Mexico Coast-to-Coast

[joelaldo]

Originally Posted by tvdxer

What do you think of this trip?

One-way airfare from Minneapolis to Puerto Vallarta on Monday, February 4th, 2013 is $246, taxes included. One-way airfare back from Cancun to Minneapolis is $193 on March 5th (all taxes included). I would spend a few days in Puerto Vallarta, before visiting Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Mexico City, Orizaba, Veracruz, Tabasco (to see friends), Chetumal (to spend a day or two in Belize), and back to Cancun.

How would this work out? Is it paced too fast? I don't mind riding in buses, and domino Spanish (although I'm a bit rusty as for the speaking part).

I think this is fine... one month to see it all. Just know you're going to have limited time. Depending on what type of traveler you are, you might have to eliminate some stops.

A couple of tips that may save you some time and help you relax on the beaches some more.

-You may only need 2-3 days in Guadalajara to soak in the mariachis, the great food, the beautiful people and the lovely architecture.
-same in Mexico City if you want to see all the sights, the pyramids, catch a museum, and stroll in centro historico... albeit hurried days. (be prepared to ride public transit or sit in a car for hours at a time)
-Veracruz has AMAZING food... just thinking about it makes me want to go. Give yourself plenty of time to pig out... unless you don't like seafood, then don't hang out in Veracruz too long, although jarochos are awesome people... probably the sweetest, friendliest, funnest people in all of Mexico.
-Make sure to budget your money well. You are putting Cancun at the end, and you may very well be very spent from the rest of Mexico, and Cancun is expensive... even by American standards.

If you're not big on souvenirs or arts and crafts, then you don't have to worry about shopping and having to lug everything around... so Cancun as a final stop is fine. But if you want to take a piece of Mexico back home (pottery, paintings, an onyx aztec chess set, etc), it would make sense to do the trip in reverse and stock up on arts and crafts in Guadalajara and have one final stop before going home.

Also, personally... I would eliminate Guanajuato unless there is something you really need to see... great town, great food, but unless you know someone, it can be skipped on your first tour of Mexico.

[tijlover]

Having ridden those exciting chicken buses in Central America for a week, prior to my cross-country Mexico trip from the Guatemalan border to Nogales, I immediately missed the chicken bus rides in Mexico, as I can well do without those boring, luxury buses of Mexico. Chicken buses in Mexico, where art thou?

Skip Guanajuato? Not on your life! Will you find a more uniqure city in Mexico than Guanajuato?

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Having ridden those exciting chicken buses in Central America for a week, prior to my cross-country Mexico trip from the Guatemalan border to Nogales, I immediately missed the chicken bus rides in Mexico, as I can well do without those boring, luxury buses of Mexico. Chicken buses in Mexico, where art thou?

Skip Guanajuato? Not on your life! Will you find a more uniqure city in Mexico than Guanajuato?

I agree that Guanajuato is worth the stop. Campeche is too, as someone up thread mentioned. Another city I'm fond of along your way is Jalapa--if you're a fan of coffee and/or white water rafting/ or mountain sports in general it's a great place to be.

The chicken buses are plentiful in Mexico, especially in the south. Go to any 2nd class bus station and you'll have your pick. They're called "Guajoloteros". I rode many in my years in Oaxaca.