Are you planning to go to Cancun, Mexico City, Merida or any other destination in the country? Then check out our tips on how to plan a trip to Mexico on a budget and save money, so you can enjoy your vacation wisely.
1. Prefer off-peak times in Mexico – without giving up the climate
This may seem like a basic tip, but it’s undoubtedly one that will save you the most money: avoid the high season in Mexico. In advance, the months of June, July, August, December and January tend to be the most expensive.
On the other hand, the months between February and May maintain pleasant temperatures and have a low probability of rain – with the exception of Spring Break, a holiday in March that attracts many tourists, as well as other long holidays. Prefer these periods if you want to save on flights, hotels and even tickets and restaurants.
2. Buy airline tickets wisely
When it comes to buying your flight to Mexico, the key is to start your search well in advance and compare prices between different companies. Fortunately, there are several online tools, such as airfare comparators, which help monitor prices and often help tourists find the best deals on the market.
In addition to these tools, a good strategy is to search during the week: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays generally offer the lowest prices for flights.
3. Tips for saving on shopping in Mexico
- Take advantage of local markets – such as the Chedraui Selecto Supermarket, one of the main tourist attractions in Cancun.
- Always take advantage of Duty Free on the way BACK from your trip. Leave the going to research prices and see what’s worth it.
- Always ask for a “Tax Back” slip when you make a purchase in a store, so that you can get a tax refund on your purchases. Most stores have them.
- If you want to buy in local markets, take cash, as some places may not accept cards. And take the opportunity to bargain.
4. Are you renting a car in Mexico? Find the best price with a few tips
If you want to rent a car in Mexico, here are some tips on how to travel cheaply:
- Book in advance: this guarantees better prices and availability.
- Don’t rent a GPS: use your cell phone’s GPS.
- Use price comparators: websites that compare the price of car rental can show you all the options available during your trip. They search several companies and often find incredible deals. It’s the best way to find the lowest price among all the companies, find incredible deals and save a lot on car rental. If you want to do the search, click here on Car Rental Comparator. In a few seconds, you’ll have all the options on your screen and just choose the cheapest one. It has very strong partnerships with car rental companies, so you can get unbeatable prices.
- Choose reliable car rental companies: prefer larger and reliable rental companies such as Alamo, Hertz, Dollar, Budget and Avis. Take out basic insurance at the time of booking, which is super important and is usually already included in the price, but don’t fall for the companies who, when you pick up the car, try to push extra insurance on you, which isn’t worth it.
5. Spend less on transportation from the airport to the hotel and on tours
If you’re not going to rent a car, the cheapest and safest option is to use a transfer service (we recommend this one for those looking for a reliable one):
- Transfers from the airport to the hotel: as well as avoiding cab scams, you can guarantee a smooth, pre-paid journey. We recommend this transfer website, which allows you to pay without international taxes.
- Excursions and tours: the same website offers tours to cenotes, Chichén-Itzá, among other popular destinations in Mexico, at competitive prices.
6. Tips for using your cell phone in Mexico
To avoid exorbitant fees, the tip is to never use the “internet”/mobile networks mode of your cell phone in Mexico. To counteract this and have quality internet (regardless of where you are), communicating with people anywhere in the world and posting whatever you want, we recommend using a specific travel SIM card.
In our experience traveling all over the world, we tried several options and found a SIM card that was our salvation. It provided high-speed, stable internet that worked even in small towns around the world. To see the prices and plans, click here on cell phone chip.
7. How to save a lot on accommodation in Mexico?
Accommodation is usually much cheaper in Mexico when we’re talking about low season. And remember: there are a number of good places to stay, but with a good price difference between them. It’s worth choosing well-located accommodation, prioritizing central and tourist areas, to save travel time and be safe. And even in tourist areas, you can save money.
The tip is to book as far in advance as possible – as the best accommodation at the best prices tends to sell out quickly. It’s a question of supply and demand: the later you book, the fewer hotels will be available and the more expensive they will be.
Take the opportunity to check out some of the options available today on this hotel search engine, which already shows the ratings of those who have stayed at each hotel and all the information you need. As the world’s leading hotel search engine, they negotiate with hotels and get very attractive deals.
As well as being famous and trustworthy, this site offers some benefits such as free cancellations for several selected hotels. In other words, if you book there, you don’t have to pay a cancellation fee if you can’t travel or if you change your mind. You can book in advance and simply “change” hotels if you find a better one.
8. How to get cheaper international travel insurance?
Taking out travel insurance is essential and can be done cheaply. If you want to have an enjoyable trip without having to deal with mishaps, you need travel insurance. This insurance includes medical assistance, life insurance, flight cancellations, travel assistance, legal aid and even reimbursement in the event of lost luggage or theft.
We recommend that you take out this insurance (especially for a trip to Mexico), especially as it’s a small price considering everything it covers.
Our tip is to compare the prices of the best international insurance from the world’s leading companies. It sounds complicated, but you can do it just by using this international travel insurance price comparator. All you have to do is enter your destination and the number of days you’ll be staying and, in a few seconds, it will compare quotes from the biggest insurers around the world.
- Reminder: a physical visa is mandatory for Mexico. In 2023, it became compulsory to obtain a physical visa for Mexico, which can be requested on the SRE website for US$ 48 for tourists, students, transit travelers and business travelers, and delivered to the Mexican consulate.
9. Book your tickets and excursions in advance
To make your trip to Mexico truly complete, don’t miss out on exploring unique sites and the main tourist attractions. The best option is to secure your tickets online, avoiding queues and the possibility of sold-out tickets.
We used a website specializing in excursions to buy our tickets, as they offer great discounts on various tours around the world. This choice allowed us to visit more attractions during our stay. It’s always worth checking out the options available on this site before you travel.
Buying tickets online not only saves time, but also avoids long queues at the physical points of sale. In addition, the site allows travelers to rate the tours they have already taken, providing real and reliable opinions. This gave us the security of hiring quality, well-reviewed tours.
