Mexico travel advice
Language tips
Vicky Rodford, from our supplier Intrepid Travel, specialists in Mexico gives great Mexico travel advice: “Learn a few words of the local language because English isn’t widely spoken. So even if just you have some basic numbers, greetings, pleasantries or how to order a drink, it is easier for everyone if you have a go, and you kind of muddle along together. Google Translate is a cracking little app, although to save money on network charges, a good old fashioned phrasebook does the trick. I have an old Footprint Latin America guide and it is so simple to use.”
Money tips
Vicky Rodford, from our supplier Intrepid Travel: “Financially it is fine to take Pesos, and get them at home before you go. Don’t worry too much about converting your Sterling into US $, to then convert into Pesos, because you are just paying two exchange rates. ATMs are fairly widely available now but they do charge you to withdraw your cash, and it seems to be a percentage amount, not a fixed one, so the more you get out, the more it is going to cost you.”Eat – and travel – like a local
Jess Millett from our Mexico vacations supplier, Tucan Travel: “Make sure you take a food tour in Oaxaca. Try mole, tequila, grasshopper and Oaxaca cheese. Don't rule out traveling by public bus. Far more economical than a private vehicle, Mexico's public buses are air-conditioned and comfortable.”
Shopping tips
Vicky Rodford, Intrepid Travel: “There are lots of handicrafts to buy, such as wooden crafted skulls, and chess sets. One tip is to buy it when you see it. Sometimes you think, I won’t buy it yet as I will probably see hundreds of them, but that isn’t always the case. So, if it is truly indigenous to the area, I would really recommend you to buy it when you see it.”Packing tips
Nic Slocum from our supplier Whales Worldwide who knows all about Baja:
“Baja is remote so make sure you take everything you need for your vacation as many goods may not be available or have run out. Always pack a wide brimmed hat and quick drying slacks. The type that transform to shorts are the most useful. Thick soled rubber sandals are essential because cactus spines may be present on island beaches. Lastly, the average Mexican wage on Baja is very low and they rely heavily of tips from visitors. Tip appropriately, but not too generously."
“Baja is remote so make sure you take everything you need for your vacation as many goods may not be available or have run out. Always pack a wide brimmed hat and quick drying slacks. The type that transform to shorts are the most useful. Thick soled rubber sandals are essential because cactus spines may be present on island beaches. Lastly, the average Mexican wage on Baja is very low and they rely heavily of tips from visitors. Tip appropriately, but not too generously."
Packing tips
Vicky Rodford, from our supplier Intrepid Travel: “Take something with DEET in it, because the mossies can be no fun at all. And, like any hot country, take a hat because it gets hot and you can get sunstroke.”Health & safety in Mexico
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Mexico travel advice
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Mexico travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation.
We have selected some of the most useful Mexico travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation.
Bring your binoculars! The birds are hard to see in the foliage. Get up early and walk the beach. Lose 5 pounds before you go because the food is fantastic.![]()
- Mary Marshall
“Take plenty of insect repellent if you go in the rainy season and long trousers and a top with long sleeves if you are going to explore the region. Also, my husband suffered with tummy troubles, so take plenty of rehydration powder and immodium!” – Nicola Goddard
“The nicest part was the homestay in a pleasant little village with a lovely family. Try and learn some Spanish to interact with people.” – Laura Palmucci
“Be flexible, warm showers are rare and enjoy even if you are sometimes squeezed in a bus.”
– Andrea Baumann
“The nicest part was the homestay in a pleasant little village with a lovely family. Try and learn some Spanish to interact with people.” – Laura Palmucci
“Be flexible, warm showers are rare and enjoy even if you are sometimes squeezed in a bus.”
– Andrea Baumann
Seeing a blue whale in Loreto - something I never thought I would see!... Live every magical moment, don't spend too much time behind the lens of a camera!![]()
- Sammie Haines
“In spite of being by far the oldest couple in the group, we had a thoroughly amazing vacation with an excellent tour leader. Try to pack light” - Helen Hore on our Mexico, Belize & Guatemala tour, Mayan encounter vacation
“Be prepared for some long journeys on rough roads and tracks, Baja looks deceptively small!”
– Fiona Buck
“Be prepared for some long journeys on rough roads and tracks, Baja looks deceptively small!”
– Fiona Buck
More Mexico articles
Spanning four time zones, different regions of Mexico can experience totally different weather from each other.
Read our travel guide for insight into the country's unique cocktail of culture, food and wildlife, and how to see it.
Visitors tend to head to the south of the country, but off the beaten track there's Baja, too, plus 67 national parks.
Discover all the best things to do, including Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Palenque, Oaxaca and Mexico City.
From elote to mezcal, Mexican cuisine is so unique that it has a UNESCO World Heritage status.
Find out what a grey whale watching in Baja entails, from whale camps to boat trips.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival has come a long way in its 3,000-year history. Discover the symbolism behind this event.
Discover Mexico’s most important Mayan step pyramids and Aztec architecture.
Mexico City rose from the ashes of the Aztec Empire, and now has eight million inhabitants.
A tour of Oaxaca is always going to include toasted tortilla vendors.
Camp and hike on uninhabited islands; paddle between beaches and rocky coves; snorkel with sea lions and watch whales.
Family vacations in Mexico are a cocktail of Mayan culture, Mexican food, beaches, and adventures in the jungle.
There are sixty different indigenous groups in Mexico, all with extraordinary heritage.
