Mexico City weather, climate and seasons

Mexico City, Mexico's climate is temperate year round. The weather can be a bit chilly at night from November to February. During this period, air pollution is often at its worst. This is due to thermal inversion. Jacarandas bloom from February to March. Either month is preferable to April. In April, Mexico City can become unpleasantly dusty and polluted.

Mexico City will sweep visitors up at any time of the year. But the holiday periods of Semana Santa and Christmas to New Year are particularly lively, busy times.
October may be the best month month to visit, because:

• The summer rains have dried up
• Everything is still green
• Smog is at its lowest levels
• The Day of the Dead provides a real highlight

Many Mexicans go on holiday in July or August.

Mexico City elevation

Mexico City is at an elevation of 2,239 m (7,346 ft) above sea level. The elevation is over a mile in the sky!
At this elevation, there is a lot less oxygen in the air than most visitors are used to. The elevation can cause the following:

• Feeling dizzy after running for a bus and then sitting down
• Feeling out of breath after climbing up Chapultepec Hill
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty digesting food

It takes about 3 days to adjust to the lower level of oxygen. Visitors are advised to consume smaller quantities of food and alcohol during their first few days in Mexico City.

Mexico City pollution

Levels of air pollution in Mexico City vary considerably throughout the year.

Light Months: September and October

Heavy Months: mid- to late November, December, and January (during January, schools may even close)

The driving restrictions that are usually imposed only on weekdays may apply on weekends during these months.

Visitors should:

• Check before driving into or around the city
• Be careful if they have respiratory problems
• Call the Mexican Government Tourist Board office nearest them just before their visit
• Ask the Tourist Board for the latest pollution updates on Mexico City
• Minimize their exposure to fumes by refraining from walking on busy streets during rush hour
• Make Sunday, when many factories are closed and many cars escape the city, their main sightseeing day

Currency Exchange

In Mexico City, visitors can exchange money at acurrency-exchange booth (casa de cambio)instead of a bank. These often offer:

• Extended hours
• Greater convenience to hotels and shopping areas
• Rates similar to bank exchange rates

Usually, the rates at these booths are much better than those offered by most hotels. Visitors should be careful when exiting both banks and currency exchanges. Muggers frequently target them.

Mexico City banks

Banks in Mexico City and Downtown

Locations:

• Many banks are along Avenida Reforma
• Banks and money-exchange booths are on almost every block in the Centro Histórico
• Banks are also in the Zona Rosa

Opening Hours: usually from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm; many now offer Saturday and even Sunday business hours

Bank Branches at the Airport

Opening Hours: whenever the airport is busy, including weekends

Other Services: ATMs and good exchange rates

Mexico City telephones

Telephone numbers within Mexico City, Mexico are eight digits long. The first digit of the local phone number is always 5. The local telephone number for information is 040. Callers may request three numbers with each information call.

Generally speaking, Mexico City's telephone system is rapidly improving. New digital lines are replacing old ones. The system is offering clearer, more efficient service.

Some of this service improvement is resulting in numbers changing. In Mexico, the telephone company changes numbers without informing the telephone owners or the information operators. The same is true in Mexico City.
Business telephone numbers may be registered in the name of the corporation. These numbers may be different than the name of a hotel or restaurant owned by the corporation. If the corporation does not pay for a separate listing, the operator uses the corporate name to look up the number.

Mexico city bookstores

In Mexico City, Sanborn's always has a great selection of books in English. It also carries magazines and newspapers.

Mexico City internet access

Some resort areas offer more cyber cafés that Mexico City, Mexico. But most hotels in Mexico City catering to business travelers offer Internet connections in their business centers.

Mexico City Post Office

Mexico City, Mexico's main post office is the Correo Mayor.

Location: on Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas at the corner of Tacuba, one block north of the Palacio de Bellas Artes

For general postal information, visitors can telephone FonoPost. The staff is very helpful, and a few operators speak English.

Mailing Packages in Mexico City

Post Office: Correos Internacional 2

Location: Calle Dr. Andrade and Río de la Loza (Metro: Balderas or Salto del Agua)

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 8 am to noon

Important Advisory: the package should not be wrapped securely until an inspector examines it.

Postal service in Mexico City and Mexico is improving. But a package may take weeks or even months to arrive at its destination.

Restrooms

There are few public restrooms in Mexico City, Mexico. Visitors should use the restrooms in the larger hotels. They can also use restrooms in cafés, restaurants, and museums. Experienced travelers usually carry their own toilet paper and hand soap. Many public restrooms at museums and parks have an attendant who dispenses toilet paper. They charge a "tip" of 5 pesos in lieu of a usage charge.

Mexico City drugstores and pharmacies

The drug departments at Sanborn's, Mexico City stay open late. Visitors can check the phone directory for their nearest location. After hours, they can check with the hotel staff. The staff can usually get in touch with a 24-hour drugstore.

Mexico City safety

Crime in Mexico City, is rising.
Mexico City has added hundreds of new foot and mounted police officers. There is also a strong military presence. But officers and soldiers can't be everywhere. Visitors should look out for pickpockets. Petty thieves are lurking in:

• Crowded subway cars and buses
• Major museums (inside and out)
• Crowded outdoor markets
• Bullfights
• Indoor theaters

The thieves’ approach can include:

• Light-fingered wallet lifting
• Purse opening
• A fairly rough shove by two or three petty thieves

Be extra careful in areas attracting a lot of tourists, like:

• On the Metro
• On Reforma buses
• In crowded hotel elevators and lobbies
• At the Ballet Folklórico
• At the Museo de Antropología

Robberies may occur in Mexico City in broad daylight, in these areas:

• On crowded streets in "good" parts of town
• Outside major tourist sites
• In front of luxury hotels

Avoiding Thieves

• Jewelry of value should not be worn, especially expensive watches
• Cameras should be hidden in a shoulder bag draped across the body and hanging in front rather than on the side
• Valuables should be left in the hotel safe
• Only the cash for one day should be carried
• Credit cards should be left at the hotel

Dealing with Thieves

• In a crowded place, visitors can try raising a fuss, in Spanish or English
• A few shouts of "¡Ladrón!" ("Thief!") might discourage thieves, but this approach could also be risky
• If up against a handful of thieves, it is best to give up the demanded possession, flee, and then notify the police
• The police report should be kept to file an insurance claim

Mexico City emergencies

Emergency Number for Mexico City Visitors: 060 ( 24 hours a day)

This municipal government number is hard to reach. Visitors can ask a local or Spanish speaker for help.

For Crime or Accidents: Procuraduría del Turista

This is a government-operated service. It is most often associated with finding missing persons anywhere in Mexico. Visitors can give the service a good description of a car and its occupants. The staff will search for motorists who have an emergency back home

SECTUR (Secretaría de Turismo) helps tourists in difficulty. Its staff and telephone agents provide 24-hour assistance..

Mexico City Hospitals

The American-British Cowdray (ABC) Hospital

Location: Calle Sur 136, at the corner of Avenida Observatorio, Col. las Américas