Puerto Vallarta: Internet, Mail & Shipping

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Internet, Mail & Shipping

For sending and receiving mail and packages, go to Mail Boxes Etc. At PV Café you can enjoy a sandwich or a salad and coffee while downloading digital photos, sending a fax, or surfing the Web (35 pesos per hour). At decidedly less-comfortable PV Net, which is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you obtain an access code and use your minutes each time you visit; the cost for Internet access is 20 pesos per hour, offers monthly and weekly rates, and has a room at the back just for the kids. For laptop connections you can pay by the day, week, or month.

The Mexican postal system is notoriously slow and unreliable; never send packages through the postal service or expect to receive them, as they may be stolen. (For emergencies, use a courier service). If you're an American Express cardholder, you may be able to receive packages at a branch office, but check beforehand with customer service to find out if this client mail service is available at your destination.

Post offices (oficinas de correos) are found in even the smallest villages. International postal service is all airmail, but even so your letter will take anywhere from 10 days to six weeks to arrive. Service within Mexico can be equally slow.

Postal Rates

It costs 10.50 pesos (about 95¢) to send a postcard or letter weighing under 20 grams to the United States or Canada; it's 13 pesos ($1.17) to Europe and 14.50 pesos ($1.30) to Australia and New Zealand.

Receiving Mail

To receive mail in Mexico, you can have it sent to your hotel or use poste restante at the post office. In the latter case, the address must include the words "a/c Lista de Correos" (general delivery), followed by the city, state, postal code, and country. To use this service, you must first register with the post office at which you wish to receive your mail. The post office posts and updates daily a list of names for whom mail has been received. Mail is generally held for 10 days, and a list of recipients is posted daily. Keep in mind that the mail service in Mexico is very slow, and it can take weeks for mail to arrive -- presenting quite a timing crapshoot if you're hoping to send something to someone care of Lista de Correos. Holders of American Express cards or traveler's checks may be able to receive mail in care of the local American Express office; check with customer service beforehand to see whether the office at your destination will do so.

Information

American Express (www.americanexpress.com/travel).

Shipping Parcels

Federal Express, DHL, Estafeta, and United Parcel Service are available in major cities and many resort areas. These companies offer office or hotel pickup with 24-hour advance notice (sometimes less, depending on when you call) and are very reliable. FedEx's Web site is especially easy to navigate. From Puerto Vallarta to large U.S. cities, for example, the minimum charge is around $30 for an envelope weighing about 1/2 pound. Starting prices are higher for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and deliveries take longer. It's best to send all packages using one of these services.

Mail Services

Correos (Calle Mina 188, El Centro. 322/222-1888). Mail Boxes Etc. (Edifício Andrea Mar Local 7, Blvd. Francisco M. Ascencio, Zona Hotelera Norte. across from Hotel Los Tules. 322/224-9434).

Internet Cafés

PV Café (Calle Olas Altas 250, Olas Altas. 322/222-0092). PV Net (Blvd. Francisco M. Ascencio 1692, across from Sheraton Buganvilias, Zona Hotelera Norte. 322/223-1127).

Shipping

DHL (Av. Federico M. Ascencio 1046, between Calle Sierra Rocosa and Av. De las Américas, Col. Olímpica. 322/222-4720 or 322/222-4620. www.dhl.com).