Mexico Travel Advice

Getting to Mexico

Located in the northern part of Central America, Mexico borders the United States, the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, Belize, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Covering nearly an astonishing 2 million square kilometres, Mexico is the 14th largest nation in the world.

• London to Mexico City is about a 12-hour flight
• Los Angeles to Mexico City takes around 4 hours
• Cape Town to Mexico City takes one day and 2 hours
• Sydney to Mexico City is about a 19.5-hour flight
• New York to Mexico City takes around 5.5 hours

Main airport
in Mexico

Mexico has over 1700 airports, many of which only serve short domestic flights. The busiest airport in Mexico is Mexico City International Airport (MEX) officially known as Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez. It's located in Venustiano Carranza, a district in Mexico City.

Culture, religion
and etiquette

While exploring Mexico you'll probably notice the considerable quantity of Cathedrals and Churches. Religion is an essential part of everyday Mexican life. Catholic Christianity is the dominant religion, with around 83% of the population identifying as Roman Catholic. Roughly 7% of the population identify as Pentecostal, Evangelical and Mainline Protestant Christians, nearly 5% are either Atheist or Agnostic, and just over 1% of the population are Jehovah's Witness Christians. Mexican traditions are incredibly diverse but they are notoriously proud of their heritage. Family is one of the cornerstones of Mexican culture - their families tend to be very large. It's common to see families extending from the immediate circle to include cousins, uncles and aunts. Excellent hospitality is another principal value in Mexican culture - being the host is seen as a great honour and an opportunity to show off your skills!

In the cities, Mexicans typically dress in a very modern style, however, the further off the beaten track you travel, the more traditional the clothing will get. Women traditionally wore a huipil which is like a sleeveless tunic/dress. The men in Mexico traditionally wore a sarape, which is similar to a blanket, and worn as a cape. Mexicans generally shake hands when greeting one another. If a man and a woman meet, it is custom to exchange a kiss on the cheek. They value the art of conversation and are fond of polite and informal chit-chat. This can go on for quite some time, so never be in a rush when you are engaging in conversation. Bluntness in Mexico is seen as very rude, so serious matters are always approached delicately.

Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico (DST) is 6 hours behind London (GMT), 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles (PDT) and 1 hour behind New York. Mexico runs on Central Daylight Time and switches to Daylight Savings Time. To calculate the time difference from your current location, visit timeanddate.com.

Bus

Buses (known as camiones) are the most popular way to travel around Mexico. Only costing a few pesos per trip, it's a cheap and easy way to get between cities. Mexico's bus network is extensive and serves most of the country. A trip from Mexico City to Cancun will take around 15 hours and cost about M$480. There are multiple companies to choose from, but some of the most popular are Primera Plus, Estrella de Oro, Omnibuses de Mexico, ETN.

Taxi

Taxis and Ubers predominantly work around the cities in Mexico. A journey begins at a minimum price of M$16, then M$22 per kilometre will be added. Some taxis run on the meter and some you will need to agree a price with first.

History of Mexico

The earliest evidence of human remains in Mexico dates from 20,000 BC with the first civilisation appearing around 1500 BC. The first urban society in the Western hemisphere was around 300 AD in the Valley of Mexico Teotihuacan. Aztecs founded the Teotihuacan capital in 750 AD, around 600 years after it was abandoned. The Sun and Moon pyramids remain today. A great civilisation, the Nahuatl once inhabited the pyramids and the city itself. The Mayan civilisation began to decline in 800 AD.

The Toltecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico and constructed cultures based on their ancestors. They were then followed by the Aztecs who built the great city of Tenochtitlan in 1345. Legend states that the Aztecs followed a prophecy to find the promised land where they could create their city, and built one of the largest cities on earth.

In 1519 the Spanish invaded. The invasion was made particularly easy due to the Aztec emperor Moctezuma showering them with gifts, accepting them in. The Spanish created alliances within the Aztek empire and built a huge army of Indians to massacre the towns. The Spanish began rebuilding the capital, which they then called New Spain. They demolished the Tenochtitlan's ceremonial centre and built a church over the remains to introduce Catholicism to the people. The Catholic Church quickly became the dominant religion of Mexico. Only Spaniards from Spain were able to hold a position in high office. Any mixed-race or Mexican born people held an inferior status, and the indigenous tribes became slaves. Most indigenous people died of diseases brought over by the Spanish as they were not immune to them. 

Nearly three centuries after the Spanish conquered, the Mexicans began to rise and retaliate. In 1821 Mexico finally gained its independence. After it's independence, Mexico fell under a series of invasions. In 1845 the US invaded Mexico City, in 1838, France invaded Veracruz, and in 1861 Napoleon took Mexico City.

Benito Juarez became the only indigenous person to become the president of Mexico. His goal was to reduce the power of the Catholic church and confiscated all Catholic property and forbid priests to wear their robes in public.

From 1876 - 1911, Porfirio Diaz became a dictator where he modernised the country using foreign investors. In 1910, Francisco Madero fought against Diaz in the elections but was imprisoned. He escaped and began a revolutionary army to attack Diaz. In 1917, a new constitution was added to comply with the revolutionary demands - most of which remain as the bulk of the Mexican constitution today.

In 1928 the Institutional Revolutionary Party began and elected Lazaro Cardenas as president in 1934. He distributed the land of Mexico and nationalised the Mexican Oil Industry. Unfortunately, his plans failed after amounting a huge pile of debt.