Note to self ~ Drink tequila only in moderation! Thanks for that tip!

Do I need to take my spanish dictionary or are there lots of English speakers?

“Do I need to take my spanish dictionary or are there lots of English speakers?”

I would take a dictionary. It would be nice to try to speak Spanish, but yes, there are a lot of English speakers in PV. There are Mexican-Spanish/English dictionaries as well as Spanish/english dictionaries.

Here is some information on the taco stands if you are interested:

http://www.vallarta-info.com/streetfood.html

I take both a dictionary and a phrase book. Phrase books to remind me of conversational questions. Dictionary to look up specific words that I hear on TV or read on a sign or in the newspaper.

But do you have any experience with Spanish? If not, there's really no need imo. Because unless you have a basic level of competency with the language, you won't be able to say the sentences (or more importantly understand the answers) in Spanish enough to be understood.

The people who work in the tourist industry such as hotel front desk clerks and waiters most have a good level of fluency in English. But people say at the grocery store, corner tienda, hotel maids, likely will not.

For inexpensive meals lunch or dinner don't forget CuatesyCuetes "on the beach", Tony's Please on Carranza (5 blocks away from the beach) and La Hacienda for breakfast (just before Tony's please on Carranza).

If you don't book tours on Line get a discount from Benny (just ask him) his stand is the North corner of Langastino's beach restaurant in old town.

blondlady:

You missed our Sacto area GTG in Feb. Hope you can make the next one.

MY

I think as with most foreign countries (the US included), it's appreciated if you at least know courtesy phrases~please, thank you~most people are pretty forgiving no matter how badly you butcher the language. I have a time share at the Villa Del Palmar (sister resort), and upon check in, they give you a print out with common phrases such as "where is the bathroom?" etc.

Another question...I plan to drink bottled water. What other precautions should I take about food there?

You don't need to take precautions about food. Puerto Vallarta has some of the best restaurants anywhere... from local taco stands to high end restaurants and every thing in between.

Probably this won't come up for a tourist, but if you were doing your own cooking people soak raw fruits and vegetables in a special solution you buy at the grocery store.

We just returned from PV, so I have lots of information, if you would like it. First of all, about food and water...

Not even the locals drink the water, according to a tour guide. They have it delivered to their homes. Just be careful of things like slushy drinks from the pool bar, etc. And as far as food goes, we thought that we'd buy groceries at a nearby grocery store and save a bit of money. If you do this, be very careful when choosing meats, cheeses, and dairy products. Nearly all of these were either spoiled when we opened them or spoiled shortly after. All of the restaurants we chose were very good, and you should not have any problems there.

Per some advice from another traveller, we took a dose of Pepto Bismol every night. I was the only one that had stomach problems, but I was also the only one who forgot to take mine a couple of nights.

If you've never been to PV, I would recommend cabs rather than a car. Definitely.

Eight of us travelled together, and we did nearly every touristy thing imaginable. I would highly recommend Vallerta Adventures. They are very professional, and our experiences with all of their staff was just excellent.

We have been to Jamaica a couple of times as well, and you will feel much, much safer walking around town in PV. The locals, besides offering numerous tours, will not approach you. They will treat you very kindly, and they seem to appreciate when you throw in a few Spanish phrases when you can.

Also, I think that tipping the first day in dollars is fine, but you can probably exchange money right at your hotel for a decent exchange rate.

Feel free to ask anything else... like I said, we just returned, so we'd be happy to give you any help we can.

Some locals still use bottled water, from the days when the local water wasn't too good. That was over 12 years ago, but some people are still into the habit.
I don't use bottled water and have been drinking it for 9 years now with zero negative effect.
I buy fresh produce all the time and have never had a spoilage problem, if fact I find the freshness to be superior to what I got in the US. Mind you I don't buy 'packaged' food.
Maybe twice in the last 9 years, I've had a liter of milk go 'off' a little earlier than it should.
Where did you do your shopping ?

amylca~ I also am VERY curious where you did your shopping? I have never had an experience like you mention shopping during years of vacationing in PV, at either Rizo's or Ley's. Actually I can't think of a single thing I've ever bought that was bad. ~suze

We went to the market just a few blocks from the Sheraton - same side of the street. I can't put my finger on the exact name of the market.

I was very surprised, because I didn't even check dates because it was so much like my supermarket at home that I didn't think of it.

What store is closest to me at the Villa Del Mar that I could buy a few groceries at?

Gigante, which is right across the street. It's like the Mexican version of Kmart or Target.

No longer call Gigante, they were bought out, now it's Soriana.

Thanks for the correction. There is also a Soriana's in Cabo, but it's not nearly as convenient.

Thanks for all the great tips, everyone! We had a great time in Puerto Vallarta and just returned yesterday. Felt very safe there, everyone is friendly, and my lack of Spanish was not an issue. Also, I had no issues with food or water. Our hotel room even had a filter beside the tap. I particularly enjoyed these things...
1. walking along the boardwalk area in downtown, watching the street performers, & looking at those incredible, huge sandcastles
2. Rhythms of the Night boat cruise and dinner ~ this was amazing and a must for every tourist!
3. Canopy Zip Line tour ~ So Much Fun! We booked both the boat and canopy through Vallarta Adventures...they are an excellent tour company. Very entertaining!
4. Riding the buses ~ you just can beat 5.5 pesos for transportation, plus you get to experience some of the locals more this way

Things that annoyed me
1. Timeshare people EVERYWHERE!
2. Insect bites no matter what kind of repellent I used...but insects love me no matter where I am.

hola & thanks so much for posting about your trip. glad things turned out well for you in PV!

saving for me