Mexico City: What to Know Before You Go

Entry requirements for Mexico are set by the National Migration Institute (INM); the Government of Canada's travel advice for Mexico, linked below, summarises them alongside a safety assessment that varies by state. What altitude means for health is covered by the CDC's Yellow Book and by your doctor; this page states no altitude figure.

Two airports. Benito Juárez International (MEX, also written AICM) is inside the city. Felipe Ángeles International (AIFA) is north of it, at Santa Lucía in Zumpango, State of Mexico, the address the airport publishes. Travellers do book the wrong one by mistake, thinking it is the city airport; check the airport on your ticket before you buy. Both airports' sites are linked below.

AICM’s official transport page links to airport buses, Metro, Metrobús, car rental and authorised taxis. Check the information for your terminal and confirm current hours, fare and pickup point with the operator. App-based pickup arrangements can change; do not assume collection at the terminal doors.

Inside the city the Metro is extensive and very crowded at rush hour; fares are set by the STC Metro and posted at stations. Ride-hailing apps are widely used, and many visitors default to them for evenings or longer crossings of the city.

Neighborhoods: which one you base yourself in matters more here than in many cities, because the city is enormous and traffic-heavy. Roma and Condesa are the usual visitor bases: walkable, leafy, dense with restaurants, and close to much of what first-time visitors want to see. The historic centre (Centro Histórico) around the Zócalo holds the cathedral and the Templo Mayor ruins. Coyoacán, home to the Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul), has a village-like feel; the museum sells timed tickets on its own site and is the authority on whether your date needs one.

Food: street food is a large part of eating here. Tacos al pastor are a local specialty, typically served from a stand with a visible, turning trompo (the vertical spit). Markets like Mercado Roma or Mercado de San Juan are lower-stakes ways to sample widely. Food and water advice for Mexico is published by the Government of Canada and the CDC; read it there rather than here.

Altitude and air: the city sits at altitude, and some people notice it; how it affects you is individual, so take the first day or two gently, go easy on alcohol and hard exercise, and talk to a doctor before you go if you have a heart or lung condition. Air quality varies through the year and day to day; the city government publishes an official air-quality index, so check that for your days.

Tipping at sit-down restaurants is customary, and tips are common for many services. No rule fixes the amount, and what people leave varies, so ask your host or hotel what is usual rather than applying a percentage from home; small bills are useful to carry. Prices in the visitor-heavy parts of Roma and Condesa can run higher than a few blocks away.

A few words go a long way; none are expected. Basic Spanish tends to be appreciated even when imperfect; English is common in hotels and higher-end restaurants in visitor-heavy neighborhoods and much less so elsewhere.

Teotihuacán, the pre-Aztec pyramid complex outside the city, is run by INAH, Mexico's national institute of anthropology and history, which publishes its opening days, hours and admission. Check there for your date; this page states no travel time. An early start avoids the midday heat.

The Government of Canada's travel advice for Mexico, linked below, is the primary source for safety, and its advisory varies by state, so read the entry for Mexico City and for anywhere else you will go. Separately, the ordinary big-city precautions apply: keep valuables out of sight, use an authorised taxi or a ride-hailing app at night rather than hailing on the street, and stay aware in crowds.