What should you pay attention to when traveling to Mexico?

The best time to travel to Mexico:

Mexico has a higher altitude. The Mexican Plateau in the center accounts for 5/6 of the country’s area. The Yucatan Peninsula in the southeast is flat. Most of the coastal plain areas have long and narrow terrain. Mexico, which borders the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, has a coastline of 11,122 kilometers. Such unique conditions have also created seaside resorts such as Cancun that are completely different from the central plateau.

The climate in various parts of Mexico is different. The temperature difference in the Mexican plateau is small throughout the year. The average annual temperature is around 20°C. The temperature difference between day and night is large. Ultraviolet rays are strong. You should pay attention to sun protection when going out. The period from May to September every year is In summer on the plateau, there is more rainfall.

Compared with the Mexican plateau, the Mexican coast and southeastern plains are hotter, with an average annual temperature of about 27°C, and little difference in temperature between winter and summer. November to May is the best time to visit the Mexican coast. Season, the weather is fine at this time, there are fewer mosquitoes, but the precipitation is heavy.

Tourists should also consider the climate in some special areas of Mexico before traveling. For example, in summer, the weather in the Mexican jungle is hot and humid, and from August to October, be aware that there may be hurricanes in southern Mexico. Some higher altitude places in the Mexican plateau have lower temperatures than in other areas. If you visit these places, you should take measures to keep warm.

Notes on entry and exit of Mexico travel (customs regulations):

If you bring into the country more than US$10,000 in cash and items worth more than US$2,000 per item, you must fill out a customs declaration form. Mexican customs is very strict in inspecting the items of foreigners entering the country. There are three main types of items inspected, namely items that can be imported duty-free, items that need to be declared and restricted, and items that are strictly prohibited from entry. You can bring a small amount of honey, tobacco, alcohol, cheese products, coffee, and leather products into the country. Up to 2 cats or dogs can be brought into the country with health certificates and quarantine certificates. Other animals must apply to the Mexican Customs in advance. You can bring dry food, canned meat, and bagged cooked meat permitted by Mexican Customs into the country. Homemade meat, fresh meat, soil, crops, seeds, and fruits are prohibited from entering the country without application. No fruits are allowed, nor are ordinary bottled meats, pickles, etc. allowed. Vacuum-packed mustard is not a big problem.

Chinese tourists traveling to Mexico can go to the National Quarantine Center for Persons Going Abroad to inquire whether they need to take a certain type of vaccine. The Mexican authorities do not require foreigners to issue any quarantine certificates.

Foreigners can bring the following goods duty-free when entering the country: 2 cartons or 200 cigarettes, 100 cigars; 1 camera or video recorder, 12 reels of film, and there is no limit on the quantity of film used for photography; for personal use of perfume; 1 liter (2 liters, or two bottles) of hard liquor per person; gifts worth not more than $100; 50 books and a certain amount of clothing and personal items; 1 typewriter and 1 pair of binoculars, but not Must be taken away when traveling. (Restrictions are not strict)

Items subject to entry restrictions include: radios, televisions and other items that require declaration and registration; the entry of weapons is strictly restricted.

Items strictly prohibited from entry include: drugs and anesthetics. When medical items are imported, they must be accompanied by a doctor's letter and certification from the Mexican consulate, otherwise they will be refused entry.

Travel Card (FMT): This card is required for all travelers entering Mexico. Pick it up for free at airports, immigration offices, borders and other places. The card fee is included in the air ticket; if you enter or leave Mexico by land, you need to bring the travel card to any authorized bank in Mexico and pay US$20; if you stay in Mexico for less than 72 hours and only move in specific border areas, you do not need to Pay. The general length of stay is 15-180 days. The travel card can be extended by applying to the local Immigration Bureau (INM) when the expiration date is approaching. When entering Mexico, you must actively collect this card and have it stamped at the border immigration bureau. The number of days of stay and entry time authorized by the immigration officer will be recorded on the card. This card may be checked when leaving Mexico.

Guests must hold an FM3 green visa issued from the embassy, ??and always keep this with their passport. At the border inspection, you need to fill out a narrow form, including your name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and visa number, which is the number on the guest's FM3 green book. The hotel where you are staying, your address and phone number, and the address of the inviting organization. This is made in two copies. One copy will be left at the border inspection and the second copy will be given to the guest to keep. Used when leaving the country. After completing this procedure, go and pick up your luggage.

Mexico Tourist Visa:

Please read the article "Travel Service Column - Mexico Tourist Visa and Passport Application Guide" on this site in detail.

Things to note when traveling and shopping in Mexico:

Shopping tax Some merchants will list whether the item price includes tax, IVA/ISH incluido means "tax included", mas impuesto means "tax not included".

Shop opening hours are usually 9:00-14:00 and 16:00-19:00 from Monday to Friday. Some businesses outside the capital are open from 9:00-13:00 from Monday to Friday. , 16:00-20:00.

Payment methods Merchants and hotels generally accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard and American Express are the most commonly used). US dollars can be used directly at some merchants, but the exchange rate is low.

Currency use and exchange:

The Mexican currency is the peso, and the standard symbol is MXP

Exchange locations: airports, hotels, banks, exchange offices (Casa de Cambio )wait. Usually exchangeable for US dollars, euros, and Canadian dollars.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar to about 11 pesos.

Bank business hours: 09:00-13:30 from Monday to Friday. Banks at the airport are open all day from Monday to Friday. The exchange office is open at noon, evening and weekends, and does not exchange traveller's checks.

Other taxes:

IVA value-added tax: the full name is Impuesto de Valor Agregado, which is generally levied in shops, restaurants and hotels, with a tax rate of 15%.

ISH accommodation tax: The full name is Impuesto sobre Hospedaje. It is generally levied in hotels and the tax rate is 2%.

Departure tax: You need to pay a tax of US$13 when leaving Mexico and an airport tax of US$8.50. Some air tickets will include such taxes and fees, please ask before paying.

Mexico Communication and Telephone Guide:

Tax and additional charges are required for international long-distance calls in Mexico, but there are no additional charges for collect calls. It is cheaper to buy a TELMEX IC card and use a public long distance (LADATEL) phone. You can also make calls at a telecommunications center (caseta de tele`fono or caseta telefo'nica). Using a hotel phone is the most expensive. China is not accessible, so it is recommended to use a phone card.

The post office (Oficina De Correos) is open from Monday to Friday 9:00-17:30, Saturday morning

Tips for traveling in Mexico:

Tip The custom of drinking wine first appeared in British pubs hundreds of years ago, and later gradually expanded to service industries such as restaurant waiters, room attendants, and hotel porters. In many countries in the world, "paying tips and receiving services" has become a common custom and courtesy. However, when I arrived in Mexico, I found that there are many ways to collect tips. Many places in Mexico require tipping. Generally, luggage waiters, luggage porters, room cleaners, etc. need to tip around 10 pesos. When spending money in restaurants and other places, you need to tip the waiter about 1/10 of the amount spent. When taking a taxi, you do not need to tip the driver, but when you refuel Tips are required for staff.

Put the tips in the bathroom basket

There is often a very delicate round straw basket or other similar container placed between the two sinks in the bathroom of a Mexican restaurant. You will find that there are A few Mexican coins or other common currency such as U.S. dollars are included as a tip. It is customary to charge tips in the bathrooms of many restaurants in Mexico City. The salary in the service industry here is not high, so tips are a very important "second income". Bathroom cleaners are no exception, but the amount is slightly lower than that of waiters, parking attendants, etc. Just one chip.

Tip even for garbage collectors

Tipping is ubiquitous in Mexican life. Every time you collect garbage, you need to pay an extra tip of one to twenty pesos, otherwise your garbage may be "unfairly treated" for various reasons.

The police also came to join in the fun

In Mexico City, because the government has no restrictions on vehicles and no vehicle scrapping system, there are more than 10 million vehicles in a population of more than 20 million, so they borrowed More and more people are making money from cars. In addition to charging tips for valet parking, locals also charge tips for helping you with directions and parking introductions. The most common thing I see is at an intersection. When the red light turns on, many young people rush up. Without any excuse, they use plastic bottles filled with soapy water with many holes in the bottle caps to sprinkle water on the windshield, and then use a brush to spray water on the windshield. I wiped the car neatly within half a minute. Most motorists tip two pesos in this situation. What’s even more mysterious is that some children from poor families will also perform some difficult moves for vehicles parked at the intersection, such as three people stacking Arhats, etc. Kind people will tip 5 pesos according to the rules, but most of the time their performances are in vain. People sitting in the car also pretended to turn a blind eye.

The last person who should be tipped is the police. Parking spaces in Mexico City are very tight. Even if you go shopping in a large supermarket like Wal-Mart, you may not have a parking space even if you pay a large parking fee. So when you really need to park your car, you can just give the police a small tip and park on the side of the road. Not only will they not tow the car and issue a ticket, they will even look at the car for you. And if this happens in the United States, you will definitely be delayed without negotiation, and you will have to pay a fine of at least one hundred dollars!

Mexico Travel Accommodation Guide:

If you travel to Mexico, please read this article carefully before checking into the hotel, otherwise it will make a lot of jokes and affect your enjoyment of the trip. . Most hotels can provide Internet services. The local power supply is 220V, American batteries, and power conversion plugs can be provided by the hotel.

If you go to a hotel's high-end restaurant to dine, no matter whether you have a reservation or not, you should be at the entrance of the restaurant; diners can store their coats, hats, umbrellas, etc. in the cloakroom; It is very impolite to touch the food on your plate; when you temporarily leave your seat during the meal, the napkin should be placed on the chair. If it is placed on the table, it will be mistakenly thought that the meal has been finished.

Most restaurant settlements are paid at the seat. If the diner finds that the bill does not include service charges, then a tip of 10% to 15% of the total amount should be paid. However, some bills that do not indicate "service charge" will have "OK" written on them, indicating that no tip is required. In addition, when eating pasta, do not roll it up and eat it with a spoon or fork; when eating lobster, use a knife to peel off the body or shell and put it on a plate to cut and eat; when drinking soup, you must use a spoon and never carry it. Get a basin and drink. These are all common sense you need to know when dining.

The bathroom in the hotel will be equipped with three towels, each with its own use: the smallest one is for washing the body; the medium-sized towel is used for washing the face, and the largest one is used for wiping the body after bathing.

Some hotel bathrooms also have a rope, but be sure not to pull it randomly, because it was an alarm device to prevent sudden onset of heart disease.

If you want to send out laundry, you should put the change of clothes into the laundry bag in the closet, fill out the laundry list, put the list into the bag, and then call to send it for washing.

If you want the hotel to deliver food to your room, you can request "room service", but this is about 15% more expensive than eating in the restaurant, and the tip must be paid in cash, about 20%.

Mexican customs and national taboos:

Mexico’s culture, like its architecture, is a mixture of traces left by different historical periods. As the birthplace of ancient Indian culture, ancient civilizations such as the Olmec, Maya, Toltec and Aztec all originated here; and the Spanish colonial rule from the early 16th to the early 19th century inevitably Spanish culture is imprinted on the soil of Mexico. Mariachi music and Sabateo dance, which perfectly combine the characteristics of Indian music and Spanish music, are the image expression of Mexican mixed-race culture.

In terms of religion, Indian beliefs are also integrated into Mexican Catholicism. Perhaps it is for this reason that Catholicism has become the main religion in Mexico.