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TRANSPORTATION FROM AIRPORT TO HOTEL

  • Ride-sharing services like Uber, are often restricted from picking up passengers directly at the terminals. There is ongoing tension between local taxi unions and ride-sharing drivers in Mexico City.
  • Most hotels will gladly arrange a private car transfer from/to the airport. For more information and pricing options, please get in touch with their concierge team.
  • We recommend purchasing a pre-paid ticket from an authorized airport taxi booth located within the airport. The booths are labeled “Transportación Terrestre.”
  • You can buy your ticket inside the baggage claim area while waiting for your luggage. Tell the vendor the hotel name to get the proper fare (approx. $18 USD). The fare is per cab, not per person.
  • The drive to the hotel should take approximately 45 minutes, depending on traffic and the time of the day.

TRANSPORTATION WITHIN THE CITY

  • Uber operates in Mexico City and is available through the same app on your smartphone.
  • For your personal security, it is not recommended that you hail taxis in the street at any time during your stay in Mexico. It is preferable to hire hotel taxis or taxis parked at authorized cab ranks or “sitios.”

MONEY

  • United States dollars are generally not accepted in Mexico City.
  • Credit cards are widely accepted. Advise your bank of your travels.
  • ATM machines give you pesos and are located at our hotel. (Remember the Mexican peso also uses the $ sign. Be wary as this can cause confusion).

TIPPING

  • Airport porters: 50-60 pesos (US $3.00-$4.00) is sufficient. You do not need to hire an airport porter, but they will guide you efficiently to the authorized taxi rank and to your cab.
  • Taxis and transportation services: It is not necessary to tip cab drivers in Mexico.
  • Hotel: 80-100 pesos (US $4-$6) per person is a good tip. It is considered a courtesy to tip the maid who services your hotel room. Sometimes the hotel will include this tip in your final bill. “Propina no incluida” means tip not included.
  • “IVA incluido” means that tax (VAT) is included.

WATER

  • The water in the hotel is drinkable. However, it’s advisable to avoid drinking tap water directly from the faucet anywhere else.

WHAT TO WEAR

  • Mexico City is dressy and rather formal. Business attire is appropriate for all meetings and events on our agenda.
  • Business casual – “sport coat and slacks with no tie” – is fine for the Welcome Reception.
  • Wear comfortable shoes, particularly on Tuesday, October 14, as we will be walking from the motorcoach to government buildings and meetings held at external venues.
  • Like other large cosmopolitan cities such as New York or Paris, you should watch your belongings and not exhibit or expose expensive jewelry in public.
  • October marks the end of rain season in Mexico City. Although heavy rain is not expected, light showers may occur. A trench coat or light coat is recommended.

CELL PHONE USE

  • Cellular telephones work throughout Mexico. Call your cell phone provider to add a Mexico plan for the week in order to avoid roaming charges.
  • To make calls to the U.S. while in Mexico, dial 001 or +1 (country code) then the area code and number.
  • To call Tijuana or elsewhere in Mexico dial 01 or +52 (country code) then the area code and number. It is less expensive to use your cellular phone than the telephone in your room.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES*

  • Los Pinos
    (Former Residence and Office of the President): Colloquially known as “Los Pinos”, the property became the official presidential residence in 1935 after President Lazaro Cardenasrefused to live in Chapultepec Castle (prior official residence) and was inhabited by successive leaders. Upon taking office, President Lopez Obrador opened Los Pinos to the public. The entrance is free of charge.
  • Auditorio Nacional
    (The National Auditorium): This auditorium is situated on Reforma Avenue, at the artistic and cultural section of Chapultepec Park. It also includes some theaters: El Granero, Orientacion, and El Bosque.
  • Bosque de Chapultepec
    Willow trees, ash trees, evergreen oaks, and Mexican coniferous trees make this green area the largest one in the city. Historic and cultural places of interest in addition to recreational areas are all found here.
  • Casa del Lago
    Several cultural activities sponsored by the Autonomous University of Mexico take place here.
  • Castillo de Chapultepec
    This splendid neoclassic castle has been the stage for such historic events as the United States Army invasion in 1847. It served as the residence for EmperorMaximiliano and his wife Carlota in 1866 and later for President Porfirio Diaz.
  • Monumento a Los Niños Heroes
    This monument is to honor the Niños Heroes (Heroic Children)who defended the Castle against the United States invasion. It is located in one of the entrances of Chapultepec Park.
  • Museo Nacional de Antropologia
    The National Museum of Anthropology): This museum is located on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue and Gandhi Street in the first section of Chapultepec Park.
  • Museo Nacional de Historia
    (The National Museum of History): This museum is found on the top of the Chapultepec Hill, inside the Chapultepec Castle in the old park. It was built in the XVIIIcentury and is surrounded by a wall. It has 20 halls.
  • Parque Zoologico de Chapultepec
    (The Chapultepec Zoo): The zoo was founded in 1923. It has an area of 14 hectares where animals from all the continents are exhibited. It is said that zoo and botanic gardens already existed in Tenochtitlan and Chapultepec before they were known in Europe. Among its attractions is a panoramic train that runs around the zoo.*Museums in Mexico City are free on Sunday (and more crowded), and closed on Monday.

SHOPPING

  • Avenida Presidente Masaryk in Polanco is lined with international shopping. It’s the Rodeo Drive of Mexico. Mexico’s two most important department stores, Palacio de Hierro and Liverpool, have facilities in Polanco and anchor their respective shopping malls. It’s a bit of a long walk from the hotel, so ask the doorman to call a cab if you wish to shop at either mall.
  • Antara Polanco is an upscale outdoor mall a block north of the Palacio de Hierro across Ejercito Nacional on Calle Moliere. Further north is Plaza Carso shopping and office complex with the iconic Soumaya Museum as its centerpiece.
  • The Ciudadela complex on Balderas, also in the Centro Historico, is the place to bargain for what many call “arts and crap.” Nevertheless, there are treasures to be found in Talavera, mirrors, silver, leather, tablecloths, and art objects. Various stalls cover the entire area. Prices are low, but you still can bargain. Elsewhere on Balderas, sidewalk stalls sell bargain clothing, ties, and pirated CDs/DVDs.
  • Reforma 222 is a modern complex that opened in 2007. The two towers of the complex became some of the tallest buildings in Reforma, and hold a glass-covered shopping center where you can find a great variety of stores, entertainment, and restaurants.

DINNER RECOMMENDATIONS

We strongly recommend contacting the restaurant to make a reservation in advance. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MEXICO’S GOVERNMENT

  • Mexico (official name Estados Unidos Mexicanos—or United Mexican States) has a Presidential form of government with a bi-cameral legislature.
  • The country is divided into 32 states. The states are divided into municipalities. Mexico City, formerly known as the Federal District, became the country’s 32nd state in 2016 with a population of 8.9 million people. The metropolitan area, however, is much larger with a population of 21.2 million people, making Mexico City the most populous metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere.
  • Branches of Government:
    • Executive – Led by the President. Presidents serve a single six-year term (sexenio) with no reelection.
    • Legislative – Bicameral Congress of the Union, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies (500 members) and the Senate (128 members).
    • Judicial – Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation plus lower courts; independence is constitutionally guaranteed but often politically debated.

CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION

  • General elections took place in June 2024, where voters elected Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (MORENA) who made history as Mexico’s first female president, along with 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 128 members of the Senate. Sheinbaum previously served as Governor for Mexico City.
  • Sheinbaum’s cabinet members include familiar faces such as former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard, who now serves as Secretary of Economy, and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Barcena, who now serves as Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).
  • She dissolved seven major independent regulatory and oversight agencies—including those governing telecommunications, competition, transparency, energy, and social evaluation—centralizing their functions under newly created ministries like the Secretariat of Women, the Secretariat for Science/Technology/Innovation, and a Digital Transformation Agency.
  • President Sheinbaum’s priorities include strengthening collaborations with neighboring partners; address national challenges such as security, health, and migration; bilateral cooperation with the U.S. on work permit visas; infrastructure improvements in coastal roads from Cabos to Tijuana; and create a working group for housing deed in Tijuana.
  • The current administration launched the “Plan México”, a six-year industrial growth strategy aiming to elevate Mexico’s economy into the global top 10 by 2030 and has pushed around 20 legislative and constitutional reforms, including measures targeting reelection bans, anti-nepotism, electoral restructuring (Plan C), and energy and procurement reforms.

 

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