Learn to be a savvy Mexico traveler with the help of my tips and guides, informed by my experience as an expat in southern Mexico.
🇲🇽 Give Guanajuato a chance!
Hi Reader!
If you're looking for Mexico travel inspiration, allow me to direct your attention to Guanajuato City.
I get the sense that Guanajuato is often overlooked in favor of its showy neighbor, San Miguel de Allende, but I urge you to not to do that.
Located in Mexico's central highlands, Guanajuato is a scenic, artsy city with beautiful, meandering streets, a pedestrian friendly downtown core, and a really lovely atmosphere. It's a popular destination among Mexican tourists, and attracts expats and Spanish students (partly because there's a large university there), but it is a little "off the beaten track" for many Mexico travelers.
One of the most delightful things about Guanajuato is that, while it’s a very comfortable and traveler-friendly destination, it doesn’t feel like a “tourist trap.” Sure, some activities cater heavily to tourists (the Callejón del Beso being a big one), but overall everything feels genuine.
The city was once a major mining center, exporting silver, gold, other minerals found in the surrounding mountains. The wealth that once flowed from the mines is apparent in Guanajuato’s elaborate architecture and emphasis on cultural institutions, such as the Teatro Juarez.
It's one of my favorite cities in Mexico, and I urge you to give a chance if you're headed to central Mexico. Check out this blog post to learn more! 👉 17 Incredible Things to do in Guanajuato
Don't leave without...
Travel insurance.
Travel insurance offers peace of mind knowing you're covered in case of unexpected illness or injury. Whether you contract an extreme case of traveler's diarrhea (you definitely wouldn't be the first in Mexico), or experience unexpected trip delays due to weather or political unrest, traveler's insurance can insulate you from unexpected expenses.
My travel insurance of choice is SafetyWing. It's travel medical insurance that was created by nomads for nomads. You can purchase a policy even if your trip has already started. You can pause and resume coverage with flexibility, and they offer coverage for 185 countries, so it works in Mexico and beyond! You don’t even need to let them know about your itinerary in advance! Click here to check out their website and learn more.
In the community...
My Female Travelers in Mexico Facebook community is a fantastic place to gather ideas for upcoming trips and to get up-to-the-minute information on what's happening in Mexico right now. We're over 11,000 members strong (🙈), each with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Whether you're looking for travel buddies or just want to ask questions, we'd love to have you join us.
Here's a look at some of the things we've been chatting about lately:
- Isla Mujeres vs. Isla Holbox, which is best?
- Can anyone share experiences with renting a car in Mexico?
- Reflections on spending one month in Mexico traveling solo
We also have an ongoing meetup thread so you can connect with other travelers wherever you happen to be in the country!
If you're looking for a place to ask travel Qs like these ones, come hang!
Coming up...
I'll be back soon with more Mexico travel tips and inspiration.
If there's anything you've been wondering about don't hesitate to hit reply and ask away. Whether you need advice on which destination to visit, travel logistics, or more, I'm here for you!
I read every email and I'm always happy to help.
Hasta pronto!
Janine
Traveling Soon?
If you're planning a trip, these are the resources I use and recommend:
Travel insurance: SafetyWing
Flights: Skyscanner
Airfare deals: Dollar Flight Club
Accommodation: Booking.com for hotels and Hostelworld for hostels
Rental Cars: Discover Cars
Bus tickets: Busbud
Airport transfers: GetTransfer
Tours: Viator and GetYourGuide
Currency exchange: Wise
Stay connected with an eSIM: Airalo
Learn Spanish: Rocket Spanish and iTalki
Click Here to 👉 Shop My Favorite Travel Products
Read my blog 👉 Janine in the World
Janine in the World | Mexico Travel
by Janine DeVault
Learn to be a savvy Mexico traveler with the help of my tips and guides, informed by my experience as an expat in southern Mexico.
Hi Reader, Last week, I shared that I'm heading to Mexico this year. I leave in four weeks, and I'll be traveling through the country for about three months! I'm planning to share regular (weekly) updates with you once I get there. My hope is that sharing my experiences and reflections along the way will help inspire you or support you in taking your own trip like this! So in that spirit, here's what I'm doing to prepare, one month from departure. Created a budget for the trip - I came up...
Hi Reader! This week I want to dig into a question that comes up over and over again: How do you manage your finances while traveling to different countries? What cards do you use with low fees and good exchange rates? This is such a great question for a couple of reasons. For one, it's really easy to overlook things like exchange rates and ATM fees when you're planning a trip, but they can add up really fast, especially on a long trip. On top of that, even if this is on your mind, there may...
I shared this with the Facebook Group earlier this week, and what ensued was a really fascinating conversation on strategies and tactics to keep your cost of living lower in Mexico. Many of these tips will work for travelers, too. The cost of living in Mexico has inevitably increased with inflation. But, in most areas, it’s still quite a bit lower than in the US. That said, it’s easy (especially in areas with large concentrations of foreigners) to get trapped spending almost as much as you...