Getting There

The current entry requirements for Americans traveling to Mexico are summarized below; you can read through this website for specifics.

• American passports must be valid for 30 days beyond your intended date of departure from Mexico.

• A tourist visa is not required for Americans, if visiting for less than 180 days. You will receive a passport stamp upon entry to the country after deplaning and before baggage collection. There is no fee associated with this.

No additional travel vaccinations are required for Mexico City.

• The CDC recommends that most travelers to Mexico get the typhoid vaccine, which protects against a life-threatening food and water-borne illness that's endemic to the country.

• You should speak to a travel nurse at least six weeks before your trip to discuss your needs. Most vaccines are given within four weeks of your departure date

We are frequently asked about personal safety in Mexico. It boils down to being aware of your surroundings. Walking through the neighborhoods listed above during the day is fine; for travel at any time within the city, we recommend hopping in an Uber. As a general rule of thumb: if in doubt, hail an Uber!

We strongly recommend reserving your designer bags and jewelry for private events and leaving them in the safe at your accommodations at other times. Or just leave them at home! Most crime in Mexico is opportunistic, so don’t make yourself a target.

Keep tabs on your phone and wallet at all times.

Ubers are very reasonably priced and are always available, so if in doubt, order one!

You can also hire a private driver for the course of your stay, though this depends on your plans and preferences.

Car rentals in Mexico City are common, but note that parking around the city requires some planning and knowledge.

Getting from Mexico City’s airport and into the city is a breeze! If you are staying at a hotel, they can arrange transportation for you.

We usually use Uber, which you can call upon getting your baggage.

Note that the UberX cars are smaller and may or may not have air conditioning. You will be best served by calling an Uber Black or an UberXL if you have a ton of luggage.

Additionally, you MUST IGNORE all of the people holding generic Uber signage outside of baggage claim — they are not legitimate. Follow signs for the assigned pickup spot.

You can also use a wide variety of online transportation booking options to book higher-end transportation in a advance.

Tipping in Mexico usually falls between 10 - 18% in restaurants, with exceptional service, or a meal in a fine dining establishment, falling closer to 20%.

The type of accommodation you book really depends on what you need during your trip. To each, their own! There is no “best” answer.

When booking AirBNBs in Mexico City, it is important to look for properties with multiple positive reviews and to stay on the platform when making the booking (i.e. don’t go off-platform to save money on fees). Staying on-platform ensures that you have recourse via AirBNB and/or your credit card should anything go awry.

As in Europe, air conditioning is not standard in many accommodations in Mexico. Make sure to select the air conditioner filter in your searches, or confirm with the property before making a booking.

We will suggest using WhatsApp to communicate, so we recommend downloading the app over the next few months.

We will create a broadcast group on WhatsApp to send you one-way group messages for event specifics and reminders, so please make sure to have your account set up.

To call Mexican numbers from American phones, first dial “+52” and then the number, omitting the “0” that is in the front (this is only used for internal calls).

Just in case the worst happens, make sure you remember that this information is here! Remember that for American phones, instead of dialing the preceding “0”, you’ll likely omit it and type in “+52” (country code) before the number. If needed, ask a nearby Mexican for help.

Medical + Fire Emergencies | 911

Ambulance | 066