Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
A courier office
Center
Mexican phone card
Right
Telmex logo
Banking and Communications
!
Exchange
*
Internet
banks and currency
exchange offices will
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The airport is a good
place to exchange foreign
currency for pesos. The
exchange rate at a
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EF$BNCJP
(foreign
exchange booths) may be
better or worse than
what the major branches
of large banks offer.
Public access to the
Internet is quite easy to
find, and is available in
the lobby or in the
business center of many
hotels. Ask at the front
desk for the nearest
location. Some hotels
provide wireless
networks, while others
offer data access lines.
Always learn the rates
before using the
services. Internet cafés
can be found throughout
the city and generally
charge about 25 pesos
an hour.
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Post Office
%
Credit Cards
Visa and MasterCard,
and to a lesser extent
American Express, are
the most accepted cards
in Mexico. Most high-end
restaurants, large hotels,
rental-cars, and high-end
tourist shops will accept
credit cards. Some hotels
offer discounts for cash,
while others will add a
surcharge to the amount
if paid by credit card.
^
Telephone
@
ATMs
ATM machines are
readily available
throughout the city, and
are usually available 24
hours a day and seven
days a week. However, it
is always a good idea to
withdraw money during
daylight hours and at an
off-street machine in a
bank or department store
for reasons of safety.
The Mexican post
office can be slow with
the delivery of mail or
packages. It is much
safer and more reliable to
use a courier service.
Many hotels sell stamps
for letters and post cards,
and will also post them.
£
Banks
The country code for
Mexico is 52, and the
area code for Mexico
City is 55. Within the city
the important dialing
codes are 040 for
information and 090 for
an international English
speaking operator.
Banamex and BBVA
Bancomer are the two
largest banks in Mexico.
There are also numerous
foreign banks in the city.
Hours are generally 9am-
4pm weekdays, and
many banks are open on
Saturdays from 9am-
2pm. It is best to visit a
bank in the morning as
some services, including
currency exchange, are
only available until 2pm.
)
Courier Services
For shipping
important documents
and parcels a courier
service is the best option
to use. There are several
to choose from, including
Federal Express, DHL,
Estafeta, AeroMexpress,
and United Parcel Service
(UPS). They will pick-up
packages from your
premises with 24 hours
advance notice. d
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Phone Cards
Most payphones in
Mexico City require a
prepaid phone card, known
as a Ladatel Card, issued
by the main telephone
company, Telmex. Avail-
able in denominations of
30, 50, and 100 pesos,
they can be purchased at
newsstands, pharmacies,
and grocery stores. The
phones are generally
very easy to find along
the street as well as in
gas and Metro stations.
$
Travelers' Checks
Although travelers'
checks are one of the
safest ways to carry
cash, very few places in
Mexico City accept them.
American Express
travelers' checks in US
currency are the best
choice, and most large
The symbol for the peso, the unit of currency in Mexico, is $; this
is divided into 100 centavos
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