Essential Tips to Staying Safe in Mexico City

Are you looking for a family friendly trip that has theme parks, water slides, museums, and historical buildings? Wondering how to stay safe while vacationing in Mexico? We just got back from visiting family in Mexico for 2 weeks. Part of our trip was in Mexico City site seeing for 3 days. In Mexico, it’s especially important to use a close friend or safer means of transportation. View these essential tips to Staying Safe in Mexico City.

Experiencing the cultural and history of Mexico City is something you will never forget. The rich culture and historical influence of the Aztecs and Old Spanish is featured on every corner of the city.

The majority of tourist areas are in safe areas heavily populated by police but the city is overpopulated and you do need to have some street smarts to stay safe. Staying safe in Mexico City is paramount to every tourist and having the necessary wits to do it is necessary. Most of the time we were on foot or we used an Uber driver who is a close friend of one of our family members.

Although Mexico has been associated with violence and crime, if you aren’t looking for drugs or doing stupid stuff you will be safe. You want to stay in well lit areas at all times. You want to use a driving service you can trust, and you need to handle your money with care. Most of the people who come to Mexico City have a wonderful experience and do not encounter any crime related problems. It’s those that are careless who have issues. Here’s my tips for Staying Safe in Mexico City.

Crucial Travel Tips for Staying Safe in Mexico City

Before traveling research your destination and make sure the place you are headed is in a safe area. You want to know if there are current warnings and public announcements concerning safety issues, especially for tourists.

Leave your valuables at home. A camera is generally safe but keep it light and leave the heavy lenses at home.

Scan your travel documents and save them in your email in case you lose them while out in the town.
Also, let someone have a copy of your schedule back home so if something does happen your family members know when you are expected to return.

Don’t keep a lot of cash in your wallet and keep smaller Pesos instead of larger bills. Pay with your credit card for larger purchases when possible. It is smart to also learn Mexico’s money system to.

It’s essential to know a little basic Spanish to stay safe in Mexico City. This is really important if you want to pay local prices for things because if you speak in English in front of vendors you will pay 3x as much as the locals. If you have a local in your group ask them to buy things for you whenever possible. It will save you money.

There are neighborhoods in Mexico City that are dangerous. Staying Safe in Mexico City means sticking to well-lit parts of the city streets and try to avoid them at night or avoid them whenever possible. If a local tells you not to visit a certain place heed their advice.

Although Mexico City is known for its excellent street food, you have to choose what you eat carefully. Ideally, if you want to eat street food, go to the stalls that have local people flocking to them. Also only drink bottled water.

Know your emergency numbers. This is advice not only to those traveling for a vacation in Mexico City but for anyone traveling to any foreign land. You can have a list of these numbers on your phone as well as on another piece of paper. In Mexico City, the emergency number for the police includes 911, fire services, and ambulance emergency numbers are 066 or 080. You also want to have the number of your home embassy as well as personal emergency contacts with you.

Try to blend in by dressing down instead of wearing expensive brands that are popular in America. Locals can spot Americans quickly and expensive clothing and purses signal criminals to target you.

Have your hotel call a cab for you instead of flagging one down on the street. It is easy for them to note numbers of the car and the driver’s name. Use Uber when possible and check reviews ahead of time.

Going to Mexico soon? Check out my other Mexico travel posts! My husband is from Mexico and we own property in Queretaro, Mexico. Stay tuned for more travel posts as I begin exploring other destinations.