Traveling to Mexico is an amazing experience but can be quite stressful if you are a first time traveler. Even those who have made several trips learn things with each trip that help them to be more prepared for their futures trips. I can't tell you how many times I have traveled to Mexico and I still come home feeling that I learned something else that will make my next trip a little easier!
I started putting together a list of travel tips that either my clients shared with me or that I thought would give my clients a better experience. I now share those tips with all my clients so that they will be better prepared. I would like to share a few of those with you today!
1.Read your travel documents!
It sounds so simple but I can't tell you how many times that something goes wrong in a vacation simply because the travel documents were not read thoroughly. There is so much information contained in them which is extremely useful while traveling. Don't just breeze through them, take the time to go through everything so you will know exactly what to expect during your trip
2- Arrive at the airport early!
Again, sounds like a no brainer but make sure you are getting there AT LEAST 2 hours prior to departure. And if possible, print your boarding passes online within 24 hours of your flight just in case there are any issues at the airport. Arriving at least 2 hours prior will reduce your stress, you never know how long it is going to take to get through the security line and many airlines will deny boarding if you do not check in within 45 minutes of your flight.
I had clients a few years back that arrived at the airport 90 minutes prior to their flight and had not printed their boarding passes. They had issues taking care of this at the airport, arrived at the gate 10 minutes prior to departure and were denied boarding. They had to purchase new tickets to take a later flight and spent hours on the phone trying to fix it. I'm sure they learned their lesson now!!
3. Do not lose your Mexican Tourist Card
A Mexican Tourist Card and Customs Declaration Form will be provided to you by the airline. Both copies of this card must be filled out, signed and presented upon arrival in Mexico. A copy will be returned to you. Please safeguard this throughout your stay, as you will need it for your return flight. If you lose your tourist card, there may be a fee to replace it.
A few years back, I "misplaced" my card and it was a big pain in the butt to get a new one. They took me to a security room, asked me a bunch of questions and finally issued me a new one. I almost missed my flight so now I am very careful of where I put it.
I suggest that you take your card and put in in your passport and then put it in your hotel safe when you get to your room. I have never lost it since!
4. Pack wisely!
Many resorts have dress codes for their restaurants. The most strictest policies require men to wear long pants and sometimes jeans are not allowed. Sandals and tank tops may not be allowed either. Usually the resorts website will have this info but if you have any questions at all you can always contact me!
5. Common resort complaints:
-Insufficient chairs around the pool area or people getting up real early to “save” them- This does happen at some resorts
-No waiter service at the pools or beach- not all resorts have this service
-Housekeeping doesn’t come every day- again all resorts are different and they may not come every day or they may come later in the day.
-Pools are cold- many of them are not heated except by the sun
-Had to pay a fee for a lost towel card- some resorts are very strict about their towel cards. Make sure you know their policy!
-Limited access to a la carte restaurants- some have a rule on this and a common complaint is that making reservations is difficult. You may be told the
restaurant is full and you are unable to make a reservation here but later walk by and see its half empty, VERY typical!
-Beach vendors- your resort may not be on a private beach
-All inclusive food is not high quality- hopefully this is not an issue at your resort!
- Items taken from the room- Make sure to use the safe for all your valuables!
-Spotty or bad Wifi: Most resorts only offer complimentary wifi in the lobby area and it may not be that good. Typically you can purchase wifi for your room if your resort does not offer it.
- No room service: Not all resorts offer room service or may have limited hours.
Hopefully you will find some of these tips helpful. And of course if you have not planned your winter Mexico vacation yet I would love to help you. Thanks for reading!