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I love a Mexican beach vacation. Having traveled to many beach towns in Mexico, I take for granted how much I know about traveling there. The sandy beaches are beautiful and with a fantastic exchange rate for Americans, it’s a great time to head south and get out of the cold. There’s nothing to be intimated about when going to Mexico. Some of the places I like include:
Playa Del Carmen
Cabo San Lucas
Puerta Vallarta
Huatulco
Cancun
La Paz
Ixtapa
Cozumel
My family of five started going to Mexico in 2003 when our three children were ages, 5, 3 & 2 and have been going virtually every year since. We have mastered the financial nuances and I’m going to share them with you.
Ideally, book your hotel a year out. Start by trying to book a place that comes with a small kitchen (stove and refrigerator). It could be a friend’s unused timeshare (try Timeshare Users Group or Airbnb Mexico). We don’t go the all inclusive route because we travel as a family and it’s not worth the cost as the kids don’t eat and drink enough. If you are traveling as a couple, the all-inclusive option is more attractive, but you might get tired of the hotel food and miss out on great food and bar experiences outside your resort.
Booking way ahead of time can also help save on airfare and make it easier to get a direct flight. From Chicago, a direct flight takes roughly four hours to most places in Mexico. The flight cost can range from $350-$850 per ticket. BOOK EARLY!
After you get your luggage on your way to get your ride you will likely be met by welcoming locals wanting to talk with you. They’ll likely offer you a free ride to your hotel and/or a free fabulous excursion if you will agree to listen to their timeshare presentation later in the week.
On our recent trip to Puerta Vallarta we were offered complimentary margarita’s to slow us down in the airport long enough for a sales person to present their opportunity to us.
The presentations are generally later in the week over a complimentary buffet breakfast. You will be given a very hard sale over the next 2-4 hours in exchange for anything from rounds of golf to free passes to a fantastic day trip that could easily save your family as much as $500. You need to decide if your time (presentation time) is worth it. Timeshare sales people are known to be relentless bulldogs to the point of making people feel uncomfortable. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
If you do decide that a timeshare is a good choice for you, don’t make the same mistake I did and buy it on the spot. They will offer you a big discount to buy from them right then and usually won’t allow you to leave the presentation to think about it. That would mean paying full retail price!
Better solution:
There are thousands of people that made that mistake (under intense pressure and excitement of owning beautiful timeshare). If only they had known better. They could have bought the timeshare for half the price on the resale market. I’m glad I bought my timeshare with Westin Hotel (Raintree Vacation Club) as we use it often. I just wish I had bought it when I got home from Cancun (in 2003) and saved about $8,000 buying it on the secondary market.
There are many ways to save money and enhance your experience once you are at your favorite Mexican beach casa.
Hopefully, you will have arranged to have a room that has a small kitchen. If so, one of the first things we do is head out to a local grocery store or Walmart and load up on breakfast, lunch, snacks, 5 gallon water bottle, and other drinks including alcohol. You can take a taxi or bus to get there and back depending on where you are staying. Groceries are very inexpensive. You’ll find this will save you quite a bit of money and is a HUGE convenience especially if you are traveling with children.
While most resorts have pretty good food, I prefer to venture out and sample local restaurants. Seafood is fresh and delicious as are many Mexican dishes. Again, the cost of eating dinner out can add up quickly even in Mexico. The solution is to eat off the beaten path. Chances are if you go a couple blocks off the main drag you will find taco stands set up by locals, intended to feed the locals. Prices are so low you won’t believe it! At our recent Puerta Vallarta visit, we bought (plastic) plates of three fantastic tacos for only 40 pesos. That’s about two bucks! 
Throw in a ice cold bottle of Coca-cola and your could feed a family of five for $15. Tip them $5 and you’ll get a smiling “mochas gracious”. Dollar/Peso Calculator
Throw in a ice cold bottle of Coca-cola and your could feed a family of five for $15. Tip them $5 and you’ll get a smiling “mochas gracious”.Sometimes we will share some street tacos and call that our appetizer, then go to a restaurant and split entrees as another way to save money.
When you are at your hotel or walking the main tourist streets you will often be asked if you want to buy an excursion package for your family. Sometimes your hotel will get a nice discounted price for you. I suggest you get that price first and use it to negotiate when people approach you with an offer. If you can’t do significantly better than what your hotel offers I’d stick with them. Excursions can be super fun and are one of the biggest costs you’ll have on your trip. I would look up your excursion on Mexico Trip Advisor and read the reviews before booking.
When you are on the beach, there will likely be many opportunities to buy things or activities such as para sailing, jet skiing, hair braiding, jewelry, hats, sunglasses, or my favorite; fresh fruit.
In every case, NEGOTIATE. The best initial response is “no” in any negotiation. If it’s something you really want, then offer your (low-ball) price and show them the money (cash in hand). If you are using dollars, make sure you know the exchange rate. It’s likely their offer will be in dollars.
Every resort has happy hour specials. There could be multiple and at different places and times. Each poolside beach and restaurant could have different happy hours. Depending on how hungry you are to save money will determine if you want to bounce around. Also, the service staff at Mexican resorts make less than $2/hour. Make sure to tip well and tip your server directly with cash. If you simply add the tip to your bill your server will be lucky to see any of that money.
I have several great tips that you can see by watching my brief video by clicking below. Feel free to ask me questions in the comments area below.
Lastly, subscribe to my youtube channel and blog page if you haven’t already done so.
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