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MEXICO CITY
Mexico City is the world's third-largest metropolis (only Tokyo and NYC are bigger). Mexico's best and worst ingredients are all here: music and noise, brown air and green parks, colonial palaces and skyscrapers, world-renowned museums and ever-spreading slums.

México City Int'l Airport (MEX)
The México City Benito Juárez International Airport is the gateway to México City and central México as well as the airline hub for the entire country. More than 20 million passengers per year pass through this airport, making it the busiest in Latin America. The airport is 8 miles east of the center of México City. It is served by dozens of international airlines. Mexicana and Aeromexico are the major Mexican airlines.

Flights from the San Francisco Bay Area
From the San Francisco Int'l Airport, both United and Mexicana fly direct to Mexico City. You may fly United 977 non-stop leaving at 11:15 am from San Francisco (SFO) and arriving at 5:31 pm (CST) in Mexico City (MEX). On the way back, United 970 flies non-stop arriving SFO at 9:55am.

Mexicana 141 is a red-eye that departs SFO at 11:35 pm arriving at 5:45am the next morning. On the way back, you may fly Mexicana 972 which departs at 5:55pm. You may find cheaper fares through American, through the codeshare arrangements that they have with Mexicana.

From San Jose's Mineta Int'l Airport (SJC), Mexicana also has direct, non-stop flights that go to Mexico City (MEX) on Friday's and return Monday morning. Flight 955 departs San Jose Friday's at 2:15 pm, arriving in Mexico City at 8:15 pm. Every Monday Flight 954 departs Mexico City at 10:30 am and arrives in San Jose at 1:15 pm.

Proof of citizenship is required for international travel (e.g., Passport). When children are traveling, additional documentation may also be necessary.

Arriving from outside México
Citizens of many countries - including the USA and Canada do not require visas to enter Mexico as tourists. However, if they are staying longer than 72 hours you must obtain a government tourist card (tarjeta de turista) valid up to 180 days. The fee is included in the price of the ticket.

When entering Mexico, you are also required to complete a customs declaration form (which lists duty-free allowances). You will put the customs form into a computerized card reader, and the computer screen says if you can pass or need to be searched. This takes the human element out of determining who is searched.

Before you arrive, you will need to fill out the tourist card form and the customs form. With your completed forms, you first go to immigration. After the agent stamps your tourist card, you claim your luggage, put it on a free cart, and then go to customs. Keep your tourist card, you will need it when you leave the country.

After you get through customs, you walk out into the main terminal. You will have to leave your luggage cart in customs, but there are uniformed skycaps with two wheel dollies if you need help.

Visitors are allowed to bring the following into Mexico, duty-free: personal use items (eg clothing); a camera and video camera; up to 12 rolls of film or videocassettes; a mobile phone; a laptop; a CD or cassette player; medicine for personal use (with prescription in the case of psychotropic drugs); 3L of wine, beer or liquor; 400 cigarettes; and 300.00 worth of other goods.

Shops, Money, etc.
Like most large airports, almost anything that you might need can be found in the terminal: snacks, souvenirs, magazines, etc. There are also several sit-down restaurants, both in the public terminal and the secure gate area.

The airport has dozens of money exchange booths (Casa de Cambio), in the public terminal and the secure gate area. The exchange rates at Mexico City airport are usually very competitive, much better than at US airports, and seem to be always open. There are also several ATMs in the airport. The Mexican Peso is now at about 10 to 11 per U.S. dollar. Value-added Tax (IVA) is 15% and hotel tax is 17%.

The public phones at the airport, as in most of Mexico, require a prepaid phone card, available in shops for 30 or 50 pesos Mexico City is on Central Standard Time. Daylight Savings Time starts the first Sunday in April and ends the last Sunday in October.

Departure
When you arrive at the curbside of the airport, you will find many uniformed skycaps with two wheel carts or dollies wanting to take your bags. A polite "No Gracias" will generally suffice to have them leave you alone.

You should check in at the ticket windows on the main (lower) level, and then take the escalators upstairs to security. The departure gates (Salas) are clearly marked, and there are the usual airport flight status monitors.

Travel Notes & Directions

• Map and Directions (2MB PDF)
• Travel Notes (Word)
• Honeymoon

Hotels

• Fiesta Inn Aeropuerto Mexico City, Blvd Puerto Aereo #502, Col. Moctezuma, Mexico City, 1-800-FIESTA-1 (Toll Free in the U.S.) Located in front of Mexico City International Airport and 20 minutes from downtown. It has spacious and well-appointed guestrooms. The hotel features a tropical decor and all the modern amenities.

• Hotel Aeropuerto, Blvd Aeropuerto #380, Col. Moctezuma, Mexico City, Tel. 011-52-555-785-5851 (from the U.S.)
  
• Camino Real Aeropuerto Mexico, Puerto México # 80, Col. Peñón de los Baños, México, D.F. CP 15520, Tel. +011-52-553-003-0033, Fax: 011-52-553-003-0034 (from the U.S.) Conveniently located in eastern Mexico City and with easy access to the city's International Airport by simply crossing a covered pedestrian bridge.

• Hilton Mexico City Airport, Cap. Carlos Leon S/N, Mexico City, CP 15620, Tel: 011-52-555-133-0505, Fax: 011-52-555-133-0500. (from the U.S.) Located on the third level of the new terminal of the Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport. The hotel is just a short walk from the airport's arrival areas, and transportation to the hotel lobby is provided aboard the hotel's courtesy shuttle bus.

  Taxis at the Airport
  The tourist taxis are found at the taxi stand outside of area A. You go to the taxi ticket window and tell the ticket agent where you are going. He will sell you a ticket, which you take to the tourist taxi stand outside. These taxis are typically small sedans, adequate for three people with moderate luggage. A typical fare, depending on the distance, is probably $10 to $15 US.

  If you have more than three people, there is another option. The same taxi ticket office and taxi stand offer Suburbans, as a kind of executive transportation. Suburbans cost almost double what a tourist taxi costs, but are good for a group of four to eight people, or if you have an unusually large amount of luggage.

  Taxis in the City
  Because of the problems of taxi robberies, you should never take random passing taxis anywhere in Mexico City. Official taxi stands, with a person with a clipboard logging each departure, are regarded as safe. A hotel can call you a radio taxi, and get the description of the taxi and its number. Some people hire a radio or hotel taxi for a day of tourism; this is probably the safest and most convenient option. Tipping taxi drivers is not required.

  There is a Metro stop two minutes' walk from area A in the airport. However, crime is a problem, and I do not recommend traveling on the Metro with luggage or valuables. The subway costs less than $0.20 US.

  Rental Cars
  There are more than ten auto rental agencies located at the Mexico City airport, generally the major brands from the USA such as Hertz, Avis, etc. There are booths in the airport, with shuttle buses to take you to your car. As in most big cities, a car is more of a liability than an asset. Rental cars in Mexico are always expensive. If you do rent a car, be sure to buy the Mexican insurance. Driving in Mexico City is not for the faint of heart.

  Weather
  The weather is temperate and warm all year, and mainly dry. It can be cool on winter nights, and afternoon showers are common from June to September. Winters never really dip much below 50°F, while even May, the hottest month, doesn't get much above 81°F.

  Health
  The main risks to travelers to Mexico are food-borne diseases, although mosquito-borne infections can also be a problem. Most of these illnesses are not life-threatening. DO NOT DRINK WATER FROM THE TAP.

  Dangers & Annoyances
  Mexico City has a bad reputation for crime that is only now starting to ease. On the whole it's your possessions that are at risk, particularly those you carry with you, so use common sense when going out. Make use of hotel safes to hold your valuables, carry only a small amount of cash on you and don't keep valuables such as purses, bags or cameras in open view any longer than you have to. Do not travel alone after dark and don't carry ATM cards or credit cards.

Robberies are also most likely to occur in places frequented by foreigners. These include central metro stations, the Bosque de Chapultepec, around the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, the Zona Rosa and the area around the US embassy. For more information on security issues in Mexico City, review the US State Department travel warnings.