Mexico is a wonderful country to backpack, there is so much to see and do and so much culture to experience. It’s kind of like one of those places that you have to experience once in your lifetime. We spent one month in Mexico during the Dias de los Muertos period in 2024 and what a time it was.
We’re going to be honest though, we hadn’t prepared to much for Mexico. Yes, we had a route and booked some accommodation but I don’t think we really prepared in terms of safety, language and cultural norms. We’ve compiled a list of EVERYTHING we wish we had known before planning our backpacking trip to Mexico so you can learn from our mistakes!
Learn some Spanish
If you plan to spend a prolonged period of time in Latin America, you probably already know you’ll need to learn some spanish. In fact you might even consider going to spanish school along the way.
Before leaving Ireland, we did take a 10-week Introduction to Spanish course and to be honest… This was the bare minimum we needed to get by in Mexico. In some areas such as Cancun, Puerto escondido and Oaxcaca you’ll be fine but if you plan on going to other areas such as Chiapas or Campeche you will need Spanish.
It will not only improve your experience, but really is just essential for getting by and will make people a lot more amenable to you.
There is a big tipping culture in Mexico
If you are coming from North America, this probably won’t be a surprise to you but it’s something we really wish we prepared for before going to Mexico. Tipping is basically a necessity (and yes even when the service is not good). We were paying at minimum 15% tip on every meal and service we received which really does add up. And yes, they are quite pushy about it.
Travelling around Mexico is really easy, but expensive
Check out our full blog post on travelling around Mexico via Bus here.
Getting around Mexico is pretty simple, they have such a large tourist industry that you’ll have no problem finding public or private transport option. However, you will pay for them… it’s not cheap to travel around with some buses being between 70-90$ a person.
You need to have your wits about you
I think people’s number one question before visiting Mexico is ‘Is Mexico safe’ to travel? And its a tough one. When we were in Mexico, we were held up by ‘banddits’, our cards and documents wallet was stolen and we were ‘intimidated’ by police on the bus (and these are two people who are quite cautious and don’t do much ‘dangerous’ activities).
If you were to ask me was Mexico safe In general we would say no, is it safe to travel, probably yes but I think you are at a lot more risk then other popular travel spots. To be clear, we don’t think this should stop you from going – we just think you need to exercise extreme caution. Keep your wits about you. And just be prepared for pickpocketing and potential extortion.
It's easy to withdraw money in Mexico
One of our major concerns before going to Mexico was using our cards and taking cash out. We ended up doing half and half but to be honest, could have used our cards a bit more. I’d say it’s always good to have a bit of cash on you in Mexico for taxis, some restaurants and smaller shops but generally most restaurants and accommodations would accept cards.
In terms of using the ATM Mexico, we used the Santander bank ATMs with our Revolut cards and they charged us less than 2euro per transaction. We never had an issue in our one month finding an ATM to take money out or an ATM not having cash.
Don't only pack for the Sun
We made the Major mistake of packing mainly warm weather clothes for Mexico as this was part of a larger backpacking trip. We visited in October/November time and made the mistake of thinking that everywhere we went would be hot. Not only was it wet and cold but wearing ‘summer’ clothes just wasn’t appropriate all the time. Regions such as Chiapas get quite cold. Oaxaca gets quite cold in the evenings as well.
When you visit Mexico matters
When planning your trip to Mexico, consider the country’s diverse climate zones and seasonal weather patterns. Coastal regions like Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are warm year-round, but hurricane season (June to November) may bring heavy rain. In contrast, highland cities like Mexico City and Oaxaca have cooler temperatures, with summer rains and chilly evenings, so pack layers for comfort.
Mexico isn't a budget destination
We knew mexico wasn’t going to be cheap but it really surprised us how much we spent travelling around for a month.
This was primarily down to high transport costs and our tendency to eat out a lot. Check out our blog post on getting the bus in mexico here to get an idea of how much you can expect to pay:
You get what you pay for with Accommodation in Mexico
Accomodation in Mexico is a tricky one. We started off our trip as ‘Budget Backpackers’ and were trying to find reasonable accommodations but to be honest, we struggled. Finding decent accommodation for a good price was difficult, I think mainly due to their high tourism levels. We ended up paying around 15$ a night each for the basic of basic.
Additionally, there are extremely high taxes and fees on accommodations in Mexico. Consider that you’ll be adding on about another 30% to the room rate s hown adn things start to add up!
Here are some budget options we recommend to stay in Mexico:
You’ll need to Book early and plan accordingly
Accomodation in Mexico book out fast. It’s not really the kind of place you can arrive or book ⅔ days in advance! As for buses, we found they didn’t book out as fast but we were travelling outside of the high season so this could be different.
You need to pay for the toilets in Mexico
One thing that really surprised us in Mexico was that you need to pay for the toilets basically EVERYWHERE. Nothing crazy only 5-10 pesos and it does mean that pretty much every bathroom you use will be clean and have toilet paper!
On the point of toilets
Like many parts of the world, and Central America, you can’t throw toilet paper down the toilet. I would recommend you carry wipes with you for your first few weeks in Mexico! Don’t worry about forgetting this one, there will be signs in every toilet to remind you.
The food in Mexico is not like western ‘Mexican food’
You might be reading this and thinking… duh! But really it surprised us. Our version we have of Mexican food is so different to the actual food we were eating in Mexico. Both nice in their own right but the food in Mexico was quite harsh on our stomochs (think a lot of corn and a lot of fatty meats) and as for sour cream? Forget it! That being said, we ate some of the best food we’ve ever had in our lives in Mexico. Not just Mexican but cuisines from all over central and South America!
Taxis in Mexico
Taking a taxi in Mexico was actually something that pleasantly surprised us. We never had any issues flagging down a taxi from outside a bus station and we were usually quoted a decent price we were happy to pay.
In bigger cities such as Merida and Mexico City, Ubers are available. In other, towns and cities you will need to ask around in your accomodation for a local taxi company.
Before you go, take time to familiarise yourself with local customs, safety tips, and key phrases in Spanish to make your trip smoother and more enriching. Embrace the diversity of each region, from the lively streets of Mexico City to the tranquil cenotes of the Yucatán.
¡Buen viaje!
