danacarrie

Hi,
I will be coming from San Francisco and going to San Cristobal for a wedding this summer (late July) and am looking to extend my trip about 7-10 days for a solo adventure.
I have never travelled alone before (I'm in my early 30's, female). My Spanish is ok, not great but I think I can travel ok. I'm pretty nervous to do this but really want to! I am not interested in the (very hot and humid) coastal towns, I would prefer to go somewhere (or maybe 2 places) where the weather will be temperate and I can balance time just reading and hanging out with other things to do and see.
Suggestions? I have a small budget to make this happen. I am totally open to your ideas.
Thanks!

sandy_b

You can do this . . . San Cristobal is wonderful and very safe, you will love it. Oaxaca is another very nice destination and there are lots of small villages nearby for day trips.

Don't be put off by Mexico City. Yes, it's big . . . but you speak Spanish so already you have a leg up . . . just pay attention to what's happening and you will be fine. There's so much to see/do there.

If you are interested in silver, there's Taxco, about an hr away . . . Cuernavaca is another place an hour away from MC . . . or Puebla is about 2-3 hrs away.

PV is fun . . . Mexico is huge and diverse, you should have no problems filling up your time. I've been 10 times and there are still lots more places for me to explore. Many on here love Guanajuato and San Miquel, they are not too far from MC.

I hope you have terrific trip . . . if you don't find enough advice here, go to the Lonely Planet's Thorntree and choose Mexico.

Buena suerte,
Sandy (in Denton)

chimani

You do not say where you are flying in to - and out of. I assume Mexico City? So how are you getting to San Cris? What are your plans for getting back?

The answers to these questions are fairly critical, but to be going on with here are some thoughts.

THere are many, many options.

If it were me I might look at going to Palenque from San Cris. But would you have to return to San Cris or could you continue on?

Continuing on is easily possible if you like a good road trip and aren't frightened by buses.

Otherwise you might consider going straight back to DF and going North to visit some of the colonial towns.

Nnne of this is hard. Bus travel in
Mexico comes in all shapes and sizes - bus from tourist centre to tourist centre there are luxe buses which you may find of interest.

Post again if you want to know more.

kaneda

Mexico is very easy to geet around by bus. You can fly but it is very expensive. Keep your eye on your belongings as petty theft is bad there while violence is rare. Just with my bit of holiday Spanish I had no trouble travelling around Mexico and there is lots to see, not the least 450 historic sites. There are a number of good tours from Mexico City as well as from elsewhere. Small towns are better though.

danacarrie

Thank you for all of your support!
I am flying into Tuxtla, and would love to be able to fly roundtrip out of there, too, but I'm open. Not crazy about the bus thing but I can do it. Its all an adventure, right?!
What is DF?
I would love any more suggestions, specifics, etc.
Thank you all so much!

suze

DF is an abbreviation for Mexico City (district federale, i believe).

chimani

OP - are you saying you are flying into Tuxtla, but do not know where you are flying out of yet?

baysil

Travelling alone is (I think) one of the best ways to travel. I am in my late 30's and just started to travel - my first country was cambodia - talk about a way to jump into things. I've now gone through asia and central america and in both places i have found that most people go out of their way for female solo travelers. Go for it and have fun!!!

Cimbrone

San Cristobal is pretty far south of most other towns you might want to visit. Instead of heading north, many people head from San Cristobal to Palenque and then to the Yucatan. (Merida is a great colonial town.) The only problem is that once out of San Cristobal you're in the lowlands and it's HOT. If you can get over your aversion to the heat and book air conditioned hotels, I think this would make a great trip. I'm doing it in July...San Cristobal-Palenque-Merida-Isla Mujeres. All by bus and flying out of Cancun.