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Destinations

All Destinations
• Mexico
  • Acapulco
  • Cancun
  • Cozumel
  • Ixtapa
  • Los Cabos
    • Cabo San Lucas
    • San Jose del Cabo
  • Mazatlan
  • Puerto Vallarta
  • Riviera Maya
  • Riviera Nayarit
  • Zihuatanejo

Destination Facts

• Passports and Visas
  Passport required for entry. However, you must obtain a Mexican government tourist card (tarjeta de turista). When you arrive in Mexico, your first stop will be Mexican Immigration (Migracion). Mexican Immigration will inspect your proof of citizenship and validate your tourist card. The inspector will give you a blue copy - don't lose it! The copy must be returned upon departure.
  
• Health Information
  No vaccinations required for entry
• Time
  EST - 1 hour
• Electricity
  110/120 volts
  
• Languages Spoken
  Spanish, but English is spoken in most areas.
  
• Currency
  Peso (M$)
• Gratuity Tips
  A 15% gratuity is customary for most services. In general, tip those service people (hotel maids, bellhops, waiters) that you normally would when traveling elsewhere. Also, it is customary to tip your gas station attendant. It is common practice to wait for the serving staff to return the "customer copy" of the credit card sales slip. Usually, you are not expected to tip a taxi driver.
  
• Taxes and VATS
  • Mexico has a 15% value-added tax but by law this tax must be included in quoted prices. Often this tax is "buried" in the total cost of restaurant bills, store purchases, and excursions. This tax also applies to the purchase of airline tickets within Mexico for travel commencing in Mexico (10% for domestic travel and 2.5% for international travel). Prepaid tickets often need to include these taxes. Consult the airlines for details.
  • Domestic air travel within Mexico has a departure tax of approximately $8.50 U.S. per person. The peso equivalent changes periodically. This tax cannot be collected in advance and must be paid in Mexico. Note that this tax is not collected for domestic portions of international journeys, and applies only to tickets that are purchased in Mexico for travel within Mexico. International air travel from Mexico carries a departure tax of $11.50 U.S. This tax is paid in Mexico, and under some circumstances may be included on tickets issued outside of Mexico (ask your airline for details). This tax is not paid by infants, but children two and over pay the full amount.
  • Cancun departure tax is approximately U.S.$17, except for passengers under two years of age, who are exempt from the tax.
• Banks, Credit Cards, ATMs
  • Mexican bank hours are normally from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., weekdays only. Some branches are open in the afternoon from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and on weekends. Please check at your hotel for the hours of the nearest branch office.
  • Visitors are likely to find easy access to ATM's throughout the country. Some machines will dispense pesos or dollars.
  • Credit cards are widely accepted, with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express being the most widely accepted. When checking into hotels, guests are often asked for a charge card for incidental charges, and asked to sign a blank charge slip. This is a common practice and should not be viewed with suspicion.
• Clothing Requirements
  Casual dress is appropriate for nearly all occasions in Mexico. However, Mexico has some particular customs regarding appropriate dress for certain situations:

  • Bathing suits (particularly for women) are not to be worn away from swimming pools and beach areas
  • Flashy or suggestive clothing is inappropriate in smaller resorts and inland cities
  • Shorts should never be worn when entering a church
  • In bigger cities, evening attire tends to be dressy, while casual dress is generally appropriate for beach resort dining
  • Pack a few warmer items for at night; it cools down quickly due to the closeness of the water
• Tourism Information
  Mexican Government Tourism Office(U.S.):
  Phone: (312) 606-9352