México has traditionally been a great vacation spot for the Winter Holidays. Visions of sunny white sand beaches, luxury hotels with their bars almost floating in the middle of the blue pools, spectacular ruins, night life and shopping lure travelers from all over the United States and the world.
This year, however, there seems to be fear in the air. This article will address these fears and hopefully will alleviate some worry.

I was recently driving in the States and I noticed that whenever I mentioned that I live in Mexico I was met with a raised eyebrow and a comment about “Wasn’t it unsafe there?” I am certainly aware of the recent news headlines about the drug wars that are occurring on the northern border between Mexico and the United States. It is alarming to read of the headless bodies, the almost open warfare between opposing groups, and the amount of drugs seized by officials on both sides of the border. But these reposts need to be put into perspective. These are wars between criminal groups. For the casual visitor who is not dealing in either the use of or the sale of drugs there is little to fear.

Visitors to Mexico need to exercise the same caution that one would display in one’s home country. Common sense precautions such as not walking alone in dark parts of any city, not displaying large amounts of cash, not wearing flashy jewelry, not drinking too much in local bars and not hooking up with strangers are advisable. Tourists in any part of the world may be prone to quick theft since it can be assumed that extra money and fancy cameras and electronics may be part of one’s luggage. These items are easy targets and easily sold for a quick profit.

One of the reasons that there seems to be a surge in high profile killings and kidnappings is precisely because the current President is trying to be firm with crime and the criminals are pushing back at this crackdown. But, to restate, these attacks are not aimed at most nationals, tourists or even ex-pats living in Mexico. By taking normal precautions everyone should have a good travel experience in Mexico.

As a final note, I am often asked if it is safe to drive in Mexico. I usually answer: that depends. The experience is a very different one than driving in the States and one about which I have written a previous article. In general it is unnecessary to drive for sightseeing purposes in Mexico. The Country has a very well developed system of first class busses which make touring enjoyable, easy and affordable.
So, hop on a bus and see the country! It is an experience well worth having.