johanna_lee

When you arrive to Cancun airport, there will be many things you have to avoid.

1. There is going to be people who want to sell you taxi and airport transfers for a higher price than if you book online, avoid them.
2. Avoid ATM machines and bring enough money from your country. If you want to save money this is the best way so they don't charged you fees.
3. Avoid buying souvenirs, starbucks or food. You get to Cancun airport and the first thing you see is a souvenir store at the airport, a coffee or hamburguer. I recommend you to buy souvenirs in the mall and buy food outside of the airport, it's cheaper.
4. Walk outside to find a bus to your hotel. Colective buses are like 3 km from the airport. Avoid that, maybe you can ask for an ADO bus inside the terminal or book an airport shuttle.

suze

I disagree with number 2.

Using a Mexican bank ATM to withdraw peso after arrival will get you a better rate than purchasing peso at home before your trip.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

I agree with you, Suze. Buying pesos at home will get you a poor rate. ATMs inside the airport are a good way to get an immediate supply of local cash.

ADO has a small terminal at the airport, Many of its buses will take you to its terminal in downtown Cancun; others will get you to locales in the immediate area.

suze

There are certain ATM machines you wouldn't want to use, the "stand alone" type like you see sometimes in a store & that are not associated with a Mexican bank.

But at any international airport you should see the line up with ATMs from Santander, Scotia, Bancomer, etc. which are the ones you want to use.

Christina

These warnings are just silly. Anyone with half a brain can decide if they want to buy something at Starbucks or not for themself. And why would anyone buy souvenirs at the airport upon arrival? Also the advice to take colectivos to your hotel is just silly. Someone can if they want, but many many do not want to, including me. There are plenty of transfer companies from private to group vans that are perfectly comfortable and more convenient.

IN fact, if you have some leftover pesos and aren't sure you want to keep them, the souvenir shops at the airport aren't that bad in price and have some nice things. But obviously that would be on departure, not arrival.

Stewbear

I use a bank card to purchase transportation to my apartment or hotel. No fees & the best exchange rate. Then I go to a bank for my pesos. Unless I have enough pesos left over from my previous trip.

jamie99

I use bank ATM machines and book a private transfer ahead of time. Bus might work for some but to get to where I stay is a pain so transfer and/or rental car combo works best.

november_moon

If I want a hit of caffeine after a flight, I'm generally not terribly picky about cost. I just want some coffee

Rohelio

Lots of misinformation here...

NewbE

<Avoid ATM machines and bring enough money from your country.>

Awful advice!! Do not do this, anywhere!

suze

It is not "awful advice!!"

Some people like to hit the ground running with local currency in their pocket already.

I bring enough peso to Mexico - that I obtain from my home bank by ordering online in advance - to last the first few days so I don't have to deal with an ATM at the airport.

NewbE

I did not read the OP as saying "bring a little money". She said "bring enough"--for the whole trip, presumably. Which is awful, awful advice.

suze

It's still not "awful, awful advice".

It depends on your own home banking arrangements and obviously the length of your trip.

Some people choose to bring all the peso they will need for their entire vacation (if it's just a week or two) with them and use the safe in their hotel room or condo.

NewbE

I would not advise anyone to bring "all the peso they will need for their entire vacation" with them.

november_moon

Yes, people should do what works best for them regarding cash. The choice depends on how much you need in cash, your comfort, what sort of rate and fee structure you can get on currency versus with an ATM...

My practice is to just hit a bank ATM upon arrival if I don't already have cash from a previous trip. But I can see situations in which I would exchange money at home to have on arrival.

HOWEVER, the OP was pretty adamant that using an ATM on arrival is not the way to go, which I do think is bad advice. Usually, getting cash from an ATM is cheaper than doing currency exchange before leaving home.

jamie99

My small community bank does not sell foreign currency so I would have to ask my neighbor to buy some for me from her bank, Chase.
Usually I have a few leftover pesos until I can hit a bank ATM.

suze

Because of many cases when people have been stuck with their ATM cards not working in ANY bank machine in Mexico, it is fool-hardy to rely on that as your sole source of obtaining funds. For both Canadian and US visitors sometimes - chips don't work, networks are down, basically "stuff" happens and you would be stranded.

That is why it is advisable to have multiple methods of obtaining local currency.

Bringing peso from home, debit card to use at an ATM, US or Canadian dollars to exchange at a cambio, and a credit card or two as a back-up for emergencies (hospitalization in particular). Some people use money transfers like Western Union as yet another cost-effective and convenient for them method.

The people who prefer to arrive with their vacation funds on them in cash likely use a money belt in transit and then a hotel or apartment safe to stash it safely upon arrival. They do so because of personal reasons of not being able or willing to use an ATM in Mexico.

november_moon

OMG you guys. Seriously.

nanabee

I am not sure about how reliable purchasing everything via credit card is in Mexico, but in Europe CC are so convenient that I rarely if ever even use money and you will generally get the best exchange rate. And if cash is necessary I have always preferred to use the ATM machine using the bank that accepts my banks debit card for free or low cost exchange. Getting money from a US bank and having cash I may not use is a waste in my opinion.

maried11

I've been to mexico over 40 times and I used to use ATM's in mexico but no longer do. I was compromised and it was a PIA. My home bank charges me no fees and the rate is almost the same as the ATM. If I pay an extra $40 on $1000, it's worth it to avoid the hassle I had being compromised in Mexico. I also use my cc as much as possible since I collect points. There is no right answer for anyone, but to say to come and not get money before is crazy. I do have my bank card if I need it, my cc and my money for our whole trip. We generally go for 7 - 14 days.Never have a problem getting it before.