Important Notes

Safety in Mexico

  • We’ve spent a total of 3+ full years in Mexico City and despite what the TV might tell you, it’s one of the safest cities we’ve been to in the world.
  • The neighborhoods of La Condesa (where we live), Roma Norte, Roma Sur, Juarez, Polanco and Reforma are especially safe — but as long as you don’t do something incredibly stupid (look for trouble at 3am; walk around the city center, “Centro,” while being unaware of your possessions) — you’ll feel incredibly secure.
  • Both daylight and evening hours are safe to roam around. Your biggest worry should be navigating the sidewalks, which can have ups and downs and unexpected potholes. Also, be extra careful when crossing the street, as cars do not typically yield to pedestrians (we try to make eye contact with drivers before crossing).
  • If you have any specific concerns or questions about getting around, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

How to not get Montezuma’s Revenge aka poop your pants 

Neither of us has ever actually gotten sick in Mexico City. Are we blessed by Montezuma? Likely. Do we follow a set of rules to prevent any poocidents? Also yes.

Street Food Guidelines

Street food can be amazing…if you stick to these rules:

  • Don’t eat it if they didn’t cook it in front of you. Guisados (prepared food) are delicious but risky. We wouldn’t if we were you.
  • Avoid raw veggies to be safe. If you must indulge, make sure there’s a carafe of clean water nearby. (We can’t prove they washed the veggies in clean water, but this is a good clue.)
  • No ice in any drink at a food stand. You don’t know what kind of water was used.
  • Watch how they handle the money. You don’t want the same person handling food and money without protections.
  • No seafood from a street vendor. Do we really need to explain this one?
  • Be careful with the salsas. But not for the reason you think. The colors mean nothing. Any color salsa (or even the pico de gallo) can be mind-meltingly hot…or not. Just ask them: “¿Pica?” (“Spicy?”)
  • Check the reviews. Most vendors return to the same spot daily and have a Google Maps page. Read the reviews.

Restaurant Food

Food in restaurants (everything from hole-in-the-wall to Michelin star) will almost always be clean and delicious:

  • Ice in your drinks at restaurants is perfectly safe.
  • Feel free to enjoy fresh vegetables and seafood at established restaurants.
  • Still be cautious with extremely spicy salsas, unless that’s your thing!

When in doubt, follow our lead or ask us for recommendations. We want you enjoying the amazing cuisine, not the hotel bathroom!

Phone Service

Check with your phone carrier whether you have international roaming or not.

  • TMobile – You’re gucci. You don’t need to change anything. Just come on down and you’ll be fine. When you turn off airplane mode when you land, your phone will connect here no problem. You won’t have roaming charges. 
  • AT&T – You’re also good. You also don’t need to change anything. Just come on down and you’ll be fine. No roaming charges.
  • Verizon – You should probably get an e-sim. Verizon’s international rates are horribly expensive.

All recent models of cell phones offer dual SIMs. This means you can have two lines (and two numbers) for the same phone. It’s likely that your second SIM is a virtual SIM, called an eSIM. 

If need be, you can download an app like Airalo to buy and download a local eSim when you land, or you can use Smoothmobile.mx like we do.