Mexico in May-June

Much of Mexico is unsafe. My Son did several days in Mexico City a few years ago and said it was safe, just stay in the tourist areas. Not sure today.

It is best to take tours, not go it alone.

We travelled to the Yucatan in February. I don't know how much of our experience would translate to the areas you plan to visit, but we got along fine without a car. We used an airport shuttle service to get to our first location (Cancun to Tankah (near Tulum)). We took the ADO bus to get from Tulum to Merida. ADO is a good option for a lot of inter-city travel in Mexico. The buses are modern and air-conditioned. We used a tour to get from Merida to Piste (Chichen Itza), and had our bags in the trunk of the tour guide's car. We used "My Day Trip" to get from Piste to the Ultramar ferry dock in Cancun. We used the ferry and taxis and a rented golf cart to get to/from and around Isla Mujeres.

I agree with the suggestion to book tours to some sights. It's worth it, both for the transportation and for the information.

Mike, don't worry at all about personal safety in any of the places you're going. Take pickpocket precautions in crowded areas like markets. Pay attention to sidewalks and traffic, as paving and curbs aren't as standardized as at home. I wouldn't recommend driving yourself, traffic is very different. As an experienced traveler with at least some Spanish you should be fine.

I've been to Oaxaca many times, and you have a good plan for your time there. On my last visit in February I made a point of going to the Benito Juarez house, which I hadn't seen, and I can't say it was worth the trouble. It's the house where he lived as a boy but the furniture isn't original and the exhibits weren't that informative. If you're interested in Juarez, there's a much better exhibit about him in the National Palace in Mexico City.

You'll find a wide choice of tours to Mitla, Hierve del Agua, and Monte Alban when you get there. Your hostel can probably point you to some that don't spend excessive time at "shopping opportunities" (the mezcal places are in that category), though it may be impossible to get that down to zero. Also, taxis are plentiful and cheap, and a taxi driver will take you to any of those sites and back if you want -- agree on the price beforehand, which will obviously reflect the distance and waiting time. There are also local buses that go to Mitla. Buses to Monte Alban leave and return several times every day from the Hotel Rivera del Angel. That site is well signed and you don't need a guide, though of course a good one will add value to the experience.

I don't know Puebla except as a bus stop. Your plan for Mexico City looks great. Have a wonderful time.

That's a pretty attractive itinerary. I haven't been to Mexico in decades and I haven't been to any of the places you're going. You make me want to go even at my advanced years. Thanks for the research, fellow librarian!

I'm sure you realize that it will be hot, and that you will be at higher elevations than you're used to in Detroit. For example, Oaxaca is at about 5000 feet and Mexico City is about 7200. Also, be aware that you'll be there during the rainy season and plan accordingly. It will likely be humid most of the places you go, so you'll probably sweat more and need to stay hydrated. I agree that following the typical security guidelines you follow for Europe would be wise and using your Spanish would be very welcome by many.

If I remember correctly, you tend not to eat out much. If you take the time to watch the Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico episodes for Mexico City and Oaxaca, you might change your mind about that. 😉 At least, you'll learn a bit about the culture through the food -- and markets -- she features.

This link appeared to be the least cluttered one I saw: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16428770/episodes?ref_=tt_eps_sm

It looks like Prime Video is one of the many options for seeing those episodes online.

I'm envious of that itinerary! And tacos!

Safety is something to keep in mind everywhere we go. 66 Million people visited Mexico last year, the VAST majority of them very safely and happily. Don't let uneducated, knee-jerk alarmists dissuade you.

Hi Mike,

I was in Oaxaca in September and I loved it. I hired a driver and guide for my time there, so getting around was easy. The guys I hired were invaluable. I also went on an amazing street art tour with a guide. Let me know if you want either guide's name(s).

You didn't mention your fluency in Spanish, but we did run into language barriers repeatedly in Oacaxa. English is spoken there, but not as much as you'd find in France or other parts of Europe.

Driving in Mexico is tricky. There's a lot of unwritten rules to how the roads work (especially in Oaxaca where protests shut down the arterial roads when we were there). I'd avoid it if at all possible.

Final warning: when they say "don't drink the water", DON'T DRINK THE WATER. I got biblically sick from drinking a drink from a street vendor (my fault) and ended up in a Mexican hospital (fantastic experience and I don't mean this sarcastically).

I could spend another two weeks in Oaxaca and not tire of it, but I think you'll enjoy your time there.

Enjoy your trip!

-- Mike Beebe

You probably know this already, but it's not just "don't drink the water," as Mike said, but don't brush your teeth with it, don't rinse or gargle with it, don't wash food with it, and don't use ice unless you know for certain that it's made with purified water.

And keep your mouth closed in the shower!

Thanks for your input.

I am an English speaker; I am not fluent in Spanish. I have been teaching myself Spanish just to feel smart and maybe so I can talk Spanish to my co-worker who grew up in Mexico. Actually I rarely say anything to her. Other Americans probably over-estimate the need to talk to natives in other countries. My plan is to keep quiet the vast majority of the time on my trip. My talent is actually that I took a phonology class in college and I am good at figuring out the sound pattern and pronunciation of foreign languages. Most people mispronounce foreign words with the sound pattern and nearest phonemes of their first language.

When I was a kid my parents took me on a few road trips to neighboring states. We ate every meal in restaurants. I used to wrongly believe that in travel, every meal has to be eaten in a restaurant. The vast majority of restaurant food is made with oil, salt, and/or sugar. I didn't worry about this when I was a kid. My great grandfather with my same last name had a heart attack and died when he was 49. I have been addicted to wrongly using food to cure my thirst and/or addicted to the action of chewing and swallowing without regard for the taste of food. I am not a foodie.

This is actually going to be a solo trip. I know that in Oaxaca, there are guided part day to day tours that include Mitla and/or Hierve el Agua, but they all also spend about only an hour maybe two hours max, at Mitla and/or Hierve el agua, and they all stop for an hour at a mezcal business and at least 45 minutes to an hour at a rug-weaving workshop. I don't drink alcohol and I am not going to buy a rug.

We spent 7 nights in Mexico City and 2 nights in Puebla in 2019. In our late 60s at the time, we felt very safe in the tourist areas and the Condesa neighborhood, where we stayed. We walked and took the subway everywhere, except for one Uber to Xochimilco. I think your itinerary looks great, and wish we had had as much time in Puebla. A few thoughts:

In Puebla, ask where to get a Cimita sandwich with papalo--there is a large indoor market with several places that sell them. It's a large sandwich/torta characteristic of Puebla, Our airbnb host told us that we had to try one. Papalo is a herb that gives it a distinct flavor.

Be sure to reserve ahead for the Frida Kahlo museum at least a day (maybe more) ahead. We didn't know that, and when we showed up it was sold out.

The archeological museum is huge. Since we tire of museums after about 2.5 hours, we went twice, and still only saw about 70% of the exhibit. Also, you can spend a lot of time in Chapultapec park if you like walking. It's fun to go once on the weekend when all of the families are there, and again during the week when it is not as busy.

I hope when you get to Oaxaca you will find tours that meet your needs. I haven't been there, but have heard it is wonderful Have a fabulous time.

Thanks for your input. I am happy to see that not everybody has the same attitudes as my close relatives. For example, my mother is mortified at me; she feels like solo travel in general is risky or unsafe or dangerous. Once she told me about Americans killed in Mexico that she heard about from the news and them immediately proceeded to tell me not to go to Mexico. She has no clue that I am going to Mexico. An aunt who has done some travel with my uncle told me that I shouldn't travel alone and in a disgusted but less volatile way than my mother, said Mexico is not safe. Another aunt was super mortified at me before I went to Spain...