12 Travel Tips to Avoid Scams & Travel Safely in Mexico [2024]

[@TwoGayExpats]

Thanks for watching! If you have any questions or comments about our experiences, please drop them below, and we’ll respond ASAP! And if you found this video entertaining and/or helpful, why not buy us a coffee to say thanks? Every little bit helps support our efforts to keep traveling and creating quality content for you! As always, thanks for watching and liking our videos and subscribing to our channel! We appreciate you! 🙏❤ -Andy + Trai www.buymeacoffee.com/twogayexpats

[@MovedToTearsGiselle]

As a Mexican, these are so accurate and just remember that a taxi never has to make a stop for any reason or ask you to be ok with having more passengers ahead.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Thank you! We’ve definitely been asked to share a taxi, but it was in Puerto Escondido and thankfully turned out to be a great deal for us! 🙏

[@MovedToTearsGiselle]

@@TwoGayExpats that is great, just make sure it is from the start because when I went to pick up my boyfriend to Mexico City International Airport, the taxi driver wanted to take a detour and I know that can lead to a kidnapping so even if he insisted I said no way. I love your videos, we are going to Zipolite on March and we loved your videos there! Regards!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Oooh that is great info we did not know! Thanks for sharing! We were leaving a turtle release where it was nearly impossible to get a taxi. Many people were walking up the coastal highway to get back to town, so we never detoured. We’ll know going forward no detours if the circumstances are different! Especially in CDMX. And thank you for watching our videos! You’re going to have an amazing time in Zipolite. We just left and can’t wait (again) to go back!! ❤️

[@user-bg9em7ch6k]

@@TwoGayExpats I’ve also shared a taxi and been glad that I did!

[@michaelhunt4510]

Everything said here is very true! I am a permanent resident, husband is a dual citizen. Whenever using credit cards, pay in pesos and make sure your credit card does not have a foreign transaction fee. Best exchange rates are from American Express. Bank of America has a worse rate than any I have seen. Also, in Mexico, Standard tip amount is 10%. If you want to give more, fine, but it is not supposed to be added before hand.

[@MrBurtSantos]

Absolutely love all of your videos! Traveling to Mexico for the first time and everything is so helpful.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Amazing!! Thank you 🙏 ❤️🙌

[@Solambulist]

In PV, I paid the fee in cash, at the hotel, to have a friend spend the night with me. The attendant at the hotel pocketed the money and I had to repay for it at check out. Always ask for a receipt when handing over cash.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Thanks for sharing! Great tip!

[@Tattoo2021]

I was in zipolite june 9-18 The atm machine at Nude hotel Gave me my pesos after declining the conversion , two days later it declined every attempt when declining the conversion . I tried 3 diff atms with same result all at Banco Multiva machines . So I had to taxi to puerto Angel and went to a Santander AtM in municipal town office area and hit decline conversion and got my pesos . So I was a bit dissapointed but to prove the scam I went back to Banco multiva machine and accepted conversion and voila I got my pesos So I assume the bank just wants to rob one of a extra 400 pesos by accepting the conversion on 4400 pesos I tried to get My advice take way more pesos in cash when going to very small beach communities in Mexico that don't even have a bank branch in town

[@TwoGayExpats]

100% but that’s not been our experience and hopefully not the new norm!!!

[@rockygoodwin2860]

You boys are serving us all up some GREAT tidbits of information on money scams and it’s GREAT! My husband and I, along with our precious dog, BB King, the Yorkie are planning a full year in Mexico beginning Christmas Eve of this year. Your information has been so so helpful to us!

[@TwoGayExpats]

That’s super exciting!! And thank you so much! We’re glad you found our videos helpful! 🙌

[@tracycook3254]

Very helpful! Thanks guys

[@TwoGayExpats]

Our pleasure!

[@myb4649]

I’m headed to Cancún soon. Should I exchange at the airport?? I don’t really trust any ATMs, let alone a foreign one. Thanks for your help!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Generally, the airport is convenient but not a great rate. International ATMs like HSBC, Scotiabank, etc within the airport or a bank branch (not outside on the street) are best. We actually made a video on this topic! 7 Tips To Get The Most Pesos For Your Dollars in Mexico kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJOvgKGLjL6tj5Y

[@asendorfyt]

Not only in Mexico. Everywhere in Latinamerica cash is king. Cards are accepted in upscale places or big brands

[@lesburrows8469]

Thanks for this very helpful information 😊

[@TwoGayExpats]

Glad it was helpful! 🙏

[@alexandriajordan4579]

This is my first time watching one of your videos. The video contains so much useful information that it was kind of overwhelming! Wished you had broken down these scams into multiple videos with different categories to absorb it all. Now this is a first, a viewer complaining about too much (free) information. Lol. I really did enjoy it. Thank you for an organized and extremely informative video. Happy 2023. Hope it’s the best year yet for you guys.

[@TwoGayExpats]

We’re so glad you found it helpful!! Thanks for sharing!!! ❤️

[@ParisianThinker]

Your video was excellent just as you presented it.

[@crjetpilot]

I had a little guy on a motorcycle for Rappi trying to scam me on a food delivery in Monterrey recently. He claimed that I gave the wrong address and that I’d need to pay extra. Well, the Rappi driver the day before delivered my food just fine, to the same address. The boy tried to get nasty with me so I told him keep the food, I wasn’t paying extra. (I’d already added a good tip onto the bill). He took it somewhere else and snapped a photo, claiming he made the delivery. I contacted Rappi and explained what happened, and they reversed the charges. That was about an hour wasted. I then walked to a restaurant as I should have done in the first place, and had dinner.

[@TwoGayExpats]

How frustrating! Thankfully, we’ve only had good experiences with Rappi and Tomato in Tulum. Many drivers will WhatsApp you and ask you to drop a pin if they get lost. Same with Amazon delivery guys.

[@Bellevie-j9r]

Hi, guys, thank you for your tips, i'd like to know, when we arrive Cancun airport, it is a good place to exchange the money in airport or we pay our first hotel payment in hotel and exchange the money then in the bank next day?

[@TwoGayExpats]

Our pleasure. We would suggest taking money out of the ATM at the airport if needed versus bringing and exchanging cash (most expensive option). We’d have to check the rates and commissions to decide between the two options if exchanging physical currencies?

[@Bellevie-j9r]

@@TwoGayExpats Thank you for your reply, we will check out the rate of the exchange office......otherwise, we will pay our payment in hotel with my credit card in Mexico peso. We hope to see you guys one day if possible.

[@TwoGayExpats]

@@Bellevie-j9r perfecto! Sounds like a good plan!

[@haileystatler4418]

So helpful thank you!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Our pleasure! Thank you! 🙏

[@bosquebear1]

I wanted to use a local rental car company in Merida to help the locals, and rented a car for a week. When I wanted to return the car over the weekend, the company was closed unlike the internacional companies next door. The parking lot where I picked up the car wanted to change me for 2 days parking until Monday when I could return the car to the rental agency. Later, I found out my credit card was receiving changes for perfume and restaurants, so I went to one of the phone places and called the bank, back in the states on the 800 number not knowing I would have to pay for the 30 minutes I was on the phone mostly on hold to the little phone store for using their phone for an 800 call.. Then, the only solution with the bank was to cancel the card to stop the fraud. So... here I was in México without a Credit card. Luckily, I also carry a debit card and do almost all transactions in cash. From now on, I will carry a spare credit card for another account and rent from one of the internacional car rental companies.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Oh my gosh! What an ordeal! Thanks for sharing and good lesson to learn from! Yikes!! 😬

[@clintbrewster9282]

Good info guys i keep what u said in mind thanks alot.👍👍

[@TwoGayExpats]

Our pleasure! Thank you 🙏

[@doubleoseven273]

great video, thanks!

[@scottysblog7317]

Im going to Mexico city in June. My bank here at home does free currency exchange.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Free means the rate is awful! So please check the XE app before you agree to the conversion. Best is ATM with a fee reimbursement ATM card like Schwab. Just an fyi! Safe travels! You’re going to love CDMX!

[@scottysblog7317]

@@TwoGayExpats I certainly will check it out. Thank you.

[@natnasci]

It is odd that the newer banknotes did not keep the same colours. The new 500 is the same blue as the old 20. The different sizes of the notes does help though.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Totally agree! Let’s add more to the mix to elevate the confusion 😝

[@robbar42]

thanks for the tips!!!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Happy to help!

[@philipbuckley759]

not accepting the conversion rate, at HSBC cancels the transaction and CI bank will take money, from your acct and say your card is invalid.....

[@TwoGayExpats]

It has been our experience that HSBC has consistently allowed us to decline the conversion rate. What can’t be declined [at any ATM] is the ATM fee, which our Schwab Checking Account debit card reimburses us. Our experience with CIBanco in Tulum, MX has been that there is always a long line of tourists at the ATM and every foreign card is declined. We’ve tried it twice and the ATM has rejected our card and we’re not charged.

[@ParisianThinker]

Now I am afraid since I will be traveling alone. I do not speak Spanish so maybe Mexico isn't a good fit for me due to all the dishonest people.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Only a small fraction. Most we find are the most friendly, thoughtful, humans. We feel safer in Mexico than the U.S. for sure!

[@thedang4phim]

Wishing you are our tour guide, it's much better and safe 😉

[@TwoGayExpats]

Awww thank you! You’ll be fine with this knowledge!!! Have a fantastic trip!

[@tidy]

It is sad that anyone would scam someone! Be respectful of each other.

[@TwoGayExpats]

🙏❤️🙏❤️

[@laughremixsquad]

Great info. Mexico sounds exhausting.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Our pleasure! And it’s not exhausting to us but does require a learning curve at first to be sure! There are loads of benefits but always a trade off when moving outside of your home country. Safe travels!

[@elhector83]

This doesn't just happen in Mexico. Scammers are working and innovating every day to take money from tourists anywhere in the world, even in places that seem safe like Europe or Asia.

[@ParisianThinker]

Yes, very exhausting as the deceptions and scams never end.

[@OldEarthWisdom]

...AND if you have a Chase card you will get all the fees charged at an ATM back. This is true for using it all around the world.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Agreed, we love cards that reimburse ATM fees internationally!!!

[@ThatBearHasMoxie]

SO AMAZING!!!!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Gracias amigo!!! 🙌

[@ducheau100]

In Europe they try to get you to select the conversion rate. Its a scam there too!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Yes, unfortunately, many of the financial-type scams are in a lot of countries! 😔

[@ParisianThinker]

Not so in France. You choose.

[@thegallivanthropologists]

Really great info guys. I have unfortunately been on the bad side of a couple of these traveling in the developing World, but we will not trade the overall experience. As a father and son team of anthropologists, we tend to love people and places. Subed to learn more. Cheers from Turtle and Bear.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Cheers guys, and we completely agree with you! 99.9% of the people we’ve met have been honest, hard-working people. It’s truly the few, but it’s still worth sharing these tips to help those who may not know. We certainly did not know all of these scams/travel tips a year ago! On that note, safe travels to you both, and thanks for subscribing/watching 🙌

[@thegallivanthropologists]

@@TwoGayExpats YW. Nice to make your acquaintance and hope to keep in touch. - Bear

[@billligon4005]

I like traveling with my own beach chair and umbrella, But Leaving PV airport, the airport TSA would not let me take my portable beach chair and umbrella thru security. I told her it was a chair, and umbrella, but no, she would not let it go thru the scanner. So I just put them in the local trash can. I think I should have opened the chair and umbrella up right there to prove what it was. Oh well. Thanks.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Always frustrating to have to leave something behind at security!!

[@charlesmcdermott6139]

Well, this has made me realize that I will probably not go to Mexico.

[@TwoGayExpats]

Scams happen everywhere, these are just common ones to know when traveling in Mexico. We’ve been scammed the most at a restaurant we were regulars at in Chicago! We were shocked. Luckily, our credit card made all the fraudulent charges right. Safe travels! ✈️

[@SM-tx1gg]

Besides all the scams Who wants to go to a country where you can't use the tap water for daily usage like brush teeth or wash food or anything. Every time I've been to Cancun or puerto Vallarta I've gotten sick and I'm crazy cautious.

[@richardmartin4634]

We WILL NEVER GO BACK TO MEXICO AND THE WORD IS SPREADING FAST!

[@ordinaryalan]

I would NOT suggest getting an Uber in Cancun right now. There's a legitimate risk due to the taxi syndicate being strongly opposed to Uber being allowed to operate there. There have even been instances of physical violence against uber drivers and unfortunately the passengers suffer as well. Better to use ADO buses or "combis".

[@TwoGayExpats]

We have had friends get into a physical altercation with taxi drivers over uber. Definitely be very discreet when using the service. It’s really frustrating especially when it’s so easy and convenient in Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta!

[@leifharmsen]

I would never drive in Mexico! The drivers are crazy, the stop signs are missing!

[@TwoGayExpats]

Hazards are the top reason NOT to drive at night in Mexico 🇲🇽 we don’t recommend!!

[@joshromeorn]

I wish this video was made a month ago. I was def scammed paying 900 instead of 800 :( tho i already know this does happen

[@TwoGayExpats]

Thankfully that’s not too bad! Almost everything is negotiable in Mexico (esp. if you are willing to walk away!)

[@MrHmjg]

this why i go to south east asia. no longer like mexico...

[@TwoGayExpats]

Good to know there are no scams in Asia. Safe travels amigo.

[@ThatBearHasMoxie]

Request: Can you do a video on gay nightlife in Cancun?

[@TwoGayExpats]

It’s on our list!!!

[@Ranoldopereztroika]

Basically, a stressful vacation. No, thanks.

[@TwoGayExpats]

To each his own, but there are scams everywhere. You’ll be missing out on a beautiful, warm and friendly country where most people are amazing! Again, just like anywhere!

[@ParisianThinker]

@@TwoGayExpats I think I will stay in France.

[@kevinbroadway5398]

why can't you leave you gayness out of this

[@TwoGayExpats]

Okay Kevin Broadway 🎭 ✨ when did we mention anything gay once in this video? We’ll wait… oh that’s right, we didn’t. 🙄 And if you don’t like gay people, watch another channel. Safe travels.

[@peterjohnson4068]

I read a lot of stories about police corruption in Mexico. Do you still suggest we rent a car?

[@TwoGayExpats]

We have had no trouble. We recommend driving the speed limit, only during the day and not talking on your mobile phone. If you follow the rules, we don’t think you’ll have any issues.