Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

If what you want is a quick and easy Mexican experience, Juárez is worth a day's excursion. There are any number of goods to buy, and tastes to taste, but it's a border town at the very end of it, with all the good and bad that title entails. Walking across the border is easy enough, but taking the trolley makes it all so much easier. At the end of a hot day of exploring, eating, and drinking margaritas, hopping on the trolley to take you back across the border is a welcome respite. Avoid driving in Juárez if you can, as it tends to be stressful, and parking your car isn't always safe. The more than a decade-long string of serial murders of women (hundreds since 1993) has caused a great deal of legitimate concern. Travelers of all genders should be mindful of this and women should not travel alone at all . Also note that at the time of this writing, drug violence is wreaking havoc with safety and tourism here. Please exercise great caution, and check travel warnings on the Department of State Web site about visiting Mexico (www.state.gov).