Travel Tips for Mazatlan

What to do before you get to Mazatlan:

1. Make sure you have a current passport (8 weeks) and check the expiration date.
2. Check with your phone carrier about whether your phone needs an international package (Verizon, AT&T, Mobile 1).
3. Obtain ~500 pesos (approximately $45 USD) from your bank who will give you the best rate. Poorest rate is at the airport in your international terminal because they will charge you an extra fee to change funds. The 500 pesos will be enough to pay a taxi if you need it.
4. If you forget, there are ATM’s in the Mazatlan airport. But there is still a fee plus whatever your bank charges to use a bank ATM that isn’t theirs. For example, I bank at Wells Fargo, they charged me $2.23 to get 400 pesos out of the ATM.
5. If you intend to use a credit or debit card in Mexico, call and let them know ahead of time or they may see charges in Mexico as potentially fraudulent and freeze your account until you can call them.
6. If you are bringing fishing rods – they are not allowed as carry-ons leaving Mexico, so have them in something that can be checked.

What to expect when you arrive in Mexico:

1. Sometime during the flight to Mexico you will be given two forms by the Flight Attendants (bring your own pen, they usually don’t have any to offer). The first form is an immigration form. To fill this out properly you will need your flight info, where you are staying (name of hotel, address) and your passport number. There are TWO sections to this form. The top and the very bottom need to be filled out with identical information. Fill out both before you land. If you don’t fill out the bottom, they will send you to the end of the line.
2. Once you land, you will stand in a long line for immigration where they will ask to see your passport and the form described above. They will ask you how long you are staying and for what purpose. Once you get through this, they will stamp your passport and the form and return the bottom portion to you with your passport. Keep this part of the form, you will need it when you leave!!!
3. The second form is a customs form (larger of the two forms). Once you are through with immigration, you will go through customs. Do not bring any fruit off the plane with you. They have these cute labs now that can find where you may have “forgotten” about that tasty apple you put in your bag (trust me on this…). They also may scan your luggage (similar to the US airports) and then manually search your luggage. They are looking for high quantities of sellable items or any guns, drugs etc. Leave all that at home.
4. After you exit the secure area, prepare yourself for some chaos. Americans are easily identified once they get out of security and are usually inundated with Taxi and ride requests. Taxi’s are not metered like they are in the US (certain price per mile). Prices are negotiated; they are good at negotiating a higher rate for their services, their livelihoods depend on it and they are better at it than you are.