Tips for Traveling to Yucatan & Quanta Roo, Mexico
Part 2 of Things to know for International Travel
Tips for Traveling to Yucatan & Quanta Roo, Mexico
Research & Preparation for Traveling to Mexico
Research & Preparation
Find your rhythm faster by researching what it’s like to visit Mexico. Mexico is a very large country and it’s different in every area and even towns. If you don’t speak English, start by visiting the tourist areas. Those areas are visitor friendly and you’ll be able to work on your Spanish. English is often spoken is some areas.
Every region of the world has many quirks & scams to be aware of, so listed below are just some to be aware of. There’s more and they are always changing, so research on the internet and YouTube to quickly get updates on current trends before you go.
Here are a few basics things to do and know before you visit Mexico.
Emergency numbers:
· In Mexico, it is 911.
Visa
Don’t forget:
Important things to remember if you are leaving from a Mexican Airport and you’re trying to gain your Temporary or Permanent Residency – DO NOT forget to stop by the IMN office. In Cancún the main one is right when you walk in just past the luggage drop off. When you return, go to the windows on the right and make sure they have written in TR or PR and no dates or you will have to start over.
Mexico Tourist Visa 180 Days. Longer term Visa options available, Temporary Resident, Permanent Resident, Work or Student Visa are optional. Hire a facilitator to do the work for you or look into doing it yourself. Just note, if you do everything yourself, it’s still difficult to get appointments and you may have to hire someone for that.
Example: The United States of American passports, you get 180 days tourist visa but note that they can and do give you less. It’s normally happening to those doing border runs to avoid getting residency.
For visitors: Mandatory VisitaTax; It’s an International Tourist Tax charge to visitors.
The public is confused by the VisitaTax, because they think that they’re paying it when they buy a plan ticket. It is a separate tax that is not included in your airfare.
Yes, the Visitatax is being enforced at the Quintana Roo airports in the Riviera Maya.
Pay ahead online, but make sure it’s on the official Mexico legit site and watch out for paying extra on non-legit sites. If they ask for an additional fee, it’s not a legitimate website. Currently the cost is $283MXN Pesos, which is approximately $15 to $18 each person over the age of 15 that is visiting as a tourist. It’s to fund local tourism infrastructure and maintenance. If you’re on a website that is more than $18, check the current rate and exchange rate, because if it’s more than that, it’s a scam website.
Traveling to Mexico Tip’s:
Transportation From the Cancún Airport and beyond.
Best Option: Private Transportation
Let’s start out with saying finding a Private Transportation company will save you time, money and stress. Do your research because some are better than others. Ask for recommendations on groups that live in the area to recommend some. Once you get to your location, find local taxi drivers that you trust and get their business cards or grab a WhatsApp number for future rides.
For pick up at the Cancún Airport, pre-book a Private Transportation Company to be there when your plane lands. If you pick a legit company, they will keep an eye on the plane delays and keep in contact with you throughout. You can find ones that are popular on Facebook pages for the local areas.
Book it yourself -
Another lesson I learned - when a Transportation Shuttle is not included in your stay at a hotel or resort stay, even All-Inclusive Resorts, it is going to cost around $150 - $200+ USD for a ride to/from the airport - if you book an airport transfer through them. It is less money to book it yourself.
Good Option - ADO BUS. It’s the least expensive option to leave the airport, but you will have more logistics to work out and might take a bit longer to get to your accommodations. If you’re going far, the Platinum buses are amazing.
Depending on your destination, you may be able to take an ADO bus to your city or town, then grab a ride to your accommodation’s. Please research fully into the logics before you go and make sure that a Taxi, Uber or DIDY will be there and available at your drop off point.
· Learn from my mistake - I thought that every bus stop had Taxi’s waiting for you when you get off the bus.
o It could have been that we were early, or it was just the timing, but when I arrived at Bacalar there weren’t any taxis to grab. Note that this location has improved since my visit last year with the new bus stop.
o It was an adventure when I was dropped off on the side of the highway in the late evening. No, taxis in sight but luckily it wasn’t long before some taxi’s started arriving, but they were all called in from the other passengers.
o The sun was setting and it was dinner time; I started to panic. Nothing around, so I crossed the Highway to get to the bus stop. I hated that idea, but it was the only thing that I could think of to get help.
o Luckily, I was able to grab a taxi that was dropping someone off at the bus station. He was done for the day and had to make a stop first, but took pity on a lost tourist and made it to the hotel.
Not Recommended Options:
TAXI’S - Taxi’s at Cancún Airport are NOT the best option. The Taxis are EXPENSIVE. They can be over $100/$200+ USD to go 20 minutes, when you can book a private transfer for $35-$40 dollars to go 20 minutes.
RENTAL CARS:
Rental Cars are available in the Shark Tank 1, along with the time shares and expensive excursions area, BUT everyone recommends avoiding rental cars here at all costs. Even the popular name brand companies are scamming customers at this airport.
For Rental Cars, leave the Airport and rent one from outside of the airport or near your accommodations. It’s best to set up a Private Transfer transportation.
Do you just need to get out of the airport away from the mess?
To get to your accommodations, take an ADO bus located outside of the exit of the airport. From the sliding glass doors, exit and go to the left and walk over to the ADO Bus Station. Look for the big red sign that says “ADO.”
Depending on where you need to go, how much time you have left for the day to get to your accommodations, will determine where you want to take the bus. Since the buses doesn’t go to resorts, they only drop off at bus stations throughout each town, you have some planning to do.
If it’s near the Hotel Zone in Cancún, you can easily call an Uber or take a Taxi to your hotel/resort.
For further away, I’d try a private transfer first, then Uber or a Taxi, with the expectation of if your accommodations are near a taxi stand or near an ADO bus station. For example; If your needed to go to Playa del Carmen, the ADO stations have Taxi stands right outside the bus stop and they can take you to your accommodations. Depending on where your resort is, it might not be less expensive than just getting a private transfer or Uber.
If you don’t have a reservation for accommodations, take the ADO bus to Puerto Morelos. Get off at the bus stop at 7-Eleven (yes, it’s the bus stop). There’s a taxi station across the street and take a taxi to the beach/portside for about $3 - $4 USD. Grab a meal at one of the many restaurants and start talking to the locals or a local expat and they can help you find a place to stay if you need one. You’ll be amazed how friendly and helpful people can be in Mexico.
WARNING Worst Option :
Uber & DIDY - NOT an option at the CANCÚN AIRPORT. Even if you find one willing to pick you up, fights have broken out with Uber drivers, Taxi drivers and passengers. Many areas now have Uber & DIDY available, just not at the Airport.
The Cancún Airport:
The Cancún Airport has earned a bad reputation from some travelers, so here are a few things to look for at the Airport. ~ It’s doable, so don’t not go to Cancún Airport.
o The airport is marked out pretty well and you’ll navigate it fine. You can ask for help along the way, if needed
o Use the Apple AirPods - Pro 3 with Live Translation so you can listen to others speaking in different languages. It will be translated through your AirPods Pro 3’s into the language of your choice. Even with the translator app, it will block out the loud noise and you’ll be able to listen to the others and announcements. Highly recommend for traveling, they work great!
o The food - Is airport food
o Keep an eye on your belonging at all times, like every airport
o Use common sense, like every airport
In the Cancún airport, here are two main areas to look out for in which are nicknamed Shark Tank #1 & Shark Tank #2. I’m not bringing up the duty-free area, because it’s nothing new or specific to this airport.
o The Shark Tank #1 area is located after you pick up your luggage and past customs through the sliding glass doors. Boom – Sales People! Stand up straight, look straight ahead and walk with your eyes focused on the next set of glass doors, just ahead of you. It’s not a big deal, unless you stop and engage with them.
o The fresh air hits you and you have just a moment to catch your breath and you will see the Shark Tank #2 area. The transportation pickup and taxi area. It’s a controlled mess.
To find your ride and get through the crowd of signs with sales people attached to them, don’t listen to the ones that say your driver has left and that they can give you a ride, cheap.
If you booked Private Transportation, hopefully you have been in contact with your driver and have talked about a meeting location. Look for their sign with your name, company’s logo that you booked with and it will be the driver or their assistant.
o Example: The best meet up spot is by Margaritaville. Meet your driver or his/her assistant and they will walk you to the companies parking spot. Sometimes you will need to wait a few minutes, depending if your plane was delayed. Most of the time, the car or van is there waiting for you.
I’ve found that there are assistants in that area that will guide you to your pickup location if your driver is delayed. They will guide you to the parking area that have numbers, then ask you to wait here and then leave. Your driver is on its way. It normally happens when planes are late. Cancún can have horrible traffic, so there are delays at times.
If you need to transfer to other terminals, beware of paying for shuttle services. The airport has a free shuttle service to other terminals and to the Mayan Train Station at this time.
Getting to the Airport:
Hotel Transportation in Cancún - check prices! It may be a lot less expensive and less frustrating to arrange your own transportation than have the hotel set it up.
o Lessons learned; Not knowing how much taxi rides should cost & relying on the hotel to coordinate a taxi before a flight.
o For convenience, I asked the hotel in Cancún to call for a taxi to the Airport for the next morning, so it would be ready for us at the set time. Doubled checked the night before and you guessed it; there was not a taxi. They said that they forgot to call for one. Yes, they could have called one and the taxi could have not shown up as well. Glad that we padded some extra time in the schedule for plan B.
o The hotel was a big-name Hotel and less than 1.5 miles from the Cancún Airport. It turned out to be an expensive lesson. It should have been approximately a $5-$8 USD (with airport fees) ride instead of a $35 USD ride. Regrated picking a hotel without a shuttle service included.
o That doesn’t happen everywhere in Mexico, because when I stayed in Cozumel, I didn’t have that issue. During my stayed at Puerto Libre Hotel, they were happy to call for a taxi and it was a standard price. As a bonus, I had one of the nicest taxi’s drivers in Cozumel.
More Tips/Information:
Time:
Things don’t always go as planned. Have a backup plan and add extra time for when the plan has a hiccup or “Island Time.” Mexico time is similar to Island time.
Taxi’s:
· Download local taxi’s areas numbers on WhatsApp or ask the local groups for taxi drivers whom they recommend
· Confirm the price of the taxi ride before you get in. Not all taxi drivers will scam you, but you need to be aware
· Make sure the driver knows where you’re going and take a photo of the taxi number and driver to text it a friend or family. It you can, make a recording or video of your conversation of the amount agreed upon
· Sharing Taxi’s - know the amounts they charge when you’re sharing a taxi. Some taxis don’t give you a discount and others will.
Different Type of Van/Buses available to use in Mexico.
· The Colectivo’s or Combi’s Van/Bus. There are two different routes setups for Colectivo’s with short distances in the neighborhoods. These are van/buses that are easy to hoop on and off that cost .10$ Pesos in most areas. They aren’t the cleanest or the most comfortable ride, but it’s convenient for short trips.
Some locations have bus stop areas and others don’t, but you’ll see where people gather or if you see a bus, just flag them down and they will stop to pick you up if they have room. To exit, just let the driver know (in Spanish) when you need to exit the bus.
· There are longer distance Colectivos that travels on Highway 307and make stops anywhere needed off of the highway. Cost is approximately .40$ Pesos.
· The Playa Express Van/Buses are cleaner and more comfortable than the Colectivo buses.
They travel further distances from Cancún Centro bus station to Playa del Carmen bus station. These buses stop off at many unmarked locations along the Highway 307, but end up at a designated bus station and you can take a long walk to 5th Ave or take a taxi.
· The ADO Bus. These are longer distance buses that go all over the region and into others. They only stop at the ADO bus station or designated spots and vary in price. They are clean and comfortable with the Platinum Buses even cleaner and more comfortable.
You might run into having to book a ferry during your travels. They’re easy to navigate and not too expensive. Buy tickets at the company’s ticket counter right before the Ferry entrance or online.
Buying tickets for the ADO Bus and the ferry - you can buy when you arrive or to beat the lines, at the online official websites. Like many others, I’ve had issues with buying tickets online, especially from ADO and have purchased tickets from BusBud.com, with great success. So, if you’re having issues with the website taking payment, BusBud.com was a good alternative.
· Golf Cart & E-Carts Rentals
This is something that I haven’t rented but some areas have them available. Only rent from a reputable company and make sure that you’re covered through your car insurance and health insurance. Don’t ride in traffic like you would with a car and drive only on the roads where they are allowed. This is a huge problem in some areas, so be cautious of which areas that you’re driving in.
· Scooter
This is another that I personally haven’t renting but friends of mine have. They said everything worked out okay, but complained about the bumpy roads. Only rent from a reputable company and make sure that you’re covered through your car and health insurance.
· Bikes & E-Bikes
These are available in many places and are very popular. I haven’t rented a bike or e-bike because I own them and highly recommend them if you’re staying in a place where traffic is slower and where you’ll be able to ride them safely. Wear a helmet and lock them up as you get out there and explore!
Sidewalks:
Watch your step at all times. Obstacles range from power lines, wires, poles, trash bins, tree limbs & trees, etc. Along with parts of buildings, holes, ditches and driveways that aren’t driveways, just about everything to make walking on the sidewalks dangerous.
Water:
Water in Mexico and other countries can make you sick, so don’t drink tap water. Drink bottled water or asked for filtered water and filtered ice cubes. In tourist areas, it’s standard to give bottle waters when ordering water. Ask for how much they charge or don’t be surprised by the cost.
Drink bottled water or from an international water filter with UV light water bottle.
Language – limited English in the tourist areas, while Spanish & Mayan is the spoken languages in Mérida and the Yucatan, Quanta Roo regions.
Enjoy Island Time, One Day At A Time
Sanitation/Bathrooms:
o Bathrooms are normally small in Mexico and often not stocked with paper, soap or towels
o Carry hand sanitizer to wash your hands before eating to avoid sickness
o Carry toilet paper in your day bag. Don’t flush paper or anything extra in Mexico
o Carry small Pesos in case you find that you need to pay to use the bathrooms
o Carry a hook to hold your purse or bag while you use the bathroom
Currency - Credit Cards widely used or local currency when paying cash _ MXN Pesos.
Tipping – Some areas don’t expect large tips, but tourist areas do. Expected tips are 10-15% of the total bill. Do note that all taxes should be included in the price shown on the menu. Be aware of your receipts and make sure everything is correct and they haven’t included extras. Look for added words of “Servicio” or “Propina” added to your bill. Politely ask for a new bill without the added charge. After you leave, report it to PROFECO, because it is illegal for a restaurant to charge a service fee or tip on your bill. Consumers have the right to refuse to pay for the illegal add-ons under the Federal Consumer Protection Law.
Transportation - Mexico
Uber, DiDi, Taxi’s, Train, Planes, Bus or private transportation. You can also rent bikes, scooters or golf carts in some areas.
Climate - Mexico
Tropical climate, with cooler in the mountains. Stay hydrated, use reef safe sunscreen, protective clothing, hat & sunglasses. Beware of extreme heat and humidity advisories.
Animals –
Street dogs and cats are common and are very friendly. Give them their space when they’re napping and be caution not to injure them when you’re in a car, golf cart, bike, etc. The local vets and rescues run sterilizing events, so if you feel like helping out by donating money, it will be greatly appreciated by the local vets and volunteers.
Mexico has wild animals, so be respectful and aware of animals that can run into streets, come out of the jungle or water.
Tourist Pressure, Political Climate & Safety -
The most asked about questions.
To make a long story short, I decided to travel long term and embraced a new travel lifestyle.
I’m currently enjoying, a small area in Mexico where there are some sellers and vendors around the area. If you’re not interested in buying anything, say “No, gracias” to them and they move on. Most of the time they don’t hound you like some other places I’ve seen in my travels.
In the area where I’m staying now and many other cities and towns in Mexico, I find that I can walk, ride my bike, take a bus during the day and at night in most places without any problems.
Just be careful of the sidewalks, because they can make you trip if you’re not careful, but if you need help someone is always willing to help you out.
Dream of living the travel lifestyle you’ve always wanted. Plan out your adventures and make friends along the way.
There’s always more, so join My Spinning Mind Travels Community for more tips and inspiration.
