Need advice on a trip to Copper Canyon

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Hello and peace to all.

I am planning a trip to the Copper Canyon region of Mexico over the holidays. I have never traveled to the interior of Mexico before and would like to solicit whatever experience/advice you have to offer about Mexico in general and the Cooper Canyon area specifically.

I am planning a five day trip in late December, and my tentative itinerary is as follows:

Mon, Dec. 27: Bus from Ojinaga to Creel, overnight in Creel (Margarita’s)
Tue, Dec. 28: Train to El Fuerte, overnight in El Fuerte (Hotel Rio Vista)
Wed, Dec. 29: Day in El Fuerte, stay in Hotel Rio Vista
Thur, Dec. 30: Train to Creel, overnight in Creel (Margarita’s)
Fri, Dec. 31: Bus from Creel to Ojinaga

Some of my questions that I have not been able to find answers to are:

Given the time of the year, do I need to make reservations for the bus/hotel/train or can I just “walk up?”

Would I be better off using pesos or dollars? If pesos, do I get a more favorable rate if I exchange them in the U.S. or in Mexico?

Thanks in advance for the assistance in making my trip a memorable one, and if you happen to be on the train the same time I am, say “Hi” (I’ll be wearing the carnation in my lapel :wink: ).

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Ooooooo…wish I was going too!
I visited Copper Canyon in November of 2002 and it was quite cold, so bundle up. My trip was a driving one so I can’t give too much advice about the train. I believe that the train is unheated, so be warned. Regarding pesos vs. dollars: you will find that dollars are readily accepted everywhere you go and are good for small transactions (i.e. buying trinkets from the Tarahumara). For larger transactions (i.e. hotels) you might want to go with pesos, although they will no doubt accept dollars too. I believe you can find a more favorable exchange rate in Mexico. I would just be guessing about the reservations question.
Be sure and get off the train whenever possible. Divisidero is a nice stop where you can mingle with the locals and buy hot food and traditional baskets right off the platform.