anyone know anything specific about these areas? She has assured me that these areas are safe, but what she may consider safe/normal maybe different to mine.


Tbh I have heard about the violence and maybe I am naïve/innocent to it. I have checked out Trip Advisor and will check out Lonely Planet, I have also read the DFA’s page on México. I know to avoid the border with the US, Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Monterrey etc.


I will also make copies of my passport. It was one thing I would not have thought of. I will be leaving contact/itinerary details at home in the case of an emergency. I was told I should register with embassy upon my arrival there. Would that be necessary?

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

Same with your health insurance details and visa information.

You have mentioned a visa, but on researching on the internet it was specified that I would not require one if I was not working/staying longer than 180 days. Is that information wrong?


Thank you all again for the advice and feedback.
Darren

FouxDaFaFa

Is your girlfriend Mexican? I would probably take her word for it. Registering with the embassy is not essential but it's good practice to do so, especially since you'll be there for so long.

Fizzy Duck wrote: »

You have mentioned a visa, but on researching on the internet it was specified that I would not require one if I was not working/staying longer than 180 days.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you. I said "visa details" as a force of habit when I was thinking of the list of things to make copies of.

Fizzy Duck

My girlfriend is Mexican yes. Thank you for clearing that up about the embassy/visas.

Also how much money would you recommend I would have available to me for 6 months? I won't be carrying cash as I iwll be using ATM's. But I would like to know if you had any idea of how much would be ideal?

Bearing in mind, I don't have to pay for accomodation. She told me rent over there is really cheap too, but I dont know if that is an option at the minute [if I wanted to get my own place for a month or two]. Is it an expensive place?

Darren

InTheTrees

Fizzy Duck wrote: »

My girlfriend is Mexican yes.

Sorry if I was a little negative earlier but its good to have the info.

And if you're staying with a "local" then it will be a very different experience from being a tourist on your own.

Another statistic is that millions of tourists visit Mexico every year with no trouble at all!

Have a great time.

MadsL

InTheTrees wrote: »

Sorry if I was a little negative earlier but its good to have the info.

And if you're staying with a "local" then it will be a very different experience from being a tourist on your own.

Another statistic is that millions of tourists visit Mexico every year with no trouble at all!

Have a great time.

Initial reaction, holy crap. Travelling alone first time to Mexico. :eek:

Saw girlfriend is Mexican. You will have a wonderful time; jealous. Find me a local guide please.