Borrowing a lightness and a contagious joie de vivre, smiling and warm, Mexicans love to talk, sing and dance.
Creative at heart, plant lovers and blessed with a rich cultural and spiritual heritage, these inexhaustible talkers love to introduce tourists to their gastronomy, customs and natural treasures.
To discover
Tailor-made trips: discover the offers from our partners
Travel to Mexico: tailor-made tours, hotels and stays from our partners
In Mexico, some advice: forget your proactive European habits, you risk being frustrated.
Instead, stick to the local rhythm, living in the present moment;
life will suddenly seem more peaceful.
What time difference between Mexico and France?
The country is spread over two time zones.
There is a 7 hour time difference with the Yucatan Peninsula and 8 hours with the rest of the country.
When it is noon in Paris, it is 5 a.m. in Mexico.
Which airline to go to Mexico?
Air France offers direct flights Paris-Mexico City or Paris-Cancun in 11 hours.
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Air France offers direct flights Paris-Mexico City or Paris-Cancun in 11 hours.
Iberia also offers flights from Paris with a stopover in Madrid and the company World2fly allows you to reach Cancun from Madrid.
This option is often more advantageous than leaving from France.
Do you need a visa to travel to Mexico?
Normally, French people have the right to stay up to six months per year in the territory without first applying for a visa.
But following the wave of tourists observed during the pandemic (Mexico is one of the rare countries to have never closed its borders), immigration agents are now stricter.
Do not travel without your return flight, you will probably be asked for it upon arrival in the country.
This ticket will allow the agent to define the maximum duration of your stay on site.
Without this return flight, he can absolutely refuse you entry into the territory or give you a visa for only a few days, and you will have no power to contest.
What is the currency in Mexico?
The peso is the official currency of Mexico.
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You can change your euros at the airport or withdraw pesos on site from ATMs.
Be careful, however, of withdrawal fees, which are often exorbitant: if you stay for a long time, it may be useful to take out an international option with your bank or to opt for an online bank with a special offer for withdrawals and purchases at home. 'stranger.
How much should you budget for a trip to Mexico?
Panuchos are a specialty of Mexican cuisine, more precisely from the Yucatan region.
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Even though prices have skyrocketed in some regions over the past three years, Mexico remains an affordable country.
Thefts have greatly increased.
The Paris-Cancun plane ticket is often cheaper than a Paris-Mexico.
Depending on the period, you will find it between €650 and €1000 round trip.
Even though it has fallen, the exchange rate remains advantageous: for 1€, you will get a little more than 18 pesos.
If you book your domestic flights at least six weeks in advance, you'll get them for next to nothing.
Rarely allow more than €5 for short taxi rides in town;
between €30 and €45 for a night in a small charming hotel and between €60 and €80 for a so-called “luxury” establishment.
The traditional Mexican breakfast (cooked eggs, tortillas, fresh fruit juice and coffee) is often priced at less than €6, a margarita will cost you between €4 and €8 depending on the establishment and if you spend more than €20 per person for a dinner, you have opted for top-of-the-range dining.
On the other hand, you can easily add 30% of the price for the same offer located in the Yucatan Peninsula, towards Playa Del Carmen, Cancun, Tulum and Bacalar.
How to get around Mexico?
The roads are in very good condition throughout the country and many travelers opt for the road trip option.
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By bus: economical and practical, the bus is popular with Mexicans.
The country is covered by two large, comfortable and modern networks: ADO, in the south of the country, offering an efficient service at low prices, and ETN in the northern half, whose luxurious vehicles have a screen per seat for watching films as in the plane.
You can book on the websites of the two companies or directly on site, at the ticket office.
Plan a little in advance to be sure you have a seat available at the time of your choice.
By car: the roads are in very good condition throughout the country and many travelers opt for the
road trip
option .
It is possible to rent a car at Cancun airport and return the vehicle in Mexico City (1600 km), and vice versa.
No major risks to be expected along the way, apart from a few blockages by local communities, particularly at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in the state of Oaxaca;
on federal road 199 which connects San Cristobal de Las Casas to Palenque;
as well as in certain areas of the state of Hidalgo and Michoacan.
In this case, two options: circulation is possible by paying a right of passage imposed by the demonstrators, or it is impossible and you will have to opt for an alternative route when there is one, or adapt your program.
By combi: all cities in Mexico have their combis.
These are vehicles for 12 to 16 people connecting one city to another.
They are generally located near the bus terminal.
To find your destination, listen carefully: touts trying to fill the combis as quickly as possible shout the names of the towns from the sidewalk.
It is not necessary to book your trip.
The service is often very well organized and passengers rarely wait more than 30 minutes before being placed in a departing vehicle.
Is Mexico a safe country?
Announcing that you are going to Mexico can cause concern among loved ones.
If the country has a bad press because of drug traffickers, this drug war is normally limited between the groups involved.
In the vast majority of the country, we feel safe.
The sympathy of the Mexicans, who are particularly helpful, contributes greatly to this ambient serenity.
However, certain very localized areas should be avoided, such as at the moment near the border with Guatemala, but also in the states of Tamaulipas, Colima and part of Guanajuato, as well as in the cities of Tijuana and Tecate.
If you're taking a traveling trip, get into the habit of finding out about the security situation at your next destination by asking around.
The locals are very well informed and will be able to tell you if the area is in the middle of a conflict or if the coast is clear.
Finally, it is better not to wear valuable jewelry, to return by taxi at night rather than on foot and to avoid traveling with a large amount of money in your wallet.
As a precaution, leave the majority of your cash in your room and only take as much as you need for your excursions.
Can you drink tap water in Mexico?
Water is a major problem in Mexico.
Wastewater is often discharged without any treatment system and contaminates the drinking water network, making the little water that reaches homes unfit for consumption.
On site, local populations buy plastic barrels filled with filtered tap water, which they use for drinking but also for cooking.
Therefore, never drink tap water and brush your teeth with filtered water, especially if you are traveling to the state of Chiapas.
If you cook, systematically disinfect your vegetables with drops based on colloidal silver (you can find them in all supermarkets).
Finally, if there is no risk with drinks served in restaurants, even those with ice cubes, be careful with juices sold in markets in rural areas, plants are not always disinfected before being mixed.