Hi all,

I am planning a trip and where else to head for advice other than this forum?! I have received excellent advice from fodorites in the past..and expect nothing but the best now as well

My friend and I are trying to plan a december trip. trouble is.. shes flying from NY.. im flying from FL. The only affordable place she found for her (and both of us) is cancun. I am slightly disappointed as when i think if cancun i think of girls-gone-wild and spring break and hotels. is this is a bad mental picture?

we are looking for a vacation that is more "off the beaten path." hostels, hiking, beautiful landscapes. can i get this from Cancun? How about cities just outside of cancun? thanks for your travel advice!

You will be there during high season. It is very crowded. If you want to get away from the crowds you might consider going to Merida, Tulum or other areas not in the Cancun area. If you do not have reservations for that time of year you may have difficulty finding a place to stay.

I think it depends what part of December you're traveling in as to how busy it will be. I've been to Mexico the first half of December and it's pretty quiet.

Are you looking for a beach destination? Isla Mujeres is reasonably small and quiet. Downside is that it's a small island.

How about Akumal, south of Cancun. Haven't been there myself (yet), but it sounds laid back and pleasant.

I also think Merida sounds like an interesting city.

Even Playa del Carmen, even though it's gotten way too busy for my tastes, is much more of what you sound like you're looking for than Cancun.

Or, if you have the time, fly into Cancun, hop on a bus and ride the six hours to Belize.

I would head either for Isla Mujeres (ferry from Cancun) or down the coast to Playa del Carmen (by bus) a bit futher to Akumal and Tulum.

If you decide to stay right in Cancun there actually is an old downtown area separate from the hotel zone/beach that rarely gets a mention but it's there!

Flying into Cancun is not the worse thing, lots of people go thru there to get to these other nearby places.

Yes you can. I did it 2 years ago in early January. There are plenty of buses from Cancun airport into the centre of town. This is a completely different area from the Zona Hotelera where all the high-end hotels are. I stayed at a place right next to the bus station from less than $50 a night. Pool included. It used to be called the Novotel but has changed its name. Nearby were lots of local restaurants. I went to Isla Mujeres by local bus for a few pesos and down the coast to Tulum etc for a few more. It's very easy to get about. Everywhere there are 'local hotels' which never get a mention. Look in Lonely Planet.

Gertie~ Isn't Isla Mujeres an island? How can you get there by bus?

You get the bus to the ferry then get the ferry!

Did you check flights to Central America? I haven't checked prices lately but I just recently bought flights to Honduras and Guatemala and they were cheaper then the ticket I bought to Cancun. I am only suggesting this because it sounds like you really want a trip that has a little more adventure. Don't get me wrong.. I loved Cancun but it was a different type of trip. I also love places that are a little bit off the beaten path. Enjoy

Wow! Excellent advice. Yes.. i definiitly want something a bit off the beaten track. Taking the bus to Belize sounds like a good option. I am sure the 6 hour journey would be interesting as well. I am headed to the bookstore right now to check out some of the places you mentioned. of course i will also search the web too.

my heart is still set on costa rica.. but not sure if my friend is down.

how much do these buses and ferries cost? are they reasonably cheap?

muchas gracias!

Did you already purchase your flights? If not maybe you can fly directly to a different country.
Costa Rica is wonderful and very easy to get around. I hope you find some good information at the book store. Enjoy

Isla Mujeres and Playa del Carmen are very close to Cancun (within one hour) so I do not know exactly but the bus and/or ferry will not cost very much.

Belize is another story, and honestly imo an entirely different trip. Why not save it and if you want to go to Belize, buy the plane ticket there next time?
;-)

Bus to Playa is $8USD from the airport.

Many people travel to Belize via Cancun. Six hours on the bus really isn't that long, and air fare to Belize is very expensive.

If I have extra days for travel, I don't hesitate to go to Belize via Cancun. For a shorter trip, it isn't feasible.

Thanks for clarifying the Belize possibility, JeanH.

I still think that flying with no plans into Cancun, and deciding to go to PdC or Isla would be a very easy thing to do. Heading to Belize would take quite a bit more time, as well as planning and organization, I'd think?

You're right, you would need some planning to head to Belize. But, if you've got the desire and the time, it's easy from Cancun.

We've also done trips where we flew into Belize, then 'beach hopped' our way up to Cancun and flew home from there. Stayed in four different beach towns and enjoyed every one of them.

Ok. i went to the bookstore and was intrigued by Oaxaca..which is definitly not nearby cancun.. and flights into there are on the expensive side.

it seems like we are headed somewhere for about 7 days. that's too short to head down to belize...right? how many days do you think we would need to add belize into the mix?!

msfelithatsme~~
hey I love your sense of adventure... but you're making this questions VERY hard to answer (haha!)

Now it's Oaxaca???

If you have not purchased those Cancun plane tickets yet, you might want to back up and really think about what you & your friend want out of this trip.

Sure Oaxaca is a great city to visit. I believe people usually fly into Mexico City to get there?

If you want to fly into Cancun but go to Belize instead, I'd guess you want to have at least a couple weeks for that trip.

I don't think I'd head to Belize from Cancun unless I had at least 10 days. You have two extra travel days to deal with.

For just hanging out, doing a little snorkeling, a day out and about on a golf cart or bike, I don't think you can beat Isla Mujeres. Lots of different choices for places to stay. Literally dozens of very good and cheap restaurants. A lively main street to wander in the evening.

I don't know if there's any good hiking anywhere in the Yucatan. Isla's big enough for long walks, it's five miles long, but it's not hiking, it walking along the coast and through Mexican neighborhoods.

I've been watching plane fares for the area myself for January, right now, Costa Rica is quite a bit cheaper from here in the midwest. With a week you could hit a couple different areas there, and it does have absolutely stunning landscapes and awesome hiking.

hahaha.. i know.. sorry i am making it difficult!! blame my travel partner.. who is one minute with me.. the other minute.. on her way somewhere else!! unfprtunately mexico is totally out. alas.. another time i guess... im trying to convince her to do costa rica.. i guess we will see!!