Traveling to Mexico? Here are 27 Things to Know Before You Go

Last updated on April 22, 2026

If you’re traveling to Mexico for the first time, this guide shares helpful travel tips for a safe and smooth vacation.

Mexico holds a special place in my heart. Before my husband and I began traveling to Mexico, I knew little about the country. It didn’t take long to discover many of my preconceptions of Mexico were completely wrong, and this diverse country had a lot more to offer me than margaritas and queso.

As an American, my idea of Mexico was shaped by dramatized series like Narcos, sensationalized cartel news reports, the image of luxury vacations in Cancun’s all-inclusive resorts, and stereotypical decor and food found in Mexican-American restaurants.

However, after traveling to 26 of the 32 Mexican states over a year and a half, I’ve learned there is much more to this magnificent country.

From the mountains of central Mexico to the deserts of Baja, the beaches of Quintana Roo, and the colorful centers of the Yucatan, traveling to Mexico is one of the best vacations you can have! Its landscapes, colors, people, culture, and food (don’t get me started on the food 🤤) are just a few reasons to travel to Mexico.

Many Mexico travel guides offer superficial advice, lacking insights from insiders who have lived or traveled there extensively. Not this guide.

I’m pulling from my experience traveling a year and a half across Mexico, and now, as a temporary Mexican resident, to give you 27 of the best tips for traveling to Mexico. From safety precautions to ordering food, getting safe drinking water, and having cool cultural experiences, this guide covers everything you need to know before traveling to Mexico.

Mexico travel tips cheat sheet

🩻 Should you get travel insurance for traveling to Mexico?
Yes! We always have travel health insurance when we go abroad. Healthcare is extremely affordable in Mexico, we visited the doctors multiple times and each trip was $100 or less. However, if something serious happens it’s great to have a more thorough plan to cover expenses. Plus, SafetyWing‘s travel insurance also covers trip interruption, theft, and other issues that can arise when traveling to Mexico.

🏨 Where to find the best accommodations in Mexico?
Hotels are a great option in big cities and small towns. You can also opt for a short-term vacation rental on Airbnb. We always look for accommodations in Mexico on Booking.com, which often has the best deals for both accommodation styles in Mexico.

💳 Bring a travel credit card with no international fees.
Many places in Mexico accept credit and debit cards now, but your bank may charge an international fee.

💸 Exchanging money in Mexico
Exchange your money for Mexican pesos at your local bank (this is normally free). Do not exchange it at the airport or an exchange service in Mexico. If you need more pesos, pull money out from an ATM with a debit card. I use a Revolut card to pay no ATM or bank fees when traveling abroad.

🗣️ Do you need to know Spanish to travel to Mexico?
Yes and no. Knowing Spanish will certainly make it a more enjoyable experience. But if you’re visiting popular tourist destinations like Cabo, Cancun, or Tulum you won’t need to speak Spanish to enjoy your trip. If you do want to practice some Spanish before you go (highly recommended), here is a detailed guide with our favorite language learning resources.

✈️ How can I find cheap flights to Mexico?
I love to use Google Flights to compare the best time to travel. However, Skyscanner is another great tool to find cheap flight deals.

🚗 Best way to find rental cars in Mexico?
We use DiscoverCars to search for car rentals when traveling. However, always check individual car rental reviews. DiscoverCars is a great booking platform, but it cannot guarantee the quality and trustworthiness of individual rental companies. Mexico is notorious for car rental scams!

🪇 How do I find fun activities and cultural tours in Mexico?
We use GetYourGuide or Viatorto book our tours in Mexico when possible. Viator has more tours than GetYourGuide in Mexico, but we always check both. Many tour companies aren’t on these platforms, so you may book with a local company directly (over the phone or in the office, it’s rarely done over the computer).

Tips for Traveling to Mexico

The cheat sheet above answers the common questions asked about traveling to Mexico. The section below will share more specific (insider) travel tips for a smoother vacation experience.

1. Choose your Mexico travel destinations wisely

One of the top things to know before traveling to Mexico is where to go and when. Most people think of Mexico’s beautiful beaches along the Yucatán Peninsula, the Pacific Coast, or the popular islands of Cozumel or Isla Mujeres.

But there is a lot more to Mexico than its beaches. Some of our favorite places to travel in Mexico are in the mountains of Chiapas, Puebla, or areas outside Mexico City because of the temperate year-round weather.

🌧️ Mexico doesn’t have traditional seasons. It has a rainy and dry season. The rainy season lasts from May to November and can bring daily rainstorms or hurricanes. It’s usually hot and humid in tropical and beach climates during those months. The dry season is late November to early April and brings cooler temperatures and drier days.

Choose where you are going based on what you want to do and the typical weather during your travel window. For example, if you want a beach vacation without rain, head to the Bacalar or the Pacific coast in winter. If you want a cool reprieve from the unpleasant summer heat back home, head to the mountains of Chihuahua or Mexico City.

➡ Read Next: 9 Amazing Waterfalls in Mexico You Need to Visit ⬅

2. Don’t be scared to leave the resort

I cannot emphasize this enough – you should explore Mexico beyond your resort walls. If you’re exclusively going to an all-inclusive and never leave the hotel, hotel zone, or private resort beach, you haven’t truly been to Mexico.

Traveling to Mexico is safe, especially if visiting a top tourist town. Even in super-tourist centers like Cabo or Cancun, there is a lot to see, do, and experience outside the resort walls. Don’t feel confined to your immediate area and explore some of the other parts of the city or country.

➡ Read Next: The 15 Safest Places in Mexico to Visit ⬅

3. Bring plenty of pesos

Mexico is a cash-heavy country. Mexican pesos are the official currency and are accepted everywhere. Most street vendors and even certain restaurants will operate with cash only.

You should always have $300 to $500 Mexican Pesos on you (we normally have around $1,000 MXP on us at all times) to cover anything you want to buy as you’re out and about.

4. Avoid excessive ATM fees and international fees

The best way to get pesos when traveling to Mexico is to exchange it at your bank. Most banks will do this free of charge if you have an account with them, charging you a more favorable exchange rate than exchange services at the airport.

If you need to pull out more pesos when traveling in Mexico, withdraw pesos from an ATM.

💳 We pull out money from ATMs using our Revolut card. Revolut gives us the best conversion rate and has a massive network of ATMs, so we aren’t charged a fee for withdrawing cash like a traditional debit card.

It also gives us a layer of safety when traveling abroad. If the card is lost or stolen, I can withdraw the funds from the app, putting it safely back in my bank account.

There are loads of other features, like sending money to people abroad (think Venmo, but international), creating invoices to receive payments (like PayPal), and the ability to recharge the card as needed without foreign transaction fees. Revolut is the #1 European transaction app and is finally in the USA. Did I mention the app and card are completely free?

When you withdraw money from an ATM in Mexico, it will ask you two questions. The first is, do you approve of the transaction fee? Click ‘accept’ if so. Just know that every bank charges a different rate; some charge a fee as much as $8.75 to withdraw from their ATM. Mexican banks with the lowest ATM withdrawal fees:

• Santander – roughly $35 pesos
• Citi Banamex (my favorite) – roughly $30 pesos
• HSBC – roughly $35 pesos
• Avoid if possible: Banorte (roughly $58 pesos) and BBVA ($174 pesos)

The second question is, do you accept the foreign exchange rate from their bank? Click ‘Decline‘ for this one. They normally have a much worse exchange rate than your home bank will charge you.

5. Don’t drink tap water, drink ‘agua purificada’

Mexico is notorious for its water, and most visitors will warn you “not to drink the water” in Mexico. It’s true, tap water in Mexico is highly contaminated and not safe to drink. However, it doesn’t mean you are confined to drinking bottled water only.

Mexican nationals, restaurants, and hotels instead use water from a purification plant (agua purificador) for cooking and drinking. The country has a massive network of purification plants that provide healthy, safe drinking water at a low cost.

💧 Fun fact: Water gets delivered to restaurants and hotels daily. You can drink water for free without contributing to bottled water waste. Simply ask for “agua de la casa,” and they will give you water from a garafone like the one pictured above.

Bottled water is terrible for the environment. The plastic leaches harmful chemicals like BPA or PEF into the water, which have been linked to increased risks for diseases such as cancer. We always carried a reusable water bottle like this one to fill up water from garafones when we found them (hotels or restaurants).

6. You can enjoy drinks with ice

Let’s dispel another misconception about traveling to Mexico – you can drink beverages with ice. Ice is delivered from an agua purificada just like water. Meaning it’s purified and safe to drink. Go ahead and order the margarita with ice in it (actually, don’t, but more on that later). I promise you’ll be okay!

7. Haggling is normal from street vendors and in markets

Haggling is a part of Latin American culture. Most street vendors selling goods expect you to haggle on pricing. It’s okay to ask them to come down; negotiation is a part of the process.

However, you shouldn’t try to haggle over everything. Haggling is not common in restaurants or street carts with fixed-price menus that clearly state the cost of each item. Also, don’t try to low-ball the person just because you think you should haggle. If you feel the price is fair for the item, you can pay what they ask.

Don’t try to haggle over a difference of $10 – 50 pesos. Chances are, you make a much larger income than the seller, and the $1 – $2 USD savings you’re getting aren’t really saving you money, but can be a huge difference for the seller.

8. Don’t get fooled by the “mass-produced” stuff

Take note of the items being sold. Many tourist center shops purchase cheap handicrafts made in mass quantities in other countries and sell them as “Mexican artisan-made”. Look for artisan shops where the people are physically making the item in front of you, or you can see it’s been hand-stitched, woven, or dyed by a real human, not a machine.

It also helps to seek out the local craft for that region. For example, Talavera beautifully painted ceramics hail from Puebla, barro negro clay work comes from Oaxaca, and Santa Clara del Cobre in Michoacan is known for copper crafts.

Every region has its specialty, and shopping for that where it originates increases the likelihood you’re buying authentic Mexican-made goods.

9. Public restrooms charge a fee

If you’re out and about and need to use the restroom, look for a sign labeled “WC” or “Sanitarios”. These are normally restrooms in a private building that charge $8 to 20 pesos. Sometimes there is a turntable you’ll pass to enter after paying or there will be an attendant there who collects the money giving you toilet paper for the restroom.

Occasionally, there is no running water in the toilet and they will have to manually “wash” the toilet after with a bucket of water. When using public restrooms, try to be as polite (and clean) as possible.

10. Toilet paper does not go in the toilet

Since we’re talking toilets, most restrooms in Mexico request that you throw toilet paper and feminine products in the trash can. There should be a large trash can next to the toilet for this.

The plumbing in most of Mexico cannot handle toilet paper, although newer properties in resort areas like Cancun, for example, sometimes allow it. Always follow the guidelines of the bathroom, but know that for 95% of Mexico, toilet paper goes in the trash can.

11. Always have toilet paper or a tissue with you

The last tip for toilets in Mexico is to come prepared. Some attendants will give you toilet paper, but it’s normally a small amount. There is usually no toilet paper in the bathroom stall. Some public restrooms or bathroom restrooms won’t have toilet paper either. I always have some with me in case of an emergency!

12. Don’t be afraid to order street food

We love dining at restaurants in Mexico, but our preferred way to eat when traveling to Mexico is street food. A lot of people get nervous eating street food in Mexico because they want to avoid the risk of food poisoning. But skipping street carts means you’re missing out on an entire food culture in Mexico and missing some of the tastiest foods.

Always assess the cart and/or vendors’ cleanliness and sanitary procedures as they prepare and serve food. We like to look for carts packed with locals. Normally, they know which stalls to avoid or visit.

➡ Read Next: Your Guide to Puebla Mexico Food (13 Dishes You Shouldn’t Miss) ⬅

Some Mexican street food carts can make you sick, but most will not. Be careful ordering seafood at street carts in small towns. Unless it’s freshly caught that day, it’s likely frozen fish. Small towns with inconsistent power often experience outages, where frozen seafood can be defrosted and refrozen many times before serving, increasing the chances of food illnesses.

13. Order local specialties (not nachos and margaritas)

Mexico’s food scene is so much more than nachos and margaritas. The typical Mexican food we are familiar with across the globe has been adapted to meet our palates and preferences. There’s a whole other world when it comes to traditional Mexican foo,d and you should branch out of the traditional tacos, enchiladas, and nachos you’ve come to expect in the United States.

Learn about the local specialties in the region you’re visiting and try new dishes. The types of ingredients, moles, or taco specialties vary depending on the state. For example, Yucatan has its own cuisine that is completely different from the food you’d find in Puebla or Chihuahua.

Read Next: ➡ 17 Delicious Yucatan Dishes to Try on Your Mexico Vacation

Baja California and the northern part of Mexico use flour tortillas traditionally, while the rest of Mexico uses corn tortillas. Baja California and the Quintana Roo area are also the only places you’ll find margaritas, a beverage created for Americans.

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14. Service and tipping

Tipping is a part of Mexican culture. While it’s not as generous as in the United States, expect to leave a 10% tip on most meals in formal restaurants. You can leave a peso or two for street vendors if desired, but tipping isn’t as common for street food. You can also leave a 10% tip for tour guides and $10 to $20 pesos for gas station attendants.

Waiters are slow to arrive at the table, are often short in communication, and won’t check on you throughout the meal. You will need to wave down the attended to get their attention if you want refills, to order something else, or to get the bill. It’s not the server being rude, it’s just the way it is.

15. Common phrases + ordering in Mexico

Most tourists use the same phrases for ordering in English, but in Spanish. For example, we typically order food in English by saying I would like (me gustaría) or I want (yo quiero). 🚫 But this is not how you would order in Spanish. 🚫

Instead, say “me da” or “nos da” which roughly means ‘bring me’ or ‘give us’. For example, “me da los enchiladas con salsa verde por favor.” This translates to “give me the enchiladas in the green salsa please.”

‘Me da’ sounds rude when directly translated into English, but direct translations don’t work. Understand the phrases and verbs used by native speakers and locals to order appropriately. Ordering in Mexico and common Spanish phrases:

• When ordering, instead of saying quiero (I want) or quiesiera (I would like) say:
  • Me da
• La cuenta por favor (the check please).
• Con tarjeta (with card). Effectivo (cash).
• Agua de la casa (purified water from a garafone).
• La carta (menu).
• Cerveza (beer)
• Beber means to drink, but you will more commonly hear “tomar“, or to take. Your server will ask, “que quieres tomar?” or “Algo de tomar?” which means, “what do you want to drink?”
• Where is the bathroom? Donde estan los baños (servicios)?
• How much does it cost? Cuanto cuesta?

Want to sound like a local? Say ‘Buen Provecho’ to others when they are eating, or “enjoy”.

16. Don’t be alarmed when vendors call to you

Latin American vendors can be a bit aggressive when soliciting their services. It’s extremely common to have different restaurant owners, servers, vendor stalls, and tour guide companies call to you (loudly) from the streets requesting you enter their shop or take a tour with them.

Sometimes they will follow you on the street, showing you laminated flyers of their tour services or men,u almost shoving the item in your hand.

It’s okay to say “gracias” and continue walking without stopping to engage if you are not interested. This was definitely off-putting to us initially because it’s not done much in the United States. Once we realized that’s how it is and how to respond, it wasn’t as intimidating.

17. Your US or Canadian cell service should work perfectly

If you are traveling to Mexico from the US or Canada, your cell phone provider should work without issue in Mexico. There should be no service interruption or additional fees for calls, texts, or data. However, it’s always a good idea to check that you have coverage without charge before arriving.

If you are traveling to Mexico from outside of North America, you’ll want to get a local SIM card from Telcel to use data, call, and text.

You can also get an e-SIM from Airlo that works digitally with local carriers to provide service. This is a nice option so you don’t have to change your phone number to a Mexican number during your stay and can use your phone without interruption after purchasing data with the e-sim from Airlo.

➡ Read Next: How to Stay Connected RVing Mexico (Mobile Internet in Mexico) ⬅

18. Prepare to see lots of stray dogs

There are so many stray dogs in Mexico. There also isn’t a huge infrastructure for spaying and neutering leading to a huge stray dog population.

Some of the dogs on the street will be malnourished, injured, or both. We’ve found most strays are super sweet and eager for love and attention. Many shop owners will take care of the strays, and you’ll see locals throw them food when they’re eating. As a first-time visitor, though, it can be hard to see.

19. Book experiences and tours ahead

Tours and experiences in popular regions like Chichen-Itza, Palenque Ruins, Lucha Libre matches, and cenote tours should be booked in advance. Even in the off-season, there is a chance the tour or entrance will fill up when you are visiting. We always pre-book our experiences and tours and make reservations for dinner or lunch when possible if it’s a highly sought-after restaurant in Mexico City or Valle de Guadalupe.

➡ Read Next: 🍷 The Perfect Travel Guide for Valle de Guadalupe Mexico ⬅

20. Quintana Roo is the only EST time zone

Mexico does not follow daylight savings time, meaning the clock stays the same all year long. Most of mainland Mexico operates in Central time – except Quintana Roo.

Tourists were missing flights out of Cancun because they assumed they were in Eastern Standard Time. So, in 2015 the state changed it to Zona Sureste (Southeast Zone) which follows Eastern Standard Time for most of the year. Suppose you drive to Merida in the Yucatan, for example, after flying from Cancun. Give yourself an hour’s time difference for your return flight.

21. Plan your trip around important holidays

Each region has different celebrations and traditional dresses, music, and festivals to participate in. We highly recommend traveling to Mexico for one of these events and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing Dia de Los Muertos on the first of November. If you can plan your vacation to Mexico around these events I promise it’ll be a cultural experience like no other!

22. Respect and understand Mexico’s regional differences

Mexico has 31 states plus a Federal District, Mexico City. Much of Mexico has overlapping practices, but each region has unique customs, dances, spirits, sayings, and cuisine. Many speak entirely different languages.

Spanish is Mexico’s official language, but you may be shocked to hear there are 291 other languages spoken there. Its rich indigenous roots give way to countless unique dialects and languages. Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and the Yucatan are common areas where you’ll hear indigenous languages spoken as the primary language.

Respect the cultural differences in the regions and learn their history, cultural practices, traditional festivals, language, or local cuisine before visiting. You will certainly have a better time being educated before going, and know what to look for while traveling to Mexico.

23. Get around with a rental car or public bus

Collectivos are public buses that move throughout the city. They are extremely affordable and come in all shapes and sizes. We highly encourage you to use collectivos if you’re on a budget and want to visit top sites for cheap.

Mexico also has a great bus system that can take you from city to city for relatively cheap. Sometimes the rides are long and uncomfortable, but most get you there in comfort and ease. Always book bus tickets directly from the ADO website and not through a third-party app.

You can rent a car in Mexico to get around for extended periods or simply if you want the freedom to go where you want when you want.

However, car rental scams are common here and the price quoted for a reservation will not be what you pay at the end of the day. There is a required tax and usually a local insurance fee adding $100 or more to your reservation.

Our family visited for New Year’s Eve and had to pay $1,500 for a rental car they were quoted $400 for because of this. Do your research on the car rental company looking at reviews for that specific shop. While it’s not always the answer, it’s typically best to go with a reputable well-known brand.

A few important tips about renting a car and driving in Mexico:

• Do not drive in Mexico City. I repeat, do not drive in Mexico City. Just get a taxi or Uber.
• Have pesos for tolls (cuotas). They do not accept cards.
• Keep an eye out for topes. Topes, or speed bumps, aren’t always marked and can cause major damage to your car if you’re driving too quickly.

🚗 We have an entire guide to driving in Mexico to help you understand the ins and outs.

24. You don’t pump your own gas at gas stations

If you rent a car or drive your vehicle across the border like we did, don’t expect to pump your own gas when you need to fill up. Gas stations are full service in Mexico and an attendant is required to fill your vehicle.

Most will also clean your windshield while pumping, which is a bonus. Tell them “llena lo” (pronounced gen-a lo), which means “fill it” and specify if you want gasoline (gasolina) or diesel. It’s also a good idea to check the gas meter to show it reads $0.00 before they begin filling. There is a scheme to charge people more than they fill up by starting the meter at a higher rate.

Have pesos with you to pay for gas. Some gas stations will not have service to accept cards and you don’t want to be stranded without a way to pay!

25. Be aware of police corruption

One of the largest risks when traveling to Mexico is facing police corruption. Unfortunately, many police officers, at the federal, state, and municipal levels, are corrupt. Tourist areas are prime targets for being pulled over for false offenses where they request a bribe to let you go without a ticket.

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We experienced several run-ins with corrupt officers during our 10,000+ miles across the country. The worst, being in Mexico City, Acapulco, and Baja California Sur. Here are some tips for dealing with a corrupt officer:

1. 🎥 Record them. We always have a dash cam when we are driving. We’ve found the officers attempting a bribe stop when they notice they are being recorded.
2. 🪪 Don’t give them your physical license. Hand them a photocopy and show them through the window that you have the original. They should not need the original license if they are writing you a ticket. They often try to seize your license until you pay them now, which is a part of the corruption scheme.
3. 💵 Don’t pay the bribe! They are committing a crime and can face serious consequences if they are caught asking for this. You can also get in trouble for paying it, it’s illegal. Ask them to take you to the office to pay the ticket, “Vamos al estación de policía juntos para pagar la multa.” Once you call them on it, most of the time they stop.

26. Petty theft is the biggest threat (but Mexico is safe)

Mexico has gotten a bad rap for being an unsafe country. The Mexican Cartel is a real and serious threat, but most tourists don’t have to worry about it. Petty crime is likely your highest risk for crime-related incidents, and honestly, you’re more likely to experience a pickpocket in Europe than in Mexico.

Border towns can be dangerous and there are areas (like anywhere else) you shouldn’t venture into, especially with fancy clothes or equipment like cameras or jewelry. But having a nice outfit, watch, or camera on you does not mean you’ll get robbed.

Of course, you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that can happen anywhere. Be aware of your surroundings, know which places to avoid, and don’t participate in illicit activities, and the chances are you’ll be completely safe.

Most people in Mexico are so kind and welcoming. We received more kind gestures and help when we were in need, than anywhere else we’ve traveled to before.

Also, keep in mind that tourism is a huge part of Mexico’s economy. If tourists are being targeted, they’ll stop coming. No one, even the cartel, wants that. We felt very safe in Mexico and continue to advocate for its general safety for most tourists traveling to Mexico.

Check safety advisories before visiting less-tourist-focused areas. While most of Mexico is safe, some areas should be avoided due to cartel activity. We avoid areas labeled “do not travel” on the US Travel State website.

27. Be patient, things take longer in Mexico

One thing that took a bit of adjusting to get used to was how quickly, or rather how, slowly, things got done. Tours often started later than they said they would, drive times from spot to spot (and bus routes) took much longer than quoted, and eating at a restaurant could be a multi-hour experience.

Tacos and food trucks move fast and transactions and negotiations with vendors are quick, too. But for most other things, just be patient and remember things move slower here.

Hopefully, these 27 tips for traveling to Mexico will give you more confidence and a better idea of what to look for when picking destinations and accommodations. We have dozens of blog posts about traveling the Baja California Peninsula and mainland Mexico.

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