MEXICO/ Brief information
A visa is required to enter Mexico – you can apply for a single electronic permit or a multiple-entry visa for 10 years
Customs regulations
When entering Mexico, you must fill out a customs declaration with a list of imported valuable items. For personal use, it is allowed to bring no more than 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, up to 2 liters of strong alcoholic drinks or wine, 1 video camera, 1 camera and 12 films, gifts in an amount not exceeding 300 USD. It is forbidden to import fruits, vegetables and products from them, plants, cuttings, flowers, meat products, medicines without documentary evidence of the need for their use (a prescription or medical card is required), psychotropic and narcotic substances and pornographic publications. It is forbidden to export archaeological valuables, antiques, rare animals and birds, their skins, stuffed animals, national currency over 10 thousand US dollars.
Important: All airports in the 27 countries of the European Union must check the hand luggage of passengers and prevent the carrying on board of aircraft of liquids in volumes greater than 100 milliliters, with a total volume of not more than 1 liter. Medicines and baby food are checked separately and are not limited in volume. Perfumes, drinks, alcohol and aerosols purchased from duty-free shops at the airport and packed in sealed plastic bags can also be carried in hand luggage. BUT!!! If a passenger has a flight with a transfer, liquids purchased at the airport of departure will not be allowed on board, they can only be purchased at the transfer airport.
Meeting at the airport and information meeting
It is necessary to save all immigration documents – they will be needed when leaving the country!
The meeting with the representative will take place the next day after arrival in the lobby of your hotel.
Values
In general, you can be calm about the things you leave in the room (but do not forget to close the doors and windows). However, we strongly recommend keeping valuable items, documents and money in a safe (in the room or at the reception).
Car rent
A credit card and Mexican insurance are required to rent a car. Many companies sell insurance for a fixed period, but if the car is returned before the expiration of the insurance period, a refund is paid for the unused time. The amount of rent is different in different companies (from 30 to 45 USD per day), while the declared payment usually does not include tax (15%).
The speed limit varies from 20 km/h in some cities to 110 km/h on high-speed toll roads (“cuota”). The quality of the coverage of free roads (“libre”) leaves much to be desired. Gas stations are quite common, but the quality of gasoline is lower than in Europe and the USA. Places with prohibited parking are indicated by the letter “E” with a line through it.
Security
According to A2ZGOV, the country has a fairly high crime rate, primarily pickpocketing and robbery. It is recommended to travel by car, bus and train only during the day. Taxis are only recommended from official stations (“sitios”). It is better to order a taxi by phone, be sure to get the car number and taxi driver’s license number from the dispatcher. It is better to drive on toll roads in rental cars (cuota), they are safer. It is also recommended to avoid solo hikes in provincial areas and to hitchhike frequently.
Beaches
Basically all the beaches are municipal. A black or red flag on the beach means “dangerous”, yellow means “be careful”, green means “no danger”. We highly recommend using sunscreen!
All inclusive
At an all-inclusive hotel, a special bracelet will be put on your hand confirming this program, which is not removed until you leave the hotel. Please note that in most hotels this system includes only national spirits and does not include a minibar.
Check out from the hotel
A representative of the company will warn you in advance about the time of meeting in the hotel lobby for transfer to the airport (usually orally or in writing, leaving you a message at the check-in desk).
Attention!!! You need to remember that check-out (the official time when you need to vacate the room) is 12:00. Half an hour before the appointed time, it is advisable to go down to the hall with things. At the reception desk you will have to pay all bills for additional services (minibar, telephone conversations, etc.) and hand over the room key. Be sure to check if you forgot to take things from your safe and your passport from the porter. If you want to check out of the hotel later than 12 noon, please contact the hotel reception in the morning of the same day. Usually the hotel requires a surcharge for this service. The price depends on the time of departure. Check in (settlement) – at 15:00. Upon check-in, the hotel will ask you, as a guarantee of personal expenses, one of two options:
- Cash – upon check-out from the hotel, unspent amounts will be refunded in local currency at that day’s exchange rate.
- A copy of the credit card – the release of the amount determined by the hotel occurs 10-15 days after check-out from the hotel.
When departing from the country, an airport tax is charged at the airport – 18 USD per person.
- Reconfirm with a representative of the host company your flight data for departure. It is very important!
- Keep your immigration card until the end of your stay in the country.
- Hotels often ask you to sign for paid breakfasts – this is not a payment, this is their statistics.
- When you check out of the hotel, carefully check the invoice provided to you.
Recommendations for tourists traveling on excursion programs from Mexico City or Cancun
- For groups: Seats on the bus are occupied on the first sightseeing day, as they are seated on the bus, but tourists who travel according to the improved hotel program check in first. Therefore, the latter have priority when choosing seats. Seats on the bus can be changed during the trip only by mutual agreement of the tourists.
- The host company has the right to refuse to serve a tourist in case of inappropriate behavior that may affect the quality of service for the group as a whole: alcohol intoxication, verbal and physical aggression against the guide or other tourists, etc. In Mexico, insult or threat can cause the police to be called and arrested.
- We recommend changing money at the airport, as you will not have access to exchange offices and banks during their opening hours. Exchange offices are rare on the periphery. Many peripheral hotels do not change foreign currency. For a week trip, you will need to have a minimum of about 10,000 pesos (about $900) for additional expenses in the periphery. If you have unused Mexican pesos left by the time you check out, you can exchange them for dollars at the airport before your flight home.
- The use of voice recorders is not allowed, because guides’ knowledge is intellectual property.
- The buses use a microphone. Outside the bus, on excursions, for groups of more than 10 people, many programs use headphones that allow you to perfectly hear your guide at a distance of more than 100 meters from him. We ask you to be careful with the equipment for headphones, because. in case of breakage or loss, you will be charged 70 dollars.
- Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the tour bus. Also in Mexico it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages on the streets, in places not intended for this.
- During excursion programs you visit archaeological zones and natural parks. We recommend comfortable (not slippery), closed shoes, clothes suitable for the tropical jungle and a hat.
- It is very important to follow the instructions of the guide in the archaeological areas: do not go into prohibited areas, do not go to the ruins, where it is forbidden, etc.
- If your trip takes place during the rainy season, we recommend that you bring an umbrella or a windbreaker.
- As part of the group program, lunches are organized in restaurants whose quality has been verified. Usually this is a buffet, this is the most convenient option in terms of tour dynamics and price. Service on the periphery in hotels and restaurants is slow. We ask you to be patient and polite, considering that this is part of the national character.
- We recommend bringing insect repellant.
- In zoos and ecoparks in Mexico, you cannot feed animals.
- In almost all tourist places, the use of a camera is allowed at no additional cost. In museums and cathedrals – use without flash is allowed. In contrast, video recording is taxed in almost all archaeological zones (about 4 US dollars).
- It is not allowed to enter the cathedrals of Mexico with dark glasses and headdresses. It is also forbidden to speak on a cell phone.
- We reserve the right to adjust the program due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control: weather, strikes, road conditions, force majeure, health problems, etc. These changes can only be made for the benefit and safety of customers.
