Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Many hotels have in-house tour agencies
Right
Comida
Eating and Accommodations Tips
!
Restaurant Types
$
Dinner
issues. On the other
hand you are sometimes
rushed around sights.
Make sure that the guide
speaks your language.
*
Hotel Fitness
Mexican street food
is found near every
Metro station, in the
markets, and on busy
street corners. The small
restaurants known as
taquerías
offer the same
type of food as the street
vendors, but generally
with higher hygienic
standards.
Fondas
are
small cafés that offer
comida
, a fixed-menu
lunch. Cantinas are
popular in the evening as
they serve food as well
as liquor. Restaurants
come in all sizes and
price ranges, from
modest cafés to chic five-
star restaurants.
Traditionally dinner
was a very light meal of
a sweet bread and hot
chocolate.
Churros
, fried
dough pastry coated with
sugar, and hot chocolate
remain a favorite evening
snack. Many Mexicans
now have a large evening
meal and plenty of
restaurants offer full
dinner menus.
%
Tipping and Taxes
Facilities
If exercising is important
for you, make sure you
understand what facilities
the hotel has when you
make your reservations.
Many of the high-end
hotels either have their
own facilities or can
make arrangements for
you to use other facilities
close to the hotel.
(
Getting the Best
In restaurants it is
traditional to tip 10-15
percent of the total
amount, but some places
include the tip in the
total. A value added tax
of 15 percent is added to
services, goods, and
hotels. In addition, hotels
add a further 2 percent
accommodations tax.
Rate
Hotel rates are often
negotiable, especially if
you are flexible regarding
your dates of stay. Many
business hotels are busy
during the week, but
offer great discounts for
weekend stays. Some
hotels will give discounts
if you pay in cash rather
than by credit card.
)
Camping
@
Breakfast
Desayuno
(breakfast),
is traditionally a large
meal of
huevos
(eggs),
served in a variety of
ways. Most egg dishes
come with a heavy spicy
red or green sauce
(salsa) and are usually
served with refried beans
and hot tortillas.
Chorizo
is a popular sausage.
Lighter breakfasts feature
pan dulce
, a sweet
bread, or
bolillos
which
are a European-style roll.
£
Lunch
^
Hotel Taxis
Hotel taxis are the
easiest and most
convenient-to-use taxi
service. They can be hired
by the trip, by the hour, or
for all day. The drivers
associated with high-end
hotels speak English and
Spanish, are sometimes
certified tourist guides,
and can take you on
personalized tours of your
choice of city attractions.
Negotiate the rates before
boarding the taxi.
&
Hotel Tours
There are two
campgrounds located just
outside Greater Mexico
City. Both have facilities
for RVs and tents. Pepe's
(see p117)
in Tepotzotlán,
to the northwest of the
city, offers camping in an
in-town walled hacienda-
like campground. To the
north of the city is
Teotihuacán Trailer Park
offering camping facilities.
d
Teotihuacán Trailer Park,
López Mateos 17, San Juan
t
Comida
, or lunch, is
the large meal of the day.
Lunch is a relaxed affair
with friends, and can
often last for hours.
Many restaurants offer a
daily
comida corrida
special, often featuring
several courses and at an
excellent price.
Hotel tours can be a
fun way to see the city
and meet other travelers,
and they alleviate a lot of
the transportation
hassles and logistics
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