Mexico City Travel Forum

hi i will start and end my roundtrip in mexico city but before i book my flight a few question.
1)if i am correct i will arrive late in the evening on 15 februari mexico city int. airport. now i red you have to be carefull with taxi s. so is it correct that i can book a taxi nearby the luggage?
2) for a hotel i saw Marlowe Adres INDEPENDENCIA 17, MEXICO D.F. 06050 any1 has experience with this hotel? found it on www.hotelopia.nl any has experience with hotelopia? is the area good? want to book it for 2 or 3 nights. just to get used to the time diference. or any1 knows a better hotel? not to expensive.
3) how much will a taxi cost from international airport to this hotel?
and do i need to pay in dollars or pesos?
4)at start i want to see museo national de antropologia.
other things i want to see but probably at the end of my trip : templo mayor, palacio national, some thing around zocalo.
5) how to get to teotihuacan from mexico city by bus?
6) from mexico city to oaxaca is by bus about 6 hours i red. but from villahermosa to mexico city how long is that by bus and how many times i need to change busses? thinking of taking a nightbus.
7) any site where i can find entrance fee for museums also for outside mexico city. teotihuacan, chichen itza, palenque, la vente parque.
all tips are welcome
this will be my first time travelling alone and going to mexico and guatamala.

thanks for your help.
Diana

Hi diana. Arriving airports or bus terminals in Mexico, including Mexico D.F. (that is, Mexico City), ALWAYS look for a despatch wicket INSIDE for "taxis autorizados". They will assign a vehicle to you, with reasonable price according to your destination. I don't remember the price of a cab from Airport to Centretown but it's reasonable & worth the peace of mind, as opposed to fighting crowds in the metro with baggage etc. Avoid any cab driver who walks up to you, even if he says he's working for "taxis autorizados". He's not.
In your circumstances, I strongly recommend NOT hailing a cab from the street, & NOT taking cabs parked waiting in front of nightclubs & restaurants. Call or have the restaurant call a radio-taxi (called sitio I think.)

Be alert, focus on your own things in any high-traffic travel place like airports & bus terminals. Offers of help, like "Signorita, your backpack is opened!" is one way to distract you. Don't be distracted & you'll be fine.

I don't know Hotel Marlow at Independencia 17. It's listed in my LP guide under Average Price. It's in the zone of Alameda Central (central location), closest metros are Bellas Artes & Juārez. If you email me, I could list other recommended hotels in that & other zones. You could also rent a single or double-room in a hostel in the centre, where you can benefit from other travellers' advice & friendship. It's cheaper than a hotel. I chose Las Dos Fridas (in centre.)

I always pay in the country's currency, can't say whether Mexico & Mexico D.F. accepts dollars in every case. Mexico D.F. is huge & confounding but you can handle it with determination & care.

You can take a direct bus from Villahermosa to Mexico City, without having to change buses. Executivo or First Class buses are direct, very safe & comfy & won't cost you much more, your luggage is stored under the bus & can only be retrieved by yourself with your luggage voucher -- a big plus. These buses go by the best autoroutes & are a great option for peace of mind. Villahermosa-Mexico D.F. (Terminals Norte Oriente TAPO and Norte) is 10 hours, First Class USD44.
Mexico D.F. (Terminals Oriente TAPO, Sur and Norte)-Oaxaca is 6 1/2 hrs, First Class USD26.

Check my Teotihuacan page for transport there from Mexico D.F. Entrance to the ruins is USD3.50.
I'll look up entrance fees to other sites if you wish. Just email me, I have a good Spanish guidebook & lived in Mexico for about 6 months.

Hope this is helpful. And hope you love Mexico as much as I did. It's really great! Buen viaje!

thanks for your answer.
i will book a taxi in the airport.
the hostel sounds good. would be nice to meet other travellers. will try to find out how to book it because i arrive after 22.00 in mexico city.
can only find the hostel on http://www.hostelbookers.com/booking/index.cfm and have to book for 2 persons if i want a single room.costs 21.20 euro a day.
will try to get pesos in my own country but i understand the currency for pesos is better in mexico. so buy dollars here and change them at the airport???
thanks again
diana

Hint: There is no need to wear the outfit of your personal page picture for safety. Besides that it would cause you to stand out as a tourist.

No need to pay in dollars, and for the authorized taxi I am not sure it would be possible. No need to bring pesos to Mexico. Right in front of the exit from customs, still in the airport terminal, there are a good number of bank exchange offices. The surprising thing is that the rates are pretty much as good as you find in town and there is a lot less hassle.

The fares for authorized taxis are fixed depending on the zone. You buy a ticket for your group and then get in the line at curbside. If you are only one person you might be put in a taxi with someone else going to the same zone. It has been a few years since my last visit so I can not give you an exact cost, but it would be certainly less than 200 pesos or 20 dollars. I would guess about 100 pesos.

Probably all reasonable sized cities in Mexico (Villahermosa included) have buses that go all the way to Mexico City without a need to change buses.

If you are going to Oaxaca you must see Monte Alban (And probably Mitla). If you are going to Palenque you should stop in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Good luck, bob

my roundtrip will be something like

2n mexico city (relaxing and visite antropoligian museum
2or 3n oaxaca - mitla and monte alban
2 or 3n palenque -ruines agua azul and other waterfall
2 or 3n san cristobal de las casas - sumerderio city itself
from here or palenque crossing the border to guatemala via bomanpak
2n pajachel also the lake still need to find direction
3n antigua (maybe if possible daytrip to copan but need info for that)
2n flores tikal
2n tulum
2n valladolid chichen itza
3n merida puuc route, celestun
1 or 2n campeche
2 or 3n villahermosa parque de la vente
3 or 4n mexico city teotihuacan museums around zocola
i want to do mayaroute. so visiting ruines,museum like nature and animals hope to do some snorkeling meeting other people.
people warned me to follow the tourist places because then i wouldnot travel alone.
i think to take first class busses and maybe on longer distance a nightbus.
hope to between $10 and 25 for hotels hostels i rather have a private room.
i booked my flight today 15 februari - 18march so now i start collecting what i want to see and do and adresses to stay.
so all help welcome. i will only book mexico city
thanks
diana

yeah, white taxis at the airport, /hostel downtown fit better for you/ADO is another good option for buses/why not can cun? playa del carmen/islas mujeres/even cozumel? while in san crsitobal go to san juan chamula/i don't know guatemala/pooc route there is a special bus in merida with regula hours, book early hours (less crowded)/mexico city you have fridha kahlo museum-house/chapultepec/
good luck enjoy