Mexico Travel Tips: Useful Things to Know (Advice From a Local)

Traveling to Mexico, or any foreign country can be scary for many if they don’t know much about it. Here are my best Mexico travel tips for first-time visitors.

I’ve written this after many years of living in different parts of Mexico and traveling to about half the states in the country.

1. Don’t Assume You’ll Get 180 Days at Immigration Automatically

For years Mexico would give just about anyone 180 days in the country more or less automatically, which make it a perfect place for snowbirds and digital nomads to stay long-term.

It’s no longer a guarantee, due to Mexico cracking down on

Now at the airports they may ask you for exactly how many days you need and, if it’s longer than a month they might not give you

Can you still get 180 days? Yes, but it seems to be dependent on your port of entry and the mood of the officer. In fact, the last time I had a tourist visa (before getting my permanent residency) they only gave us 29 days and my friends who landed an hour before got 180. Basically, you never know.

What happens if you don’t leave on time? INM has started conducting random checks on the street or bus stations of touristy destinations to check people who appear non-Mexican and find those who overstay their visas.

Some get deported, and some get fined. Technically you’re supposed to always have your passport and FMM on hand.

2. Don’t Lose your FMM Card

While most nationalities don’t need a visa to Mexico upon arrival or even still on the plane you’ll receive one piece of paperwork to fill: the FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple).

You need to hand it to the immigration officer and they’ll keep the top part and give you back the bottom. You must have your FMM on you at all times, as it proves you’re in the country legally (as mentioned in point 1).

Without returning your FMM, you can’t leave the country! They won’t let you fly out and you’ll have to stop by the immigration office and pay your fines to get a new one (and they are closed on weekends for example).

IMPORTANT: Some airports have stopped issuing FMMs and you go through the scanner. This is so far only possible at the Cancun Airport.

3. Toilet Paper Goes in the Trash Bin

Yup, even at the fanciest resorts it still goes in the trash instead of directly into a toilet!

The pipes in Mexico just aren’t built to handle the stuff and your toilet will get clogged instantly. On top of it being basically polluting.

4. Restroom Doors Marked With an “M” Are For the Ladies

The Spanish word for women is “mujeres” and for men respectively “hombres”. If you see a door marked with an “M,” do NOT assume that it is the men’s room. It’s not. H is for the men’s restroom.

If you see the sign “WC” it’s a bathroom for everyone.

5. Learn Some Spanish

This is one of the more important traveling tips for Mexico — practice your Spanish before your Mexico trip. If you’re going to a high tourism area the chances are most people will speak English, but you’ll be surprised that in Mexico City not everyone speaks English at all.

I found out the hard way when I arrived for the first time in 2010 with zero Spanish and had to learn quickly.

I will say that if you’re coming from Spain you might still be surprised by different words because Spanish from Spain is very different from Mexican Spanish.

6. You Might Want to Visit a Doctor or Dentist

Mexico is one of the top destinations for medical tourism. Americans come to Mexico for surgeries, and check-ups. Anything that in the US would cost thousands of dollars is cheaper in Mexico and the care is often more personal and top-notch.

I’ve had a baby in Mexico and received better care than I had in an American hospital and I spent a fraction of the price. I’ve been buying my expensive drugs in Mexico for years and it’s often 1/10 of the price in the US or Europe.

Dentists are fantastic, so if you want to et your teeth cleaned or do a check-up, do it in Mexico. Many doctors speak English in bigger cities, because various had either studied or trained in the US for a bit.

7. Don’t Drink Tap Water

The tap water in Mexico is 100% not ok to drink pretty much anywhere, so you need to buy bottled water everywhere.

I you take the time to boil it, you can then safely consume Mexico water.

Ice cubes are fine, as they’re not made of tap water.

8. Be Ready to Haggle with Taxi Drivers

In most places you need to haggle with taxi drivers to get a rate. If you speak Spanish then most drivers are more likely to give you a local rate, but in touristy towns like Tulum or Playa del Carmen in most cases you just need to know the rates and don’t say anything or ask about the price. Then handle the money at the end of the ride.

Don’t be surprised if they just drive away when you try to haggle with them, so pick your battles.

9. Mexicans Dress Conservatively

If you want to blend in a bit, avoid shorts for men and very obnoxious cutout clothing for women, unless traveling to Cancun, Tulum, Cabo, or Puerto Vallarta.

Jeans and long sleeve shirts or t-shirts are the norm and now that I think about it I don’t think I’ve ever seen a local man in shorts ever anywhere in Mexico.

10. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Long Distance Buses

If you’re not familiar with the Mexican bus system, keep in mind that they’re not like American Greyhounds. Mexican long-distance buses are actually pretty awesome. They’re safe, and comfortable with large seats and AC and often even serve you food.

The most popular bus company is called ADO, but certain areas are operated by Estrella Blanca and Primera Plus. You can book tickets online or just show up at the bus station about 30 minutes before departure.

11. Book a Hotel with a Pool if Traveling to the Yucatan

If you’re traveling to the Caribbean side of the country you’re probably expecting white-sand beaches. And while it’s obviously true (the best beaches of Mexico are in Quintana Roo