I’m contemplating a trip to Mexico City over Christmas and New Years with the family - me, wife, 19 and 16 yo daughters.
We’ve been to Cancun/Mayan Riviera and Ixtapa 8-10 times, but this would be our 1st non-beach trip to Mexico.
We’d prefer to stay in an AirBnB type place. Does anyone have recommendations for an area to stay in Mexico City?
One of my favorite cities in the world. There are a lot of great Airbnb options in Cuauhtémoc, especially Roma and Juarez. Very safe neighborhoods with a lot of great museums and dining options. Make sure you are within easy walking distance to a subway station.
Don’t miss the Diego Rivera murals at the Ministry of Education. If the line for the Freda Kahlo house is too long, walk a couple blocks and check out the Trotsky murder house.
Also, your daughters are probably the perfect age for a visit to Tlatelolco Plaza. The government doesn’t like to talk about what happened there in 1968, but if you book a guide old enough (70ish) to remember it you will hear a harrowing story that few American tourists have ever heard.
Definitely want to see the Riveras. That was one of the highlights for all of us from the Detroit Institute of Arts.
I talked to my sister, who lived in Mexico City for a couple of years, and she didn’t really have much to add in the way of sightseeing suggestions. She mostly stayed home while she was there.
I do remember her telling me to prepare for some crazy driving, though. Motorcycles like to weave their way in between lanes of cars.
I’ve driven in Manhattan and LA. I’ve got no intention to drive in Mexico City after what I have heard.
Stay in Polanco or Condesa or Zona Rosa, probably in that order of preference.
A lot of Mexico City folk are a bit touchy about the AirBnB thing and what they’re calling gentrification, so Polanco is probably your best bet because AirBnB is already kind of expected there, it’s already got lots of corporate apartments, and is generally known to be full of non-locals.
I’m assuming you plan to leave the AirBnB to take in things. If you just stay in Polanco and never leave, for example, you’re going to feel completely within your comfort zone, but you’ll miss a lot of the Mexico City experience.
If you’re not going to rent a car to drive, I can recommend an excellent driver – hit me up via PM for his contact information. He’s a dual US-Mexico citizen, speaks English fluently, knows everything about every place, and my coworkers and I have been using him any time we’re in Mexico City since 2008 or so.
Have fun! One of my favorite cities in the world (and I generally detest cities per se).
Thanks for this. We certainly want to see the city and have no issues with walking, public transit, or Uber/taxi/driver service. We are generally city people, although our last trip was Iceland. We’ve done the all inclusive bit 20 or so times and I think we’re all bored of it and want the variety and culture of an urban trip.
I’ll keep your guy in mind as we get closer.
We found the subway very convenient and affordable. I think it was a flat 5 pesos to wherever we wanted to go. There are tour companies that will take you farther afield, like the pyramids.
I’ve traveled all over the world. Mexico City and Sao Paulo, BR are two of the most unsafe cities I have ever traveled to and avoid to this day. Everyone I’ve ever known that have lived in those two cities ( about a dozen people in total) have been held up at gun point or knife point while living there. The absolute level of poverty in both places is what make it so unsafe. Please be careful.
I appreciate the concern, but I’m curious as to when you were last there. Everything I’ve read is that the city was at its worst about 15 years ago and there has been dramatic changes since then.
I’m not about to wander through the favelas after dark (or at all) and we’re all well seasoned travellers who know not to flash wealth around. I’ve not felt unsafe in Chicago, Paris (including some of the sketchier outlying arrondissements), Naples, or Athens.
That’s good to hear. Last time in Mexico City was about a decade ago, and Sau Paulo was about 5 years ago. I don’t consider Chicago, Paris, Naples or Athens dangerous cities…ripe for pick-pockets and scammers, yet, but not dangerous.
Brazil and Mexico are known for “express kidnappings” - where you are taken captive and forced to go to an ATM machine and continue to make withdrawals until your bank card is shut off. Your life is likely not in danger but have your Pin code handy as if you say you don’t have it, they will beat the shit out of you. Still not a way I would want to spend several hours on my vacation or business trip.
I was there 10 years ago and felt quite safe as long as I stuck to the center of town. Unlike other cities, the center of Mexico City is the upscale safe part. The slums are around the outside (the ancient shore of Lake Texcoco).
Mexico City is like any large city. It’s dangerous if you’re in the wrong spots. I lived there from 2009 to 2011, which is over 10 years ago, and it was fine. I’ve visited many, many times since then. Don’t go to the wrong spots.