Mexico City

Currency

Exchange houses (casas de cambio) in Polanco and the Centro give better rates than the airport. Carry small notes — street stalls and taxis rarely break a 500 peso note.

ATMs & cards

Use ATMs inside bank branches (BBVA, Santander, Banorte) during the day rather than street machines, both for rates and for safety. Never accept the machine’s peso conversion offer.

Withdraw inside branches or malls rather than on the street, for both rate and safety.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Central neighbourhoods (Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacán) are comfortable, but this is a huge city with real crime outside them. Use Uber rather than hailing taxis, avoid displaying phones and jewellery, and the altitude of 2,240m will tire you on day one — go easy and drink water.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies for rural or long stays

Getting treated

Private hospitals in Mexico City, Cancún and the resort areas are good and cost a fraction of US prices; public ones are variable. Resort clinics are notorious for aggressive billing, so call your insurer before agreeing to treatment where you can.

Do not drink the tap water. Dengue is present on both coasts. Altitude in Mexico City (2,240m) affects some people for the first day or two.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Street tacos are the highlight and are safe at busy stalls with high turnover — al pastor, suadero, carnitas. Book Anthropology Museum time and eat at a fonda for a cheap set lunch (comida corrida).

Getting around

• Metro — 5 pesos a ride, one of the cheapest and most extensive systems in the world, but very crowded
• Uber — cheap, safe and the recommended option over street taxis
• Metrobús — dedicated bus lanes along Insurgentes, fast across the city
• Walking — Roma, Condesa and the Centro Histórico are pleasant on foot
• Airport: Metro line 5 or an authorised airport taxi from inside the terminal

Must-see

Things to do

• Climb the Teotihuacan pyramids at opening
• Spend half a day at the Anthropology Museum
• Visit Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo house
• Take a trajinera boat at Xochimilco
• Eat tacos across three neighbourhoods
• See a lucha libre match

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Spanish (Latin American)

• HelloHolaOH-la
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
• Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
• Excuse meDisculpedees-KOOL-peh
• How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
• The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
• Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD

The c and z are said as an s here, not the Spanish "th" — gracias is GRA-syas.

Religion

Catholic

Around 78% Catholic, blended with pre-Hispanic tradition in ways that are most visible at Día de Muertos. The Virgin of Guadalupe is a national symbol as much as a religious one.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Greet everyone on entering a small shop or waiting room — buenos días to the room
• Tip 10-15% at restaurants, and a few pesos for baggers and attendants
• Accept food when offered; refusing outright can feel like rejection
• Use usted with older people and anyone in authority

Don't

• Do not call yourself American as though Mexicans are not — say estadounidense
• Do not drink the tap water, and be wary of ice outside established places
• Do not make cartel jokes; for many people it is not abstract
• Do not be brusque — a request without a greeting first lands badly