We will be a group of 4 going to Mexico, Taxco and Oaxaca the first week of June. I am trying to decide between a tour and going on our own. <BR><BR>The details and prices for the tour are:<BR> <BR>June 1, depart Newark, NJ on Continental Airlines to Mexico City and transfer to Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel<BR>June 01 enjoy Mexico City city tour in the morning and afternoon at Teotihuacan Aztec pyramid site<BR>June 02 depart Mexico City for Oaxaca, arrive early afternoon, check in to Hotel Aitana<BR>June 03 visit archaeological sites Monte Alban and Mitla, evening free<BR>June 04 morning city tour of Oaxaca, afternoon free<BR>June 05 Return to Mexico City, spend the night at Hotel Sheraton<BR>June 06 day tour of Cuernavaca and Taxco, return to Mexico City Sheraton Hotel<BR>June 07 free day<BR>June 08 Return to Mexico City airport for flight home to Newark .<BR>This tour for the 4 of us is $1240 per person.<BR><BR>If we do the trip on our own... I can get us rdtrp air to Mexico city from Newark for about $470 per person. If I add a trip on UNO bus from MEX to OAX and a flight from OAX to MEX.. I think the transport per person will total about $650 per person. I have no idea how much hotel taxes, entrance fess and tour guides, etc. cost. I would appreciate your input. <BR><BR>1- will i be able to find something cheaper than $180 for a one-way flight between OAX and MEX once I get to Mexico, or should I book it here?<BR><BR>2- Do you think the itinerary is good? should we spend more/less time in Oaxaca?<BR><BR>3- Do you recommend a stayover in Taxco?<BR><BR>ANY tips would be a great help to us. Thanks, and sorry for such a long post.<BR> <BR>

Wully, The question is - how comfortable do you feel traveling? Are you a seasoned travel group that can handle complications in a foriegn country or are you novices to International travel. Sometimes its not about the money so much as about the comfort level. There is no way of advising you on cost without knowing your choice of hotels etc. Just looking at the itinerary you have posted, travel expenses on the do-it-yourself option will cost over $1100 without hotels or tours. It doesn't appear to me that you will save a great deal by taking on the hassle of planning a trip in unfamiliar territory. I vote for the tour unless you are a well seaoned traveler who just likes to do the research and hates to travel in a group. It can be wonderfully relaxing when someone else takes on all the headaches.

The price seems very reasonable for a 7 day plan and airfare. The tour plan looks a bit weird to me. Why go to Oaxaca, then back to Mexico City, then Cuernavaca AND Taxco in one day; just the driving around should take like 6 hours, maybe more.<BR><BR>As TC said, do you feel comfortable doing this on your own? If you do, I would think that, even if it is more expensive, I would go to Mexico City, stay there for 2-3 days, and then take the bus to Oaxaca for 3-4 days, and take a flight back to Mexico City to connect with your flight back to Newark. I think that this would be a more sensible plan...

Forgot to say, Taxco is a really beautiful place. It is a little mining town with cobblestone streets and white washed housed with red tiles. Very nice.

Hi Wully,<BR><BR>We went to Oaxaca summer before last and LOVED it! We flew into Mex City, stayed a few days, then took the bus to Puebla, spent the night (to break up the 6-hr trip to Oaxaca). Puebla was great and we could have stayed there a few more days.<BR><BR>We continued on the next day, stayed about 5 days in Oaxaca and then flew back to Mex City. We booked our one-way flight on line before we left for a very reasonable price of $104 on Aviacsa, flight took 45 min.<BR><BR>I have very detailed notes and would be happy to email them to you . . . just let me know.<BR><BR>We LOVED Oaxaca and it's very safe and very easy to do on your own.<BR><BR>Buena suerte,<BR>Sandy ([email protected])

I'm of the opinion that to take a 'tour' or to plan it yourself is more about your comfort level traveling in a foreign country, than about itinerary or costs. I wouldn't base my decision in saving or spending a few dollars more or less.

I prefer to plan things myself, but then I would *never* attempt to see that much in only 7 days.

How do the other 3 people feel about it? Strong feelings for independent travel or preference for the (mental &amp; emotional) security of being a part of a tour group? Anyone speak Spanish?

Thanks to all of you for your replies! You all made great points. I am not opting for going on my own to save money... I was actually concerned that going on our own may be way more expensive. As many of you said, the convenience and enjoyment are of prime importance. I am not one to be too intimidated by foreign countries. I have been to Morocco, India, Italy,France and made out without an escorted tour. The one problem we have is that no one in the group speaks Spanish.

One reason I am againsst the escorted tour is that we will have to stick to a rather rigid schedule. From what I can see, Taxco and Curenavaca as a day trip sounds VERY ambitious. I was hoping to modify the itinerary so that we could perhaps spend a night in Cuernavaca?

If I can book hotels on my own. won't the big hotels have access to group tours for day-long excursions?

Please keep the tips coming!

If you are comfortable making your own arrangements, I would advise going on your own. I've never taken a tour per se when in Mexico, but I did once take a one-day bus tour from Mexico City to Cuernavaca and Taxco. It was sort of interesting, but a lot of time was wasted in the mechanics of the tour, ie, picking everyone up at their various hotels, eating at mediocre places that could accomodate a large group, shopping in the places chosen by the tour, etc. I would never do it again.

You could fly to Mexico City and spend 2-3 days, either fly or take the bus to Oaxaca for 4-5 days, then maybe do an overnight to Cuernavaca before flying home. Taxco is lovely, but that's a lot to do in one week.

You can do priceline in Mexico City, and if you bid for 4-star hotels, you are pretty much assured of getting either the Maria Isabella Sheraton or the JW Marriott, both of which are well-located for first-time visitors and which could arrange cars with drivers for touring.

In Oaxaca there are a number of nice small hotels, or the Hotel Victoria overlooking the city, or the Camino Real, in a 16th century convent in the heart of the historic district if you want to splurge. This is a very safe and easy place to do on your own and again, your hotel can arrange a car and driver to see Monte Alban and the outlying villages. I actually HATED the Aitana Hotel so much I moved to a different hotel--the rooms are nicely appointed, but most only had windows into the interior courtyard which I was not comfortable leaving open, and I felt like I was suffocating with no real ventilation. You might try Las Bugambilias, a nice family-run B&amp;B around the corner from the Camino Real (was about $70 for a double room with breakfast when we were there).

My husband speaks a little Spanish, but I've also gone with my girlfriend, and neither of us speaks Spanish, and we did fine, so I wouldn't let your lack of language skills weigh unduly in your decision.

I am thinking that I should indeed scrap either Cuernavaca or Taxco from the itinerary. It will probably be just too much to do both. Which should I eliminate? Is either one a 'must see' for first-timers to Mexico? I have to admit the silver jewelry in Taxco is a bit of a draw, but maybe I can find that stuff elsewhere for not too much more. So, what do you say Mexico experts?

Well, Cuernavaca is closer to Mexico City, and has much better restaurants than Taxco. You really can find silver everywhere in Mexico, certainly in Mexico City. In Oaxaca there are so many wonderful handicrafts--rugs, weavings, pottery, wood-carved animals etc--that I didn't pay particular attention to the silver on offer.