Would you like to organise trip to Mexico but don’t know how to start? This article is for you! Learn 10 points on how to organize your dream vacation in Yucatan (Merida, Izamal, Valladolid) and Quintana Roo (Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen), Mexico.

Mexico, officially the „United State of Mexico“ is a country in the southern portion on North America. It is boarded to the north by the United States, to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean, to the southest by Guatemala, Belize and the Carribbean Sea, and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico.

Mexico is 13th world’s largest country by area. It is also the third largest country in Latin America. The Mexican Constitution does not define the official language, but in practice the Spanish language reigns supreme.

Of course, tastes are different, we found the places perfect and a good mix between culture and leisure. We stayed in the two states Quintana Roo and Yucatán for this trip. During our Mexico trip we have visited the following beautiful places:

• Cancún
• Mérida
• Izamal
• Valladolid incl. Chichen Itza
• Playa del Carmen
• Tulum
• Bacalar

It is very easy to get to Mexico by plane, as there are flights from all major cities in Europe as well as from the USA.

Europe flights start from $500. Flights from USA start from $250. Of course it always depends how much in advance you book and, whether you book in the middle or a little out of the high season.

We always, really always look for the best flights on Skyscanner . And unfortunately we don’t get any money for this recommendation. 😉

Car

If you are pressed by time, the fastest way to get around is by car. There are many options to rent a car, both at the airport in Cancun as well as in the city itself. Please note that you may need an international driver’s license to drive in Mexico, so check before you arrive.

The roads in Yucatan are in great condition, so you don’t have to worry about that, but remember that in some places you have to pay a toll fee.

Examples of routes and prices per person:

• Merida – Valladolid: $10 (210 pesos)
• Tulum – Bacalar: $1.75 (39 pesos)

Before signing the contract make sure to ask also about the insurance. Often the insurance is written in small print and added extra. We for example often rent our cars with EasyTerra or Booking.

Bus

If you have a little more time and want to travel cheaply, there is also the public bus. This is a much cheaper option, and in some ways also convenient, since you don’t have to drive for several hours yourself. We opted for this during our trip and we can safely say that our travels were comfortable and stress-free. Buses will take you from one city to another from the main stations in each city.

In Mexico you have several bus companies to choose from.
ADO is our favourite because the buses are well maintained, clean, have plenty of legroom, and they also have toilets which are a great option for long trips. With all that comfort, this is also the most expensive option, but compared to European or US standards still pretty affordable.

Oriente buses, which are in a slightly worse condition, do not have toilets, but on shorter routes worked perfectly. This is a cheaper option and on some routes the only one – for example between Merida and Izamal.

Centro buses, we did not have the opportunity to use during our trip, but from what we heard, it is the least preferred option by tourists. It is also the cheapest option.

Examples of routes and prices per person:

• Cancun – Merida by ADO: $25 (550 pesos)
• Merida – Izamal by Oriente: $1.50 (35 pesos)
• Bacalar – Cancun by ADO: $24 (542 pesos)

Colectivo

When it comes to traveling to specific tourist attractions you have the choice of Colectivo, which is often used by locals, but also by tourists who want to travel cheaply. On every Colectivo it is written where it goes, but you can ask the driver if he is going in the direction you are interested in.

Examples of routes and prices:

• Valladolid – Chichen Itza with Colectivo: $1.80 (40 pesos)
• Tulum Maya Ruines – Tulum Center: $0.90 (20 pesos)

Taxi

The other option is of course taxis, which unfortunately are a bit more expensive, but also more convenient.

Examples of routes and prices:

• Valladolid – Cenote Suytun: $5.50 (120 pesos)
• Cenote Azur – Playa del Carmen: $19 (420 pesos)

Mexican cuisine is known and loved all over the world. However not many people know that what we love the most is so called Tex-Mex (american-mexican-mix) cuisine. This includes Burritos, Fajitas, Nachos and all dishes containing beef, black beans, canned vegetables, wheat flour or yellow cheese. Besides our beloved vegetarian Burritos we also recommend trying fresh Tacos, Nachos (often called chips) with delicious guacamole.

But try also more regional dishes like Chicharrones, which is a dish consisting of fried pork belly and looks like chips. Enchiladas – corn Tortilla, rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Empanadas de Chaya – crispy corn masa, stuffed with Chaya, filled with cheese and served on tomato habanero sauce. Panuchos – refried Tortilla – ours were made with cooked vegetables, a bit of salad and avocado and we didn’t really like it. And last but not least, delicious Marquesitas, which are a dessert native to the state of Yucatan. It is a kind of Crepe, rolled like a Buritto, filled with Cajeta, condensed milk, jam, chocolate or Edam cheese.

Don’t worry if you are not a fan of Mexican cuisine (if those kind of people really exist!) In Mexico you will find also many other cuisines such as Italian, Chinese or Japanese.

Mexico has a wide range of accommodation to suit all tastes. No matter if you prefer luxurious hotels or cheaper options. Prices for an own flat for two range from 30 Euro per night to limitless. We usually use Airbnb when we travel, but in Mexico we found Booking to be a great option as well.

The best sim card in our opinion is Telcel. It has a certain number of gigabytes, but social media like (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) is unlimited.

For example, we paid 580 pesos for 6 GB within 30 days. It should be noted that the price for the same provider can vary depending on where you buy the SIM card.

Despite popular belief, in our opinion Mexico and especially the state of Yucatan and Quintana Roo is a safe place to travel. However, you should use common sense and not walk through small, dark streets at night. Most of the touristy places are quite safe, but beware of small scams and pickpocketing.

Most countries do not require a visa to travel to Mexico, however we recommend checking before buying your tickets to see if your home country does.

On board of the plane you will be given an immigration form which you have to fill out before leaving the plane. This will be checked by the customs officers in Mexico. One part of this document will be left with the customs officer, while the other part must be retained until your departure. If you lose it, you will be charged a fine. When checking in Mexico, you will also be asked to show your hotel reservation and departure ticket.

The best time to visit Mexico is during the dry season between December and April. The coolest months are between December and February, but the temperature can still reach averages of 28 degrees.

If you plan to travel to the Yucatan state, we strongly recommend you take short and thin clothes. Several pairs of bikinis or swimming trunks. Sandals or flip-flops. Sunglasses and a hat. Sunscreen. Mosquito spray!

The only long items are recommended to take on the plane, because they like to cool down up there. And on local buses, because the drivers like to turn up the air conditioning too. We also recommend taking comfortable, flat shoes on the plane.
Earplugs and a blindfold are also recommended. So the latter is generally recommended, because in many accommodations the walls are very thin and good sleep should not be underestimated.

The Mexican currency is Pesos. The prices in stores and restaurants are most often written in their local currency. However, in most places you can also easily pay in US Dollars.

Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, except of course in small stores and local vendors. We recommend you to use Revolut. You can then easily keep track of your spendings, and for every card payment you get a notification on your phone. With that in case of any problems you are up to date and can block the card yourself.

Mexico is very diverse and offers something for everyone. You can travel very cheap, but there are also many offers to get rid of a lot of money. Of course, the prices vary accordingly. But since you are reading this, we assume that you don’t have infinite money and are interested in how ” affordable ” it is to travel in Mexico.

The prices are per person, except for the taxi and the accommodation, which we rent for 2 people.

Accommodation: $25 – $82 / night

Restaurant: $5 – $12 / meal

Snack: $2 – $6 / meal

Bus: $1.50 – $25 / ride

Taxi: $2 – $20 / ride

Activity: $2 – $25.50 / event