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Is Mexico a safe place for a single woman to travel through alone?

Where are the best places to tour in Mexico as a single woman, alone? What's the night life like? What's the temperature in September? What do I need to know about the customs of Mexico? Any port taxes, fees, charges? What about going through customs? What should I know about traveling in Mexico? How much spending money should I carry for a 7 day visit.

Public Comments

1. I don't know the answers to all of your questions, but I've heard that Mexico City is a fun place to go, my mom used to go every year, but she flew. I've heard news stories about American girls having problems between cities and towns. Be careful.

2. I live in a mainly agricultural area. There are many Mexican people that live in this area. Approximately 90% of the violent crimes committed in this area, are committed by Mexicans. You should check out the statistics in California, very similar. What do you think. What ever you do, don't carry a bunch of money. You'll wind up in a ditch some where with your throat slit.

3. where are you going? it make a huge difference, and don't' worry it's not so bad but I would take precautions about going at night by yourself.
don't' carry more than 100.00 cash.
always carry some Mexican money not to much (500.00 pesos.)
learn the coins and bills before changing anything.
don't' drink any bottles of any type of drinks if they are opened.
get a phone # of a taxi cab co.
good luck and have fun.



it's going to be hot and hummed.

4. if you are talking mexico, mexico like the real deal then no. i suggest you carry a gun

5. well puerto vallarta is a kind of safe place you don't really need lots of money probably like 2000 dollars or more depending if you want to buy lots of stuff.

6. send me mail turconov@yahoo.com, my wife is australian and me mexican, maybe can help you.

7. Get a guide book or two

Read this Lonely Planet message board
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=17

A tourist visa is included in your airline ticket and immigration is at the airport. Have a Passport to make things easy. Keep your tourist visa, you need it for the return flight.

September is hot and humid on the coast and more comfortable in the highlands (central Mexico)

Cost depends on where and what you do ....

8. if u are gonna travel by yourself to mexico u need to be careful n be fluent in the language so u can say that u live in mexico n not say that u are from another country.
this is the safest cities of mexico: Monterrey, Veracruz, Guanajuato, Yucatan.
customs: just show ur us passport n that's it. usually if u fly to mexico city, customs line may take up to an hour.
Money: it depends in ur sepnding habits. but around 500 dls for 7 day stay. n that would do for everything 9from night life to museums)
have fun
j

9. If you are a single woman the best place to visit is the beach or the colonal cities. I see a lot of answer in this forum that are wrong and stupid. I live in Mexico and i can say that it's a safe place, in all the latinoamerica places you have to be wise, in every travel you have to be smart. I recomend you the colonial places like Queretaro, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Morelia Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and Merida, because you can
walk for every street safetly, you can buy things, eat something and visit the downtowns!! That are world heritage places by the UNESCO. Puerto Vallarta is a great place because it have a precious downtown, incredible beaches and places.

You don't need to much money in Mexico, all it's cheap, more in the popular places like the markets. I think you can travel with 1000 dollars and have an excellent time in a 5 starts hotel. You can buy some books to learn more about the culture in Mexico. The 15th of september is the independence day, and in the night the mexican celebrate the "grito" and we make a good party in all the cities. We love it. The climate in september is really nice in all the republic, is time of huracanes in the coast. You can check the huracane schedule if you want to go to a beach.

If you don't have to much money you can stay in a simple place, there are a lot of cheap clean safe places you can be. I don't recomend to travel to Mexico city beacuse it's not a safe place at all. You have to be cautious in Mexico city, in other places not, you can walk safetly.

I love the maya ruins in the south of Mexicom it's the best place you can visit i you love the culture and the adventure. Mexico is the best place of the world to have a magical vacation time. You will love Mexico. It's my answer, have a good time.

*World Heritage Places by the UNESCO
http://whc.unesco.org/en/ma
*Travel information
http://www.classicvacations.com/mexico/?CODE=OM409381&CID=COM10015
*Mexico official website infomation
http://www.visitmexico.com/wb2/

10. Since I found this in the Puerto Vallarta forum, I can tell you that PV is absolutely safe for you. One of the places where you can hangout all day in a resort as well as hangout all day in the downtown or malecon. You may even get better treatment if you're a single woman. The MExican guys/vendors will flirt and try to sell you things but a simple "no Gracias" will suffice. I found the clubs in Downtown to be very safe. They are all located on one smallish-medium sized strip; you will find them to be easy to walk in and out of, and very safe. There will no need to walk off the beaten path--everything is in front of you in the Malecon. Also, use the cabs!!! They cost 3-4 dollars to get anywhere you want. Lastly, if you shop, make sure to haggle; they relish in the practice. Arriving in Mexico, take a passport and have fun.

11. I would be very careful. Consider talking to a travel agent that handles singels travel. It would probably be safer for you to travel with a group.

Also, look at Contiki. A good travel agent will know all about them.

12. First how old are you??

If you are above 40 you will be fine......anyhow be very careful, I wouldn't go out at night alone....I wouldn't trust anyone if I am by myself, I wouldn't go bar hopping alone anywhere in Mexico, all of the above maybe with friends..alone never!

13. it depends to what part of mexico your going to. if your going to Mexico City, the D.F., i'd stay away from there if you were going alone...i'ts pretty dangerous, but not as risky if your with friends, which is what i do.
never drink water from the focets, you're gonna feel horrible in the morning.
i wouldnt' carry a lot of cash on me, it's easy to get pickpocketed there. u just gotta be careful. keep money in your front pockets and be aware of your surroundings when walking out on the streets. drivers there have no respect for pedestrians so watch out. i'm talking about mexico city here.
where ever u choose im sure you're going to enjoy it because mexico is a beautiful country.

14. As you can see, it really depends on where you are going? do you speak Spanish? how well do you know the culture? and other things as well.

If you are going to a well-known vacation spot like Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cancun, Ixtapa, Cabo, Huatulco and so on, you will be safer than in most American cities. The "tourist police" are very efficient for the most part and designed to protect the vital tourist trade and the vital tourist. Those criminals who prey on tourists will quickly find themselves floating face down on a deserted piece of beach area.

Mexicans in general are polite and very well-mannered in general, much more so than Americans and this is often a problem. Being their usual, pushy, self-centered and rude selves, many Americans are the cause of their own problems when it is entirely unnecessary.

Beligerant, harrassing and obnoxious behavior is completely unacceptable in Mexico, even when one is drunk. One reason that some Mexicans, especially single, drunken, low class, horny males can be so unpleasant is that they have taken their cue from drunken American "frat-boys" and feel that they can treat an American female in ways that they wouldn't treat a Mexican girl.

If you are unfamiliar with Mexian culture and don't speak much Spanish, (it is just downright stupid to visit Mexico without ANY Spanish - sort of like arriving in Davenport, Iowa speaking only Arabic...) then you should stick to the tourist areas and tourist hotels, bars and clubs. You will be very safe and you will meet a lot of Mexicans, who will for the most part speak passable English. You may even make some good new friends.

If you are a single female travelling alone, well, its the same everywhere isn't it? Most single men think only with the "little head" not the big one when it comes to "socializing." If anything, Mexican men of the middle class MAY tend to be a little more cultured and "gallant" than their US counter-parts. I say MAY, heavy on the MAY, if I were a single girl, I wouldn't bet my virginity on it!

For Gawd's Sake NEVER listen to any American idiot who suggests that you carry a gun! Any kind of firearm possession by a foriegner (or just about anyone in fact) is completely and totally ILLEGAL. The borders and airports have very sofisticated detection equipment and if you are caught with any type of firearm, anywhere in the country - YOU WILL GO TO JAIL! AND YOU WILL SPEND YEARS, NOT MONTHS IN A HORRIBLE MEXICAN JAIL! Unless your father is Bill Gates, you will NOT have even a fraction of the money needed to bribe your way out! People who give you such insane advice are the same that would suggest that you smuggle 5 kilos of opium into Turkey!

On a lighter note, Mexico is fantastic. September can be the end of the rainy season, or not, its a crap shoot. Some hotels have drinking water from the taps, other supply drinking water. In Mexico it is not common for anyone to drink from a faucet, (even if the government says you can.)

If you use some simple common sense, Mexico is a really wonderful place. I have lived here for 12 years and with my wife and 12 year old son take about 4-5 beach vacations per year to Acapulco, Vallarta, Ixtapa, Vera Cruz and so on and we have never had a serious problem, just great times, great people, great food and great beaches!

Some have suggested that Mexico is "cheap," they must have been there in the 70s and 80s. Today you should expect to pay around $100 and up per night for a decent hotel and similar prices to the US for your meals. While the prices have gone way up, so has the quality of service and accomodations, dramatically, over the past 20 years.

While it is extremely fun and a LOT cheaper to get off the beaten path, it is not something a novice traveller alone should consider this time round. Get your feet wet, have a great time and discover Mexico. Next time you can think about that bus trip to Tecolutla.......

15. The resort areas are if you stay in tourist areas, however it's more fun with someone with you. Puerto Vallarta is great. Use the same good sense you would use anywhere. Don't go into dark alleys and don't end up in a van with 6 guys etc. Also, don't get drunk and allow yourself to not be in control. It's a great place to visit. Go, and have fun.