We want to see the Mayan and Aztec ruins so thought Mexico City and Teotihuacan, then fly to the area between Merida to Cancun, staying some time in Valladolid because it's central to everything we want to see.

Planning to use a driver and car for some areas and drive ourselves to the closer ones. Never having been to Mexico we have dozens of questions: Best internal airline? Best car hire in the Merida area?? What to see, specifically??? Where are the flamingoes I keep reading about, exactly???? Driving arrangements for international visitors?????

We don't plan to visit any beaches but may visit Cancun for a few hours to see what all the fuss is about. ;-)

Timing: we thought February or March as we want to spend most of the trip in the US south west and don't like excessive heat. Am I on track timewise?

Would be really grateful for input from those who've been there independently.

Hi, there! If you're interested, check out my México photos, blogs, and travelogues below. The Yucatán set includes a few days in San Felipe which is a good base for flamingo trips. Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

> then fly to the area between Merida to Cancun, staying some time in Valladolid because it's central to everything we want to see

The distances are greater than you might think. For example, the Ruta Puuc outside Merida is difficult to see on a single day trip from anywhere.

> Where are the flamingoes I keep reading about, exactly????

It depends to some extent on when you go, as many of them migrate seasonally from Celestun, on the west coast of the Yucatan, to the north coast. As I recall, I went to Celestun in April, and much of the flock had just left. I was told it was early for them to have done so.

Hope that helps!

Thanks people! BUT "The distances are greater than you might think" - NOT REALLY as a country Australian I assume everything is 1000km away.

Even obedience training for my dogs is a 200km round trip, twice a week, and DH does 150km round trip every weekday for work. Comes with the territory;-)

Thank you hopefulist, I've had a brief look at your photos and will go back for far more detail - are there many of those SPIDERS in Coba? They may not be poisonous but I would for sure have a heart attack!

We were thinking of late Feb or early March kja - we want to take about 10 weeks total and spend most of our time between Phoenix and the Canadian border (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada principally, but also revisit Yellowstone and some parts of Washington. Want to get to Skagit for the tulips and fly out of Seattle for Honolulu or Maui.

Does our timing sound OK? I'm a snow white redhead so not much tolerance for heat

> Even obedience training for my dogs is a 200km round trip, twice a week, and DH does 150km round trip every weekday for work.

Oh my!

Your trip sounds like it will be wonderful! Sorry I can't answer your question about the weather and timing - I'm not an expert on the area, just someone who had a great trip there a few years ago. A quick look at my quide books suggests that by March, it will be getting fairly hot in Merida, with average highs of 90 F / 32 C. Earlier would probably be better if you have any flexibility.

We visited in June: HOT, and in December: very temperate, so you should be ok. We only saw the one tarantula - they'd just as soon not be seen so no worries.

Not sure how long you're talking about being in Mexico all together.

Another area not quite as touristed, but with quite a ruin (although not unearthed or restored) as well as other charms is the Puebla and Cholula area. Puebla is a regal old Spanish colonial city in the highlands with a unique cuisine. The food will be *nothing* like you get at Taco Bills! The home of mole, poblano peppers, tacos aribe. It's just under an hour, inexpensive bus ride from the Mexico City airport and the temps are about the same all year, around 24C. It's highlands though, so even though it feels cool, slip slap slop. I got scorched.

Just a few minutes cab ride away is Cholula. A village with a lot of 16th century Spanish churches. One of which seems to sit very high on a hill - with a circle of volcanoes as a backdrop. Very lively place up there on top for the locals. But the "hill" is actually the largest pyramid ever constructed (including those in Egypt). The Spanish got a bug about converting the Aztecs they encountered on arrival and planted the church up there to make a point as well as building dozens of others for such a small town. Some of the pyramid has been unearthed. But cooler is that you can pay a couple of bucks and go inside and wander the narrow stone passageways. Cholula was a fun town to just poke around too for a bit.

Overall, not a bad way to spend a few days in the area.

Have a good trip and greets from Melbourne.

mayan-traveler.com

yucatanhoy.com

2 good sites to review

if u are into ruins Palenque and Tikal in Guatemala

are best jaguartikal.com my fav for sunset/sunrise

at ruins.

Have fun,

"Timing: we thought February or March as we want to spend most of the trip in the US south west and don't like excessive heat. Am I on track timewise?"

The Yucatan will be warm, Mexico City and environs comfortable with cool evenings, if normal conditions prevail.

Know that it may be pretty cold at higher elevations in places like the Grand Canyon.

Valladolid is a nice little town to spend a few days in - close to several ruins, but not too touristy. I would highly recommend staying at the Meson del Marques hotel. We really liked this place, right on the main square, with an excellent Mayan restaurant on premises. Right next door is a public food court with about a dozen small eateries. If you want to experience the beautiful Caribbean coast, instead of heading to Cancun, drive down to the ruins at Coba, which were our favorite, and then over to Tulum, which is possibly the most scenic spot on the entire coast, with ruins perched on a cliff overlooking the brilliant azure sea. Tulum pueblo is a very interesting little town - very Mexican with some good dining and shopping options.
Car rental and driving is quite simple, just opt for all the insurance coverages offered. The weather in February/March should be perfect - warm but not oppressive.

Oaxaca might be of interest for you. The first time we went there we combined Yucatan with Oaxaca, coming from San Francisco. But not knowing your mode of travel, I can only indicate areas with interesting pre-Columbian ruins.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622882801271/

I do not consider Puebla-Cholula to be a major site compared to the Yucatan, Oaxaca and Mexico City (and environs) sites.

We enjoyed Valladolid and especially our little Hotel Zaci, a great value locals place a few blocks from the zocalo and just around the corner from the bus station and where the colectivos leave for Chichen Itza. There's also a place nearby where colectivos head back and forth to the cenotes; you can read about that and how we arranged to visit beautiful Ek Balam in my travelogue for the June 2010 trip (link in 1st reply post, above).

I should have mentioned that we were there in June and were grateful for our hotel's ac, swimming pool, and those gorgeous cenotes!

I tend to agree with Michael. Puebla is nice, but Cholula really is only worth seeing on the way to something else, not as a destination. And if you're not into the beach, there's really no reason to go to Cancun. Tulum, as mentioned, has a great setting, but the ruins are average at best. If it were me, (and I know its not) from Mexico City I would go to Oaxaca, doing Puebla/Cholula on the way, and then do Monte Alban, Mitla, and some of the minor ruins in the area. Oaxaca is a much better destination than Merida, and cooler at 5,000 ft. You could spend a week there and not run out of things to do and see, the food is the best in all of Mexico, and nothing beats the State Marimba band in the Zocalo. You can take a bus to and then fly out of Oaxaca, either back to DF domestically or Houston via Continental and then to wherever.
And Palenque is better than Chichen Itza, but hard to get to.