general info
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico, and is colloquially known as “CDMX” (for Ciudad de Mexico). It is the 5th most populous city in the world (21,671,908 people), and is ranked as the eighth richest city in the world.
WATER
You definitely should not drink the tap water because it will make you sick. Brush your teeth with bottled water, and order bottled water at restaurants.
travel documents
In addition to your passport, you will need to fill out an Official Entry Immigration Form (FMM). The form is handed out on the plane before landing, but you can also fill it out ahead of time here. You will need this card to leave the country, so hold onto it in your passport!
altitude
The elevation of CDMX is 7380 ft… that’s over 2,000+ ft higher than Denver! So while you shouldn’t drink the tap water, you should still drink LOTS of bottled water to avoid altitude sickness. Because you are getting less oxygen at altitude, the effects of alcohol can also be magnified.
weather & CLOTHING
Mexico City weather is mild and pleasant year round. High’s of mid-70°, lows of mid-50°. Remember, this is not Cabo or Tulum… CDMX is a chic (and landlocked!) metropolitan city, so bring your regular clothes. We’ll be be going to some nice dinners, but nothing formal or overly fancy.
TAXIS
Don’t take taxis. Uber is cheap, safe, easy and plentiful. Taxis may charge you extra for being a tourist, and it can be hard to explain your destination. Also, Uber is remarkably cheap. Stick to Uber.
safety
Like any major city, there are unsafe neighborhoods. But the neighborhoods we will be visiting (Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Juarez) are very safe. You can walk at night, you can wear your jewelry, etc. Just be aware as you would be in any other city.
Currency & tipping
The conversion rate changes, but is typically around 1 Peso to .05 USD, so 100 pesos is about $5 USD. As a general rule tip a minimum 10% to servers anywhere they bring the bill to your table.