Language: Spanish is the official language. Some English is spoken in tourist regions.
Currency: Mexican currency is the New Peso (MXN) divided into 100 centavos. Credit cards are widely accepted, particularly Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Travelers cheques are generally accepted, but cannot be cashed on Sundays. ATMs are available in most cities and towns and are the most convenient way to get money, but for safety reasons they should only be used during business hours. Although most businesses will accept foreign currency it is best to use pesos. Foreign currency
can be exchanged at one of many casas de cambio (exchange houses), which have longer hours and offer a quicker service than the banks.
Time: Mexico spans four different time zones: GMT -6, -7 and -8 with daylight saving, and GMT -7 all year round in the state of Sonora.
Electricity: 130 volts, 60Hz. Two-pin flat blade attachment plugs are standard.
Communications: The international access code for Mexico is +52. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for North America). City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)55 for Mexico City, (0)744 for Acapulco and (0)998 for Cancun. Some US long-distance phone companies have access numbers which can be dialed in order to use your phone card - calls are usually cheaper than direct-dialed calls from a hotel room. If calling internationally from a phone booth only use the official TelMex phone booths, as all others charge very high fees. GSM 1900 mobile networks cover most of the country. Internet access is widely available in most of the country, especially in tourist-orientated areas.
Duty Free: Travelers to Mexico over 18 years do not have to pay duty on 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g pipe tobacco; 3 liters wine or other alcoholic beverages; perfume, eau-de-cologne or lotions for personal use; a video camera and one standard camera. Non-residents are allowed to bring in 12 rolls of film or video cassettes, and goods to the value of US$300 without incurring duty fees. Prohibited goods include fresh food products and the import of canned food. The export of archaeological artifacts is strictly forbidden.
Tourist OfficeMexican Tourist Office, Acapulco: +52 (7) 484-8555 or www.visitmexico.com
EmergencyEmergencies: 060 and 080.
Embassies
Mexican Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 728 1600.
Mexican Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7499 8586.
Mexican Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 233 8988.
Mexican Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6273 3963.
Mexican Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 362 2822.
Mexican Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 (0)1 667 3105.
Mexican Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand: +64 (0)4 472 0555.
United States Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 5080 2000.
British Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 5242 8500.
Canadian Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 5724 7900.
Australian Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 1101 2200.
South African Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 282 9260/65.
Irish Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 5520 5803.
New Zealand Embassy, Mexico City: +52 (0)55 5283 9460.
