Backpacking Mexico far exceeded my expectations! What a country! You will not be disappointed. Before you fly off to the land of tacos and tequila, here are some of the basics you should know, to make your trip a lot more comfortable.
Is it safe to travel Mexico?
Starting this post off with the most popular question and one that will hopefully make you feel 100% better about your adventure to Mexico. Is Mexico safe to travel? In short yes. But if you’re like me and love watching things like Ozark and Narcos, then no wonder you have some reservations about Mexico’s safety. The first thing you should know is Mexico is very safe! Stick to the semi – touristy routes and locations, where other backpackers and travellers are going to be. I really don’t recommend getting off the beaten track in Mexico, especially if you don’t speak spanish.
Know the rules! In a lot of places it’s not legal to be drinking alcohol on the beaches at certain times (early hours in the morning). If the police catch you, they will try and get as much cash out of you as possible by threatening a night in jail. I’ve said on my socials before, it’s more the police you need to be cautious of, rather than the cartel. Sorry gents, but men are more of a target of corrupt police than us ladies, so don’t get caught peeing in the streets!. So yes, go careful with the police. Just avoid them if possible when out partying.
In Mexico City use UBER to book a taxi, avoid the pink taxi’s. I’ve also been advised to avoid the neighbourhood of Tepito if you’re not a local. The metro in Mexico City have women and children only carriages so use them where possible.
If you plan on traveling by night but through the state of Chiapas, ie San Cristobal and Palenque, be cautious of robberies on the bus. It doesn’t happen so much these days compared to 10 years ago. The police often escort the ADO buses and other shuttle buses between the areas as a safety precaution. This is normal and doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in any danger.
When traveling by bus in general, especially long journeys, it’s normal for the bus to get stopped at police check points and have your passport on you ready to be checked. This doesn’t always happen on the buses, but it happens more and more the closer you head towards the American border (cartel related) the police will be checking who’s on the buses. When I was on the overnight bus from Oaxaca city to Mexico City I got woken up around 5 times!
When's the best time to visit Mexico
There’s no ‘perfect time’ to visit anywhere, it all comes down to what you’re looking for as an experience, so I’ll go into detail here to help plan your trip. Mexico is so big and so diverse you can experience all kinds of weather throughout the country. But generally speaking the peak tourist months are October/November through until around March.
In Quintana Roo seaweed (sargassum) season starts around June – September, so be aware of that if you plan on going for a holiday filled with blue clear oceans, because it is not like that all year round. Mexico has been seeing an influx of seaweed for around 4 years now. During June – October it’s known as the ‘hurricane’ and ‘wet’ season, so expect tropical showers. Me personally love some rain, being English, it’s cosy and gives me an excuse to whack the kettle on.
So, peak season is October- March, as the weather is dryer and cooler, the waters are clearer, but the rest of the year is still good in my opinion!
Do you need to speak spanish to travel Mexico?
Mexican people are beautiful, sweet and so kind. They will do their best to help you, however I highly recommend the basics, or if you don’t speak any spanish, have some sort of translation app that you can use to help you get by. Speaking spanish isn’t ESSENTIAL but it is a game changer. I didn’t learn until I got there and it’s one of my highlights! Everyone helps you and supports you.
Here’s what I would learn at least:
Greetings and how are you
Where something is
How much something is
Numbers
Ordering food and drinks
Daily budget for backpacking Mexico
Guys, let me tell you this. Central America is NOT South East Asia prices. So don’t expect to get a dorm bed, 3 meals, iced coffee and a massage for £10. The further into the tourist places you get the more things cost. And the less Spanish you speak, the more things cost. In Quintana Roo, during peak months, you can see dorm beds go for around $40 per night! Yes you can still travel and be on a budget though, so don’t panic yet.
Minimum £50 a day for Mexico. This covers everything from your dorms, to your food, partying, tours and transport. This is someone who likes to prepare their own food, takes full advantage of free water by carrying a refillable water bottle. Eats street food most of the time and walks when they can rather than get taxis.
If you like to eat out more than cook, and love to party on a Tuesday, then I highly recommend sticking on an extra £10/£20 per day to cover your style of travel.
And if you have plenty of time to play with, and want most things for free ( yes, free) then consider volunteering like I do and get all the perks of working in some of the best hostels in the world. Click the button below to have a browse at Worldpackers and go start living life to the fullest.
Should i get a local sim card whilst travelling Mexico? If so, which one
Yes. Always buy a local sim card when you’re traveling it’s SO handy and nothing makes me feel safer than having access to my family immediately, access to google, maps and my other friends I meet on the road. In Mexico I used the network AT&T. I would only use my data during travel days, because most places have free wifi! Even the ADO buses and stations have free wifi for you to use. You can buy a 30 day plan just for data, and you can also top up your sim cards in the local 7/11 shops and OXXO shops.
Some norms in Mexico
Do not flush anything down the toilet at all in any part of the country, the drainage system can not handle anything more than what needs to go in there!
Do not drink any water from any tap at all. It is not safe. In the state of Chiapas they have the worst water and you cannot even brush your teeth with it. But I would say 99% of the hostels provide free clean drinking water, so carry a refillable water bottle with you
Street food / local food is probably better for your stomach than eating other cuisines. Mexicans know how to cook Mexican food the best so don’t be afraid of the street food stalls or the local little restaurants
In Mexico they drive on the right hand side of the road!
If you plan on driving you will need an IDP 1926 (International driving permit) UK only. Please check for your own country. If your from the UK, you can get an IDP 1926 for around £5 at the post office.
How do i travel around Mexico?
The main way people travel around Mexico is by bus. They do not have a public train running through the whole country like in Europe. You can use the ADO bus, it does cost more than the colectivo buses, but personally the ADO buses are so much more comfortable, so I highly recommend them for the longer journeys! If not, you can take colectivos which are super cheap and you can recognise them, as they are the white transport vans and usually say colectivo on the front. To book a ticket for ADO I would download the app, it saves queuing at the stations for ages, plus you can pay by card on the app and save the QR code to your apple wallet (if you have an iPhone) The colectivos you just turn up at the stations and jump on and pay the driver in cash.
If you need to go long distance across Mexico the airline Volaris is a cheap budget airline, so you can book cheap flights internally (don’t forget to search I incognito for the lowest prices!)
There are so many travel tips you will make for yourself along the road, things you will pick up from other travellers …
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Bloody brilliant info there Paige … fantastic x
thank you so much! x
Thank you for this Paige! Very helpful 😊 Light hearted writing so made it easy and joyful to read. I usually get bored reading blogs and skip through but actually took the time to read this fully.
you’re very welcome! i love this comment haha!