How to prepare for your trip to Mexico
The language you will hear, the phrases to learn first, money, plugs, emergency numbers and a few local habits, and a way to plan the trip and keep your phrases offline.
Try it free for 14 days.
Photo credit
Photo of El Castillo, Chichén Itzá by Julie Sd (opens in a new tab) on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License (opens in a new tab).
What you will hear in Mexico.
Spanish is spoken across Mexico, and Mexican Spanish has its own words, sounds and manners. Groups are "ustedes". In resorts such as Cancún and Los Cabos many staff speak English, and in markets, buses and small towns you will use Spanish.
More than Spanish is spoken in places. In Yucatán you will hear Maya, in Oaxaca Zapotec and Mixtec, and in Chiapas Tzotzil and Tzeltal. Spanish works across the country.
Mexico City, Cancún, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and the Yucatán Peninsula are all in Mexico.
Phrases for your first day.
They come from the first lessons. In the app each has audio and a note on when to use it, and you can save it to your phrasebook.
¡Hola, buenos días!
Hello, good morning!
¿Cuánto es?
How much is it?
¿Habla inglés?
Do you speak English?
¿Me lo puede repetir?
Could you say that again for me?
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Quisiera un café americano.
I'd like a black coffee.
¡Auxilio!
Help!
Mexico at a glance.
These are usually right but not always. For anything that matters, check the official advice before you go.
- Mexican peso (MX$)
- +52
- On the right
- Type A, B · 127 V
- 911
Entry rules, health advice and safety change, so they are not on this page. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office keeps them up to date for UK travellers: UK government travel advice for Mexico (opens in a new tab).
Habits worth knowing before you arrive.
Habits, not rules: places and people vary, so each note says where it applies.
The rainy season runs roughly from June to October in much of Mexico, often with heavy showers in the afternoon. Mornings are usually clearer, so plan outdoor visits early.
Tipping is common in restaurants, often around ten to fifteen per cent. Check the bill first to see whether a service charge has already been added.
Many visitors and many residents drink bottled or filtered water rather than water from the tap. Hotels and restaurants in tourist areas usually use purified ice, and you can ask if you are unsure.
A polite buenos días or buenas tardes when you come into a shop, a taxi or a small restaurant is the usual courtesy in many places, and it often changes how the next minute goes.
Plan the trip to Mexico in one place.
Put it on days
Add Mexico to a trip, then put places on days with a time and a note. Directions open in your maps app.
Save the videos
Paste the TikTok, Instagram or YouTube link that gave you the idea and attach it to the stop it belongs to.
Take your phrases offline
Download the travel guide on Wi-Fi. The phrasebook, packs, notes and audio work with no signal.
Share the plan
Send a link to the people you are going with. They can read it without an account, and you can invite them to edit.
About a trip to Mexico.
Do I need Spanish in Mexico?
Resorts often have English-speaking staff. Away from them, in markets, buses and local restaurants, Spanish is what you will use, and it changes how people respond to you.
Should I learn Mexican Spanish or Spanish from Spain?
Mexican Spanish for Mexico. It teaches "ustedes", the pesos, and the words you will hear at a market or a taco stall.
Can I plan my trip in the same app?
Yes. Add Mexico to a trip, put places on days, save the videos that gave you ideas, and share the plan.
Other trip guides
Be ready to speak when you land in Mexico.
Create a free account, add the trip, and start with the phrases for your first hour.
Try it free for 14 days.