Miscellaneous information - Mexico

This section contains information on:

Travel to Mexico and getting around once you’re there
Passport and visa requirements
Geography and time zone
Weather
Electricity

Getting there and around

Getting there

International Flights

Daily flights operate from London to Mexico City. You can fly directly into Cancún from several UK and ROI airports and there are scheduled and charter flights several times a week.

Many of the scheduled flights involve a stop at a US airport en route or go via other European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt or Madrid.

Airlines offering scheduled flights to Cancún from the UK and ROI are:

Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental, Delta, Iberia, KLM, Mexicana, Northwest, United, Virgin.

Most of the charter flights tend to fly directly into Cancún. Many of the tour operators now sell flights only on their chartered flights and you can pick up some excellent deals, although of course the flight times aren’t as flexible as scheduled flights.

Check out the individual tour operators or - when you are ready - have a look at this web site which has plenty on offer:

Summer flights from UK and ROI (May to Oct)…

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Glasgow, Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Dublin.

Winter flights from UK (Nov – Apr)…

Birmingham, East Midlands, Gatwick, Manchester.

The average flight time to Cancún and Mexico City from most European cities is around 11 – 12 hours. However, if you fly eastward, the journey time will be a little shorter because of the trade winds.

Because of congestion at Mexico City Airport, it’s no longer possible to land a private jet. They now have to land at Toluca, which is just on the outskirts of the city.

So, if you’re flying to Mexico via private jet, and you need to go into the city centre, expect your journey to take a little longer.

Getting around

Domestic Flights

Mexicana and Aeromexico are Mexico’s main airlines. Because they were both owned by the government until fairly recently, this lack of competition meant that fares weren’t cheap.

In 2005, the government sold Mexicana to the hotel and leisure group, Grupo Posadas. As a result of this, and the advent of new low cost airlines, fares are becoming more competitive.

There are a few smaller airlines offering lower fares (and some competition to the two dominant carriers), although Mexicana now operates its own low-cost airline.

Mexico City Airport is the hub of domestic flights for Mexico.

Point to point travel is not widely available yet, although things are changing with the advent of market de-regulation. If you can’t get a point to point flight yet, you may have to fly into Mexico City to pick up a connecting flight to Mexico’s provinces.

Mexico City’s airport authority is making significant investments in strategic regional airports within a couple of hour’s drive of the capital as part of their continued plan to decentralise flights in and out of Mexico City.

Toluca Airport, is becoming an important hub for the low cost airlines and has good connections to the city centre and the main airport, Benito Juarez Airport.

If you need to travel through Mexico City Airport en route to the provinces, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s a very modern airport with the full range of amenities that you would expect to find in any international hub. Flight transfers are efficient and unless you need to, there’s no need to leave the airport between flights.

The low cost carriers in Mexico:
Avicasa, AeroCalifornia, A Volar, Click Mexicana, Interjet, Volaris, VivaAerobus.

Taxis

It’s sensible to always use official taxis and if you flag one down check to see they have a proper licence displayed. Not all taxis are metered but those that are will have their meters checked every year when they renew their licence. So you can be pretty sure that the displayed fare is correct.

You can pick them up at official taxi ranks (sitios). Hotel, restaurants, etc. will often call a taxi for you if they don’t have a rank outside.

It will obviously help if you speak some Spanish as you shouldn’t necessarily expect taxi drivers to speak English, although some may understand a little.

Taxis are fairly inexpensive in Mexico and these days, many taxi drivers are now partnering with local taxi co-ops. The companies run a service from a central base which you call.

The base records your trip details and then passes the “ride” to the next available taxi driver. You’re normally given details of the taxi (and registration number) that will come to collect you.

National Buses

Over recent years, Mexico’s bus companies have invested seriously in new, executive class buses that service most of the country. The buses are high spec., modern, air-conditioned vehicles whose safety record is excellent. They often only have 24 seats, all of which are wide, like Business/Club Class.

They offer refreshments on board as well as TV and of course toilet facilities. The buses only travel on the toll-roads, making the journey fast and efficient and many of them travel through the night.

The bus companies offer a first class service with smart and helpful staff and if all that’s not enough, they run on time! They’re non-stop, going from door-to-door without any delays.

Local Buses

Local buses run in every city and town and they’re worth a ride for the experience! You’ll be surprised at just how many passengers can be crammed in, especially during the rush hour. And when there’s no room left inside, the passengers will hang out of the doors – a bit hairy for most tourists!

One of the reasons they’re so popular is that they’re ridiculously cheap – just remember to take plenty of change with you.

Micro Buses

"Micros" are mini buses which run in towns, cities and many tourist areas all over Mexico. They were originally nine seater, VW Combis charging just a peso per one way journey, irrespective of distance. In fact they used to be known as Peseros, because of their standard fare.

They became so popular with thousands of people relying upon their service, they’ve developed into the properly licensed transport service that runs today. The green and white mini buses are easily recognisable and like local buses, you pay on entry. But don’t expect to pay just a peso these days, a journey will now cost you between 2.50 and 4 pesos with an extra charge after 10pm.

Hiring a Car

You can certainly hire a car in Mexico but you may find it a bit stressful in the cities, in particular Mexico City.

If you’re in the provinces or resort areas, it’s a much easier proposition and certainly a good way of getting around and seeing the sights at your own pace.

So here are a few things you’ll need to know before renting a car: The minimum age for hiring a car is 25. You’ll need to produce your driving licence and often, your passport so make sure you take it with you. You’ll also need a credit card, even if you plan on paying cash.

As is standard practice with car hire companies, they’ll take an imprint of your card, as security against any damage you might cause.

Rental charges are about the same as those in Europe and the final amount will depend on usual things such class of vehicle, time of rental, mileage etc. Most quotes don’t include fully comprehensive insurance so check the details before signing the agreement. If you don’t have fully comprehensive included, make sure you ask for it – it’s important to have full cover.

If you intend picking up at one point and dropping off elsewhere, prepare yourself for a hefty charge. The drop-off fees are very expensive in Mexico and it may be less expensive to return to the same point and take a coach to your second destination.

The damage excess amount can vary considerably between companies, irrespective of your insurance cover or whose fault an accident might be, so it’s certainly worth shopping around.

You’ll be given a Pre-Rental Damages form, to complete before you take the car. Make sure you list all damage, however small you might think it is. Check under the car too as the speed bumps in Mexico frequently cause damage to the underside of vehicles. There are lots of speed bumps in Mexico so be careful.

It makes sense to carry all your documentation with you when driving your hire car, including your license. You’ll find it will make things much easier for you if you happen to get stopped by the police for any reason.

And something else you should carry is cash – because many petrol stations don’t accept credit cards, so be prepared.

Passports and Visas

Most visitors to Mexico will arrive via an airport and should be given a Tourist Permit form to complete whilst on the plane. (It’s the same form for a business trip permit too.)

If you don’t receive one on board, don’t worry, they are available at all Mexican airports and ports of entry, as you arrive.

You’ll also need to fill out a Customs Declaration form, which the airline will give to you along with the Tourist Permit form, before you land. These are also available at all Mexican airports and ports of entry.

Make sure you have the following documentation ready when you arrive at the immigration area:

Passport valid for at least 6 months
Tourist/Business Trip Permit (FMT) or other Entry Permit (e.g. FM3/FM2 Visa)
Customs Declaration Form

When you arrive in Immigration you’ll need to join the queue for foreign visitors. Once you get to the desk, the immigration officer will check your documents, fill in the number of days you’re allowed to stay on your Tourist Permit and then (naturally) stamp it. And just for good measure they’ll stamp your passport too.

They’ll hand you back a copy of the Tourist Permit which you must keep until you leave Mexico. You’ll need to hand in this part of the permit as you leave Mexico and you can’t imagine (or perhaps you can) what a performance it is if you don’t have it at the airport as you leave… You’ll need to go through a lot of rigmarole to get an exit permit and pay around US $40 for the privilege.

The bigger consideration of course, is that you may even miss your flight.

As we said earlier – keep your copy of the Tourist Permit safe! If you lose your Tourist Permit whilst you’re in the country, you should visit the local Immigration Office (ask for the Oficina de INM - Instituto Nacional de Migracion). They’ll give you some forms to complete and then send you to the local bank with one of the forms so that you can pay the Exit Permit fee.

When you get back to the Immigration Office, show them the receipt for your payment and they’ll issue you with a duplicate Exit Permit.

If you want to extend your Tourist Permit you can do this at the Immigration Office. Just fill out a few more forms, pay the fee again and you can have it extended for up to 180 days.

In addition to leisure visits, the Tourist Permit can be used to enter Mexico if you plan to look for and/or invest in Mexican property/real estate.

When you’re completing your property deal, the Notary Public will want to see evidence that your stay in Mexico is legal - a Tourist Permit is a valid document for this purpose.

The cost of the permit is generally included in your flight ticket cost under “taxes and surcharges” so you shouldn’t have to pay anything at the airport when you arrive. If you don’t arrive in Mexico by air, you’ll need to pay the Tourist Permit fee when you get to immigration at the border. It’s currently around US$20.

The British Embassy and Consulate in Mexico - Mexico City Rio Lerma 71, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, 06500 Mexico, DF. Telephone: +52 55 5242 8500

Geography

Mexico sits at the southern end of North America. It borders the United States to its north and Belize and Guatemala to the south. The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea sit to its east, with the North Pacific Ocean on its western coastline.

Mexico’s terrain is quite diverse and varies from high, rugged mountains and plateaux, to lush valleys, to desert and low coastal plains. The two mountain ranges crossing from north to south are the extension of the Rocky Mountains from North America.

The climate varies from tropical to desert.

With more than 170,000 square kilometres of protected natural areas, Mexico has an abundance of reserve biospheres, national parks, sanctuaries and national monuments.

Mexico comprises thirty-one states and is the 14th largest country in the world. Mexico City is the capital and is one of Continental America’s most populated cities.

A regional power, Mexico is the only Latin American member of OECD - The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Mexico is firmly established as an upper middle-income country.

Time

Mexico is broadly GMT – 6 hours

There’s a 1 hour time zone difference which affects Baja California and anywhere north of Puerto Vallarta. This northern area is one hour behind Mexico City and the rest of Mexico.

Clock / Time Changes in Mexico
Mexico altered its clocks in line with US daylight saving time back in 1996. It now alters its clocks on the same dates that the US changes its clocks.

Mexico City is therefore GMT minus 6 hours; Central European Time (CET) minus 7 hours; and in line with US’s DST.

With one tiny difference…
In the spring, Europe’s clocks go forward one week earlier than Mexico and US. So for one week each spring, Mexico (and US) is BST minus 7 hours; CET minus 8 hours. (The autumn clock change is in step with Europe).

The State of Sonora in the north of Mexico doesn’t alter its clocks for DST at any time of the year and this could be because it borders the US State of Arizona. (Arizona is one of the few states in the US which doesn’t alter its clock at any time of the year.)

Weather

Mexico’s climate varies according to location. The coastal areas are hot most of the time with year-round averages of 25°C (75°F). The temperature dips a little in January to a very comfortable 20°C (65°F).

Inland where it’s a little higher, the year-round temperatures average 22°C (70°F) with summer highs of around 30°C and winter temperatures of around 10°C (50°F), although occasionally it can approach freezing in the interior.

It rains more in the coastal regions but like all of the Caribbean it usually comes in short, sharp bursts and before long the sun is shining again. And it’s the rain that makes the region so lush and verdant. The higher interior of Mexico can be very dry and desert-like is some areas.

Cancún’s average, year round temperature is 27°C (80°F) with winter temperatures never dropping below 20°C (65°F) and normally around 25°C (75°). May can be a particularly hot month with occasional peaks of 38°C (100°F) but luckily, the sea breeze at this time of year makes it more bearable than the rest of the Yucatán peninsula.

The summer heat subsides around September/October, making autumn to spring very popular with those who find temperatures in the 80’s a bit too much.

Mexico has been hit by hurricanes in the past and this can happen during the Caribbean hurricane season which can extend from July to October.

Electricity

The electrical system in Mexico is the same as the US system – that is 120 V, 60 Hz.

If you take any electrical equipment (like hairdryers) that operates at 240V it will need to be dual voltage or you’ll need a transformer.

Digital cameras, video cameras, laptops, electronic games, etc. that operate on 12 volts via the adaptor provided with the product, should cope with dual voltage without a problem but check your product instructions to be sure.

Just like the electrical supply, plugs in Mexico are the same as in the US and are the two-flat-prong variety. Some have a third, circular prong (earth) .You will need a socket adaptor for both types of plugs.