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TIPS |
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 LANGUAGE
The official language of Mexico is the Spanish.
Náhuatl, mayan, zapoteco, mixteco, otomi, totonaca, mazahua and huasteco are spoken to 53 indigenous languages, among them.
It is also used to speak English in hotels, restaurants and travel agencies of the most important destinies of the country.
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GEOGRAPHY - CLIMATE
Full Country Name : United States of Mexico
Politic Division : 32 Free and Sovereign States
Located in North America, its surface extends in a territory of 1.923.040 km2.
3500 kilometers separate the city of Tijuana (point more to the north of the country) and the city of Cancún.
Mexico is an irregular land country in which two main mountainous chains can be found: denominated the Mountain range Eastern Mother (Sierra Madre Oriental) and the Mountain range Western Mother (Sierra Madre Occidental), among others, both run by several states from north to south of the country.
This orographic characteristic favors Mexico for practices of extreme sports like rapel, scaling and mountain climbing.
The variety of its climates depends generally on the altitude:
-It warms up in the low coast and lands
-Tempering in the plateaus and the north.
-Generally barren north and the northwest.
-Very humid and it warms up in the Southeastern.
The main rivers with slope to the Pacific Ocean are: Lerma, Santiago, Rafts, the Fort and Yaqui.
The prinicpales rivers with slope to the Gulf of Mexico are: Bravo, Pánuco, Usumacinta, Papaloapan, Mezcalapa, Coatzacoalcos, Grijalva and San Fernando.
Chapala is the greatest lake of the country. |
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NATURAL RESOURCES
Mexico has all the natural resources that a country can wish:
Petroleum, silver, receive, gold, lead, natural, Uranian gas, wood, as well as a precious stone infinity, between which they excel amber, opal, jade, obsidian, make shine like diamonds, quartz, onyx, etc. |
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WHEN TO GO?
Thanks to its privileged location, Mexico can offer an pleasant destiny for all the tastes without mattering what time of the year is.
You will be able, for example, to dive in waters of the Mexican Caribbean in Winter, to surf in the coasts of the Pacific in February, to practice mountain sports troughout the year in places like Veracruz, Nuevo Leon and Hidalgo, among others.
And that to say for the lovers of golf, who will be able to practice this sport in anyone of the 104 fields around all the republic.
If you are visiting México in season of rains (June-October), you must not worry at all, since these usually are of short duration and they happen generally at the end of the day, Reason why this will not prevent you to make your wished activities and strolls. |
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MIGRATION AND PAYS DUTY ON / (MIGRACION Y ADUANA)
Visa Required:
Afganistan, Albania, Angola, Antigua, Barbuda, Brasil, Antillas Holandesas, Apatrida, Arabia Saudita, Argelia, Armenia, Azerbaiyan, Bahamas, Bahrein, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belice, Benin, Bielorrusia, Bolivia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darusalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Butan, Cabo Verde, Caiman Islas, Camboya, Camerun, Centro africa Rep., Chad, China Popular, Colombia, Comoras, Congo, Corea del Norte, Costa de Marfil, Croacia, Cuba, Curazao, Djibuti, Dominica, Dominicana Rep., Ecuador, Egipto, El Salvador, Emiratos Arabes Unidos, Eritrea, Etiopia, Federacion Rusa, Fiji Islas, Filipinas, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia Rep., Ghana, Grenada, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Ecuatorial, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Irak, Iran, Jamaica, Jordania, Kampuchea, Kazajstan, Kenia, Kirguistan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Lesotho, Libano, Liberia, Libia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malasia, Malawi, Maldivas, Mali, Marruecos, Marshall Islas, Martinica, Mauricio, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova Rep., Mongolia, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar (Birmania), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Palestina, Papua Nueva Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, R.D. Arabe Sajarahui, Rumania, Rwanda, Salomon Islas, San Cristobal y Nieves, Samoa Occidental, San Vicente ylas Granadinas, Senegal, Serbia y Montenegro, Seychelles Islas, Sierra Leona, Siria, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sta. Lucia, Sto. Tome y Principe, Sudan, Sudafrica, Surinam, Swazilandia, Tailandia, Taiwan, Tanzania Rep., Tayikistan, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad y Tobago, Tunez, Turcos y Caicos Islas, Turkmenistan, Turquia, Tuvalu, Ucrania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbawe
If you are visitors entering to Mexico, native from Germany, Andorre, Argentine, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, South Korea, Costa Rica, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, United States of america, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japon, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Hong Kong * and Venezuela, you will need the following documentation :
IIdentification with a photograph (Driver’s License)
Corresponding Visa – if necessary
Passport
Tourist Migratory Form:
* It can be obtained at Mexican embassies and consulates
* It is valid for 90 days
* It may be renewed, if necessary
Tourist Permits are valid up to 180 days and can be obtained through the airline company or at the border, by presenting proof of citizenship.
The visitors who are here for business purposes should take into account that since NAFTA was signed, the Mexican government requires instead of the tourist migratory form, a document known as an F.M.N. that can be obtained at any Mexican Consulate free of charge.
Visitors from the United States and Canada do not require a visa; nevertheless, they should show proof of their citizenship (Passport expired not more than 5 years or a Birth Certificate).
Your first contact with Mexico will be the migration office, in where the passports and cards of tourist are reviewed. All the travellers are authorized to introduce to the country equivalent to 300 dollars American in merchandise in addition to their personal, sport luggage or photographic equipment. The articles that exceed this amount and up to 1000 dollars will have to pay a tax of the 32.8%.
* Chinese nationals with passport issued by the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. |
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HEALTH - PHARMACY
Taking simple precautions, those who visit Mexico will totally enjoy their vacations. Before traveling, consult your doctor about the vaccines you could need during the visit to the selected zone.
When you travel, the organism takes time to adapt to the conditions, foods and germs of the place that visit, reason why the stomach upheavals are very common.
To take the following precautions will help you to prevent them: Drink purified bottled water and make sure of what and where are you going to eat. If you become ill, drinks much purified bottled water, tea of manzanilla and lemon juice.
If the annoyances persist by more than 48 hours, call a a doctor.
There are open pharmacies the 24 hours of the day in all the important cities of Mexico.
Besides to provide medicines, they also sell phonecards of 30, 50 and 100 pesos, beauty articles, ice creams and candies. |
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MONEY - CHANGE - TAXES
The official currency of Mexico is Mexican Peso.
Currencies in circulation: 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 Pesos, as well as those of 10, 20 and 50 cents.
Bills in circulation: 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Pesos.
The schedule of the banks is from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:00 hours, and some until the 19:00 hours.
The great branches work Saturdays until 14:00 h.
The type of change is to the day and it is announced within each bank and houses of change.
All accept Dollars and some the Euros and Traveler Checks, same that also are accepted
in hotels.
From January 1980 Mexico applies the tax to the added value (IVA): 15%, except in the state of Quintana Roo, Baja California and B.C.S. : 10%
GO TO COINS AND BILLS OF MEXICO... |
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TRANSPORTS
With an extension of 365.119 kilometros, the highways of Mexico connect the same as much to the main centers of population, as to those of production and consumption of the country.
Many options exist to travel, by day or at night, by earth. At the moment, commonest is to travel in buses that count on all the services and comforts.
The lines and tariffs are in all the bus stations of each city and in the most important you can reserve by travel agencies or Internet.
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GASTRONOMY-RESTAURANTS- TIPS
In each state you could taste the regional specialties that, habitually, are accompanied by tortillas, guacamole (prepared avocado) and red or green sharp sauces.
If you are not customary to the sharp food, must indicate it to your waiter before ordering, since many of our culinary delights use chilli for seasoning.
In Mexico you will be able to find a variety of restaurants for all the budgets and pleasures: the called “puestos” o “puestecitos”, taquerías, boardinghouses, seafood and international food restaurants or chains of restaurants. Most of the chain hotels offer buffet of mexican and international kitchen.
If you please to enjoy typical atmospheres, we recommend you to attend the market restaurants, which offer homemade food to good prices.
If you have been satisfied with the service, do not forget that the tip is indispensable and it represents 15% of the total value of your consumption. The tip is not necessary in cinemas or in the taxi service. |
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DRINKS
The water of the key is not potable in all the cities, although you can obtain purified bottled water at any store or restaurant.
Some hotels put as additional service water bottles (this can be for free).
Also you can enjoy a delicious water of natural fruit (jugo de fruta) such as: fragmentation hand grenade, watermelon, orange, handle, melons, nopal, guayaba, horchata, tuna, papaya, etc.
The liquefied ones (licuados) are another type of drink prepared with milk and the fruit of your pleasure.
And to celebrate drink a tequila or a mezcal: spirits 100% mexicans.
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ENVIRONMENT - ECOTOURISM
The protection of the environment is one of the main preoccupations of the country. The impulse for the practice of the ecotourism fomented the protection of 3 million hectares in which they are possible to be enjoyed 70 protected zones, 24 natural biospheres, 44 parks and 2 marine national parks that lodge 30.000 species of plants, 1.000 species of birds and 1.300 species of reptiles, mammals and amphibious.
From November to March (approximately) you can be able to observe the migration of the whales, in summer the egg-laying of the turtles in the Pacific and the Caribbean, without forgetting the wonderful dolphins that are in most of the beach destinies, tourist parks and natural habitat.
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL PLACES - MUSEUMS
In all the states you will be able to find at least a museum referring to the regional culture. You can also find museums such as the one of Anthropology and History in the City of Mexico and Guadalajara, or the one of History of Monterrey, that treasures of the national culture lock up.
The quota from entrance to the archaeological sites does not give you the right to introduce video equipment. If you wish to record or film, you must transact a permission in the plave and pay an established quota.
It is prohibited the use of flash in the places where there are fresh or murals, as well as to introduce foods.
You can contract english spoken guides (and other idioms) in the entrance of the main archaeological sites of the country.
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FOLKLORE
Mexico stands out by the colorful and diversity of its popular culture. Each state cultivates its traditions through festivales, celebrations, songs, dances and dances.
- The Carnivals of Veracruz and Mazatlán (February).
- The Guelaguetza: Celebration of the State of Oaxaca during the two last
weeks of July.
- Day of Deads: Day during which one assumes that the soul of the deceaseds returns to the Earth (2 November).
- The Marimbas: original instrument of the State of Chiapas.
- The Charrería: roundup and the fights of roosters, to name some festivities.
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COMMUNICATIONS
If you wish to communicate from an mexican destiny this will not be a problem, because in spite of the numerous and imposing mountainous chains, its wire net is very developed and it will allow you to communicate quickly to any part of the world.
You can obtain a phonecard in groceries, pharmacies and some stores. You can easily find telephone cabins in the streets. The establishments for long distance calls are habitually equipped with fax and Internet or you can call from a telephone house to any part of the world.
In order to call within the country dial: 01 + (key of city) telephone + number (total of 12 digits).
to call Mexico from a foreign country dial : 01 + 52 + telephone
The country has an ample network of connection to Internet that will allow you
keep informed from a Cyber Coffee or the Business Center of your hotel. |
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LUGGAGE LOST?
If you loose your luggage or other you'll have to fill a form in the International Airport of Mexico City.
Where do I ask?
In the office of lost objects (Oficina de Objetos Perdidos) and to protest by them if there they are.
Account with three months to make its claim.
Which is the direction?
Office 102 of the Mezzanine of the Airport of México City. Telephone: 55 71 36 00, fax: 55 71 04 97. Of Monday through Friday of 09:00 to 21:00 hours.
And the requirements?
Copy of official identification, of the plain ticket and to indicate where deviation its luggage, as well as the content of the same one.
What plus?
If your luggage were obstructed to omit its declaration, it will receive a bond, effective for 40 days, with which it will be able to protest. |
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ELECTRICITY :
In the entire coutry the domestic electric curreant is 110 volts. |
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