sandy_b

We're (2 senior ladies, budget travelers, intrepid, well traveled, speak some Spanish) considering Veracruz for spring break (mid March). Actually, we're thinking of flying into DF, hopping a bus from the airport direct to Puebla for a day or two and then onward to Veracruz.

Spend a couple of days in V, hop a bus to El Tajin, and back to DF. So . . . who has been in that area? Did you love it, hate it, where did you stay (remember the budget part), where did you eat, what can you recommend, warn us about?

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Sandy (in Denton)

CancunWithMe

Hello Sandy,

It is great to see two ladies interesting in exploring Mexico, and not just the resort driven coastal areas like Cancun.

I have visited the spots you mentioned at some point in my life (some many years ago). It seems as if you guys plan to stay about a week in Mexico all together, and if that is correct I would discourage you from doing so.

You could easily spend a whole week at either DF, Veracruz and Puebla. These locations have enough short day and half day trips to keep you busy.

The main advantages of spending the week at one location is the time saved in travel. If you do take the bus from city to city, you will end up killing too much time at bus stations and on the road. You will get to the cities in the middle of the day, not knowing anyone, checking in, etc. If you do stay at one location the whole time you would have a better chance of getting to know some of the locals better, and maybe even partner up with some of the tourists to do some tours and outings.

As far as budget traveling. I am new to this site, and haven't taken the time to read the rules for the posts, and weather or not links to other sites are allowed. I will post them, and if they are not allowed please someone PM and let me know. I find the local/city forums of www.couchsurfing.com to be a great source of information from both the tourist and locals perspective. You don't necessarily have to "couch surf" in order to participate in that community. Another spot you might get lucky and find a good source of information would be trip advisor.

When you visit the type of forums I mentioned above pay attention to the names that seems to give the better answers and have lots of posts. Often if you PM these folks directly and ask them for advice, they are happy to share with you what they know, and help you plan out your day trips.

Manny

sandy_b

Thanks Manny, it is wonderful getting a positive response.

Not counting arriving/departing, we will have 7 days on the ground. This will be our 12th trip to Mex . . . our 2nd to Puebla. We've seen the sights there but would enjoy a short stopover and it would make our bus ride (to V) less long.

If we visit El Tajin as a daytrip from V, we could have 3 full days in V . . . that should give us enough time to see the sights and take in the culture. We have short attention spans and tend to go, go, go from daylight to dark.

If we decide to fly back to DF, we could have another day. I have just started the planning and am open to all suggestions.

Thanks for the link, I'll go check it out.

Thanks again,
Sandy (in Dento)

CancunWithMe

Well since this is only your 12th trip jajajaja, No for reals, I am glad to read that you have been to Mexico so many times. This means you know what to expect and what not. I am sure you will have luck at finding "local" info in the couch surfing forums. Now in Puebla one stop YOU HAVE TO DO, is at a small bar by La plaza de los sapos where they sell "la pasita". If you have never been there before, just make it to "los sapos" and once there ask for "La pasita". This drink is awsome (in case you haven't tried it).

Best of luck!

Manny

sandy_b

Oh boy! A mission . . . we'll be sure to go and try one . . . had to Google it to find out what it is (raisins) . . . doesn't sound good but will drink with an open mind.

Thanks,
Sandy (in Denton)

nukesafe

I was in Veracruz for a couple of weeks last year, but I'm afraid I can't really be of much help. I went down to help my Son, who was building a boat near the beach south of Anton Lizardo, which is south of Veracruz city. We lived in a hut back from the beach with, and only went into the city for supplies.

I can tell you, however, that Veracruz itself was a more laid back, traditional, and friendly town than almost any of the touristy Mexican towns I have been to. I did rent a car and we took a few days off to visit Antigua, Cortez's original port, Xalapa, and Puebla. All in all, I enjoyed that part of Mexico. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time.

VeracruzGuy

Hi, I can help you with your questions about Veracruz. I have been going there and exploring this beautiful state for the past 13 years. FYI - there is a lot more to see than just El Tajin. The ruins are a great place to visit but is about 4 hours by car from the port city - a long day of driving. In fact, I was just there again in October hosting a couple of groups from Canada. There are other ruins closer to the port city like Cempoala.

However, unlike El Tajin which has English speaking guides (for a fee), Cempaola does not. English speaking locals are somewhat hard to find and English speaking tour guides can be very hard to come by. If you are interested, I can help you as I have found some great local guides who are very knowledgeable about the area and it's colorful history AND they are bilingual.

Also, if you are interested, I can email you some interesting one day excursions from the port city of Veracruz complete with transportation and a bilingual guide.

You may also be interested in the tropical Los Tuxtlas area about 100 miles south of the city. The town of Catemaco is a great place to hang out and explore. I like it so much, I maintain an apartment year-round there and again, can hook you up with local English speaking guides to show you around Catemaco.

Likewise, if you would like to see the mountainous area of Veracruz (it has the 3rd tallest mountain in N. America complete with a glacier on top), my American friend lives there with his Mexican wife/2 children and plays host to foreign tourists in the alpine regions of Veracruz. He also has a hotel too.

My site is www.DiscoverVeracruzTours.com. You can view lots of photos there and see a short video.

FYI - the fees for these day trips are very reasonable.

If I can help you out, just give me a holler.

Mike

sandy_b

Thanks Mike . . . I'll check out your site.

Sandy (in Denton)