Tips for travel to Mexico City

Our Mexico City travel tips section is designed to provide you with valuable information on the destinations we serve. You can access weather reports, convert currency, browse through destination guides, research passport and visa information and much more.

Introduction

Dining & Entertainment

Entry Requirements

Money & Emergency

Weather

Map

Fun Things To Do

Health & Safety Links

Flight Overview

Dining

As in most of the world's major cities, dining in Mexico City is sophisticated, with cuisine that spans the globe. From high chic to the Mexican standard of comida corrida (food on the go), the capital offers something for every taste and budget. The Polanco area in particular has become a place of exquisite dining options, with new restaurants rediscovering and modernizing classic Mexican dishes. The Centro Histórico led a resurgence of ultra-hip restaurants and clubs open for late-night dining and nightlife, which has spread to the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods -- now known as the SoHo of Mexico City. Cantinas, until not so very long ago the privilege of men only, offer some of the best food and colorful local atmosphere.

Everybody eats out in Mexico City, regardless of social class. Consequently, you can find restaurants of every type, size, and price range scattered across the city. Mexicans take their food and dining seriously, so if you see a full house, that's generally recommendation enough. But those same places may be entirely empty if you arrive early -- remember, here, lunch is generally eaten at 3pm, with dinner not seriously considered before 9pm.

Zona Rosa & Surrounding Areas--If you're up for a culinary adventure, dine at the student-staffed Restaurante Escuela Monte Servino at the Colegio Superior de Gastronomía, the training ground for Mexico's up-and-coming chefs. It's in a lovely room overlooking the Parque México.

¡Café, Por Favor! --If you think espresso bars are a new phenomenon, or coffee drinks a development of recent years, you may be intrigued to learn that in Mexico, drinking good coffee has been considered an art form for generations. Some of the best coffee can be found in small cafes that have a crowd of regulars who congregate to catch up on the local chisme.

Café La Habana, downtown at Bucareli and Morelos, is one of the most famous, a longstanding cafe with a rich history -- and a reputation for strong coffee, all roasted and ground in-house. Ask the waiter and he'll tell you how Fidel Castro and Ché Guevara planned the Cuban revolution while sipping an espresso cortao.

The Condesa neighborhood, east of Chapultepec Park, is another top cafe zone. El Péndulo, Nuevo León 115, close to Insurgentes, is a favorite. It combines its cafe setting with a book and music store, and so tends to draw intellectuals, writers, and students. It frequently hosts live music and poetry readings.

Entertainment

From mariachi, reggae, and opera to folkloric dance, classical ballet, and dinner shows, the choice of nighttime entertainment in Mexico City is enormous and sophisticated. Prices are much lower than those for comparable entertainment in most of the world's major cities. If you're willing to let la vida mexicana put on its own fascinating show for you, the bill will be even less. People-watching, cafe-sitting, music, and even a dozen mariachi bands all playing at once can be yours for next to nothing. For those looking for the hottest spots in dance clubs, head straight for the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods.

The Entertainment Scene
Mexico City has a very impressive club scene, with great places for dancing to music ranging from salsa to house. In recent years, the Centro Histórico downtown has earned a reputation for a broad range of chic clubs concentrated within walking distance. The posh Polanco neighborhood is known for its perennial hot nightclub scene, but in recent years, the hippest clubs are found in the Condesa neighborhood (reputedly the SoHo of Mexico City, though the nightlife scene is more akin to New York's East Village). The Zona Rosa remains highly popular, and continues to be the most comfortable place for tourists. There the music tends to be more English-language than Spanish, and the masses of people strolling the sidewalks give the area a festive, friendly feel.

Fiesta nights give visitors a chance to dine on typical Mexican food and see wonderful regional dancing, which seems always to be a treat no matter how many times you've seen it.

For lower-key nightlife and people-watching, outdoor cafes remain a popular option. Those on Calle Copenhague, in the thick of the Zona Rosa scene, are among the liveliest.

Mariachis--Mariachis play the music of Mexico. Although the songs they play may be familiar -- ranging from traditional boleros to Mozart to the Beatles -- their style and presentation are unique to Mexico. Known for their distinctive dress, strolling presentation, and mix of brass and guitars, they epitomize the romance and tradition of the country. They look a little like Mexican cowboys dressed up for a special occasion -- tight trousers studded with silver buttons down the outside of the legs, elaborate cropped jackets, embroidered shirts with big bow ties, and grandiose sombrero hats. The dress dates to the French occupation of Mexico in the mid-19th century, as does the name. Mariachi is believed to be an adaptation of the French word for marriage; this was the type of music commonly played at weddings in the 15th and 16th centuries. The music is a derivative of fandango, which was the most popular dance music of the elite classes in 16th-century Spain. In Mexico, fandango became the peasant's song and dance.

In Mexico City, the mariachis make their headquarters around the Plaza de Garibaldi, 5 blocks north of the Palacio de Bellas Artes -- up Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas, at Avenida República de Honduras. Mariachi players are everywhere in the plaza. At every corner, guitars are stacked together like rifles in an army camp. Young musicians strut proudly in their outfits, on the lookout for señoritas to impress.

Money

Banks & ATMs
Banks in Mexico are rapidly expanding and improving services. They tend to be open weekdays from 9am until 5pm, and often for at least a half day on Saturday. In larger resorts and cities, they can generally accommodate the exchange of dollars (which used to stop at noon) anytime during business hours. During times when the currency is in flux, a particular bank may not exchange dollars, so check before standing in line. Some, but not all, banks charge a service fee of about 1% to exchange traveler's checks. However, you can pay for most purchases directly with traveler's checks at the establishment's stated exchange rate. Don't even bother with personal checks drawn on a U.S. bank -- the bank will wait for your check to clear, which can take weeks, before giving you your money.

Travelers to Mexico can easily withdraw money from ATMs (automated teller machine) in most major cities and resort areas. In most resorts in Mexico, the use of ATMs is perfectly safe -- just use the same precautions you would at any ATM. Universal bank cards (such as the Cirrus and PLUS systems) can be used. This is a convenient way to withdraw money and avoid carrying too much with you at any time. The exchange rate is generally more favorable than that at a casas de cambio. Most machines offer Spanish/English menus and dispense pesos, but some offer the option of withdrawing dollars. The Cirrus (tel. 800/424-7787) and PLUS (tel. 800/843-7587) networks span the globe; look at the back of your bank card to see which network you're on, then call or check online for ATM locations at your destination. Be sure you know your personal identification number (PIN) before you leave home and be sure to find out your daily withdrawal limit before you depart. Also keep in mind that many banks impose a fee every time a card is used at a different bank's ATM, and that fee can be higher for international transactions (up to $5 or more) than for domestic ones (where they're rarely more than $1.50). On top of this, the bank from which you withdraw cash may charge its own fee.

Traveler's Checks
Traveler's checks are something of an anachronism from the days before the ATM made cash accessible at any time. Traveler's checks used to be the only sound alternative to traveling with dangerously large amounts of cash. They were as reliable as currency, but, unlike cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen.

You can get traveler's checks at almost any bank. You can also get American Express traveler's checks over the phone by calling tel. 800/221-7282.

Visa offers traveler's checks at Citibank locations nationwide, as well as at several other banks. Call tel. 800/732-1322 for information. AAA members can obtain Visa checks without a fee at most AAA offices or by calling tel. 866/339-3378. MasterCard also offers traveler's checks. Call tel. 800/223-9920 for a location near you.

If you choose to carry traveler's checks, be sure to keep a record of their serial numbers separate from your checks in the event that they are stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster if you know the numbers.

Credit Cards
Credit cards are a safe way to carry money: They also provide a convenient record of all your expenses, and they generally offer relatively good exchange rates. You can also withdraw cash advances from your credit cards at banks or ATMs, provided you know your PIN. If you've forgotten yours, or didn't even know you had one, call the number on the back of your credit card and ask the bank to send it to you. It usually takes 5 to 7 business days, though some banks will provide the number over the phone if you tell them your mother's maiden name or some other personal information.

Charges will be made in pesos, then converted into dollars by the bank issuing the credit card. Generally you receive the favorable bank rate when paying by credit card. However, be aware that some establishments in Mexico add a 5% to 7% surcharge when you pay with a credit card. This is especially true when using American Express. Many times, advertised discounts will not apply if you pay with a credit card.

Dear Visa: I'm Off to Mexico City! -- Some credit card companies recommend that you notify them of any impending trip abroad so that they don't become suspicious and block your charges when the card is used numerous times in a foreign destination. Even if you don't call your credit card company in advance, you can always call the toll-free emergency number if a charge is refused -- a good reason to carry the phone number with you. But perhaps the most important lesson is to carry more than one card on your trip; if one card doesn't work for any number of reasons, you'll have a backup.

Emergency

ABC (American British Cowdray) Hospital
Address: Calle Sur 136 #116, Esquina Avenida Observatorio, Colonia Las Americas, Mexico City, Mexico, 01120
Phone: 52.55.5230.8000

Hospital Angeles del Pedregal
Address: Camino a Santa Teresa 1055, Colonia Heroes de Padierna, Mexico City, Mexico, 10700
Phone: 52.55.5652.2011

Ambulance: 060
Police: 060
Fire: 060

Fun Things To Do in Mexico City

Attractions & Activities

Mexico City Attractions

The diverse attractions in Mexico City spring from its complex layers of history. From the simple pleasure of a stroll through a bustling mercado to museums filled with treasures of artistic and historic significance, Mexico City has much to explore.

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - The Basílica occupies the site where, on December 9, 1531, a poor Indian named Juan Diego reputedly saw a vision of a beautiful lady in a blue mantle. The local bishop, Zumarraga, was reluctant to confirm that Juan Diego had indeed seen the Virgin Mary, so he asked the peasant for evidence. Juan Diego saw the vision a second time, on December 12, and when he asked her for proof, she instructed him to collect the roses that began blooming in the rocky soil at his feet. He gathered the flowers in his cloak and returned to the bishop. When he unfurled his cloak, the flowers dropped to the ground and the image of the Virgin was miraculously emblazoned on the rough-hewn cloth. The bishop immediately ordered the building of a church on the spot, and upon its completion, the cloth with the Virgin's image was hung in a place of honor, framed in gold. Since that time, millions of the devout and the curious have come to view the miraculous image that experts, it is said, are at a loss to explain. So heavy was the flow of visitors -- many approached for hundreds of yards on their knees -- that the old church, already fragile, was insufficient to handle them. An audacious New Basílica, designed by Pedro Ramírez Vazquez, the same architect who designed the breathtaking Museo Nacional de Antropología, opened in 1987.

Zocalo - Every Spanish colonial city in North America was laid out according to a textbook plan, with a plaza at the center surrounded by a church, government buildings, and military headquarters. Because Mexico City was the capital of New Spain, its zócalo is one of the grandest, graced on all sides by stately 17th-century buildings.

Zócalo actually means "pedestal" or "plinth." A grand monument to Mexico's independence was planned and the pedestal built, but the project was never completed. Nevertheless, the pedestal became a landmark for visitors, and soon everyone was calling the square the zócalo, even after the pedestal was removed. (Its official name, which you will rarely hear, is Plaza de la Constitución.) It covers almost 4 hectares (10 acres) and is bounded on the north by Cinco de Mayo, on the east by Piño Suárez, on the south by 16 de Septiembre, and on the west by Nacional Monte de Piedad. The downtown district -- especially north of the Templo Mayor, one of the oldest archaeological sites in the city -- is currently undergoing an important restoration project that is renewing much of its colonial charm. Occupying the entire east side of the zócalo is the majestic red tezontle-stone Palacio National, seat of the Mexican national government, and on the northern border is the Catedral Metropolitana.

Mexico City Activities

Alameda Park - Today the lovely tree-filled Alameda Park attracts pedestrians, cotton-candy vendors, strollers, lovers, and organ grinders. Long ago, the site was an Aztec marketplace. When the conquistadors took over in the mid-1500s, heretics were burned at the stake here under the Spanish Inquisition. In 1592, the governor of New Spain, Viceroy Luis de Velasco, converted it to a public park. Within the park, known as La Alameda, is the Juárez Monument, sometimes called the Hemiciclo (hemicycle, or half-circle), facing Avenida Juárez. Enthroned as the hero he was, Juárez assumes his proper place here in the pantheon of Mexican patriots. European (particularly French) sculptors created most of the other statuary in the park in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Chapultepec Park - One of the biggest city parks in the world, 220-hectare (551-acre) Chapultepec Park is more than a playground; it's virtually the centerpiece of the city. Besides accommodating picnickers on worn-away grass under centuries-old trees, it has canoes on the lake; jogging and bridle paths; vendors selling balloons, souvenirs, and food; a miniature train; an auditorium; and Los Pinos, home of Mexico's president. The park is also home to the City Zoo and La Feria amusement park. Most important for tourists, it contains a number of interesting museums, including the Museo Nacional de Antropología.