Clueless about Mexico.. have a few questions

[ZeroTX]

I spent 6 weeks in Cuernavaca (with some short time spent in Mexico City), and I felt safer than in my home town 99% of the time.

-Michael

[el_inombrable]

I cannot feel safe in some cities of Mexico like: DF, TJ or Juarez. Cuernavaca as tourist destination is safe, even for american standards...

[ZeroTX]

Absolutely. Walked home in the middle of the night many times or picked up a cab, of which there are thousands, no problems. You pre-negotiate the rate to avoid any fights over price. Yes, you ought to know a bit of Spanish before going ... but that probably applies to anywhere in Mexico.

We stayed in DF for a couple of nights, near the Zocalo. I felt fine there in the daytime, but would probably recommend retreating to your hotel at night or only venturing a short distance to a club/bar, etc. Avoid certain parts of town, only take official cabs (let your hotel call one for you, don't wave one down), keep your money secure, don't flash valuables, etc. I'd take a few more precautions and be aware of your surroundings.

Frankly, I want to visit Mexico City again and for a longer period of time. There's SO MUCH TO SEE!

[firebll31]

Originally Posted by famlife

man, that sounds terrible. i think i'll just appreciate Mexico from a distance, in photographs. hopefully one day things will turn around there. it's so beautiful, what a shame.

There's no reason to avoid Mexico! I've been there 3 times, to tourist locations (Playa del Carmen) and am hoping to visit the Puerto Vallarta area soon. We don't stay on the resort much because we like to explore the area, and get a little feel for the culture. But we use the same care as in U.S. cities: take notice of your surroundings, don't flash lots of cash or expensive jewelry, don't walk into dark unpopulated areas, don't wander around drunk. Just using common sense goes a long way and as a previous poster mentioned, I have seen LOTS of tourists ignoring common sense, setting themselves up for trouble. We actually left a camera in a cab one night, and when we told them, they brought it back to us at Senor Frog's later that same night. Mexico IS beautiful and one of my favorite places. They want and need our tourism dollars and will do their best to see that you have a good visit.

[ciscomx]

I've lived here in Guadalajara. It's a lot safer here than any big city in the states. Once, my wife lost some minor stuff from the trunk of her car because she left the trunk unlocked.