Planning Guanajuato Mexico Trip

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Recommended Guide Books
Tourist Cards and Passports
Money Exchange
Traveling with Children
What to Bring
How to Get to Guanajuato
Arrival
Phoning from Overseas
Travel Insurance

Recommended Guide Books
We recommend Frommer's guide and the Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico as the more practical guide books. The People's Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz is an excellent source of general information on traveling in Mexico. Top

Tourist Cards and Passports
When you arrive in Mexico, customs officials will issue you with a tourist card (be sure to bring identification showing proof of US citizenship, either a passport or a birth certificate). Make sure you do not lose your tourist card, as you cannot leave the country without it and getting a replacement is a problem.

Money Exchange
With proper identification, you will be able to exchange money or cash traveler's checks Monday through Friday before 2:00 pm at a local bank. Personal checks, cashier checks and money orders are not accepted at local banks. If you bring cash, please make sure it is not marked or ripped.

Traveling with Children
A single parent traveling with children will need to obtain a notarized letter from the other parent stating that the children have permission to travel abroad. A child traveling with someone other than a parent will need a notarized letter or letters signed by both parents stating that that child has permission to travel abroad. Top

What to Bring
Guanajuato is generally warm and sunny during the day (6 am - 7 pm), ranging  from 60 to 76 degrees fahrenheit. At night the temperatures can fall below 55 degrees fahrenheit. Be sure to bring a warm sweater or jacket. During the rainy season (May through October) it's a good idea to be prepared for an occasional rain shower, both here or in other parts of Mexico .

We suggest that you bring a Spanish-English dictionary and other grammar books you find useful. Barron´s book are great sources. We recommend that you bring a copy of Schaum´s Spanish Grammar, Fourth Edition, by Conrad Schmitt, which we use as a complementary textbook. Top

How to Get to Guanajuato
Flying into Leon:
You can buy a ticket to take a taxi to Guanajuato from Leon/Bajio Airport for about US$35. Buses do not serve Leon/Bajio Airport, which is 35 minutes from Guanajuato.

Flying into Mexico City or Guadalajara :
If you are flying into Mexico City, take a taxi from the airport to the North Bus Station (Central de Autobuses del Norte), which is about 20 minutes away. There is a regular first class bus service, which leaves every 1-2 hours for Guanajuato. Ask for the "Directo" service to avoid stopping in the smaller towns along the way.

If you are flying to Guadalajara, a taxi ride to the Central de Autobuses is also necessary. From both cities the bus to Guanajuato takes 4 1/2 - 5 hours. Some of the better and fastest bus lines are ETN, Futura, Servicios Coordinados, Primera Plus, and Tres Estrellas de Oro. Prices and comfort vary, depending on which service you choose.

Once you get to Guanajuato bus station (Central de Autobuses), located in the outskirts of the city, take a regular city bus in front of the station. Take a bus labeled "PRESA" or "EMBAJADORAS," and tell the bus driver you need to get off at Hotel Embajadoras. If you have a lot of luggage, a taxi to Hotel Embajadoras would be a better option and will cost less than US$4.00. You can call your host family from the hotel. Top

Arrival
You may start your homestay on any day of the week. If you are arriving after 10 pm, please make arrangements to stay in a hotel and contact your host family in the morning. If you experience any travel delays, please inform us as soon as possible!

If you are planning to arrive on a weekend during Cervantino (the international cultural and arts festival), we suggest that you come into the city on the Friday morning before the weekend, to avoid any major traffic delays. If you are arriving in October, please ask us for the dates of Cervantino. Top