Mexico: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Mexico feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 419 written places.
Courtesy and unhurried warmth; food is identity and every region has its own.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet with Buenos dias entering any shop or restaurant
- Eat street tacos where locals crowd - turnover is quality
- Learn basic Spanish courtesy - por favor and gracias carry far
- Carry small peso notes - big bills annoy small vendors
✗ Better avoided
- Drink tap water - locals do not either; garrafon water is universal
- Rush meals or wave for the bill - ask with a smile, la cuenta por favor
- Wear beachwear away from the beach
- Expect punctuality - ahorita means anywhere from now to never
Worth knowing
- Tipping is 10-15% in restaurants
- Cards work in cities; cash rules markets and small towns
- First-class buses (ADO and peers) are genuinely excellent intercity transport
- Mexico City sits at 2200 metres - take day one gently
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.