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Mexico City Travel Guide
Mexico City Travel Guide
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Free Time
Mexico City is the largest and most cosmopolitan city in Latin America. There is a wealth of sites to visit and, even though on a map the Distrito Federal may look impossibly large, most of it is quite accessible through affordable, modern and efficient public transportation. However, trains and buses here can be very crowded and you must be careful with your belongings. The Metro (subway) covers most of the city and there are numerous green and white buses or micros that run on all major roads. In addition, there are Metrobuses (i.e. the rapid bus transit system), large buses that run in lanes reserved only for their use on a few of the major avenues in the city. Because they have their own lane, these buses are often the fastest above ground means of transport.
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If you are interested in site seeing while you are here, we encourage you to visit the sites listed below. Visit www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/mexico-city for details. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Paseo de la Reforma The Zcalo Catedral Nacional Palcio Nacional Templo Mayor Bosque de Chapultepec (Castillo de Chapultepec, Museo Nacional de la Antropologia) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) Bellas Artes Alameda Central Xochimilco Basilica de Guadalupe Museo Nacional de Antropologa Plaza Garibaldi Lucha Libre, Arena Mxico
Travel to Mexico
Flights should be purchased to the Benito Jurez International Airport (MEX) in Mexico City. If you allow porters to carry your bags for you upon exiting customs, negotiate the price beforehand - $10-20 pesos per bag. There is a window in the airport that sells authorized taxi rides. Sitio 300 is one of the most affordable authorized taxi companies at the airport. If you are not travelling with a group, make sure they assign you a car instead of a van, regardless of how much luggage you have. There are two types of taxis at these windows: regular service and executive service. The regular service will cost about $150 Mexican pesos (MXN) from the airport to Colonia Cuauhtemoc/Jurez. The executive service is considerably more expensive; up to $350 MXN. Be sure to specify the service you would like and check the price before purchasing. After paying you will receive a ticket which you will present to the airport taxis waiting outside. Sitio 300 taxis have a yellow stripe and airplane on the side. You should never solicit a taxi outside of the airport without paying inside first.
Departure
Regardless of your departure date, the best method for returning to the airport is by taxi and do consider that, depending on the day and time that you depart, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour or more to get to the airport. If you are traveling on a weekday or on Saturday, especially during rush hour (7:00-10:00am, 2:004:00 pm, and 6:00-10:00pm), we encourage you to plan for the full hour to get to the airport. While hotels do have a taxi service, it is likely more expensive than the local taxi stand (sitio taxi), which the hotel concierge will be happy to call for you.
Where to Stay
We recommend you stay in or around the most central colonias that give you easy access to all the others. Polanco, Colonia San Miguel Chapultepec, Cuauhtmoc, Roma Norte, and Condesa have many hotels, easy access to public transportation, and are safe. Lonely Planet and Kayak, will give you listings of accommodations in Mexico City. Popular hotels are: Sheraton Maria Isabel Reforma, Mariott Reforma, JW Mariott Polanco, Hotel Presidente Intercontinental Polanco, The W Hotel Polanco, Hotel Geneve, and Holiday Inn Express (Reforma, Zona Rosa).
Restaurants
In Mexico City, lunch is usually served between 1:00-3:00 and dinner is usually served late, between 8:00-9:00 pm. Mexican cuisine is one of the most diverse and interesting in the world, so if youd like to be adventurous, you should explore and search out interesting restaurants. Prices will vary greatly depending on the neighborhood. Below is a list of some well-known and well-reviewed (if pricey) restaurants. La Hacienda de Los Morales Thai Gardens Vegetarian Option: (International/Mexican) Caldern de la Barca 72 La Buena Tierra Juan Vzquez de Mella 525 Col. Polanco Anatole France 120 Col. Del Bosque Tel. 5281-3850 / 3856 Col. Polanco Tel. 5283-3054 / 3055 Tel. 5281-2324
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Los Almendros (Mexican/Yucatecan) Campos Eliseos 164 Col. Polanco Tel. 5531-6646 / 7307 Izote (Contemporary Mexican) Presidente Masaryk 513 Col. Polanco Tel. 5280-1671 / 1265 Les Moustaches (French) Ro Sena 88 Col. Cuauhtmoc Tel. 5533-3390 / 5525-1265 Pujol (Mexican, highly recommended) Francisco Petrarca 254 Col. Polanco Tel. 5545-4111 / 3507 El Yug Puebla 326-6 Col. Roma Tel. 5553-3872 Kosher Option: El Gaucho (Argentinean) 37 Temstocles Col. Polanco
Taxis
Everyone is strongly advised to avoid taking roving type taxis due to the possibility of taxi robberies and assaults. Only use taxis operating from established taxi stands, called sitios, or hotels. When traveling to and from your hotel, you can use either the taxi service available through the concierge desk or you can call a Sitio Taxi located close to the hotel. The taxi service through the concierge will be more expensive than the sitio service. One recommended sitio is Taxi Radio Mex: 55 5574-3368. The driver should start the taximetro (taxi meter) when you pull away or tell you roughly how much your trip should cost if charging per kilometer or zone. When not charged by a taxi meter, ask a local how much your trip should cost, and then negotiate the price if necessary before leaving for your destination. General words of wisdom for taking taxis in Mexico City: Do not flag down taxis on the street. Walk to the nearest sitio or call to send a taxi to your location. When entering a taxi, note the taxi number, the drivers name, and a physical description of the driver. Each licensed driver is required to clearly display a photo identification card. Pay attention to your surroundings. Indicators that you are being targeted for theft include another vehicle or taxi following your vehicle, a driver that appears to be taking a roundabout route, your taxi goes into an
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unfamiliar neighborhood, or your taxi driver slows down and appears to be trying to spot someone on the street. For information on public transportation, please view the Free Time section of this document.
Tipping
In regular restaurants, ten percent is the normal tipping amount while 15-20 percent can be expected in more upscale establishments. Here are a few examples: Restaurant: 10-20%, depending on the restaurant and the service. Hotel porter/bell boy: $10 pesos. Taxi drivers will not expect a tip, but will accept one if you offer it.
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Nearby Hospitals
The following hospitals are a few that have the capacity to attend English speaking patients. The ABC and Spanish hospitals are private and the Red Cross is free. American British Cowdray Hospital (ABC Hospital) Calle Sur 136, on corner of Avenida Observatorio Col. Las Americas (opposite the American School) Tel. 5230-80-00; 5515-83-59 Emergency: 5230-81-61 Cruz Roja (Red Cross) Ejercito Nacional 1032 Col. Polanco Tel. 5395-11-11 Emergency: 065 Hospital Espaol Av. Ejrcito Nacional No. 613 Col. Granada Tel. 5255-96-00 Tel. 5255-96-45 The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has extensive lists of hospitals and doctors on their website: http://mexico.usembassy.gov
Contact Information
Emergency Contact Numbers Emergencies: 066 or 061 Red Cross: 065 or 5395-1111 Fire Department: 068 or 5768-3700 EducationUSA Mexico City IIE/EducationUSA: (55) 5080-2801
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