Save Money on Your Mexico Vacation
by Jamie Jefferson
Mexico is a popular destination for weekend or week-long vacations. It offers a change of
pace and is just a quick flight away. If you are planning a trip to Mexico, there are
several ways that you can cut costs. In fact, if you follow several of these tips, you
may even be able to extend your vacation because of the money you've saved.
The first tip has to do with when you choose to travel. A lot of people like to visit
Mexico during the Christmas and Easter seasons. These are considered peak times for
Mexican tourism, and the hotel owners and other travel vendors know this. There is so
much demand that they can raise their prices and still have people clamoring to get
bookings.
If you choose to travel at a different time, you can generally get much better rates.
Even traveling right after these peak times can result in an instant and significant
reduction in travel prices. You'll find major discounts on accommodations in the late
spring and early summer. During these times of the year, the tourist spots will be much
less crowded and you may even enjoy your vacation more.
You can also save a lot of money by doing a bit of research yourself and planning your
own trip. Depending on your travel style and preferences, paying for all-inclusive tours
or staying at an all-inclusive resort may actually result in higher costs. Tour companies
may add surcharges above and beyond what independent tourists pay for the same food or
services. You may even have more fun by traveling independently and picking where you
want to go. There are so many guidebooks out there and good resources on the Internet
that you can easily be quite familiar with your destination before you arrive.
Another tip for lowering your travel costs is to find out if your destination is a cruise
ship port. If it is, you'll want to avoid doing any major shopping or tourist activities
during cruise ship days. On the days that the cruise ship docks, prices for certain
things in the port city can sometimes increase. If you're going to be visiting during a
cruise ship day, plan a low cost activity like a beach day or visiting a museum.
Before you go, you will also need to get familiar with the exchange rate so you can put
your spending into perspective. Generally, you can count on one dollar equaling 10 pesos,
but make sure to double check that fact when you arrive. Take a small calculator and
convert the money on it a few times for practice in your hotel before you venture out
to the marketplaces. This way, you'll know exactly how much you are paying for the things
that you buy in your terms.
You should become familiar with the local tipping customs, too, so you make sure to
properly pay the people you should and not pay the people you shouldn't. For example,
cab drivers normally don't expect tips, but it is customary to tip grocery store baggers.
Familiarizing yourself with these types of customs can really help you budget and save.
You will also want to check the major travel sites for coupon codes or promotions. When
you book flights and hotels together, you can often save. And some online travel sites
will occasionally discount Mexico trips still further during specific times of the year.
Do an online search for a coupon code before you book to make sure you get the best deal
available.
About The Author
Jamie Jefferson writes for http://Susies-Travel-Coupons.com, where you can find Coupons
for Mexico Vacations. She also contributes to the Travel Deal of the Day Blog.
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