6 Ways to Make The Most of Your Trip to Mexico City
Mexico City is a vibrant metropolis full of great food, incredible museums, wonderful locals and it is jam-packed with history and culture.
So if you’re planning a trip there, we are so excited for you.
Though Mexico City is not a difficult place to travel to, there are some things you can do to get more out of your trip, no matter how long or short your stay is.
To help you make the most of every second, we’ve put together six of our top tips for making the most out of your trip to Mexico City.
1. Don’t carry your own luggage
No, we aren’t suggesting that you have someone else follow you around the airport holding your luggage! Instead, why not use a shipping service to take the stress out of traveling.
Service providers like My Baggage will pick up your bags from your chosen location and drop them at your accommodation at the agreed-upon time and date.
This means you can skip the queues at check-in and avoid the carousel when you land. Instead, you can have an easy, relaxing journey – because your holiday should start as soon as you walk through those airport doors.
2. Choose the right neighborhood and accommodation
Mexico City is huge and can sometimes be overwhelming. Where you stay is going to have a huge impact on your trip, which is why you need to make sure you choose the right accommodation. Some of the best neighborhoods include Condesa, Roma, Polanco and Juárez, so do a bit of research about what you want to do before you go. This will help you pick a base.
Luckily Casai apartments are hand-picked in the best neighborhoods in Mexico City so you don’t need to spend time searching. This way, you can relax, get a good night’s sleep, stay connected for your whole trip and enjoy that home-like comfort.
3. Don’t be afraid to try the street food
Some people are so worried about getting sick from foreign cuisine that they miss out on some of the best food the country has to offer. Most people think that more well-known restaurants will be the safer choice, but the reality is that street food can be just as tasty, safe and budget-friendly!
And as street food goes, Mexico City has some of the best in the world.
From tacos and tortas to quesadillas and chilaquiles, there is so much delicious food to sample that you’d be crazy not to.
If you’re really worried about street food sanitation, then look for the stands with the most people. The unwritten rule is: the longer the line, the safer it is. But ultimately, use your best judgement and enjoy good food because the city’s cuisine is as big of a part of Mexico’s culture as its history and people.
4. Plan your itinerary well
There are plenty of cities that you can explore by foot, seeing all the key landmarks and points of interest in a day. However, at 1,495 square kilometres (577 square miles) and with a population of over 21 million, you’d be hard-pressed to see all the main attractions of this sprawling city in one trip.
So you need to plan your itinerary carefully.
In order to do this, it’s a good idea to do some research and write down the places that you definitely want to visit during your trip. Anything else you see along the way will be a bonus.
For example, do you want to see the Frida Kahlo Museum? Or perhaps you want to visit the Palace of Fine Arts or go shopping at La Lagunilla open-air market? Whatever the case may be, you should make these a priority when planning your days.
That being said, if you do go slightly off your itinerary, don’t panic. You can pick back up where you left off or amend your plans as you go. It just helps to have a good idea of two or three things you really want to do whilst in Mexico City.
5. Don’t be afraid to leave the city
It might sound counterproductive to our guide, but just because you’re in Mexico City, it doesn’t mean you can’t leave the city on occasion.
From here you can visit some wonderful places, such as the pyramids of Teotihuacán or the gorgeous city of Puebla.
With this in mind, it’s a good idea to keep a day or two free on your itinerary for exploring just outside the city walls and seeing a little more of what Mexico has to offer.
6. Know some important Spanish phrases
Finally, it always helps to know some of the local lingo when traveling and Spanish is a wonderful language to learn. So before you go, brush up on some of the basic phrases and words you’re going to need on your trip.
There are plenty of apps and phrasebooks out there that can help you to do this. Be sure to get to grips with the basics such as hello, goodbye, please, thank you, where is the toilet, etc.
