'¡Viva Mexico!' was how Miguel Hidalgo rallied his fellow Mexicanos to the struggle against colonialism, and it is a cry that is repeated by the president and echoed throughout the land every 15 September - Independence Day. As slogans go, it could not be more apt; Mexico is bursting with life. 

While many nations live to work, Mexico does the opposite. The people are vivacious lovers of free time and socialising, and work will never have the importance that friends and family do. The mother, giver of life, is honoured and respected, and all children, whether belonging to locals or visitors, are doted upon.

The country's past seems to live at one with its present. In Mexico City, the Plaza de las Tres Culturas celebrates the three major cultures that have shaped Mexico: there are Aztec ruins, the 17th-century colonial church of San Diego and several late 20th-century buildings. Even the dead are alive here, at least once a year; on the Day of the Dead, the living bring gifts to their dearly departed and spend the night in their company, remembering and celebrating how things used to be.

Where the Caribbean Sea meets the Yucatan Peninsula, coral reefs come alive, with sea creatures, great and small. The Pacific coast attracts elephant seals and spectacular grey whales, who choose Mexico to breed and give birth, year after year. 

Nor is the desert a barrier to life - it is home to agave, the mother of all tequilas. The blue plant has a lot to answer for in Acapulco and Cancún, where humans come ashore after a day in the surf to flirt in bars and nightclubs.

The biggest mass of teeming life in the whole of Mexico, is of course, its capital, where 20 million people (a fifth of the whole population) squeeze in together to work and play, live and love, die... and come back to life.

Passport/Visa

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months after date of entry required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Passport Note

(a) Applicants for Blue Tourist Cards should have a valid passport, return/onward ticket and proof of financial means. (b) Tourist Cards must be kept by the visitor during the entire length of stay as they will have to be presented and stamped on leaving.

Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above, who can obtain a Blue Tourist Card for touristic purposes from their airline on direct flights, at port of entry, or from the Mexican Consulate before travelling, for 180 days, except nationals of Australia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic and Slovenia who can stay for up to 90 days.

Visa Note

(a) Nationals seeking to visit Mexico on business are advised to check with the consulate regarding visa requirements as they may need to apply for a Non Immigrant Business Visitor carnet (FM3). (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Money

Currency

Mexican Peso (MXN; symbol M$) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of M$1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 20. Coins are in denominations of M$100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centavos. 

Note: The M$1,000 note is difficult to change and often not accepted. The M$100 and M$50 coins are rarely seen.

Currency Exchange

Currency exchange houses give a preferable rate of exchange to hotels and a much quicker service than banks. The exchange rate of the Mexican peso has been relatively stable recently.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Credit cards are not as widely accepted as in Europe or the USA. MasterCard and Visa are the two most widely accepted cards. American Express and Diners Club are accepted on a smaller scale. Some companies make an extra charge of around 5% on such transactions. There are ATMs in cities and most major tourist destinations nationwide, although not all debit cards are accepted, so check before leaving.

Traveller's Cheques

ATMs and credit cards mean traveller's cheques are less necessary as a means of carrying money. However, traveller's cheques issued by well-known brands can be cashed in exchange houses, which again give a better rate than hotels and a quicker service than banks. Traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling and Euros are now as readily accepted as those in US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1600; some banks are open longer hours and others are open on Saturday afternoon.

Exchange Rate Indicators

Health

Vaccinations

* Potentially required if travelling for extended periods or in certain rural areas.

Food and Drink

Water supplied in bottles and from taps marked ‘drinking/sterilised water' in hotels can be drunk without precautions. All other water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk in major cities, hotels and resorts is pasteurised. Otherwise, milk is unpasteurised and should first be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other Risks

Diarrhoea affects some travellers. Hepatitis E occurs. Dengue fever is predominant in the northern border states. Rabies is present. If bitten, seek medical advice without delay. Owing to the high altitude and level of smog in Mexico City, visitors may take some time to acclimatise.

Health Care

Comprehensive health insurance is recommended. Medical facilities are both private and state-organised and generally good. Medicines are often available without prescriptions, and pharmacists can diagnose and treat minor ailments.

Getting There

Getting There by Air

Mexico's main airlines are Aeroméxico (AM) (website: www.aeromexico.com) and Mexicana (MX) (website: www.mexicana.com).

Approximate Flight Times

From London to Mexico City is 11 hours 40 minutes; from New York is 4 hours 40 minutes. From London to Cancun is 10 hours 40 minutes; from New York is 3 hours 45 minutes.

Main Airports

Mexico City International Airport (MEX) (Benito Juárez) (website: www.aicm.com.mx) is 13km (8 miles) east of the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis run to the city (journey time - 35 minutes). Underground trains are also available. Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, bar, car hire, chemist, duty-free shops, first aid (with vaccinations for cholera and yellow fever available), left luggage, post office, restaurants, shops, snack bars, tourist information and VIP lounges.

Cancun International Airport (CUN) (website: www.cancun-airport.com) is 22km (14 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis run to the city (journey time - 40 minutes). Facilities: Bank/ bureau de change, bar, car hire, duty-free shops, first aid, left luggage, restaurant, shops, snack bars, tourist information and VIP lounge.

Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) (Miguel Hidalgo) (website: http://guadalajara.aeropuertosgap.com.mx) is 25km (12 miles) southeast of the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis run to the city (journey time - 35 minutes). Facilities: Bank, bar, car hire, chemist, post office, restaurant, shops, snack bars and tourist information.

Acapulco (ACA) (General Juan N Alvarez) (website: www.oma.bz) is 26km (16 miles) southeast of the city. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis run to the city (journey time - 35 minutes). Facilities: Bank, bar, car hire, post office, restaurant, shops and VIP lounges.

General website for Mexican airports: www.aeropuertosmexico.com

Departure Tax

International departure tax is usually included in air tickets.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas (website: www.bajaport.com), Cozumel (website: www.apiqroo.com.mx), Manzanillo (website: www.apimanzanillo.com.mx), Mazatlán (website: www.apimazatlan.com.mx), Puerto Vallarta (website: www.apivta.com), Tampico (website: www.puertodetampico.com.mx) and Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa.

Regular passenger ships run from the USA and South America. A huge number of companies operate cruise services to Mexico. There are also riverboat services from Flores and Tikal (Guatemala) to Palenque, Chiapas in Mexico; enquire locally for details.

Getting There by Rail

Amtrak provides railway connections to various points along the Mexican border from cities in the USA or Canada (tel: +1 800 872 7245, in the USA; website: www.amtrak.com). In Mexico, federal subsidies to the intercity passenger services were removed in 2000 and almost all long-distance passenger services were discontinued.

To get into Mexico by train, the only option is on luxurious private services like the Sierra Madre Express (tel: +1 520 747 0346 or 800 666 0346, in the USA; website: www.sierramadreexpress.com) operating between Tuscon, Arizona and Mexico's Copper Canyon. Mexlist (website: www.mexlist.com) maintains a list of similar luxury services, most of which have pullman sleepers, restaurant cars, lounge observation and club cars.

Getting There by Road

The main points of entry from the USA are Mexicali from San Diego; Nogales from Phoenix/Tucson; El Paso/Ciudad Juárez from Tucson and Alberquerque; Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras from Del Río, San Angelo and El Paso; Laredo/Nuevo Laredo from Houston, San Antonia and Del Río; and Brownsville/Matamoros from Houston and Galveston. 

From Guatemala, there are two main roads into Mexico. The Pan American Highway crosses into Mexico from Guatemala and continues through Central America and South America. There is also a road border crossing point from Belize near Chetumal and Corozal.

Drivers crossing the border in private cars or US hire cars must present originals and photocopies of current car registration and a valid driving licence to obtain a 180-day automobile permit. The cost of this should be charged to a credit card to avoid leaving a large cash deposit. Mexican car insurance is also compulsory - extensions to US policies are not valid. Insurance can be purchased at the border but better deals are available through online brokers.

Coach: Autobuses Americanos (tel: 01 800 507 5500 or +1 214 337 0010, in the USA; website: www.autobusesamericanos.com.mx) connects several locations in the southern US states to a wide variety of Mexican towns and cities. Autotransportes Tufesa (tel: 01 800 737 8883 or +1 602 415 9900, in the USA; website: www.tufesa.com.mx) runs from Phoenix and Tucson to northern Mexico, and Transportes Intercalifornias (tel: (664) 683 6281 or +1 213 629 4885, in the USA; website: www.transportesintercalifornias.com) connects California to Tijuana and Mexacali. Various coach operators run from Guatemala and Belize to Mexico.

Climate

On the high central plateau, in cities like Mexico City and Guadalajara, the weather is mild throughout the year, though a little cooler from December through to March. The wettest months on the plateau are the summer months, where there will typically be an hour of two of rain per day. Inland, northern Mexico is mostly desert, hot in the day, and cold in the night. In southern Mexico, the mountainous regions blow hot and cold with pleasant climates lower down. Baja California, Mexico's pacific peninsula gets very little rain throughout the year. Winters are comfortable, and summers are very hot, though resorts like Cabo San Lucas benefit from a sea breeze. The country's central pacific coast, home to resorts such as Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco is hot, sunny and humid almost throughout the year, but the coast and comfortable climate, but in the late summer months, heavy rains come with the hurricanes. The beach resorts of the Yucatán Peninsula, including Cancún, enjoy similar summers to Acapulco, but suffer even more from hurricanes.

Required Clothing

This varies from area to area. Natural fibres are best in the heat, but have a sweater on hand as the nights are generally cooler. A sun hat will help to avoid dehydration. In the mountains, heavier clothing will be required. In general Mexicans are casual about dress, but for visits to churches, long sleeves and long skirts or trousers are required, while theatres and upmarket restaurants may have specific dress codes.

Contacts

Mexican Embassy in the UK

16 St George Street, Hanover Square, London W1S 1LX, UK
Tel: (020) 7499 8586 or 7201 0961-3 (visa section).
Website: www.sre.gob.mx/reinounido

Mexican Consulate in the UK

8 Halkin Street, London SW1X 7DW, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 6393 or 09065 508 969.
Website: www.sre.gob.mx/reinounido
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1300.

Mexico Tourism Board in the UK

Wakefield House, 41 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4DJ, UK
Tel: (020) 7488 9392 or 00800 1111 2266 (brochure request line).
Website: www.visitmexico.com

Mexican Embassy in the USA

1911 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
Tel: (202) 728 1600.
Website: www.embassyofmexico.org

Mexican Tourism Board in the USA

400 Madison Avenue, Suite 11C, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 308 2110 or 1 800 446 3942.
Website: www.visitmexico.com