The tourist states are Level 2, but six states carry Do Not Travel advisories - where you go matters more than what you do. Use apps instead of street taxis, and never accept a demand for a cash bribe without asking for the written ticket.
- Mexico's safety picture is regional, not national. Mexico City, Quintana Roo and Jalisco sit at the same advisory level as France, while six states carry do-not-travel warnings.
- Check the advisory for the specific state, not the country.
- The mordida: an officer stops you and asks for cash to avoid impounding the car. Ask for the written ticket payable at a police station - that request usually ends the conversation.
- Mexico City has a public earthquake siren that sounds seconds before shaking arrives. If you hear it, move away from windows and follow the people around you.
- Do not discuss cartels or organised crime with people you do not know. It is not a conversational topic here.
Mexico's safety picture is regional, not national. Mexico City, Quintana Roo and Jalisco are at US Level 2, exercise increased caution - the same as France. But Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas carry Level 4, do not travel. Check the advisory for the specific state, not the country.
The scams you will meet
- The mustard or spill scam: someone spills something on you, a second person helps you clean up, your wallet leaves with them.
- The mordida: an officer stops you, usually in a rental car, and asks for cash to avoid impounding the vehicle. Ask for the written ticket (multa) payable at a police station. That request usually ends the conversation.
- The banderazo: an unmetered street taxi charging whatever it likes. Use Uber or DiDi.
- ATM skimming on street machines. Use one inside a bank.
Areas to avoid
- Mexico City: Tepito, La Lagunilla after dark, Iztapalapa, the eastern part of Doctores, Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl.
- Cancun: the outer residential colonias in the north and west of the city late at night.
- Guadalajara: Lomas de Polanco and the outer parts of San Juan de Dios late at night.
Natural hazards
- Earthquakes. Central Mexico is seismically active and Mexico City has a public warning siren (Alerta Sismica) that sounds seconds before shaking arrives. If you hear it, move away from windows and follow the people around you - they have all done this before.
- Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November in Quintana Roo.
Everything else
- Solo and female travellers: use Uber or DiDi rather than street taxis at night, do not leave drinks unattended, and use the women-only Metro carriages.
- LGBTQ+: same-sex marriage is legal nationwide, with progressive attitudes in Mexico City (especially Zona Rosa) and Guadalajara, and more conservative ones in small towns.
- Drugs are illegal, cannabis included, and sentences are severe. Buying anything on the street also puts you into contact with the people you least want to meet.
- Do not discuss cartels or organised crime with people you do not know. It is not a conversational topic here.
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