Mexico City travel guide 2026: airports, neighborhoods, and how not to get sick or scammed

Most flights land at AICM, Mexico City's main airport, split into Terminal 1 and the newer Terminal 2 connected by a free shuttle and the Metrobús. A growing number of budget routes instead use AIFA (Felipe Ángeles International), a newer airport built on a former air force base about 45 kilometers and roughly 45 minutes north of downtown in Zumpango, State of Mexico; fares can be cheaper but factor in the extra time and a bus or car for the transfer. On entry, most tourists get the FMM permit free if flying in for a stay under seven days (it's baked into your airfare) or free crossing by land under a week; immigration can authorize up to 180 days at their discretion, and a paper FMM extension or replacement runs about 983 pesos, close to 54 US dollars.

Once you're in the city, the Metro is the backbone of getting around: 5 pesos flat per ride, a price frozen since 2013 thanks to a government subsidy (the real cost is nearer 13 pesos). Buy a rechargeable card for 15 pesos, or 20 pesos with your first ride bundled in. It's efficient but can be genuinely packed at rush hour, so watch your bag. For the airport run, late nights, or anywhere you're carrying luggage, Uber is both safer and cheaper, running 50 to 70 percent below the official taxi kiosk rate; if you do want a taxi, use the staffed kiosk inside the terminal rather than anyone who approaches you in arrivals, which is a known scam setup.

Where to stay comes down to Roma Norte and Condesa for walkability, cafes, and nightlife (also the epicenter of the digital-nomad rent spikes locals are protesting, so expect higher prices and some social friction), Polanco for upscale and corporate travel, and the Centro Histórico for proximity to the Zócalo and colonial-era sights at the cost of more noise and tourist density. All three are well connected to the Metro and Metrobús network.

On food safety, street food is a legitimate part of the experience, not something to avoid wholesale, but go where there's a line of locals and high turnover, and skip anything sitting out at room temperature. The bigger universal rule is water: don't drink tap water anywhere in the city, avoid ice at places that look like they're not filtering it, and stick to bottled or purified water including for brushing your teeth if you want to be careful. Roughly 70 percent of Mexico City residents avoid their own tap water too, so this isn't tourist paranoia, it's local practice.

The single best day trip is Teotihuacán. Skip the marked-up organized tours and take Metro Line 5 to Autobuses del Norte station, then catch a bus from Module 8 (Autobuses Teotihuacanos) for about 75 pesos one-way; buses run every 15 to 20 minutes from 6am to 9pm and take roughly 60 to 90 minutes. Site admission for foreign visitors is 210 pesos under the 2026 fee schedule. On money and tipping, 10 to 15 percent is standard at casual restaurants and taquerías, 15 percent or more at nicer places, and you should always check the bottom of your bill for 'propina incluida' since tips are not automatically added by default. Cash tips are generally preferred over adding the tip on a card, even where card payment is common.