Below you can get important information in connection with your trip to Mexico – for example about visa rules, vaccinations and travel insurance.

• Language: Spanish
• Capital: Mexico City
• Population: 121, 7 mill.
• Religion: Roman Catholic
• Currency: Peso
• Surface: 1,964,375 km2

Worth knowing

Before departure

About a week before departure, you will receive your final departure letter. The departure letter contains important information about the place and time of departure. It also contains a telephone and address list of the hotels we use on the trip and the tour guide’s name.

Vaccinations and health

Requirements and recommendations regarding vaccinations are constantly changing for different countries. Therefore, contact your doctor or vaccination center for current information regarding necessary vaccinations. You can also read more at www.vaccination.nu .

Our travels in Mexico can involve some hiking, which assumes that you are in generally good physical shape and can move without help. Our trips are not suitable for people who walk badly, use a walker or wheelchair. Excursions to areas with ruins and other sights usually include some hiking on poorly maintained stairs, and the tours can be up to three kilometers long. The journeys also go through several altitude areas – from the same level as the sea surface and up to over 2,300 meters altitude.

Travel insurance

Since the general health insurance does not cover the cost of travel home and care in Mexico, you should definitely take out travel insurance that covers both the cost of care and any repatriation. Furthermore, we recommend that the insurance covers luggage in the event of damage or lost luggage. Albatros Travel cooperates with Gouda Reseförsäkring and we are happy to help you take out travel insurance.

Time difference

The time difference between Sweden and Mexico is -7 hours.

Hand luggage

We recommend that you pack your hand luggage, so that you have what you need easily accessible, should the rest of your luggage be delayed. Furthermore, we advise you to pack valuables and important medicine in your hand luggage. If you bring prescription medicine that you need to take during the flight, the name of the prescription and flight ticket must match.

We otherwise refer to the Swedish Transport Agency’s website: www.transportstyrelsen.se (under Traveler / Before the flight).

Transportation in Mexico

Bus The buses in Mexico do not meet the standard we are used to in Europe. However, our buses have a good standard and air conditioning.

Flights On our round trips in Mexico, we often fly longer distances with domestic flights. Prior to such flights, the Swedish tour guide informs about the time of departure and what applies at check-in at the airport.

Price level

A main course with accessories costs around 100 Swedish kronor. When it comes to pocket money, we know from experience that you need about 120 kronor per day. If you want to include drinks in that amount, you should expect an additional SEK 95-240 per day per person. It is enough, for example, for drinks, postcards, stamps, ice cream and tips. If you want to buy souvenirs or something else, you need to bring extra money in addition to this.

Tip

On our travels, you come into contact with everyday life and the country’s customs and usages. There may be certain conditions that you do not like or that you are not used to, such as tipping. In many countries, the system of tips is more organized than we Swedes are used to and there is an expectation that local guides and drivers will receive a certain amount of tips during the journey. We enter an amount in our travel program so that you can count on this when you make up your travel budget at home. The price of the trip does not include the cost of tips as you decide how much you want to give during the trip. The system of tips can be said to be part of the culture you visit and which you should therefore follow and respect. In Mexico, tips are widely accepted in the tourism industry. It is normal for a traveler to pay tips to bus drivers, local guides,

As a first-time traveler to Mexico, it can be tricky to know how much you are giving in tips to different people. But with a few pesos you get far! In practice, it is possible to arrange for the tour guide to collect money for the entire trip and ensure that the right people get what they need. We would like to emphasize that it is of course voluntary to tip, even if it is common practice.

Bars, cafes and nightclubs as well as restaurants in hotels often add 10-15% in service charge on the bill. It appears from the bill, but in addition to that it is customary to give the waiter another 5-10% of the entire bill in tips.

Currency and credit cards

The Mexican currency is called the peso (MXN) and is available in both coins and banknotes. Keep in mind that many banknotes and coins are similar and can easily be confused. The best currency to bring is Mexican pesos, which you can order and buy at a bank or currency exchange office at home. Alternatively, you can bring USD, but the Mexican government has introduced restrictions on how much you can exchange. This means that foreign tourists may only exchange USD 300 per day and no more than USD 1500 per month. There are no restrictions on other currencies, such as EUR.

MasterCard, Visa, Diners and American Express can be used as payment cards at most major hotels and in some stores. MasterCard and Visa can be used to withdraw cash in most cities in ATMs that, however, only leave pesos.

Electricity

Mexico has 110 volts. Normally flat pins are used, but the type may vary. You should therefore bring an adapter kit with many options.

Telephone and Internet

According to Allcitycodes, the international country code for Mexico is +52. Calling home from Mexico is expensive, so you should check with your mobile carrier for coverage and rates for calls from Mexico.

Internet cafes are now available in most cities, but we know from experience that it can be difficult to have time to visit such places other than during your own time or completed day program. Most hotels in Mexico have Internet service, but expect a slower connection compared to home. Some hotels charge extra for this.

Drinking water and hygiene

In Mexico, hygiene conditions are slightly worse than in Western Europe. Hotels and larger restaurants, on the other hand, usually meet modern / western standards. Out in the city and in the country, you can count on going to so-called pedal toilets, and that there is often a lack of toilet paper. The standard of public toilets or in the countryside can thus be relatively primitive. Bring your own toilet paper, intimate napkins and perhaps hand sanitizer (available at Swedish pharmacies, for example), so you will not be as dependent on access to water.

All water that you want to use to brush your teeth, make ice cubes or drink should be bottled water or boiled water from the tap.

Customs and traditions

Mexicans are generally open and treat tourists in a friendly way. Mexicans do not like to get involved in how you behave, and it is assumed that you as a visitor to the country have familiarized yourself with how to behave on arrival in the country.

Although the locals are usually used to many tourists, it is expected that local customs and practices are respected. More important than anything else is nature conservation. Most often, the areas we visit are protected, and the preservation of these areas has the highest priority among the authorities and the local population. You should therefore listen extra carefully when the tour guide and local guide during the trip inform about nature reserves.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited during all flights and bus transport. Smoking is also prohibited in most restaurants and hotels. If you are unsure, consult your tour guide about current smoking restrictions in Mexico.