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Questions on traveling to Mexico
Arch Guru XX
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So the wife and I are headed to Mexico (baja penninsula, between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) in a couple of weeks to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. Despite living in southern California for the last 6 years (in Long Beach, LA area if it matters) we have not been to Mexico before. As a result, I have two questions:
1) what's the best place/way to get pesos? I have a travel Visa atm card which I can load with cash and then use at atms in Mexico - is this a reasonable system? It seemed to work fine in France 7 or 8 years ago, but if there's a better way (with fewer charges) to get walking around money, I'm all ears.
2) we both have AT&T iPhones - what do we need to do to to be able to at least call and text while there? it would be cool if we could use google maps as well, but I'm pretty okay with it if I can't access my email during this time. First time leaving the country since we got these phones, so just curious what the protocol is.
Thanks for the help!
1) what's the best place/way to get pesos? I have a travel Visa atm card which I can load with cash and then use at atms in Mexico - is this a reasonable system? It seemed to work fine in France 7 or 8 years ago, but if there's a better way (with fewer charges) to get walking around money, I'm all ears.
2) we both have AT&T iPhones - what do we need to do to to be able to at least call and text while there? it would be cool if we could use google maps as well, but I'm pretty okay with it if I can't access my email during this time. First time leaving the country since we got these phones, so just curious what the protocol is.
Thanks for the help!
Should have been a rock star.
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1) You are going to a tourism area, so you are bound to find lots of ATMs, most (If not all) Mexican banks accept VISA Cards (I know Bancomer, Banamex, HSBC and SANTANDER accept Visa cards). Now, the standard Mexican rate for using a Card that is not from the Bank's ATM is around 25 pesos (IIRC, tried to take used it a month and a half ago) which is more or less 2 USD. I don't know if the rate changes if it's a foreign card (I actually have a USA Debit Card, so I might try it just to see if it changes). Oh, and make sure there is the word "Red" (Net) Somewhere on the ATM, it means it accepts cards from other banks.
Are you going to cross the border by land? If you are going to do so, and depending if it's a "calm" border town and you aren't scared of walking with a considerable amount of dollars, you could try exchanging US dollars for cash on one of many exchange shops which are usually located close to the border, where you can compare prices and get more of your money's worth (You could do this at the place where you are visiting, but exchange rates are better at border towns).
If you are flying, the same principle applies, look around the airport for Currency Exchange shops and buy pesos where you get the best deal.
As an american tourist, you are able to exchange US dollars cash into pesos in banks, up to 1500 USD a month, IIRC, Banks USUALLY have a stable exchange rate (Take your passport, they might need to take a photocopy of it). Now, regular Stores and Shops have been required by law to refuse payment in US Dollars, but I don't think it applies at Tourism locations, (It will help to know exactly where you are going, Baja Peninsula is an area with several places, I would guess that all of them are Tourist Towns, but you never know) so keep it in mind during your trip. (But I would recommend you to always pay in pesos, they usually exchange 1 USD to 10 Pesos (When it's currently a bit over 12 pesos) so you will get overcharged).
It's all up to you, really.
2) That is something you need to ask your Mobile service provider, we do have 3G, 3.5G and Mobile Internet Services, what will happen is that once you cross the border, eventually your Cellphone will pick one of the Mexican mobile services provider's Signals and you can keep using your cellphone, the Mexican company will charge your provider and the provider will charge you, it will depend on your current contract.
I have seen American clients and Coworkers with American Cellphones using their services here without a problem, they could use google maps and other online apps (But I haven't seen their bills, so who knows how much they pay).
Source: Mexican that lives in México.
It's been almost 7 years since I last went, and our Verizon cells worked fine throughout the trip within 10 miles of Cabo San Lucas, so you'll probably be fine.
Enjoy your time and avoid Senor Frog's at all costs! =P
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5440.html
The drug violence is scary, but unless you're an actual drug dealer your chances of getting kidnapped/killed are pretty low. Odds are the worst you'll get is a "Tijuana Traffic Stop".
The situation is nowhere near as bad as the media and (especially) travel companies try to say it is.
You guys are driving in?