Mexico
Mexico15 guides across 3 destinations — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Mexico
Practical essentials for Mexico
Mexican peso (MXN)
Spanish; English is common in Mexico City's tourist districts and the Riviera Maya, much less so around Oaxaca
Type A/B, 127V 60Hz
Long-distance coaches such as ADO cover the distances between regions; in Mexico City the Metro, Metrobus, Tren Ligero and Cablebus run on the Movilidad Integrada card, and the Metro turnstiles now also accept contactless bank cards.
10–15% is expected in restaurants — check the bill first, because some tourist restaurants now add a service charge, which is not legally mandatory.
Tap water is not safe to drink — use bottled or filtered water, including for brushing your teeth.
Right-hand side; a photocard licence from home is accepted for a short visit, with no International Driving Permit required.
911
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Mexico
Where to Base Yourself in Mexico City: A First-Timer's Guide
In a city this large, the neighbourhood you sleep in decides the trip. A guide to Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Reforma and the historic centre — and the landmark hotels that anchor each of them.
Mexico City Tacos: A Neighbourhood-by-Neighbourhood Guide
From suadero in the Centro to midnight al pastor in Narvarte and a Michelin-starred stand in San Rafael — where to eat, what to order, and how to pace the crawl.
Cheap Eats in Oaxaca That Punch Far Above Their Price
Oaxaca’s best cooking is rarely its most expensive. A guide to the market stalls, comales and street corners where a few pesos buy something remarkable.
Build Five Days in Oaxaca Around a Sunday
Oaxaca deserves five days, and the valley's market and museum calendar, not your stamina, should decide the order you take them in.
One Perfect Day in Mexico City
Aztec ruins before breakfast, murals by noon, the world's great anthropology museum after lunch and a Roma evening: a single flawless day in the capital.
The Oaxaca Neighborhoods Most Visitors Walk Straight Past
Step three or four streets beyond Santo Domingo and Oaxaca stops being a tourist centre and becomes what it actually is — a collection of old barrios, each with its own church, its own plaza and its own hour of the day.
The Sweet Side of Mexico City: Churros, Pan Dulce and Market Candy
Beyond the salsa and smoke, the capital runs on sugar: midnight churros, bakery trays of conchas, centuries-old candied fruit and hand-churned nieves in Coyoacán.
Ruins, reefs and cenotes: the essential Riviera Maya bucket list, ranked
The Yucatán coast compresses ancient cities, sinkhole swims and world-class reefs into one strip of Caribbean shore. Here is the definitive order to take them in.
The Quiet Corners of Mexico City Locals Love
One of the world's biggest cities is also full of pockets of calm — shaded plazas, art deco parks and cobbled villages swallowed by the metropolis. Here is where chilangos go to breathe.
The Riviera Maya with kids: a beach-and-ruins day that actually works
Ruins at opening, a cenote before noon, and the sea once the sun relents — a Riviera Maya day with children built around shade, short drives and water, with the cenotes worth choosing between and the months that ruin it.
Barefoot boutique or grand resort: where to stay on the Riviera Maya
Mayakoba's lagoon palaces, Tulum's designer beach shacks or the all-inclusive giants — the coast's zones explained, with the famous names in each.
The Riviera Maya, Ranked: 8 Experiences You Can't Miss
From clifftop Mayan ruins to swimming in crystal cenotes, we rank the essential experiences along Mexico's Caribbean coast.