Travel Tips

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ORIENTATION

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San Miguel is very walkable, and you can get to most places walking within 20 minutes or less. The streets are cobblestone, so make sure you pack some comfortable shoes. Your main point of reference will be the Parroquia. It’s the main church in the main garden square, called the Jardin. You can see (and hear) the church from most places in the city, so it’s easy to orient yourself if you get lost - just head to the Jardin! The Jardin is also a fun place to sit and people watch. It’s the liveliest spot in the city!

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CELL PHONES, WIFI & ELECTRONICS

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You can usually use your phone in Mexico depending on your provider but it will be more expensive. Providers do have international plans that you can set up ahead of time, but I usually find this to be unnecessary. If you do need to make a call or there is an emergency, your phone will work. Otherwise, you can use your phone to send iMessages, Instagram, etc on wifi when you are at your house or hotel. All hotels and houses will have wifi provided for you and we will also have it at the wedding venue. Mexico uses the same plugs as the USA so you can plug anything you need to into the outlets in your house or hotel. GOOGLE MAPS - OFFLINE Before you leave the USA go to San Miguel de Allende on your Google Maps app. Hit the three bars on the top left and select “Offline Areas”. Select “Custom Area” and the hit “Download” with the map over San Miguel. This will allow you to use Google maps in San Miguel even when you don’t have wifi or service.

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WEATHER & CLOTHING

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The weather in November in San Miguel is really nice. Daily, the high will be around 75 and the lows around 50. San Miguel is in the mountains and it can get cool at night so bring a jacket. As mentioned previously, heels can be very difficult in a city of cobblestone streets. Sandals and flats, or whatever you are comfortable in, will be fine for all wedding festivities.

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WATER

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You cannot drink the water in San Miguel; however, any Airbnb, hotel, or restaurant in the city will have filtered water available to you. If you are at a random hole in the wall I would avoid it, but anywhere else you will be fine. If they are serving you water or ice at a hotel it’s fair to assume its drinkable. A rule of thumb is that ice from filtered water is cylindrical with a hole down the middle.

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TAXIS

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If you do want a taxi they are very cheap ($1-2 USD) and are great for getting home if you don’t want to walk the cobblestones after too many tacos and margaritas. They are all over the place so just flag down a green taxi. You can also use Uber if you have Wifi when you are ordering it.

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TIPPING ETIQUETTE

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At restaurants you can expect to tip 10-20%, at some places it may be included and will be listed on your bill as "propina". At bars, 10-20 pesos per drink or 10-15% of the total bill. At the hotel, you are expected to tip your porter anywhere between 10 and 20 pesos per bag. You should also tip your housekeeper, the norm is between 20 and 50 pesos per night. IMPORTANT! Please remember to tip you waiter at the wedding reception. It is customary to tip 100-200 pesos ($5-$10)

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IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS

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You will be required to fill out an immigration and a customs form while on the plane to show to officials when you land. The customs form is in Spanish, so if you need help you can ask the flight attendants. When in doubt, say, “No” for every question! For the immigration form, you will give it to the immigration officer and he will give you back the bottom part. You MUST keep this “departure card” for when you exit Mexico. Your airline will not allow you on your plane home without this departure card or a lot of runaround, so just tuck it inside your passport and put it somewhere safe.

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MONEY AND ARRIVING AT BJX AIRPORT

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You can order Mexican pesos with your bank ahead of time, if you want. This is easy and convenient and you can pick them up before you go. If you aren’t able to order them ahead of time, there is an ATM at the BJX airport in the lobby area. Once you exit into the main area where people are waiting for their rides, walk around the corner to your left and you will see it there on your right. If you don’t have time to get money at the airport or ahead of time, there are plenty of ATMs in town, with many around the main square. You may want to alert your bank as some of them need to authorize use of your card in Mexico.