Language:
Spanish is the national language, it is spoken throughout the country, but with a slower and more tuneful rhythm than in Spain. English is widely used in large tourist zones and hotels (especially in Baja California) and in some remote regions, numerous Indian dialects are still in common use and a small part of the population doesn't actually speak Spanish.
Formalities:
A visa is not needed for a tourist trip of less than 90 days, but you do need to have a passport which is valid for at least 6 months after the return date, as well as a return ticket or a ticket leaving for another destination, plus the tourist migratory form (TMF). The TMF is available in all Mexican consulates, at airline counters or at the migration offices at the points of arrival on Mexican territory.
Currency:
The currency is the Nuevo Peso (N$), which is available in notes in denominations of 20, 50 and 100 N$. It is best to keep small change on you (small shops, taxis and street sellers rarely have the exact change for large amounts of cash), as well as small amounts of American Dollars. If possible, bring travellers cheques in US Dollars; foreign currencies are exchanged in banks and bureaux de change but the Dollar is more widely accepted than the Euro. The main bank cards (Visa, MasterCard-Eurocard and Amex) are accepted in most hotels, restaurants, and shops in tourist areas and you'll find plenty of ATM machines in the towns. Some shops which accept payment by credit card apply a surcharge of 4-6%. Banks are open from Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 1:00pm and from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
Health:
General recommendations: no particular vaccine is required and anti-malaria treatment is unnecessary. In the tropical regions along the coastline, wear long-sleeved clothes, especially during the rain season, and as soon as the sun sets wear clothes that cover your legs and arms and smear your feet, hands and neck with repellent cream (a mosquito net could become a faithful friend).
Also, be careful of sun burn, particularly on Yucatan's south coast and in Baja California.
As far as food is concerned, gastrointestinal diseases are fairly common when tourists do not take precautions or are unaccustomed to local culinary traditions. You are advised against consuming citrus fruit or seafood in shops that do not follow all of the hygiene measures and drink bottled mineral water rather than tap water, with no ice cubes. Also avoid eating ice creams and sorbets.
Bring anti-diarrheic medicines with you; cholera is not an endemic disease but it has not been totally eradicated. The measures to be taken to avoid contracting it (the same goes for any diarrheic disease, which is common to the whole territory as well as in marshy or tropical regions) are based on good hygiene: wash your hands frequently, especially before meals, drink bottled mineral water or boiled water (water purification tablets are also available in all supermarkets) , consume peeled, disinfected or cooked fruit and vegetables and eat well-cooked or fried sea food or fish.
Electricity:
Voltage of 110 V. A power transformer and adapter for US electrical outlets (two flat pins) are essential. It is recommended that you buy the current transformer before leaving because it is very expensive if you buy it once you're in the country. The same goes for batteries, they cost a fortune in Mexico.
Abundance figures:
A little over 20 million foreign tourists visited Mexico in 2005 (10% more than the year before), 90% of which were from the US. The UK comes in 4th position, after Spain, before France.
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