Traveling to Mexico City..help!!?

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trav

hello
I am from Mex city and i go there pretty often,
you just need your passport ( I am assuming you are American)
they will just ask you what is the purpose of your trip
yes, you after immigration go and pick up your baggage, and then you have this type of traffic lights that you have to press a button, if it is red you will have to open your bags/baggage for security purposes , they may ask you what exactly you are bringing and why.
I had a terrible experience at the airport 1 year ago,, I was carrying my laptop bag with some Christmas gifts inside, ipods and digital camera, and of curse my laptop, I got distracted for less than 10 seconds waiting for my baggage and someone took it,, of course it must have been an employee or a passenger,, the area is restricted,,, and i didn't pay attention as I was excited to see my nephew and my mother.

Additional details regarding thefts, it is controlled, you cannot take a bag if your tag in your ticket doesn't match with that of the bag, there are people checking that, but it is so crowded that after you have picked up your belongings, you can get distracted and then they steal it,,, just be cautious and never get distracted while at the airport.

take care of your belongings, its a huge city and its normal crime is everywhere,

good luck and enjoy its a beautiful city very crowded (25 million people)

gringa traveler

Just to clarify--you w ill be given two immigration forms on the airplane by the flight attendant. If you're sleeping when they pass them out, be sure to ask for them well before you get off the plane. It's whole lot easier to fill them out on the plane. They are printed in both English and Spanish and are pretty straighforward.

When you get off the plane, the signs are pretty clear. You go first to immigration (migracion). You give them the immigration form and your passport. They will give it back and hand you your FM-T (tourist visa) with the number of days you're allowed to stay in Mexico written in by hand. It should say 180 days.

You then go and get your luggage and follow the signs for Customs (Aduana). You are still inside the secured area. Follow the signs for customs, hand in the customs form and push the button of the traffic light-like stand they will point you toward. If you get a green light, you pass through, no inspection. If it's red, they will direct you to another area for a baggage inspection that will most likely be pretty cursory.

After you go through there, follow the signs to leave the secured area into the main terminal. You will most likely arrive at the brand new terminal. I haven't been in it yet, but there should be a kiosk for buying taxi tickets. Tell them where you want to go and get your ticket then take it out to the taxi line. There should be an attendant who will tell you where to wait and/or point you to your taxi. It is much safer to do it this way than to hail a cab on your own.

Don't worry about your luggage. Just pay attention. If you have more than one bag and you stop to sit down or wait somewhere, it's a good idea to loop the strap of one through the handle of the other and always keep them close.

Be "cautious" as you would be in any big city anywhere. But don't be "afraid." Don't let worry spoil your trip.

Have fun. It's a great city!

Patrick B

I have been to Mexico City a few times, I'm American and travel alone generally.

1.Take the forms on the plane or at check-in if possible(they might have english forms for you, if you need them). Otherwise you sorta have to fill them out while you wait for immigration.

Luggage is in a secure area just before customs, in theory they check the luggage tags(once they checked mine, and others just let me pass). Once you take your luggage you re-xray them, hand off your customs form, hit a buttom(that says if u get luggage searched or not) and your out.

Now, once your out of immigration/customs, if you have never been to Mexico City, and do not have an arranged ride, go to the AIRPORT TAXI pre-paid desks for a taxi from your hotel.

This is more pricey(10-15 dollars) but safer for a new arrival.

Have fun, its a nice city

Gata de Barrio

Hahaha, the red light, I used to get that hideous red light EVERY freaking time when the light is supposed to turn on only like in 10% of the tickets given to airport personnel (it's supposed to be chosen randomly, but with my luck...). Thankfully it's not a very through inspection though. It's not like they will be obsessively asking you if the stuff you brought is worth more than 2000 dollars or something.

The only time I didn't get the red light was when they were changing the computers and were using a very primitive way to sort out travellers: a bad with marbles. Pick the 1 red one, get the inspection. I let my travel buddy pick up a green one on purpose. haha

The route to go to customs changed a lot in the last 2 years after they remodelled everything. I got lost haha and it was infested with people because only 2 booths were open. I've heard it's now very fast though. They don't ask too many questions if you're american and give them your sheet (the sheet mainly says your name, why you're in Mexico and approx how long you'll be there, nothing big. I always try to fill it up while on the plane). The papers are a pain in the rear for people like me that leave the country using a US passport and reenter with the mexican one because you're supposed to fill out a second paper as a mexican. It would just be easier to fake my way into Mexico with the US passport and lie that I'll only stay for 3 months. (Yeah, try to deport me if you can, haha!).

You won't have probs. I've never had luggage theft, but after the red and green button thing you have to change to different luggage carriers which is where you could get careless and "lose" something. In Mexico pickpockets are very common. People can steal your cellphone with an ease, well; you've been warned.

Airport taxis are 100% safe, but the price to ride in one is a ripoff. Last time I checked, 20 dollars just to get on a small taxi and 35 for a minivan, let alone what they'll charge you to take you to your destination.

Hopefully you'll get the green light. Lol

queenbee

You will need a passport and they will give you a form to be filled out and declaring the things you are carrying and for how long you are staying and the purpose of your visit to Mexico City pleasure or business. And someone mentioned about the airport and luggage well its like any airport but bigger and busier and as for matching your tags on baggage's how can that person say his laptop was stolen if he said they match your luggage tag and ticket that's kind of controversy. Just be alert from all surroundings and don't trust just anybody. We also are going to Mexico City for the first time also. Been traveling to Mexico for 25 years now and never been to Mexico City.

Jose S

you should put a tag on your bags so you know which bags are

Danny S

you cant know dor sure cause it's mexico. Dr.Phil talked bout this. There customs are different from ours

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