I’ve never been to Mexico, and I rarely take any type of vacation other than camping or staying at relatives’. I will be flying to PV from Canada. It’s cold here. Do I wear shorts onto the plane? I feel like I should pack lightly, but I usually bring so much stuff with me because I am usually driving to my destination and have lots of room in the truck or RV. Do I buy stuff in PV and leave my shampoo, deodorant, etc., at home? Our hotel does not have guest laundry facilities. Do I wash my togs in the hotel room bathtub or sink, or use a laundromat? What do YOU do? What are your tips and tricks?
Pack lightly. When in doubt, leave it out. If you find you need some garment or other that you didn’t bring, buy it there.
Wear shorts on the plane because it sucks to arrive at a hot destination wearing long pants and there’s no place to easily change at an airport. You can always drape a jacket or blanket over your legs on the plane.
The hotel’s website ought to specify if they provide amenities like shampoo. I’ve never seen deodorant provided by a hotel, but if it’s a fancy enough place, they might have a little food and toiletries market just off the lobby. These places sell toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.
Where in Mexico are you going and what do you plan to do? I’ve been hiking in the mountains there during the winter and would not recommend shorts.
Also, I’d wear a pair of shorts and a tee under a pair of sweats on the plane, as the plane can get cold.
Follow-up: I see you are going to PV, which must mean Puerto Vallarta, it will be warm. Also, I wouldn’t go looking for a laundromat outside of the hotel area myself as you would look like an obvious tourist (target).
How long will you be there? A LOT depends on that. Are there special occasions (wedding, anniversary, birthday) where you’ll want to dress fancier, or is the idea to sit in your shorts and a t-shirt with your flipflops in the sand and drink dawn to dusk every day?
Who is coming along? Are they veteran travelers? Do you, or they, object to wearing something twice between washings, or are these people who use 4 sets of underwear per day? How committed are they familiar brands and experiences only?
etc.
Good points! It will be a casual trip with friends who don’t care what I wear. No special occasions during our 3 weeks there.
Thanks for the ‘looking like a tourist’ tip and the dressing in layers advice!
Thanks, teelabrown!
I flew from Chicago to Florida a few days before Christmas. It was 12F when we went to the airport in Chicago. Shorts would not have been practical. I would wear pants and change into shorts when you get to the hotel. You can always wear the pants again for the return trip.
IME, hotels/resorts in Mexico have your basics like soap, shampoo, conditioner, and the like in the room. I bring my own deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Pack prescriptions and OTC medications in your carry-on in case your bags are late at your destination.
Have fun!
Bring half the clothes and twice the money and you’ll do fine.
I would wear some kind of loose-fitting pants that you can wear with long johns and wool socks for the Canada end of the trip. You will have plenty of time to duck into the bathroom before your flight to ditch the long johns and change into lighter socks. On top, layers are also the way to go. I usually wear a short-sleeved shirt under a fleece, under a packable down jacket or something of the sort. Alternative: change into shorts and a T-shirt in the airport bathroom on arrival in Mexico. Wear something on your feet like hiking boots or trail shoes that is waterproof for the Canada side but might still be useful in Mexico.
I usually pack light, and bring a rubber sink stopper to do laundry in the sink or bathtub. But I am picky about my toiletries, so I bring my own, decanted into travel-sized bottles, plus a travel-sized bottle of something like Dr. Bronner’s that can double as laundry soap for hand-washing. Mexican laundry detergent tends to be waaaay more perfumey than I want to use. I have never used a laundromat anywhere in the world while traveling; who wants to sit in a laundromat for hours on vacation? Easier to wash a few things as needed and hang them in your hotel. These days I avoid checking a bag if I can help it, unless I want to bring something like snorkeling equipment which won’t leave any space in a carryon. If you’re checking a bag, I usually find a small sharp knife to come in surprisingly handy. If you have a packable backpack or tote, those can be handy both during your trip and to bring home souvenirs.
I always bring a packable reusable grocery bag or two, and sometimes even some silicone food storage bags. These are handy for things like packing sandwiches for lunch, or if you have a fridge with a freezer compartment in your hotel, you can even use them to make ice packs for a cooler to take to the beach.
My wife and I have been to Spain and Aruba in the past few months and we brought all sorts of extra layers for evenings as we had a bunch of sailing excursions. As it turns out, we literally never wore one of the extra layers we brought. Our pants were used for the flights out and back, never during the trips.
My Wife and I have done some 3 week vacations with each only having a carry on. We wash stuff out in the sink. I have mostly nylon undies and they dry fast. I have some tee-shirts designed for river rats and they also dry quickly. If you have multiple destinations and only stay a day at each place that doesn’t work out as well. Takes a bit of forethought and planning.
If you’re going to be lounging by the pool or on the beach, you really don’t need as many clothes.
I also have some travel pants that the legs zip off of and turn into shorts. Takes a little getting used to but works pretty well. We fly out of Denver, so it can be a bit chilly. If going to a hot place, when getting ready to land, zip the legs off and stick 'em in a carry on or ‘personal item’. Our personal items that we stuff under the seat in front of us are small back packs. Gives us a little bit more storage space, and easy to carry.
I, too, prefer to fly with pants, even to a tropical destination, and then change into shorts from my carry-on when I get to my destination. The flights can be drafty and the surfaces and upholstery of the seats can be dirty. I always bring my own toiletries because for some reason, as I age, my skin has become sensitive and some soaps and shower gels can be irritating. As @Eva_Luna mentioned, you can put your usual shampoo/conditioner and/or shower gel into a travel-sized bottle - that way you can be confident. Same idea for deodorant and sunscreen - bring what you normally use. If you need something, however, the ubiquitous OXXO convenience stores should be everywhere.
I just got back in December from three weeks in Patagonia and I packed most everything into plastic bags: shirts and pants (or in your case, shorts) in Target bags (or your typical grocery store plastic bag), which are quite sturdy and well sized, underwear and socks in 1-gallon ziplocks, and misc other items in another ziplock (no need to close them). Compartmentalizing your clothing items, and everything else, makes packing your suitcase or carry-on much easier, and while you are on your trip it’s easier to find things. I throw an extra bag to two in there as well for dirty clothes, dirty or sandy shoes, or whatever - they take up no space and weigh nothing.
Also, agree with the comments to wash clothes in your hotel sink. If you don’t want to do that, perhaps your hotel has laundry service.
Other items to consider: Hat(s), bug repellent (they now come in individually packaged wipes - so convenient), pepto-bismol, pain reliever, cold and flu medicine (may help alleviate COVID symptoms, too), a small backpack.
Wow - thank you D_Anconia, Bill_Door, Eva_Luna, Telemark, enipla and snowthx! My anxiety has diminished with these tips. Lots of stuff I hadn’t considered. This board helped me immensely with my last vacation to someplace warm (Florida, 2010), and it was one of the best trips ever! It was very different then, however - we had young kids and were staying in a house most of the time.
Yeah. When my Wife and I went to Germany for three weeks we where going to be traveling by train while there. We did NOT want to lug big suitcases on and off trains. Carry on was the way to go. But no way am I going to get 3 weeks of socks and under ware and tee-shirts in a carry on. Let alone all the other stuff you need.
Neither my Wife or I care If we are in the same ‘outfit’ 4 days in a row. Nor does anyone else. Shower, change your undies and you are good to go.
Pack light and improvise. Best travel advise I have.
You don’t have to worry about looking like a tourist. You WILL look like a tourist. They spot em a mile away.
Oh yea. I live near a tourist town. Well ski area. And it’s obvious who’s a local.
The ones with neat, ironed clothing?
I’ll agree with the consensus that it’s better to pack light. Specifically, I would suggest that you never pack for more than 1 week’s worth of trip. If you’re on a longer trip than that, you’re better off to do laundry than to carry a bigger bag. Personally, I like to be able to fit everything into a bag I can put in the overhead bin and a smaller bag that I can put under the seat in front of me - that way you can skip having to deal with baggage claim or lost luggage.
If you were changing time zone more extremely, my other travel advice is to stay awake or force yourself to sleep on the plane so that when you get there you’re either very tired or very awake - depending on what time of day you arrive. That’s probably not too applicable if you’re going from the US to Mexico but for anyone else.
Aside from the points you raised, I prefer to have long pants on a flight in the very rare case that we have to evacuate. I grant that it’s probably pretty low on the risk pyramid but it makes me more comfortable on a flight. That’s also why I don’t wear sandals when flying.