Airlines
Serving Mexico City From the US:
American
Airlines Connections
through Dallas & non-stop from LAX
Continental
Airlines Connections
Through Houston
US
Airways Connections
through Phoenix
AeroMexico
Non-stop from various US Cities and
Europe
Delta
Non-stop from LAX,
Atlanta and Salt Lake City
United
Alaska
Airport arrival
& transfers:
Arriving in Benito Juaraz
International airport you will go through Mexico Customs
which is usually fairly simple. The Mexico City airport
has been remodeled in recent years and is very clean
and orderly and has a wide selection of good restraunts
and shops.
US citizens
are now required to have a valid US passport to enter Mexico. At
customs you will be asked to push a button which displays
a green or red light in front of you. If you get a
green light you will proceed immediately to the main
airport area where you can find ground transportation.
If you get a red light your bags may be searched.
The best way to get from
the airport to downtown is by taxi. It is important
that you use an official taxi. To do this you must
go to an official taxi booth usually located right
outside customs. They sell you a taxi voucher according
to what zone you will be going to. For the Hotel Majestic
& the Hotel Catedral you will be going to
the Centro Historico Zone. You will
then proceed to the official taxi stand with YELLOW
taxis. Official yellow taxis are considered as safe
as any taxi in the US. Do not take a green taxi from
the airport. Do not accept any offers in the airport
for a taxi ride from anyone, always go buy the official
voucher.
Our
Meeting Place and Time in Mexico City:
We will meet
at 8am for breakfast at our hotel. We will
confirm our meeting place when we confirm our hotel
choice. We will get to know each other and
discuss the trip and the itinerary and make sure everyone has all the gear.
Our
Hotel in Mexico City:
We normally will use one of the
following hotels in downtown Mexico City, depending
upon availability. We will confirm our choice 4-6
weeks prior to the trip.
Hotel
Majestic, Best Western
This is a
historical hotel right on the Zocalo. They have a
terrace bar and restaraunt that has a spectacular
view of the Zocolo, presidential palace and National
Cathedral.
They have a large all-you-can-eat
breakfast buffet. The rooms are older and a little
small, but it has been renovated in recent years since
becoming a Best Western Property. Like much of Mexico
City, The main Zocolo or square can get a bit noisy, but you are right in the center of a lot of sights.
Hotel Catedral
Located in the Zocolo area, the is a very clean and modern hotel with quiet rooms and a breakfast buffet.
Safe travel in Mexico City:
Mexico City can be a relatively safe and fun city. There
are sections of the city that can be as safe (or safer) than
many major cities in the US or Europe. Approximately 20%
of Mexico City can be relatively safe and since it
is one of the largest cities in the world, that 20%
is a very large area. Reccomended sections of the
city to stay within are the Zocolo, Zona Rosa, Condesa, Polanco & Coyoacan.
Sites
to see:
- The anthropological museum, one the best in the world
- Chapultepec Park, very safe and full of families. It closes down in the evening.
- The presidential palace and the Diego Rivera murals there.
- The national cathedral and the Zocolo.
- Coyoacan, visit Freida's "Casa Azul" and Trotsky's home (where he got assasinated with an mountaineering ice ax!) as well as many great cafes and restaurants.
- Xochimilco. The "venice" of Mexico city (a bit of a stretch). Great if you want to float around on gondolas for a few hours drinking cerveza and eating Mexican food.