Tips for traveling around Mexico
Mexico is a beautiful and varied country, with sprawling deserts, culture-dense cities, and ancient ruins that are bound to captivate. As with any part of the world, travelers can sometimes run into problems if they aren’t prepared.
With this in mind, here are the top six tips to help you get the most out of your trip around Mexico.
Make sure your insurance is in order
This applies to any and all travel, especially in the current pandemic climate. Travel insurance ensures that you’re protected in the event of problems and gives you peace of mind.
Insurance is usually quite cheap but be sure to let your insurer know all your details. Neglecting to mention any health conditions, for example, can void the cover.
Explore beyond tourist areas
Mexico has some of the most popular tourist areas in the world, including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, etc, but there’s so much more to see. Mayan ruins, post- and pre-colonial towns, and secluded beaches all dwell off the beaten track.
Better still, leaving the tourist areas behind gives you a chance to meet the locals and experience true Mexican culture.
Beware of rental car scams
You won’t have to worry about too many scams in Mexico, but car rental is definitely one to be aware of. Any rental company offering cars for rock bottom prices like $5-$10 USD should be avoided as a matter of course.
These companies offer poor-quality cars and make their money back elsewhere on insurance and various other fees. This is especially true of airport car rental companies.
Consider working
Working as you travel is a great way to earn some additional income, cover the trip and help you to see a bit more of the country. Mexico has some of the best trucker routes in the world, including the infamous Yucatan Peninsula, making it popular with drivers.
If you’re a trucker looking to expand your horizons and travel, try Shiply to browse a load board. The service allows you to source loads around the world according to their type, duration of the trip, and much more.
Travel by Colectivo
Colectivos are small, shared vans that take you around the country. They’re essentially small buses, but Colectivo tickets are a fraction of the price of a standard bus ticket. Sometimes they aren’t much more than a couple of dollars.
This gives you far more scope to explore freely. These vans are a common sight in Yucatan and Mexico City, but you’ll find them nearly everywhere.
Don’t worry about military checkpoints
This only really applies when you travel outside the touristy areas. Certain parts of Mexico are protected by military checkpoints in place to keep you and everybody else safe.
The presence of these checkpoints can be frightening (especially to first-time travelers), but they really aren’t anything to worry about. In most cases, you’ll be asked a few simple questions and then waved on to enjoy the rest of your day in beautiful Mexico.
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