Mexico
General Information
Description
Mexico City, México, Ciudad de México, or D.F. (pronounced deh eh-feh)) is the Capital of Mexico, and one of the world's largest and most populated cities. It is a huge destination that offers you a myriad of options for sightseeing, Restaurants, Museums, Nightlife, Shopping, and excellent level accommodations and services.
Some of the most important areas of Mexico City are:
Centro Historico - Historical Downtown area
Chapultepec - Lomas - Centrally located; hosts the Chapultepec Forest, the main hotel zone, the zoo and many other touristy attractions
Polanco - One of the wealthiest residential areas with the most expensive boutique stores in the City. It is full of upscale restaurants, night clubs and hotels.
Zona Rosa - Centrally located; is an important business and entertainment district as well as a tourist trap.
Coyoacán - Located south of the city; is known to be the home of the University City and, because of its “Centro”, it is a cultural and artistic meeting point.
Condesa and Roma - Centrally located; this is the Mexican version of SoHo with plenty of trendy restaurants, bistros, clubs, pubs and shops.
San Angel - Located south of the city; is famous for its cobblestone streets, historic center and trendy shopping and restaurant area. It is a wealthy residential area as well.
Xochimilco - The last remnant of what Mexico City was when the Spanish arrived, an area full of water channelss and an important flower-growing neighborhood south of the city.
Santa Fe - Financial and business district west of the city. The largest mall in the city is located here. It also is a wealthy residential area.
Del Valle and Narvarte - Residential, business and shopping area.
Tlalpan and Pedregal - A town that was merged into the city. Still preserves its historic center, a wealthy residential area and a medical zone. Located south of the city.
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Location
Laying
in the valley of the Anahuac, between two chains of wooden
mountains, with their two volcanoes Iztlacihuatl (5,272
mts., 17,345 ft) and Popocatepetl (5,349 m., 17,880 ft.)
are among the finest sights of the world. Mexico City
is immense. It extends for about 40 Km (25 Miles) From
north to south and almost 30 km (19 miles) From East to
West on an altitude of 2,240 mts (7,350 ft.) Over the
see level.
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SOME
POINTS OF INTEREST:
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Better than ever !!! |
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| Arrival information ti Mexico City |
If you arrive on an international flight, after picking your luggage you will go through Immigration, and then Customs. Make sure you fill in all forms prior to landing to make this an expedite process. Sometimes the airline will hand them out on the flight. There is a $300 Dollars duty allowance that includes new clothing, tobacco and liquors. The Mexican customs law allows passengers to bring free of duties a laptop, an mp3 player, a digital camera, a tripod, a video camera and used clothing. |
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| Airport |
Benito Juarez International Airport (IATA: MEX) (ICAO: MMMX)
Most travelers arrive to Mexico City by air, to the Benito Juárez International Airport, located in the eastern part of the city. There are frequent flights to and from the main Cities in the World, as Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, London, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Toronto and Tokyo. Some of the international airlines that operate regular flights to Mexico City include (as of April 2007): Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Copa, Cubana de Aviacion, Delta, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LAN, Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (recently grounded), Lufthansa, Mexicana, Northwest, TACA, Varig, Ocean Air, United Airlines and US Airways. The airport has a plane spotting area. To reach it, take the subway and go to the Terminal Aerea station.
As of January 16, 2008, a new terminal, Terminal 2, opened at Benito Juarez. If you are flying in or out of the city check with your airline as to what terminal you should use for ticketing and check-in, as the two are not connected. Give yourself extra time to find out about your terminal to avoid confusion. |
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Locals |
Most Mexicans are very curious in regards of foreigners and willing to help. If in need for directions, try to ask young people, who may speak a little English. Mexicans appreciate it when you do your best to speak some words in Spanish.
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| Weather & Geography |
The city is located 2200 meters above the sea level. Some people not used to high places have experienced difficulty when breathing, however these symptoms fade a few minutes after arrival.
Mexico City weather is divided into two seasons, the dry one, from November to April and the rainy from May to October. Spring months are mild hot, while the Summer ones have from light to heavy rains specially in the late afternoon and in Fall and Winter dawns really cold but with an amazingly clear sky. Temperatures range from 32°F in late October, November, December and January mornings to 70’s°F in March, April and May noons.
Today, the air quality is in much better shape and ozone and carbon dioxide levels are on the fall. Although the smog layer is visible nearly every day, its effects in terms of breathing and eye irritation should be barely noticeable and it shouldn't be something to worry.
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Mexico
City 's Weather for next days
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| Language |
Even though Spanish is the official language of Mexico, English is the language of the hospitality industry. Communicating won’t be a problem. As an interesting fact, about 50 indigenous languages are still spoken in Mexico, including Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs), which is currently spoken besides Spanish in certain areas of the City.
Most Mexicans are very curious in regards of foreigners and willing to help. If in need for directions, try to ask young people, who may speak a little English. Mexicans appreciate it when you do your best to speak some words in Spanish.
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| Money
& Banks |
Credit
cards are accepted almost everywhere in Mexico City. It
is advisable to convert some dollars into pesos at the airport
for small purchases. Banks are open from 9:00 AM - 1:30
PM. Monday through Friday and closed on holidays. You can
always find money exchange offices either in your hotel
or in the down town or at the Reforma Avenues. |
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| Main
Industry Tourism |
Manufacturing
now employs about 28% of all workers in Mexico City and
produces about 25% of the nations output. Automotives, food
processing, steel, chemicals, paper, glass, and textiles
are just some of the industries, believe it or not, Agriculture,
occupies about 8% of the city´s workforce. The rest
of the citizens’ work in offices, universities and
schools, artists, transportation... it’s a cosmopolitan
centre. |
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| Currency |
| Currency in use is the Mexican Peso. There are many currency changers, some offering better rates than others, not only at the Airport but also around the Ciy. The banks are a good option, as well as your Hotel’s Front Desk. Exchange rate varies around $10 pesos per $1US Dollar. Please don’t confuse the money sign; almost all prices in Mexico are displayed in Pesos. |
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| Time
Zone |
| Central
standard time year round. |
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| Electricity
Outlets |
Electric Current in Mexico is 110vlts, same as in the US and Canada, so your hair dryer and other appliances will work fine down here. The only thing to consider is that most establishments are NOT wired for three- prong grounded electrical outlets. Three-prong to two-prong adapters are available at any supermarket or hardware store in town, just in case you forget to pack them. |
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Telephone & Internet |
You can call from your hotel, but keep in mind that you will have to pay a service charge (that includes calling cards and toll free numbers) and a much higher rate. You may also purchase a prepaid long distance call card (Ladatel), available at any convenience store, which is used in a TELMEX phone booth, which you may find all over. It will give you a rate of 5 pesos per minute (.50 US cents). You may also purchase a Telcel or Movistar Sim (GSM) card, called a "Chip". Then you will get a local Méxican Cell phone number. Remember this is a prepaid cellular option. Most of the time you can get free incomming calls from inside the city, people calling you from long distance will need to dial (1) after the +52 .
Mexico City has amazing access to the internet considering the availability in the rest of Latin America. Besides the connection in your Hotel, there are several Internet Cafes throughout the city.
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| Valuables |
A
safe deposit box is available at the hotel for jewelry,
cash, cameras or other valuables. |
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| What
to see & what to do ? |
Please visit our Activities section to see the different attractions that will make your visit to Mexico City a memorable one.
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| Dress
Code |
Dresscode varies according to the Season. Please see our Weather and Geography section.
In general, Restaurants do not apply a rigid dresscode. Unless otherwise indicated, formal-casual attire is perfect.
On tours, comfortable, walking shoes, jeans or slacks are recommended. A hat and sunglasses are always useful as well.
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| What
is an IVI Event Coordinator? |
"A
human being who can run faster than a speeding locomotive,
be in two places at once, and who is knowledgeable, witty,
and beautiful or handsome, though not necessarily in that
order. His or her job is to make your program as pleasant
as possible. You will find them at the airport, ruins, sightseeing
tours, and cruises at the hospitality desk in your hotel.
They will be more than happy to assist you anytime, anywhere,
no matter what." |
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