Mexico Other Types Of Accommodations

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) lodgings are usually cheaper than a hotel but more expensive than a hostel. Not all locations offer lodging; those that do are often located in urban downtowns. Many YMCAs accept women and families; some will not lodge those under 18 without parental permission. Fed. de Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes de la República (FM), Av. Ejército Nacional #253, Col. Anáhuac, Mexico D.F. 11320 (☎55 5545 0781; www.ymca.org.mx)

Hotels, Guesthouses, And Pensions

Hotel singles in Mexico cost about 170-250 pesos per night (US$16-20), doubles US$200-600 pesos per night (US$9-55). You’ll typically share a hall bathroom; a private bathroom will cost extra, as may hot showers. Some hotels offer “full pension” (all meals) and “half pension” (no lunch). Smaller guesthouses and pensions are often cheaper than hotels. If you make reservations in writing, indicate your night of arrival and the number of nights you plan to stay. The hotel will send you a confirmation and may request payment for the first night. It is often easiest to make reservations over the phone with a credit card.

Bed & Breakfasts (B&Bs)

For a cozy alternative to impersonal hotel rooms, B&Bs (private homes with rooms available to travelers) range from acceptable to sublime. Rooms in B&Bs generally cost US$75 for a single and US$100 for a double in Mexico. Any number of websites provide listings for B&Bs; check out Bed & Breakfast Inns Online (www.bbonline.com), InnFinder (www.inncrawler.com), InnSite (www.innsite.com), BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com), or Pamela Lanier’s Bed & Breakfast Guide Online (www.lanierbb.com).

Home Exchanges And Hospitality Clubs

Home exchange offers the traveler various types of homes (houses, apartments, condominiums, and villas), plus the opportunity to live like a native and to cut down on accommodation fees. For more information, contact Intervac International Home Exchange (www.intervac.com).

Hospitality clubs link their members with individuals or families abroad who are willing to host travelers for free or for a small fee to promote cultural exchange and general good karma. In exchange, members usually must be willing to host travelers in their own homes; a small membership fee may also be required. The Hospitality Club (www.hospitalityclub.org) is a good place to start. Servas (www.servas.org) is an established, more formal, peace-based organization, and requires a fee and an interview to join. An Internet search will find many similar organizations, some of which cater to special interests (e.g., women, GLBT travelers, or members of certain professions). As always, use common sense when planning to stay with or host someone you do not know.

Long-Term Accommodations

Travelers planning to stay in Mexico for extended periods of time may find it most cost-effective to rent an apartment. A basic one-bedroom (or studio) apartment in Mexico City will range 300-900 pesos per month. Besides the rent itself, prospective tenants usually are also required to front a security deposit (frequently one month’s rent). Many websites, including craigslist.org and sublet.com, provide listings of available apartments.

Camping

Travelers accustomed to clean and well-maintained campgrounds may be in for a few surprises. By and large, Mexican national parks exist only in theory. The “protected lands” are often indistinguishable from the surrounding countryside or city and may be dirty, unappealing, and overrun with amorous teenagers. Privately owned trailer parks are relatively common on major routes—look for signs with a picture of a trailer, or the words parque de trailer, campamento, or remolques. These places often allow campers to pitch tents or sling up a hammock.

For those budget-minded individuals traveling along the coast, the hammock is the way to go. Most beach towns in Mexico are dotted with palapas (palm-tree huts). For a small fee, open-air restaurants double as places to hang your hat and hammock when the sun sets. At beaches and some inland towns frequented by backpackers, cabañas (cabins, usually simple thatch-roof huts) are common. For the truly hard-core, camping on the beach can sometimes be an option. Lax permit laws and beach accessibility—every meter of beach in Mexico is public property—offer campers oodles of options. For more information on outdoor activities in Mexico see The Great Outdoors.

Under The Stars. The Mexican government owns all coastal land 20m from the high tide mark, meaning that there is no such thing as a private beach in Mexico. This means that you can spend as much time as you want, whenever you want, on any of Mexico’s beaches, even if there is a hotel right behind it. However, this does not all of them are safe for camping. Hotel security in glitzy resort areas has a reputation for being unkind to beach campers. There have also been more serious reports of beachside robberies and assaults. It’s a good idea to check in with the local tourist office or police department to see whether camping is safe or permitted. Use common sense: don’t camp on secluded beaches or those near unsafe urban areas.