BLOG: You're Crazy To Visit México! Part 4: Final Preparations

PREP AND PACKING

I don't take travel to foreign countries lightly. The following is my process PRIOR to departure to a foreign country. My bullet point list is followed by more specific information on each topic.

• Check Travel Advisories
• Book Flights
• Book Accommodations
• Register with US Embassy in destination country
• Prepare travel documents
• Exchange Dollars for Foreign Currency

Check for Travel Advisories

Check the US State Department's web-site. (Travel Alerts - Mexico)  I check this site as a precursor to deciding should I even visit this country or area. During my planning and frequently prior to my departure I will check for travel advisories. I will usually check once a week during my trip as well.

Book Flights

Booking flights. There is lots of good advice out there on getting the best value airfare. I like to search. Most search engines like Expedia.com offer relatively the same price for the same flights. I have found that if there is a variance between sites, it is only a few dollars. Don't forget to check budget airlines and regional carriers. There flights generally are not available on sites like Expedia.

For this trip I primarily searched Volaris, Southwest, Sun Country and Expedia. Volaris is a discount Mexico based airline that flies from Chicago and Los Angeles plus a couple others. They are also partners with Southwest Airlines. Prices vary by day, sometimes dramatically. What I did was search Volaris' prices from L.A., as Southwest and Sun Country do not fly to the same airport in Chicago as Volaris. Sun Country was always cheaper than Southwest, but Sun Country charges baggage fees for the 2nd bag, which placed Sun Country at a higher cost.

So for a while it looked like I was going to fly Southwest/Volaris. At the time I went to go make my reservations however, the Southwest/Volaris package had jumped almost $300.00 while a quick check on Expedia showed a drop in United Airlines price a bit over $200.00 cheaper. Placing their cost just a touch over what I had planned for the Southwest/Volaris package, however I will have to pay a bag fee with United. 

Ok then, here is my advice. When traveling to a foreign country, you generally will need to go through a hub city like L.A., New York or Chicago. Search airfare from these departures to your destination. Then look to budget or regional carriers to get you to the hub. You can also search air-carriers that are from your destination country who have gates at a major hub. Many times by using a budget carrier such as Sun Country Airlines or Southwest Airlines to get to a hub and then using a foreign carrier from there to you destination you can save some big $$$.

This process can take a bit of extra work though. You will usually have to pick up your bags and transfer them yourself to the next carrier. Also when figuring in savings include checked bag fees. These vary so much from carrier to carrier it is crazy. Airlines are always adding little fees so pay attention to those as well.

Book Accommodations

When booking accommodations within the US I don't have a problem booking directly with the hotel or hotel chain. However, when booking abroad I prefer to use a service like Expedia, then have people to help you if you have issues with your hotel or stay. When looking at hotels in a foreign country I always like to take a star off the 5 star rating system. I generally stay at 3 star hotel, however, many times these so called 3 star hotels offer the services that meet the 3 stars, they are usually dated and a bit worn. 

When I have traveled to Acapulco I have stayed at 3 star hotels, the Excalibur once and Ritz twice. I chose these hotels more due to their location within the city than for their star ratings. All three times I booked "all inclusive" packages, even though when I price things out it tends to cost me more that if I would eat out of the hotel every meal. I choose to do so for the convenience and stability. I will generally eat my breakfast at the hotel and one meal off the economy.

For this trip however I will be staying with local families. I have secured rooms with differing families through the city of Uruapan and I will be staying a few days or so with each. For my side trip to Zamora I will be staying in a budget motel. For this I have not secured a reservation, I will risk it and find something when I get there. I have made arrangements with a local travel agent/tour guide and I am sure she will help me find a place to stay if needed. I will be traveling with minimal luggage so it should be fairly simple.

I usually like to find the "mom and pop" restaurants wherever I travel. They usually have the best food, best price and best service. When in Mexico, I really like to get off the beaten path and search out residential areas, here you can find people who have set up shop and sell food, basically right out of their home kitchen, sometimes literally. BUT, be careful if you choose to do this. I would not recommend doing so late at night. Oh, and don't forget to bring a few of your "travel gifts."

When traveling "off the beaten path" getting around can be quite difficult. I prefer not to rent vehicles but use transportation that is commonly available. My main motivation for this is because this is a great way to meet people and see parts of the area you might not see otherwise.

Register with Embassy

Registering with the Embassy is a real smart thing to do. This is something I ALWAYS do when traveling out of country. It is easy and if there is any trouble in the area you are staying they will contact you. Also in the event of some sort of disaster they will know to look for you. I cannot emphasize this enough, it is very important. 

Prepare Travel Documents

I discussed this in my previous blog but it is worth mentioning again. A copy of the first page of your passport, travel itinerary, and emergency sheet should be left with at least one person at home. This person should also be your emergency contact.

Exchange foreign currency

I use Travelex to exchange my currency. Usually I will order my currency ahead of time and pick it up at the airport. This time however I am leaving before they open so I had to go into the city to their office there and pick up the currency. With ATM's being real prevalent, especially those that belong to or are connected with HSBC I leave most of my travel money in my ATM-only account. 

Summary

So, I have finished my checklist and packed my bags. All I need to do now is go to bed early. That 3:00 a.m. departure to the airport is going to be tough.

From this point on I will be blogging about my experiences daily. However, internet access is going to be limited so the blog posts may only be uploaded every few days or so. Here on patch my blogs will consist of major accounts and summaries. If you wish to follow the daily post visit my main blog on blogger.com

RESOURCES

• US State Department - Travel Alerts
• Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (Step)
• Travelex
• HSBC Bank
• Volaris Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines
• Expedia
• Ritz - Acapulco
• Avalon Excalibur - Acapulco
• The City of Morelia
• The City of Uruapan
• Zamora
• The City of Acapulco
• The State of Michoacán
• Blogger.com