Budget Travel in Mexico

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México

Miss at your peril: (stay away from the crowds) - 'Highlight of Independent Travel'

Intro: Viva México! It's huge and has tons to offer! Right across the spectrum, from the nadir of Cancún to the zenith's of Palenque, Oaxaca (Wa-ha-ka) and Porto Escondido to mention a few. México's size has two major effects on travellers. One good, one not so. Firstly [the good] the sheer size of the country and its variety means that with some effort you can find many gems and have them completely to yourself, in addition to the fact that there are many great things to see and do without even venturing off the beaten track.   The downside from the country's size (and terrain which is far from flat) is the necessity to spend many hours on buses of which the cost of can seriously mount up - even more so if you take advantage of the better services. For example the six hour journey from México City (N.B. referred to as México City here, but really just México or México DF) to Oaxaca on a premier bus will blow the daily budget of any budget traveller and then some. It is common to hear backpackers throughout the Americas moan at just how expensive México is and wonder how locals can afford to live. It is not that México is expensive, I mean far from it when compared to the super power to the north, but in relation to the rest of Central America it is more pricey in the same way as Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina use to be to South America, and just like these countries it is transport and tourist hot spots that get you. Lets take the Yucatan for example, Cancún is nearer to Miami than México City and has many daily direct charter flights from Europe.

Such an influx of tourists, many who have considerable (by Mexican and backpacker standards), money to spread about is bound to push prices up. In addition the rapid development in México fuelled by the NAFTA agreement has brought in standards of services (such as buses of which many are excellent) that you just don't find in most other Latin American countries. For increased quality comes increased prices. Lets go back to that seemingly expensive bus journey from México City to Oaxaca. The bus will have AC, movies and the road is excellent. Much cheaper alternatives exist, of course you don't get AC and a movie, but you don't even get the same road since the good one is a toll road that the cost of using is the main contributor of the cost of your ticket. So take the cheaper bus if you want it to take twice as long. Let's be fair in the big scale of things the extra money is probably worth it. The analogy works with most things such as seemingly expensive food and accommodation. Enjoy México for the right reasons (take touristy attractions especially the Yucatan, like the tequila - with a pinch of salt), learn some Spanish, get off the beaten track and enjoy for along with Guatemala it is a real highlight of this region and one of the world's most underrated country's.

Highlights & Lowlights:

• Highlights: The a traditional route from the Capital South towards Central America will take in the following highlights: México City (inc. surrounding areas such as Teotihuacán), Palenque, Oaxaca and Porto Escondido - but that's only the tip of the ice berg. As a general rule of thumb the main tourist focus of the country is the Yucatán (where there's plenty to explore) and with direct flights from Europe and North America this is an obvious entry point for package tourists seeking sun/sea and backpackers heading for central America.
  
  Those who enter the country at Mexico DF the greatest temptation is to head South towards the well known aforementioned highlights and to Central America. Distances and/or limited time often put those heading this way off routes to the North and West of the capital. Discount or write off these routes at your expensive... among the less crowded highlights are: Guanajuato, a phenomenal colonial city, more Spain than Spain, great tunnels, architecture, mazes of alleys, college culture and street actors. Zacatecas, the beauty of this city at sunset can't easily be described; the food and museums are cheap and world class. The architecture is a great mix of Mexican and Moorish. Accommodation is great and seemingly hardly anyone on the circuit in Mexico gets here.
  
  San Miguel de Allende, despite the hype that its full of Americans, it rarely is. A great cathedral, wonderful cheap authentic food, perhaps the best nature preserve in all Mexico (the botanical gardens - over hundreds of acres - above town), one of the best hostel owners/hostel in Mexico, mellow street life, calm mornings, great art scene and Spanish schools await those who visit. Morelia, a colonial gem with amazing local artisans and street life, cathedrals are world class, food (try the sopa tarasca) is to die of.
  
  Another gem, abet a bit more well known is Real de Catorce, a little tiny town in the mountains of North Mexico. Very popular with the backpacker crowd due to its otherworldly landscape (the Mexican with Brad Pitt was filmed here) and Peyote usage by local Indians (and of course travellers), this little town has horseback riding (3$ US an hour) into the local mountains and deserts, a hippie market, and the place looks like a Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood film. The journey itself is a highlight, with a bus along on the world's longest cobblestone road, into a one way tunnel through a mountain.
  
  Diving - On a world scale, there is some truly superb diving in Mexico. You can dive the cenotes in the Yucatan through caverns with stalagmites, stalactites and haloclines - it really is an incredible experience and pretty unique. There is also excellent reef diving on Cozumel, in Baja California, and you can snorkel with whale sharks in Holbox and Isla Mujeres.
  
  Many thanks to Eric Beecroft and Jason for sharing there expert knowledge here.
  
  
• Lowlights: If you are 21 or under have limited taste, possibly American, you will love Cancún. For most it's one of those loathsome place with only novelty value and nothing (unless you have a big budget to keep you there). Playa de Carmen and Cozumel Island are not far behind. The rate of change in these places on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan is unbelievable. See them to believe them. Large parts of the Yucatan are not so bad as to avoided.
  
  Another common complain along with the crowds and modernisation in tourist hot-spots is the simple fact that México is not a shoestring budget country when compared to Central America and long distances on buses kill a budget. On a more critical side not everyone is smitten by the highly and definitely over rated San Cristóbal de las Casas, where due to the history of up-risings and military presence in the area many of the 'cooler' travellers head to hang out and do little. San Cristóbal de las Casas is to backpackers what Cancún is to package tourists - a Mecca in México. For that reason if you don't have time to 'hang-out' or wind your way there on the bus you could happily give it a miss and spend your time elsewhere such as some of the great places listed above in the highlight section.
  
  Last, but not least the border towns of Tijuana and Cuidad Juarez (across from El Paso, Texas) are definite lowlights where trouble is extremely easy to find.
  

• Visa strategy: Tourist cards are issued free for 90 days at entry points for most nationalities.
  

Typical tourist trail: The majority of tourists disregard the north of the country (above México City) which is mainly dry and harsh and not particularly rich in highlights. Unless they are making trips from America into the spectacular scenery of Baja California or to the Copper Canyon (which are both highlights). The vast majority of tourists fly into the Yucatan and spend there time there. Those with a bit more time may start in México City which is brimming with things to see and do. From there a typical path may head either directly to Oaxaca or to the coast at Acapulco (or further north) and then down along the coast to Porto Escondido and then up to Oaxaca. From Oaxaca the trail heads to Palenque, either via Villahermosa or Cristóbal de las Casas. For here on either Guatemala or the many amazing temple sites of the Yucatan will call you.

Costs: Costs vary hugely for México depending on where you are and what you are doing. On the two ends of scale lets use Cristóbal de las Casas and Cancún for example, the latter and around US$30 won't get you too far especially if you want a drink or two. In the former lazing around in a hammock you would be hard pressed to spend half the Yucatan amount living pretty good. There is a definite tourist economy, with high prices and sometimes, unhelpful service. To avoid this as much as possible and find places used by locals a good understanding of Spanish really makes a difference. Another certain key to budget travel in Mexico is planning a good circuit route so as to backtrack as little as possible and keep those fund killing bus trips to a minimum.

• Money: ATMs are plentiful through-out much of the country and are a far more convenient way to carry money than travellers cheques. Any funds you take with you should be in USD. Credit cards can be used in some circumstances and are worth having.
  
  
• Getting around: México has a highly developed bus system with many different options and of course considering its size a large network of internal flights. Taking into consideration how developed the bus system is most will favour this rather than taking internal flights. For flying the most popular and recommended option is México City to Cancún or vice versa as this is a hell of a long way to backtrack if you have a flight out of say Cancún.
  
  
  • With regards to buses the subject could fill a web site alone. The system is both complicated and confusing and trying to understand it is impossible. Luckily you don't have to and in reality most Mexicans don't. At the end of the day anywhere you want to go there will be a bus going, you just have to find the station it goes from. Most cities have numerous stations (México DF has four). These may be split further by one for first class, one for second.. and so on. Just take it easy it is not too hard to get anywhere and buses are generally organised, clean and prompt - but no bargain.
    
    
  • There now exists three superior classes of bus plus second class buses. These are usually called Primera Plus, Futura and Ejecutiva. All these first class buses (not always all available), are excellent, but have prices about 40% higher than regular services making them really quite expensive for long journeys where you can do with the extra comfort. For most regular first class is the way to go, you still get AC, TV and a WC (for what they are worth).
    
    
  • Be aware that AC buses can get quite cool in the day and very cool at night. Have a sweater handy. Cheaper buses without AC and all the windows open are pleasant for shorter journeys. Films shown on buses are 50% of the time in English with Spanish sub-titles. When travelling over night front seats will keep you away for smelly toilets. On popular routes booking advance is often necessary and at busy times of the year (Christmas, August) very necessary, particularly in the Yucatan or in and out of México City. Due to the size of México it is more than likely you will have to do at least a few overnight trips.
    
    
  • Second class buses normally operate from a different terminal from 1st class buses and look a lot more antiquated. They call at towns and villages and use side roads that 1st class buses would never touch. For longer journeys 1st class buses are better, but on a second class bus with the windows wide open, music playing, local colour you have a great Mexican experience.
    
    
  • More info can be found in any guidebook and most major companies such as ADO (www.adogl.com.mx) have websites for more info, timetables and prices.
    
    
    
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  Guide book: The 7th edition Rough Guide is an excellent guide and our recommendation for a 'Mexico only' guide (Buy/view: in the USA (amazon.com), in Canada (amazon.ca) or in the UK (amazon.co.uk)), but so is the Lonely Planet and Footprint. The Footprint does however cover central America which may be of use to you and is therefore recommended.
  
  
• People vibe:
  
  
  • Locals: The friendliness of locals does vary dramatically especially in an out of tourist hot spots. There is a definite anti-gringo attitude around Cristóbal de las Casas and in other areas. However, on the whole if you speak Spanish Mexicans are wonderful people.
    
  • Other travellers: Various. Mainly European backpackers apart from on the Yucatan where the large numbers of tourists are mainly North American.
    
    
• Tourist factor: From 10/10 to 5/10. As with many countries, many spots get very crowded during the European/North American summer holidays and there is a signification increase in tourists/travellers.
  
  
• Accommodation: There is a wide range of accommodation in most places from very cheap dives to more expensive very nice rooms.
  
  
  • Hot water: In hotter areas and at the cheaper end, hot water may not always be available.
    
  • Average cost: From US$7 to US$30 (normally about in the middle). Found many cheap places that were very dirty and noisy so took a more expensive option. Prices are higher on the Yucatan and lower in backpacker hubs.
    
    
• Communications: Internet plentiful and good value.
  
  
• Media:
  
  
  • Books: American newspapers and magazines on the Yucatan. Elsewhere books and newspapers/magazines are in Spanish.
    
  • TV: Due to its proximity to American, cable TV is wide spread and always available in better hotels and in bars in tourist hot spots on the Yucatan, where sporting events are often shown. Cinemas in major cities are good quality.
    
    
• Food: México is all about food which outside of Asia has the best street food in the world. Don't be afraid just dive in. Smarter restaurants aimed at tourists can be quite expensive by comparison. The best value is always small family run places. The meal of the day or set menu (comida corrida - make sure they give you the menu with this on) as in the rest of Latin America is always the easiest and cheapest way to eat. There are many fast food restaurants, both Mexican and America and numerous supermarkets (with excellent bakeries) so eating cheap on the move is easy.
  
  
  • Vegetarians: Fine, although eating on street stalls and taking advantage of the cheap set meals of the day will be complicated and often not possible especially if you don't eat chicken.
    
    
• Hassle and annoyance factor: Limited, this is not Asia.
  
  
  • Women alone: Fine on the whole. Care is required same as everywhere.
    
    
• Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol: Fantastic Tequila and Mezcal bars, especially in Oaxaca. Great beer everywhere, but open air drinking places are not very common. Pot is plenty available in most places in particular along the pacific coast and any backpacker 'hubs'.